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Normally when rapid-transit expansions are announced, it often leads to significant condo developments.

It occurred in Surrey Centre, Coquitlam Centre, and at the corner of Marine Drive and Cambie Street in recent years.

But if a Vancouver councillor gets his way, it's conceivable that only rental dwellings will be allowed along the UBC subway extension west of Arbutus Street, apart from around the First Nations-owned Jericho Lands.

Pete Fry of the Greens has introduced a motion on notice seeking council's support to direct staff to identify a planning area for a possible subway extension.

Fry wants staff to also identify a "surrounding proximity of at least or close to 800 meters on either side to the north and south".

In addition, the motion seeks council's support to "direct staff to explore the use of rental only zoning in the Broadway Plan area and in the Arbutus to UBC Subway Extension planning area through the Broadway Planning Process, the City-wide plan process or other robust, collaborative and equitable planning processes to enhance the protection of renters and limit speculation in response to transit infrastructure investment".

The Broadway Corridor Planning Program covers a huge area of land extending from Vine Street to Clark Drive and from 1st Avenue to 16th Avenue.

In effect, Fry has raised the possibility of creating rental-only zoning over a wide swath of the northwest side of Vancouver.

The motion suggests that rezoning applications could be considered under "exceptional circumstances", even if they are not for 100 percent social and supportive housing, community care facilities, group residences, 100 percent blow-market housing, or 100 percent affordable student housing associated with educational institutions.

According to the motion, these applications would have to be reported to council initially and then the decision would be made at the discretion of the director of planning.

Fry's motion is on the agenda of the Tuesday (February 26) Vancouver council meeting.