Quote:
Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut
"Setback for road improvements" ... like maybe a bus lane?
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I read the Report to the Development Permit Board, and I couldn't see any reference in there to an intention to widen Georgia. The sidewalk will be wider, but that's because the building is set back further than the current condition. There is the statement that
"Bidwell Street is planned to be widened with the curb adjacent to this site being shifted closer to the site’s property line to provide an 11.5m distance between the face of the existing curb on the west side of the street and the face of the new curb adjacent to the site."
Between the rezoning approval, and the DP application, there were also apparently a number of specific requirements that either weren't picked up by the applicants, or that they hoped might be OK, but aren't. They're relatively minor things, but it seems odd that the architects didn't fix them before the application was at the DP Board. The final approval (and subsequent Building Permits) will only get issued when they've been satisfactorily dealt with. It's a good example of why the City gets blamed for 'holding things up', when sometimes it's the applicant who hasn't followed the things they already were told they'd need to do to get an approval.
For example, there are 6 street trees shown on the front boulevard (between the curb and the sidewalk) and a proposed softscape front boulevard on Georgia, for example The engineers want those eliminated and replaced with City standard hardscape;
"This is a bus zone which is required to be kept clear of street trees in the front boulevard to accommodate transit operations. The front boulevard within the bus zone must be hardscape (not grass) to accommodate passengers boarding, alighting, and waiting for buses."
There's also a problem with the submitted design for the street right-of-way along Bidwell and Alberni Streets, because they're not the required size, (they've been measured from the wrong place). The engineers have compromised somewhat on widening sidewalks on Alberni, but there's a grate shown that will have to be relocated.
"The rezoning requirement for the pedestrian SRW along both streets is intended to allow for a widened, accessible, public sidewalk. Based on conversations with staff and understanding the challenges related to the parkade ramp design, the raised planter and wood top bench shown on Alberni Street are acceptable if they cannot be removed from the SRW or further reduced as they still provide for an acceptable width sidewalk in this location. The parkade air intake grates shown at the corner of Alberni and Bidwell Streets must be relocated from the corner (and minimized or removed completely from the SRW, if possible) as they do not provide a comfortable and accessible walking surface, particularly within the “bypass zone” immediately behind the future curb ramps at this location."
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