City council is moving forward with plans to build more rental housing on the Central Green site.
On Monday, council reconsidered plans for a five-storey, 108 unit building that had been deferred four weeks earlier, after it was confirmed by developers that highrises pitched during public consultations wouldn't be a reality on the site.
Mayor Colin Basran says that fact frustrated him originally, but a fresh look at the plans for shorter buildings made him reconsider.
"I actually do believe we've lived up to that public consultation, because every objective is met. So I think we have to ask ourselves, what are we losing without the height? The answer's nothing - we don't lose out on anything. And we get so many positives as a result," he said.
The original vision of the site had plans for 500 units of housing, a number that's still realized with the current design.
The vote passed, with councillors Ryan Donn and Charlie Hodge voted against the building, saying they weren't getting what they'd been promised.
Donn says he's lost confidence in the process after hearing reassurances from city staff in the past.
"I believe what we lost is the trust in our staff reports, to take them fully at their word," he said.
"When it says "the new layout will see two towers further away from Harvey," I believed we would see two towers away from Harvey. I need to trust the process, I need to trust that what is said by a person from the podium, and what's said in the staff report, and what's said on the screen (in council chambers) actually represents the reality," he said.
Colleague Luke Stack says he thinks that's harsh, considering those commitments for big towers came during discussion over the entire Comprehensive Development Zone, or CDZ, and not during consults on development permits for the specific buildings.
He says the CDZ reflects big picture ideals, not site specifics.
"It's to be taken as a general viewing of how this could develop out, and what the vision is. I think in defence of staff, they won't get to this level of detail until we get to the way we are today, with a development permit."
Central Green was initially going to include large residential high-rises stretching nearly 20 storeys upward, before developer Al Stober Construction told council that wasn't feasible last month.