River District (East Fraserlands) Updates

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by scryer

Creeks also serve as a way for rainwater to be reintroduced into the environment without going through our sewer system. In fact many reasons why we have so many back ups from our sewer system during exceptionally rainy days is due to rainwater (that doesn't need to be treated) causing the back up. So I am happy to see a creek make its way into the design for this reason.






However this bit is concerning and would defeat the entire purpose of it...

Rain water is only an issue in older parts of city and old buildings. Many have been converted and the storm water runs int the storm system not the sanitary system

[GenWhy?]

It's to present the storm water system from being overloaded in the future in heavy rainfall, among other things related to infrastructure, water, environmental, habitat, etc.

[GenWhy?]

https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/city-wide-integrated-stormwater-management-plan.aspx

[Migrant_Coconut]

Is it cheaper to rewild a creek than add a storm drain? If so, let's hope a lot more developments start getting water features.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Is it cheaper to rewild a creek than add a storm drain? If so, let's hope a lot more developments start getting water features.

One's digging a ditch, laying pipes, and filling it back in. The other's digging a ditch, and planting some reeds. Obviously a simplification, but it can't be very expensive to do so.

[vanman]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Is it cheaper to rewild a creek than add a storm drain? If so, let's hope a lot more developments start getting water features.

I believe the city of Vancouver has a policy of daylighting streams wherever possible. I imagine it's cheaper over the long term with the added benefit of improving drainage and water quality.

This is an interesting read on the subject.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/national-daylighting-rivers-waterways-development-1.4828016

[Galaxy]

Also, Rebuilding the streams brings back critical habitat for young fish/salmon that could help rebuild our many salmon runnings that are all in critical need of help. Meandering streams help to refill underground aquafers and slow down the pace of runoff that then is more gradual released and can help to mitigate flooding/droughts depending on the season. Many great benefits of daylighting our waterways.

[djmk]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Also, Rebuilding the streams brings back critical habitat for young fish/salmon that could help rebuild our many salmon runnings that are all in critical need of help. Meandering streams help to refill underground aquafers and slow down the pace of runoff that then is more gradual released and can help to mitigate flooding/droughts depending on the season. Many great benefits of daylighting our waterways.

this area is really close to Everett Crowley Park which was an old dump. I'm sure there are things in there that you would not want leaching out and flowing to the ocean

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by chowhou

One's digging a ditch, laying pipes, and filling it back in. The other's digging a ditch, and planting some reeds. Obviously a simplification, but it can't be very expensive to do so.

Originally Posted by vanman

I believe the city of Vancouver has a policy of daylighting streams wherever possible. I imagine it's cheaper over the long term with the added benefit of improving drainage and water quality.

This is an interesting read on the subject.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/national-daylighting-rivers-waterways-development-1.4828016

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Also, Rebuilding the streams brings back critical habitat for young fish/salmon that could help rebuild our many salmon runnings that are all in critical need of help. Meandering streams help to refill underground aquafers and slow down the pace of runoff that then is more gradual released and can help to mitigate flooding/droughts depending on the season. Many great benefits of daylighting our waterways.

Hey, preaching to the choir. Just pointing out that the way to a developer's heart is through their wallet - unless it becomes a bylaw, they couldn't care less about salmon or water quality.

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Expect to see a streetcar like line from 22nd station (maybe New West) till at least the Marine drive station (hopefully all the way back up Arbutus connecting also to the M-Line extension), before this project is complete. Remember though this project has a ~10yr buildout. Those tracks have been envisioned to be part of the development since the start. The problem is you can't justify building the line until the people are already there.
I think that line will even be profitable, it'll connect in theory the Expo/Millenium and Canada Line, serve quite a few dense residential areas as well a huge shopping zone (Marine+Byrne+Kerrisdale) and large employment centres will all the industry in that area.

I rode my bike the other day and said to my wife “you watch they will put some sort of LRT here one day...”
yeah those tracks just screaming to be put into to use. Unfortunately your estimate of a 10 years of build out hasn’t happened yet...

[jlousa]

Yup my prediction looks to be way off. Hopefully it happens in the next 10yrs but the older I get the longer the timelines I see as realistic.

[Vin]

No allowance for big anchors there like a shopping mall, movie theatre, etc. to entice developers and residents to want to build/live there, and not to mention the lack of rapid transit for the area. Again the City's bad planning ensures that the build-out will take decades. In the end, it will be another boring urban village like Joyce Station-Collingwood.

Funny that Marine Gateway should have envisioned way more residential towers and commercial buildings encompassing a much wider area for the amount of facilities put in.

[LeftCoaster]

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Vin

No allowance for big anchors there like a shopping mall, movie theatre, etc. to entice developers and residents to want to build/live there, and not to mention the lack of rapid transit for the area. Again the City's bad planning ensures that the build-out will take decades. In the end, it will be another boring urban village like Joyce Station-Collingwood.

Funny that Marine Gateway should have envisioned way more residential towers and commercial buildings encompassing a much wider area for the amount of facilities put in.

I think Dialog planned this community.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

No allowance for big anchors there like a shopping mall, movie theatre, etc. to entice developers and residents to want to build/live there, and not to mention the lack of rapid transit for the area. Again the City's bad planning ensures that the build-out will take decades. In the end, it will be another boring urban village like Joyce Station-Collingwood.

Funny that Marine Gateway should have envisioned way more residential towers and commercial buildings encompassing a much wider area for the amount of facilities put in.

Only one developer owns the whole site, so they're controlling the rate at which the area builds out. The City has no control over the rate of development. The developer is providing a neighbourhood shopping centre with a supermarket and a drug store (like Vancouver House, and Coal Harbour, and the Olympic Village) as part of the city's requirements to rezone the area. There's big box retail really close in Burnaby; no developer with any sort of financial sense would want to compete by adding another mall.

The lack of transit is because the railway company still use the tracks and haven't expressed any interest in selling them. Remember how long, how expensive and how painful it was for the City to get the Arbutus Corridor? The intention is to use the Fraser Riverside corridor for transit if/when the commercial use of the tracks is abandoned, but again, the City doesn't control that.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Vin

No allowance for big anchors there like a shopping mall, movie theatre, etc. to entice developers and residents to want to build/live there, and not to mention the lack of rapid transit for the area.

Oh Vin...

If you knew anything about the site or area, you'd know that they're planning 250,000 sq ft of retail space, plus it's less than 5 km away from Big Bend shopping. There's the 100 bus that takes them to 22nd St or Marine Dr stations in about 15 mins, and a new bus that'll take them to Metrotown (not sure on timing due to the pandemic). Plus all the warehouse jobs along Marine. Oh of course no one will want to live there.

[Migrant_Coconut]

If anybody's going to push for a Cineplex, it's me, and even I don't see the point - not with Metrotown and Marine Gateway being easy to reach.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

If anybody's going to push for a Cineplex, it's me, and even I don't see the point - not with Metrotown and Marine Gateway being easy to reach.

Also Landmark at New West Station. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if River District does their own outdoor screen on nice summer evenings (limited to the residents - not a commercial thing).

[WarrenC12]

COVID19 could be the end of movie theaters. The expense, the hassle, the continuous improvement to home setups, non-traditional distribution (Netflix).

The business model is old and the final days are here.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

COVID19 could be the end of movie theaters. The expense, the hassle, the continuous improvement to home setups, non-traditional distribution (Netflix).

The business model is old and the final days are here.

Maybe - old habits die hard. Theatres already had a conniption over the latest Trolls movie going straight to (pricey) VOD and now it's Disney's turn. The main problem is there are so many streaming services coming online and each has their own exclusives. It's going to be a mix of home streaming and going to a theatre.

(I finally got Netflix as part of my cable package weeks before the lockdown started - it's been a sanity saver).

Anyway ... a movie theatre is not going to be a deal breaker for anyone thinking of buying in River District. They're going to be more interested in if there's a grocery store (Save On, also at Big Bend), a bank (there's a few of them), Starbucks (yes) and somewhere to eat / drink (soon, also Big Bend).