General Vancouver Updates

[Tetsuo]

^^^ Agreed, not to mention was able to build/afford such infrastructure such a the viaducts and the false creek crossings (Cambie, Granville, et cetera)

[rofina]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Housing crisis done with one site? lol Heck Vision keeps bragging about all the rental homes that have come online lately, those have done wonders for the housing crisis... You can not build your way out of our problem, demand is the issue.
.

Demand is not an issue if its managed properly.

Create a non speculative, inflation linked form of housing stock for locals.

Zone large portions of the City to allow construction of this "B" housing stock only.

Build thousands more rental units on sites like Langara.

Speed up permitting process.

Let the foreign money buy all the luxury condos they want, use the CAC's and taxes from their purchases to fund the "B" housing stock for locals.

Ensure the resale of these condos is linked to official CPI numbers +2%, like rent controls.

There are solutions, and then there is all the lip service from the City/Province.

I don't find the crisis offensive, I find the posturing and ineffective solutions offensive.

If we all agree its a crisis, then by definition it requires ambitious solutions, while limiting the collateral damage.

[s211]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Housing crisis done with one site? lol Heck Vision keeps bragging about all the rental homes that have come online lately, those have done wonders for the housing crisis... You can not build your way out of our problem, demand is the issue.
What I get a kick out of is how Vancouver of 50yrs ago was a fraction of the size it is now but could afford to have all this golf courses and more outdoor pools, a pne that was open longer, parks with the grass actually cut. And here we are today with a larger tax base and unable to keep it up. Perhaps the city should stick to managing it's core responsibilities and leave housing to the province and feds.

You've got my vote. The amount of municipal creep into areas its not equipped or mandated to handle continues unabated, even after taking into account the much-debated downloading of responsibilities by higher levels of government.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by s211

You've got my vote. The amount of municipal creep into areas its not equipped or mandated to handle continues unabated, even after taking into account the much-debated downloading of responsibilities by higher levels of government.

I agree, but it seems like there would have to be hoards of homeless wandering like zombies from Walking Dead before the Provincial or Federal governments would do anything.

[Feathered Friend]

UDP Looks to Car-Lite Future as it Supports the Jewish Community Centre

950 West 41st Avenue (Jewish Community Centre)
The applicant team for the Jewish Community Centre started this third UDP in three weeks by painting a vision of the future. They introduced their vision by reminding the panel that the tallest building on site will be similar to that allowed for its neighbours. While championing steps the site has taken to address the needs of tomorrow, it was highlighted that the new intersection will align with the plans for the former bus barns, and that space has been allocated for the new 91 B-line bus as well. It was acknowledged that while the site is being built with the ability to connect to a neighbourhood energy grid, it is also designed to meet the city's environmental targets even if one isn't built. In order to improve the streetscape of today, the aquatic centre has been sunken into the ground, though as a result parking will not be provided as it was deemed too hard to reach with a ramp. Fear played a role in this decision as well, as there were safety concerns raised over providing parking under a Jewish Community Centre. Lastly, in acknowledging the disruption caused by developing the existing parking lot first, it was revealed that interim parking will be provided on the OTC site across the road.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/03/18...-it-supports-the-jewish-community-centre

[Feathered Friend]

Fairmount Building Saved? – Heather Street Lands to be Home for All Nations and Model of Reconciliation
On March 10 and 12th, the partnership of the Canada Lands Company, and the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Partnership took a large step forward in showing all of Canada how we can come together to heal old wounds, while embracing our shared future. Given the role the Fairmount Building played in one of Canada’s Darkest Chapters, it’s understandable that the MST Partnership felt wounded by its presence. There is no denying that building is architecturally unique in Vancouver, and some have campaigned to save it. Well, I’m happy to say that a compromise has been found. Instead of being demolished, research has shown it’s possible that the building can moved, in 1 or 3 sections. The City will be responsible for finding a new site and assisting in the move. However, if that process drags out too long, it’s still possible the building will just be demolished.

Read more about the open house, relocated Conseil Scolaire Francophone and the rest of the proposal here:
https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/03/18...all-nations-and-model-of-reconciliation/

[officedweller]

This pic illustrates the absurdity of opportunistic rezonings.

Everything on Cambie is limited to 6 storeys (because the City is scared of the NIMBYs).

But.... if you have a historically consolidated site (even if it's farther away from the future rapid transit station), you can build big.

Hey, the sites on Cambie HAVE been recently consolidated... so why not let them go big too?

This isn't consistent planning.

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

[officedweller]

The Duke

From Changing City Updates:


https://changingcitybook.com/2018/03/16/333-east-11th-avenue/

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Feathered friend, do you know if the Heather street bikeway still goes through the site? Looks like they've chopped off Heather street for vehicle traffic at the very least.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Read more about the open house, relocated Conseil Scolaire Francophone and the rest of the proposal here:
https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/03/18...all-nations-and-model-of-reconciliation/

Really disappointed about the removal of the heritage building. I guarantee it will be demolished.

[Vin]

Agreed. The heritage building is sitting at a tight northwest corner. Why can't they just build around it? Can't achieve the density? Go higher! It's not like they are replacing it with anything spectacular anyway.

I think it is a crime to take the building down, especially for a city scarce of historical buildings.

Conseil Scolaire Francophone:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.240528,-1...lRlbT4YX7k-psbucYDJWg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This should be a heritage site.

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

Feathered friend, do you know if the Heather street bikeway still goes through the site? Looks like they've chopped off Heather street for vehicle traffic at the very least.

You're correct about vehicle traffic being removed from Heather St. between 37th Ave and the new 35th Ave. The bikeway will survive, it is just barely visible as grey pathway covered by trees.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

Agreed. The heritage building is sitting at a tight northwest corner. Why can't they just build around it? Can't achieve the density? Go higher! It's not like they are replacing it with anything spectacular anyway.

I think it is a crime to take the building down, especially for a city scarce of historical buildings.

Conseil Scolaire Francophone:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.240528,-1...lRlbT4YX7k-psbucYDJWg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This should be a heritage site.

It is a heritage site. And the 1950s building originally built for the WCB on W37th is a heritage building as well, but in this location there's no mechanism that will save a heritage building that the owner doesn't want to keep. That's especially true when the First Nations (who now own the building) say it should be torn down.

Offering to allow it to be moved is a compromise on their part. If you think it's worth the effort, the current conversation should be about finding an alternate location and use that will keep it standing.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Changing City

It is a heritage site. And the 1950s building originally built for the WCB on W37th is a heritage building as well, but in this location there's no mechanism that will save a heritage building that the owner doesn't want to keep. That's especially true when the First Nations (who now own the building) say it should be torn down.

Offering to allow it to be moved is a compromise on their part. If you think it's worth the effort, the current conversation should be about finding an alternate location and use that will keep it standing.

Thanks for the explanation, but still sad, especially since that is a heritage site. Actually I should say "This should be a PROTECTED heritage site.

And this is not even to mention it's a huge waste of resources of all sorts to move the building elsewhere. We treat everything as if money grows on trees, just because we can sell a few really expensive condos to rich investors/landlords.

[wrenegade]

Heritage building aside, the more I look at the Heather Lands the more I am disappointed. The plan needs a lot of work.

- Why haven't they taken the opportunity to connect the Heather Bikeway to Willow on a SW to NE axis? It would make for far more natural route finding.
- In addition, it could be expanded tp connect pedestrian traffic to Cambie via McGuigan, bringing them much closer 33rd and Queen E Park
- The orientation of the main thoroughfare through the site from NW to SE makes little sense, 35th ave doesn't even exist on the west side of Cambie.
- 69 daycare spaces? Is that a joke? There are 2,300 units proposed.
- No mention of funding that I could see of a transit station at 33rd.

Seriously, if between the OTC and this site the CoV can't extract funding then their planning department is a complete failure. The amount of density they are proposing with those two site AND the rest of the Cambie Corridor plan (zero SFH between Oak/Cambie and 33rd/41st) absolutely requires another station. I don't care how fucking expensive it is. The Canada Line's stations are already underbuilt and the ability to expand their platforms is very limited so without a new station most of this density will be pushed to 41st (as if that station will be able to handle it with Oakridge's expansion).

Same goes for the Pearson-Dogwood and Langara lands. The CoV is extracting hundreds of millions of dollars in CACs, I fail to understand how there isn't money for new stations. They are either giving away the density too cheaply, have their own priorities WAY out of whack (unfortunately I think that's a given), or a combination of the two. If it comes to it, I would be in favour of addition a half a dozen storeys to the tops of the tallest buildings to extract more money in order to pay for it, as I suspect the owners/residents of those units wouldn't be using public transit all that often but at least they could pay for them.

The City has been talking big about these TODs and are going through the planning process of the last two (viewing OTC/Heather as one and Pearson-Dogwood/Langara as one) major TODs for the foreseeable future and I am extremely worried both of these major sites are going to happen without the "T" part. Which is supposed to be the entire fucking point.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

Seriously, if between the OTC and this site the CoV can't extract funding then their planning department is a complete failure. The amount of density they are proposing with those two site AND the rest of the Cambie Corridor plan (zero SFH between Oak/Cambie and 33rd/41st) absolutely requires another station. I don't care how fucking expensive it is. The Canada Line's stations are already underbuilt and the ability to expand their platforms is very limited so without a new station most of this density will be pushed to 41st (as if that station will be able to handle it with Oakridge's expansion).

Same goes for the Pearson-Dogwood and Langara lands. The CoV is extracting hundreds of millions of dollars in CACs, I fail to understand how there isn't money for new stations. They are either giving away the density too cheaply, have their own priorities WAY out of whack (unfortunately I think that's a given), or a combination of the two. If it comes to it, I would be in favour of addition a half a dozen storeys to the tops of the tallest buildings to extract more money in order to pay for it, as I suspect the owners/residents of those units wouldn't be using public transit all that often but at least they could pay for them.

The City has been talking big about these TODs and are going through the planning process of the last two (viewing OTC/Heather as one and Pearson-Dogwood/Langara as one) major TODs for the foreseeable future and I am extremely worried both of these major sites are going to happen without the "T" part. Which is supposed to be the entire fucking point.

If you read the Cambie Corridor thread, you'll see that it isn't the City, or money that's necessarily a problem in getting the additional stations on the Canada Line. Translink wrote a letter to the City which listed a series of issues, and noted that adding stations isn't in their 10 year Plan. It appears to be Translink that doesn't really care if there's are additional stations.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

Thanks for the explanation, but still sad, especially since that is a heritage site. Actually I should say "This should be a PROTECTED heritage site.

And this is not even to mention it's a huge waste of resources of all sorts to move the building elsewhere. We treat everything as if money grows on trees, just because we can sell a few really expensive condos to rich investors/landlords.

I'm pretty certain the reason the developers want to see the back of the former RCMP Building on the site has nothing to do with adding any more units - whether they're expensive condos for rich investors, or for anybody else to live in.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Given that the Ten Year Plan only covers trainsets for the existing stations, I don't really blame TransLink for wanting the City and devs to fund any additional ones.

[vanman]

I noticed sign the other day for land assembly on Boundary and 45th. Across from Central Park. I don't believe that area falls under any community plan. Would the city allow anything other than townhomes to replace the existing single family homes?

[chrisel]

Got these in the mail yesterday. Looks like it'll replace the Park Inn currently at the site: