Surrey Updates

[EhJay]

Originally Posted by e-clam9

You really are funny

Some projects in Surrey really don't have enough planning, or they lost the reality of the real world. How can they make 100th Ave narrower and removed all parking/loading space near the Park Ave buildings ? They spent millions of tax payer's money to make our area worse. The bicycle lanes and green space on both side of it are wasting too much space just for few bicyclists. My strata is requesting Surrey to set aside a loading space for us, but I already know it is too late. It makes moving in/out and any delivery to our building more difficult and more time consuming.

And here's where I disagree on that. The city doesn't have to provide street space for people to move in and out from. There's an underground, there's to the side just off of 100 or whalley boulevard. It may be less convenient, but the roadways should be for cars to travel, not obstruct travel.

And as they build out more bike lanes and more people move into the towers and bike it'll be even better as it becomes more connected and usable.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by e-clam9

You really are funny

Some projects in Surrey really don't have enough planning, or they lost the reality of the real world. How can they make 100th Ave narrower and removed all parking/loading space near the Park Ave buildings ? They spent millions of tax payer's money to make our area worse. The bicycle lanes and green space on both side of it are wasting too much space just for few bicyclists. My strata is requesting Surrey to set aside a loading space for us, but I already know it is too late. It makes moving in/out and any delivery to our building more difficult and more time consuming.

This is something that the builder should have included in there design. Better properties have this included

[montyhallgoat]

Originally Posted by e-clam9

You really are funny

Some projects in Surrey really don't have enough planning, or they lost the reality of the real world. How can they make 100th Ave narrower and removed all parking/loading space near the Park Ave buildings ? They spent millions of tax payer's money to make our area worse. The bicycle lanes and green space on both side of it are wasting too much space just for few bicyclists. My strata is requesting Surrey to set aside a loading space for us, but I already know it is too late. It makes moving in/out and any delivery to our building more difficult and more time consuming.

Surrey is pretty smart by not allowing street parking on most arterial roads. Street parking or loading spaces will effectively block two lanes of traffic - one for parked cars and another when a vehicle is trying to parallel park. The whole point of an arterial road is to move people from one neighbourhood to another, not so an empty vehicle can sit on the road and do absolutely nothing.

I don't see why should a city build and maintain a subsidized parking space using tax dollars for private development. Developer should've planned a proper loading area on its own privately owned driveway using its own private money like any other high rises facing arterial roads.

[e-clam9]

Originally Posted by montyhallgoat

I don't see why should a city build and maintain a subsidized parking space using tax dollars for private development. Developer should've planned a proper loading area on its own privately owned driveway using its own private money like any other high rises facing arterial roads.

For Fedex, UPS or USPS truck and for many other delivery trucks/cars and taxi, they still stop anywhere they want. This leaves only one lane on that section of 100th Ave. The two new lanes are also more narrow than the old ones. The 3rd lane there used to be paid parking and generated income for Surrey. But now it is free for only a few bicyclists. I hardly see anyone using it since it was built. In America, they put many electrical scooters on street for short rental. I guess Surrey should buy some of these rental scooters to increase the usage of these idle bicycle lanes. Then I can use it to go to places like Guildford mall. It saves me time to move my bike in/out of my condo locker room (if I have one) and in/out of the small elevators. Surrey should install many bike racks along these bike lanes for people to store and park their bikes if they really want to promote more bike usage. Many new condos don't come with locker/bike storage without additional cost. New condo size is getting smaller and smaller. Many condo residents don't have room to store their bikes. I believe this may be why I don't see many bicyclists using these dedicated bike lanes.

[rpvan]

Originally Posted by Shift

Yeah the new Rize project 'Passages' is on Whalley Blvd at 101 Ave as mentioned.

It's been under application since last year.

From the renderings and site plans posted, it looks very interesting. Not your standard tower above podium project. Looking forward to more details once it goes to Council (which should be soon since it just passed ADP).

Daily Hive recently wrote up an article detailing this development. Looks promising.

"Unique redevelopment with 1,100 homes proposed for Surrey City Centre"
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/10138-whalley-boulevard-surrey-passages-rize-alliance-june-2019

[rpvan]

Some conversation being generated on the potential of the Bridgeview neighbourhood. Out of all areas in Surrey (or even across Metro Van), this neighbourhood should probably be number one on the revitalization list. Has been neglected for decades.

"Surrey event will focus on untapped potential of Fraser River"
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news...us-on-untapped-potential-of-fraser-river

[Flynn86]

Originally Posted by rpvan

Daily Hive recently wrote up an article detailing this development. Looks promising.

"Unique redevelopment with 1,100 homes proposed for Surrey City Centre"
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/10138-whalley-boulevard-surrey-passages-rize-alliance-june-2019

That looks like a nice project

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by e-clam9

You really are funny

Some projects in Surrey really don't have enough planning, or they lost the reality of the real world. How can they make 100th Ave narrower and removed all parking/loading space near the Park Ave buildings ? They spent millions of tax payer's money to make our area worse. The bicycle lanes and green space on both side of it are wasting too much space just for few bicyclists. My strata is requesting Surrey to set aside a loading space for us, but I already know it is too late. It makes moving in/out and any delivery to our building more difficult and more time consuming.

1. Concord (and other developers) should be building at least 1 loading bay for any major residential building construction, especially ones the size of Park Avenue (or Park Place where I own a condo and suffers similar limitations).

That said

2. Park Avenue has a side entrance off of 100th Avenue that is more than large enough to accomodate a moving truck + allow vehicles in and out. It is less convenient for those living in the east building, but that is the space where moving trucks should be located, not on major arterial roads.

I know for Park Place, trucks will sometimes park in one of the lanes on Whalley Boulevard when accessing Park Place 2 for convenience, but that is frowned upon by the City and people risk being ticketed or towed.

It is the price people pay for living in a "downtown." One of the biggest challenges with traffic in Downtown Vancouver is the fact they allow parking on many major arterial roads. When you combine that with a lack of left turn lanes, it often results in traffic chaos. Surrey is trying to prevent that by ensuring certain designated major roads are parking free and dedicated to the free flow of all traffic be it motor vehicles, bicyles, or pedestrians.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by rpvan

Some conversation being generated on the potential of the Bridgeview neighbourhood. Out of all areas in Surrey (or even across Metro Van), this neighbourhood should probably be number one on the revitalization list. Has been neglected for decades.

"Surrey event will focus on untapped potential of Fraser River"
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news...us-on-untapped-potential-of-fraser-river

Heck yes I so hope so. I've said it for years it could be amazing if they redeveloped Surrey's side of the River with a vibrant community that matched what is being done on the New West and Coquitlam sides. Eventually a business case could be made for water taxis like you see around False Creek and you could see a similar dynamic between the three cities along the Fraser River.

Currently though the Surrey side is nearly all industrial + low income.

[Shift]

Contrary to what the Vancouver Sun article says:

“Surrey has never had a plan on the river, on our side of the river, that’s always been the challenge,”

The South Westminster NCP has been in place since 2003. The thing is, the City can put all the plans in place they want. It's up to the private sector to come and build within them.

While the plan does call for some mixed-use commercial and residential leading from Scott Rd Station to the river, there has been little incentive for developers to come in and build that given the existing context of junk yards... making projects a tough sell.

We are only now starting to finally see the first bit of mixed-use built in this plan area with the new 6-storey project going up next to Scott Rd Station and Arena. Hopefully this will be be a catalyst for the gradual expansion towards the river.

From a waterfront park perspective, all the land to the west of the Sky Bridge along the river shaded green is not actually City-owned. It's private land that would need to be acquired and made into a park. I'm not sure if there is incentive at this point, given the surrounding context, for the City to go in and buy up land along the river to create a nice park (like Westminster Pier Park) only to be adjacent to junk yards. I think mixed-use development needs to extend up that way first.

[rpvan]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Heck yes I so hope so. I've said it for years it could be amazing if they redeveloped Surrey's side of the River with a vibrant community that matched what is being done on the New West and Coquitlam sides. Eventually a business case could be made for water taxis like you see around False Creek and you could see a similar dynamic between the three cities along the Fraser River.

Currently though the Surrey side is nearly all industrial + low income.

The Bridgeview and South Westminster neighbourhoods do have a lot of potential. Surrey would do well to exploit that potential while also engaging in a revitalization of the area as a whole.

[rpvan]

Originally Posted by Shift

Contrary to what the Vancouver Sun article says:

“Surrey has never had a plan on the river, on our side of the river, that’s always been the challenge,”

The South Westminster NCP has been in place since 2003. The thing is, the City can put all the plans in place they want. It's up to the private sector to come and build within them.

While the plan does call for some mixed-use commercial and residential leading from Scott Rd Station to the river, there has been little incentive for developers to come in and build that given the existing context of junk yards... making projects a tough sell.

We are only now starting to finally see the first bit of mixed-use built in this plan area with the new 6-storey project going up next to Scott Rd Station and Arena. Hopefully this will be be a catalyst for the gradual expansion towards the river.

From a waterfront park perspective, all the land to the west of the Sky Bridge along the river shaded green is not actually City-owned. It's private land that would need to be acquired and made into a park. I'm not sure if there is incentive at this point, given the surrounding context, for the City to go in and buy up land along the river to create a nice park (like Westminster Pier Park) only to be adjacent to junk yards. I think mixed-use development needs to extend up that way first.

Is there also a plan for the Bridgeview area (north of KGB)? It's over quite a large area of single family homes.

[Shift]

Originally Posted by rpvan

Is there also a plan for the Bridgeview area (north of KGB)? It's over quite a large area of single family homes.

No there is no Bridgeview Plan in place at this time. Given how old the South Westminster Plan is - the whole area could use an updated plan. Maybe feature some canals as the mayor suggests. Could actually be quite an effective revitalization tool in that area.

[CoryHolmes]

Is that section of the Fraser River used for anything? Is it an active shipping area for boats?

[jlove390]

West Village Park and District Energy Centre Open

https://urbansurrey.com/2019/06/24/west-village-park-district-energy-centre-open/

I have a few questions about this article.

It mentions this is the first of ten new parks planned for the Central City area. Does anyone know where the other nine are?

It says there is another district energy centre planned for near King George station. Is that to replace whatever that structure is at Fraser and Whalley Blvd next to the end of the skytrain tracks? Is that where the new one will go?

It mentions new dedicated bike lanes. Can we assume busier roads like Fraser, King George, and Whalley Blvd will get them?

[Greetingsfromcanada]

There was a proposal for a 35 story building in North Delta on Scott road that's been revised. Total number of units is up, but that's from a shift to more single bedroom/single bedroom+den units. Also 20% of units(70) are now considered affordable. I'm not sure to how make the images not take up the whole page, So'll just leave links to the infographics

https://i.imgur.com/X7CtP7i.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9fv9tbi.jpg

[Cypherus]

Originally Posted by Greetingsfromcanada

There was a proposal for a 35 story building in North Delta on Scott road that's been revised. Total number of units is up, but that's from a shift to more single bedroom/single bedroom+den units. Also 20% of units(70) are now considered affordable. I'm not sure to how make the images not take up the whole page, So'll just leave links to the infographics

https://i.imgur.com/X7CtP7i.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9fv9tbi.jpg

Interesting find. Thank you for sharing. Looks like they want to appeal to first time homebuyers who are looking more at one bedrooms once the Federal program kicks in.

https://www.placetocallhome.ca/fthbi/first-time-homebuyer-incentive.cfm

[rpvan]

Six storey, 100 unit affordable rental building proposed in Newton. Intersection of KGB and 81st Ave.

https://www.cloverdalereporter.com/news/...able-rental-building-proposed-in-surrey/

[officedweller]

Miramar Village - Phase 2

June 18th from NSDA twitter:


Construction Update: This photo taken from tower 1 - the transfer slab is ready for the residential level @BosaProperties Miramar Village ph2.
https://twitter.com/NSDA_Architects

[GMasterAres]

I always find it funny how there is a group of residents always up in arms about any dense redevelopment in South Surrey around Semiahmoo mall given the fact that right across the street in White Rock they are putting up major condos and high rises like there's no tomorrow.