Vancouver Infill & Lowrise Updates Discussion

[officedweller]

Are they proposing Linden trees? - if so they'll get aphid poo

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c...dents-businesses-to-water-them-1.4227272

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Above -Previous Version - https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/2715w12th/documents/elevs.pdf/ Below -Current Version https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/2715w12th/documents/landscape.pdf


Above -Previous Version https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/2715w12th/documents/elevations.pdf / Below -Current Version https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/2715w12th/documents/landscapeplans.pdf


https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/10/05...runing-down-of-kitsilano-rental-housing/

This is an epic facepalm IMO. I have had family and business history in this direct vicinity since the 40's and anything less than a 4 storey apartment is just a waste of space for what should be a growing neighborhood, the area is directly across the bridge from downtown. Kitsilano should really start becoming the next 'West End', full of mid rises on scale with the buildings built in the West End in the 60's and 70's. 30-60 unit, 6-12 storey buildings with the odd 20-30 storey thrown in with a mandatory %50 market rental. I find the recent stagnation in the area ridiculous and the amount of vacant retail space in the area is appalling. There aren't enough people in the area for businesses to be viable and there's not nearly enough housing variety.

[GenWhy?]

It really all boils down to SF homes and having ample free parking and less renters, as I hear from the vocal minority.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

It really all boils down to SF homes and having ample free parking and less renters, as I hear from the vocal minority.

Just like the West End in the 50's.

[misher]

As a Strata buildings with 10-20 units tend to have extremely slim budgets, huge levies, and be high stress. You really need 100+ units to make the Strata thing work.

Bring on the Towers! With the new skytrain they should definitely develop the West end along Broadway.

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Fears of tree sap? Is that for real?

Unfortunately, that concern is all too real, as was documented over almost a year ago.

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

The project originally proposed 24 units, however the proposal was cut back to 15 due to community opposition. Of course, this has pleased none of the Nimbys in the area, and all I heard tonight was the project should be rolled back to three SFHs, at most! To be honest, until I looked at the stats sheet, I truly thought it was only five townhomes. Props to the applicant team for designing a building that blends well into its surroundings.]

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Originally Posted by officedweller

Are they proposing Linden trees? - if so they'll get aphid po

The concern was actually that they would have to park in front of their own homes, which had issues with sticky substances dripping down, as the street parking in front of this future building might be taken up by it's new residents. Perhaps it was honeydew from aphids that was the sticky concern. Regrettably, it's been too long to accurately remember, but it would make sense.

[officedweller]

Got it - the storey says the development site was the "tree-free" of "sap-free" zone.

[Feathered Friend]

UDP Rejects Dunbar Development To Preserve Mom and Pop Store Spirit

4464 Dunbar Street
Despite the lack of formal training in the urban planning or architecture fields, Hannah and I like to think we’ve started to become pretty good at noticing elements that may hold a project up. That was the case at the recent open house for this development, which had to contend not only with the strict guidelines of the 20 year old Dunbar Community Vision, but also the sloped terrain. Ultimately, it seems the Urban Design Panel shared many of our concerns.

Maybe it is because we attended the open house, but I wasn’t surprised when the applicant revealed that, so far, they haven’t received any complaints about the height of the building. That said, many expressed concern over the potential loss of the neighbourhoods cherished small businesses. As someone that has often patronized businesses in the Dunbar Village, I found that somewhat ironic, as many operators I’ve spoken with seem excited for the customers the new developments will bring.

However, almost every member of the panel felt the proposal could do more to encourage these small businesses to return to the neighbourhood after this project is completed. In fact, most of their criticisms revolved around how people would experience and interact with the building from the outside. While some criticized it as feeling relentless, everyone acknowledged it was doing the best it could given the restrictions placed upon it, and agreed that some needed to be relaxed.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/10/12...nt-to-preserve-mom-and-pop-store-spirit/

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/10/12...nt-to-preserve-mom-and-pop-store-spirit/

I'm not sure how small businesses could afford the rates in new buildings anyway. Won't the more likely outcome be that the CRUs just sit empty?

It also seems odd that the Ivy (Stongs) was approved, and Harwood's Dunbar Terrace looks to have a large retail space below, yet this gets rejected.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I'm not sure how small businesses could afford the rates in new buildings anyway. Won't the more likely outcome be that the CRUs just sit empty?

It also seems odd that the Ivy (Stongs) was approved, and Harwood's Dunbar Terrace looks to have a large retail space below, yet this gets rejected.

Different balls of wax. It's also not the City's concern that the developer needs to charge high rents and might have a bay or 2 sit empty, for the City's in it for the long-game and really want smaller CRUs and more doors to the street that are accessible (slope issues). What we do is show multiple CRUs and then turn around a fill 3 of 4 of those with a bank on a street corner... oops!

[officedweller]

The colour palette alone may suggest it would be rejected for that neighbourhood.

[GenWhy?]

Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program project open houses are being hosted at the end of the month for those interested. About 20 projects will be hosting them soon and they are all over the city. Quite a few are around Renfrew Station and on East Hastings Street with will be good for both communities.

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

The model on the white board is the first vision of the project.

Version 1 - https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/8795-8803granville/documents/perspectives.pdf


Version 2 - https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/8795-8803granville/documents/perspective2.pdf

After Years of Failure, Developer Abandons “Unacceptable” Granville Street Rental Project

8795-8803 Granville Street
Even after all the public engagement we have participated in, Darren and I are still caught off guard when we hear people accuse Vancouver’s city staff of approving everything that comes across their desks. We know from experience that all too often, projects are trimmed down by several floors and/or dozens of homes before they even make it to the public input stage. Other times, a developer may put a project on hold, or even pull the application, for reasons similar to three proposals we recently highlighted on the Cambie Corridor. Unfortunately, it seems this application, which originally would have seen 19 rental homes added to the far southern end of Granville Street, may share a similar fate.

This proposal has had a tough road, as it has been redesigned at least twice since it was first submitted two years ago. Some of the blame for that might rest with the Marpole Community Plan, though the general design never seemed that successful. We felt the first version was burdened by large connected balconies, and an awkward interior layout. Meanwhile in their rejection, the UDP described the design as far more complex than it needed to be, and suggested the livability of the homes required improvement.

Five months later, a slightly smaller version of the proposal surfaced again at the UDP, with the space inside consolidated into 15 homes with an 80 – 20 mix of two and three bedrooms.

Continued at:
https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/10/15...eptable-granville-street-rental-project/

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program project open houses are being hosted at the end of the month for those interested. About 20 projects will be hosting them soon and they are all over the city. Quite a few are around Renfrew Station and on East Hastings Street with will be good for both communities.

I can think of at least two people that would be interested . As they're not listed on the city's website (yet?), would you care to pass along the time/locations of these events? DM / Email is fine too if you prefer.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Version 1 - https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/8795-8803granville/documents/perspectives.pdf


Version 2 - https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/8795-8803granville/documents/perspective2.pdf



Continued at:
https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/10/15...eptable-granville-street-rental-project/

Those properties really need to be consolidated with the two eyesores to the south of them to make on economic project, but not at those asking prices.

[GenWhy?]

The design of that building make no sense. Most inefficient floor plans I think I've ever seen. The commercial and residential corridors mix too, which doesn't fly with Staff. I never got into the floor and unit plans for this one earlier and I'm not surprised it got shut down. I can hear money being flushed down the toilet.

[GenWhy?]

Saw the new model for the West 6th Ave character house retention with office in Mount Pleasant Industrial. The new rendition has the whole house exposed / standing under a building overhang and a generous patio for a restaurant also under the overhang. It looks pretty wild. Didn't feel right taking photos / I was illegally parked outside = rushed.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Saw the new model for the West 6th Ave character house retention with office in Mount Pleasant Industrial. The new rendition has the whole house exposed / standing under a building overhang and a generous patio for a restaurant also under the overhang. It looks pretty wild. Didn't feel right taking photos / I was illegally parked outside = rushed.

That sounds similar to the proposal for the character commercial building in Point Grey on West 10th that got shot down.

[Feathered Friend]

We received this notice too late to write a blog post, but still wanted to share it with our fellow Vancouver residents. This may be the 1st open house for a proposal under the moderate income rental policy. As it’s near to Skytrain, it won't need to provide much parking.

https://twitter.com/City_Duo/status/1054864152882102278

[Feathered Friend]

New Renfrew Rental Housing Greeted by Small, but Angry Crowd – After 16 Years is This the Best Vancouver Can Offer?

2810-2830 Grandview Highway
Now that the election is over, the threat that every open house could become a political grandstand has passed, and already there are plenty of public consultation meetings scheduled. Hannah and I expected that uptick, and our plan for Tuesday night was to transit to 6161 Cambie Street to learn more about the new Alliance Française of Vancouver redevelopment proposal. However, our plan died just hours before it would have become a reality.

The reason for that was simple- we both love going to pre-application events. So, when we received an email with information about an applicant led open house on Renfrew Street for later that same day, we happily made a last minute change of plans.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/10/26...rs-is-this-the-best-vancouver-can-offer/