Surrey Updates

[CanSpice]

Not really sure where to put this, but structural engineer John Bryson has been banned from working in BC after EGBC found his structural designs for a "highrise residential tower" in Surrey did not meet certain requirements of the BC Building Code at the time, particularly with respect to wind and seismic design.

I wonder which building it is. His drawings were dated March 12, 2013, which limits things a bit, and it's tall enough that it needed attention for wind design...

[officedweller]

A lot of big projects at his firm's website:

https://bmzse.com/feature

[officedweller]

Clayton Community Hub

From Western Archrib twitter today:


https://twitter.com/WesternArchrib


https://twitter.com/WesternArchrib


https://twitter.com/WesternArchrib

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Not really sure where to put this, but structural engineer John Bryson has been banned from working in BC after EGBC found his structural designs for a "highrise residential tower" in Surrey did not meet certain requirements of the BC Building Code at the time, particularly with respect to wind and seismic design.

I wonder which building it is. His drawings were dated March 12, 2013, which limits things a bit, and it's tall enough that it needed attention for wind design...

Interesting, and troubling, news. The firm's website seems to have scrubbed any Surrey projects from the featured list. Is there a database that one can search for structural engineers of record? Also interesting to see that they left the "Trump" name off of that tower.

[officedweller]

Stripped from the internet: Engineering firm pulls online portfolio after principal partner banned in B.C.
BY ASH KELLY AND HANA MAE NASSAR
Posted May 10, 2019 6:35 am PDT Last Updated May 10, 2019 at 6:36 am PDT
...
While the regulator told NEWS 1130 it wants to release the location and name of the tower — where seismic and wind design have been called into question — it says it’s waiting to confirm that all residents have first been informed by their strata.

In an email, Engineers and Geoscientists B.C. said it’s also notified all municipalities and regional districts about the disciplinary action taken against Bryson.

For its part, Bryson Markulin Zickmantle said it will release a statement in the coming days.
...

https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/05/10/engineering-firm-online-portfolio-partner-banned-bc/

[officedweller]

One North Delta high-rise proposal on hold, another active again
https://www.delta-optimist.com/real-esta...-on-hold-another-active-again-1.23802727

This one is on hold:


The application for a third high-rise in North Delta has been put on hold.
Photograph By submitted
https://www.delta-optimist.com/real-esta...-on-hold-another-active-again-1.23802727

***************

What's in store for North Delta Inn site?
https://www.delta-optimist.com/news/what...Dd6MNb-t_KCiJu3MRpWpdBSGg-qtboIPbgvhthKg

*************

North Delta property owner passes on major redevelopment
https://www.delta-optimist.com/news/nort...passes-on-major-redevelopment-1.23808337

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Not really sure where to put this, but structural engineer John Bryson has been banned from working in BC after EGBC found his structural designs for a "highrise residential tower" in Surrey did not meet certain requirements of the BC Building Code at the time, particularly with respect to wind and seismic design.

I wonder which building it is. His drawings were dated March 12, 2013, which limits things a bit, and it's tall enough that it needed attention for wind design...

Be interesting to find out which one. There aren't very many towers starting construction around that time that are occupied.

[officedweller]

Miramar Village Phase 2

By City of Rain April 22nd:

Originally Posted by City Of Rain, post: 1450672, member: 70034

20190422_130241 by Hung Lam, on Flickr
20190422_130636 by Hung Lam, on Flickr
20190422_130700 by Hung Lam, on Flickr
20190422_130742 by Hung Lam, on Flickr
20190422_130752 by Hung Lam, on Flickr
20190422_130753 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Not really sure where to put this, but structural engineer John Bryson has been banned from working in BC after EGBC found his structural designs for a "highrise residential tower" in Surrey did not meet certain requirements of the BC Building Code at the time, particularly with respect to wind and seismic design.

I wonder which building it is. His drawings were dated March 12, 2013, which limits things a bit, and it's tall enough that it needed attention for wind design...

In case anyone was curious, it was, in fact, the Ultra tower.

Here is a link to the online disciplinary notice: https://www.egbc.ca/News/Articles/Disciplinary-Notice-John-Bryson-Vancouver-BC

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by jhausner

In case anyone was curious, it was, in fact, the Ultra tower.

Here is a link to the online disciplinary notice: https://www.egbc.ca/News/Articles/Disciplinary-Notice-John-Bryson-Vancouver-BC

Thankfully it says: "Mr. Bryson was charged with unprofessional conduct and resigned his engineering license. He must pay a fine of $25,000—the maximum allowable under the Engineers and Geoscientists Act—and must pay the association $215,000 towards costs."

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Thankfully it says: "Mr. Bryson was charged with unprofessional conduct and resigned his engineering license. He must pay a fine of $25,000—the maximum allowable under the Engineers and Geoscientists Act—and must pay the association $215,000 towards costs."

http://www.pulsefm.ca/surrey-tower-doesnt-meet-code/


It's out in the news now and will likely proliferate through various media sources over the next few weeks. That's likely gonna make the value of the suites go down as word spreads when people google the building to research before they buy. Future slum in 20 years?

[retro_orange]

delete

[Cypherus]

Posted from Evolve thread:

I live in Ultra. Here are things to clarify about the report:

The whole building is not structurally compromised. With the wind storms we experienced since 2013 and the earthquake measuring almost 5.0 on Dec 31 2015 where the building stood strong, there is no issue or cause for concern. The city is not making this an issue, either. Admittedly the building is well constructed. There are only aspects on the 5th floor, parking garage entrance, and garbage room walls that did not meet the 2006 code as per the report. The engineer while negligent in those areas, even borrowed elements from the 2010 code, which was unusual at the time. I will wager that the building is more structurally sound than most buildings in the West End constructed in the 1970s, and the many condos built in the 1990s around the Expo lands. That's just my opinion. What is more disconcerting is if the city of Surrey breached confidentiality by releasing documents under an Access to Information without assessing the damages it can cause to us homeowners.

Our strata is seeking a independent 3rd party engineer to assess the situation and advised owners that the 5 year warranty review already includes a review of the structure of the building as a matter of course. Legal action is not considered at this time, but may be done at a future date pending further investigation into the manner and due to the negative publicity that may have impacted resale values. The city of Surrey can be a culpable in this case as well, for releasing documents without redaction while knowingly by virtue of such action would have impact to homeowners and their equity.

[e-clam9]

By 2023, Surrey downtown will look more like downtown with more buildings. I hope they build more commercial buildings than residential buildings. A downtown should have more business/office/finance.

https://urbansurrey.com/surrey-city-centre-active-projects/

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Cypherus

Posted from Evolve thread:

I live in Ultra. Here are things to clarify about the report:

The whole building is not structurally compromised. With the wind storms we experienced since 2013 and the earthquake measuring almost 5.0 on Dec 31 2015 where the building stood strong, there is no issue or cause for concern. The city is not making this an issue, either. Admittedly the building is well constructed. There are only aspects on the 5th floor, parking garage entrance, and garbage room walls that did not meet the 2006 code as per the report. The engineer while negligent in those areas, even borrowed elements from the 2010 code, which was unusual at the time. I will wager that the building is more structurally sound than most buildings in the West End constructed in the 1970s, and the many condos built in the 1990s around the Expo lands. That's just my opinion. What is more disconcerting is if the city of Surrey breached confidentiality by releasing documents under an Access to Information without assessing the damages it can cause to us homeowners.

Our strata is seeking a independent 3rd party engineer to assess the situation and advised owners that the 5 year warranty review already includes a review of the structure of the building as a matter of course. Legal action is not considered at this time, but may be done at a future date pending further investigation into the manner and due to the negative publicity that may have impacted resale values. The city of Surrey can be a culpable in this case as well, for releasing documents without redaction while knowingly by virtue of such action would have impact to homeowners and their equity.

FOI is FOI. If they released the details, the City is very very likely within the right to release those details under an FOI. The legislature for public bodies is very clear and very much restricts what a public body can say no to when asked to release certain details. Also given the fact if you look at my link, it is the actual board that performed the discipline that released those details and it looks like nearly a month before the city did via FOI. That page I linked has been published since the end of April.

That said, I'd agree that it is likely not a huge deal. It is a much larger deal from an engineer's conduct perspective but I'd agree that the building code if 2010 or if minor items are very likely still much better than anything in the West End build 20+ years ago.

Heck new bridges are safer than bridges built 20+ years ago as the code improves. Also, nearly every building that is completed has some code violations of this nature because developers quite frankly build to the lowest common denominator and cities are under no obligation to hold them to the building code.

[Cypherus]

Originally Posted by jhausner

FOI is FOI. If they released the details, the City is very very likely within the right to release those details under an FOI. The legislature for public bodies is very clear and very much restricts what a public body can say no to when asked to release certain details.

This is an issue, because I work in the federal public service, and we have restrictions on what we can release to the public under access to information requests, especially in areas of sensitivity where other parties can be hurt if we do not redact such information. It appears the city may have groundwork to indicate release of sensitive information under FOI as a matter of course in current policy, but if it damages others financially, then there is very little they can fall back on other than a clerk responded to the FOI request based on current policy without concern to third party implications. It's not a strong argument in a court of law. As the city also indicated they were not making this an issue about the building, then their subsequent behaviour to release sensitive information under that mindset without concern for others, shows them to be lackadaisical. City or provincial policy (Legislature of Public Bodies) does not overrule law in the modern framework to which it may apply, especially when it impacts the rights, privacy and financial matters of third parties.

[officedweller]

From Rize twitter May 28th

Anyone know where this is?


Our 4th development project in Surrey, received unanimous approval from
ADP last week. The project proposes an open city block, with free-flowing
public space at its heart, lined by a mix of commercial space which aims to
serve its residents and the @CityofSurrey. #RizeinSurrey
https://twitter.com/RizeAlliance



https://twitter.com/RizeAlliance

[Cypherus]

Very interesting information. It appears the development is called "Passages". The Rize webpage is not active, but I cached the page and found the following details:






Souce: https://rize.ca/project/commercial/passages/

[Blease]

Is this an extension of Wave and Linea or is it a brand new development? Where exactly are they proposing this, the area flagged on the map is the site of Surrey City Hall.

[Changing City]

Interesting, and very ambitious for Rize. A six building project with over 1,100 units. The architect has an extensive practice in the UK, but very little international work. She was born in Canada, and was the keynote speaker here at last year's Design Week. I wonder if that's how the commission came about.