Vancouver Infill & Lowrise Updates Discussion

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Guessing LD is switching to a SDM model of smaller stores?

Seems like west side saturation

they have created London Drugs express, the first one was/is in Calgary. It drops all the extras and sticks to the basics.


grosvenor.com

[Metro-One]

I hope LD stays strong, don’t know why it is but they honestly always seemed to have what I was looking for. They have a great mix of merchandise and the stores never depressed me like similar retailers.

[SpongeG]

the renovated stores are really nice and they carry some brands that are harder to find, which is nice

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Tetsuo

Guessing LD is switching to a SDM model of smaller stores?

Seems like west side saturation

It'll be the opposite, and more.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

MCM has applied and site sign us up at West 4th Avenue and Macdonald Street for 4-storey 2.5 FSR with London Drugs at-grade.

Here is a rendering posted on Daily Hive:


https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/2803-2865-west-4th-avenue-vancouver-london-drugs

[officedweller]

... and Urban YVR says it needs a height relaxation because its 49ft height is 4 ft over the maximum allowed.
Ugh.

Look at the scale of retail ceiling heights along Hastings in Burnaby in The Heights.
The new retail there looks great.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by officedweller

... and Urban YVR says it needs a height relaxation because its 49ft height is 4 ft over the maximum allowed.
Ugh.

Look at the scale of retail ceiling heights along Hastings in Burnaby in The Heights.
The new retail there looks great.

I would say that's not entirely true about the height relaxation. It simply exceeds the current zoning's height. If a reacall the retail height is close to 18-20 feet.

[Feathered Friend]

West Kitsilano Meets it’s Density – 32 New Rental Homes Offer Affordability and Short Commutes

3084-3086 West 4th Avenue & 2010–2032 Balaclava Street
Despite the abuse we’ve experienced attending various events over the last year, Hannah and I continue to believe in the need for civil discussion in our city. For that reason, we strongly disagree with those who desire to segregate these conversations by background, income, or neighbourhood. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely there will be many open minds at this open house for a proposal to bring 32 rental homes to the western most blocks of Vancouver’s Kitsilano.

We have no doubt that groups opposed to the Broadway Subway Extension, rental buildings near Vancouver General Hospital, and even small backyard homes will make a passionate appearance at this event on February 27th. While some appear genuinely afraid that even a 6 storey building could bring changes that would destroy the neighbourhood they love, others seem to enjoy the exclusive prestige that comes from calling West Kitsilano home.

In contrast, we also expect a large turnout of people who advocate for more affordable housing options across our city. These are individuals who are sick of living in drafty basement suites, or who are tired of spending hours of unpaid time commuting back and forth to work everyday.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2019/02/15...-offer-affordability-and-short-commutes/

[Feathered Friend]

“Mansions” for Millennials – New Rental Homes Camouflage Affordability to Fit Kerrisdale Context

1515 West 49th Avenue
In our experience, Hannah and I have noticed there’s a bit of a generational divide when it comes to planning for the future. That’s not always true, but often the voices we hear expressing concerns about neighbourhood character or the amount of parking a project provides tend to be from an older age group.

So, while I had no issue hopping on the number 10 bus and avoiding the winter mess on our roads, others at this open house were convinced that three parking stalls and one ride-share vehicle were nowhere near enough to handle the needs of 8 rental homes. Personally, if Hannah and I had a ride-share membership included in our house payments, we would never own a car again.

You read that correctly, despite looking like two typical mansion from this area of Kerrisdale, the project actually provides eight 3-bedroom rental townhomes. Six of these even have an extra lock-off suite, meaning this obtainable form of housing just got a lot more affordable too.

Oddly enough, that seemed to bother at least one person at the event. They complained that it was getting harder to keep tenants, as renters in Vancouver were gaining far too many rights, and now have too many options.

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2019/02/20...affordability-to-fit-kerrisdale-context/

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2019/02/20...affordability-to-fit-kerrisdale-context/

I fidn it hard to believe anybody could argue against that on the basis it doesn't fit the neighbourhood, but I'm sure somebody will!

[GenWhy?]

Rezoning for 1805 Larch in Kits for the MIRHP Program. 44% of units or for 2-Beds and up. 63 units with roughly 20% are income tied and 56 parking spaces. With what I've heard from some developers is that petitions are going around to end almost all non-status-quo development in the area and this one probably won't be any different.

INFO HERE: https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/1805larchst/index.htm

Petitions against anything taller than currently zoned for:
2010 Balaclava St (MIRHPP) zoned for 3-stories multifamily, rezone to 6
2715 W 12th Ave (AFCIR) zoned for 3-stories single family, rezoned to 4-storey multifamily
1296 W Broadway (MIRHPP) 16 rezoned again to 28

There might be petitions against the Renfrew and East Broadway MIRHPP ones as well but i think it's just some collective local oppostition to 6-stories next to SkyTrain.

Anyone go to these Open Houses first hand?

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Rezoning for 1805 Larch in Kits for the MIRHP Program. 44% of units or for 2-Beds and up. 63 units with roughly 20% are income tied and 56 parking spaces. With what I've heard from some developers is that petitions are going around to end almost all non-status-quo development in the area and this one probably won't be any different.

INFO HERE: https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/1805larchst/index.htm

Petitions against anything taller than currently zoned for:
2010 Balaclava St (MIRHPP) zoned for 3-stories multifamily, rezone to 6
2715 W 12th Ave (AFCIR) zoned for 3-stories single family, rezoned to 4-storey multifamily
1296 W Broadway (MIRHPP) 16 rezoned again to 28

There might be petitions against the Renfrew and East Broadway MIRHPP ones as well but i think it's just some collective local oppostition to 6-stories next to SkyTrain.

Anyone go to these Open Houses first hand?

2715 W 12th Ave

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

Perhaps the night is best summed up with this conversation; I was speaking with a man (with two children at the event) who was against the project as it didn't provide enough parking/was too big. When I asked him how he expected his children to afford living in Vancouver when they grow up, his shocking response was that he simply didn't care.

http://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/2715w12th/feedback.htm

1296 W Broadway

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://cityduo.wordpress.com/2018/12/11...l-housing-or-a-precedent-setting-threat/

2010 Balaclava St
Coming soon

Also the respective groups against the projects

1296 W Broadway
https://www.28floors.com/

2010 Balaclava St
https://www.welovekits.org/

1805 Larch
https://twitter.com/CitizenYan/status/1100459291960471554

Unless you were wondering if anyone, aside from those wearing feathered suites, attended these events? That said, we missed the pre-app for 1805 Larch as we never received a notice for it.

[officedweller]

Some renders of the 2715 West 12th project from MCMP:


http://www.mcmparchitects.com/projects/2715-west-12th/


http://www.mcmparchitects.com/projects/2715-west-12th/


http://www.mcmparchitects.com/projects/2715-west-12th/

[osirisboy]

Ugh what's with no curbs still in this city?!

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Ugh what's with no curbs still in this city?!

costs money; not a priority; would be a waste of money to do the whole city with curbs.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

costs money; not a priority; would be a waste of money to do the whole city with curbs.

Really? It costs money?

Well after 100 years I would think the city would've gotten around to it by now. We are talking about some pretty well used streets

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Really? It costs money?

Well after 100 years I would think the city would've gotten around to it by now. We are talking about some pretty well used streets

Yeah, it urks me too. Looks pretty cheap and adds a "low income" appeal to a street for lack of a better term.

Also always funny to see the petitions against increased density. The people in Vancouver always seem to want to have their cake and eat it too. We are so green and pro urban.... but we don't want more density along a corridor that will have a subway, haha!

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Well after 100 years I would think the city would've gotten around to it by now. We are talking about some pretty well used streets

why would they have? half the time the residents don't really want it anyways. plus why do you need a curb anyways? to make it pretty? same reason those residential streets are all old and crumbling; residents are fine with it and generally see it as a way to slow people down.

putting in the curb would require repaving, regrading, probably relocation of catch basins, a recalculation of how much rain would go down the sewers vs being absorbed by the gravel. and remember many of these areas have combined sewers still which means they would probably end up even more so over capacity leading to other issues.

so why would the city do what many residents don't want that would cost money they don't have and possibly lead to issues that they could otherwise avoid?

seems like the easy decision is to leave it as-is...

[osirisboy]

So then why do cities bother to put curbs in all over the world?

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

So then why do cities bother to put curbs in all over the world?

when building from scratch it is pointless to not build them as they ensure cars don't infringe on boulevards and pedestrian realms and it is a standard; the costs are minimal when you are working from a blank canvas. Vancouver does that as well, when a developer has to pay for upgrades or when new roads are built such as Pearson Dogwood; they are designed for that.

putting them somewhere they have never been before can have a lot of implications as i mentioned above. as much as some people don't like how it looks, there is just no good reason to do it as i mentioned above as well.

it would just be a waste of money and would really provide no benefit as the streets that are missing them, are local residential streets for the most part. personally, i'd rather save the money and use it on other things than put in curbs all over the place for no reason.