General Vancouver Development Updates II

[seamusmcduff]

Definitely disappointing, Vancouver has a serious lack of pools. Unless you count all the private pools in condos.

[BaddieB]

Looks just like Wesgroup's proposal in Metrotown 'Reign'

[mcj]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Yes there was a 25-metre lane pool in the 2019 proposal



https://www.urbanyvr.com/new-langara-ymca-details/

Yeah this new proposal is a huge step back in terms of community amenities compared to this.

I really hope this gets addressed by the city, but it probably won't.

[GenWhy?]

Does anyone know how the YMCA functions as a provider of these spaces? What is the relationship with the City here on these spaces?

I imagine these are private charity spaces with no obligation to provide specific uses, as this is not a public facility.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by mcj

A bit disappointing that there isn't a pool included in the YMCA space. This area, and South Vancouver generally, is really lacking in aquatics space.

I listen to the radio too much, but they were talking about this subject a few weeks ago, how Vancouver is lacking so many public pools and rinks etc. They talked about how so many other cities in Canada have much better facilities and much smaller populations and Vancouver really needs to get caught up.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I listen to the radio too much, but they were talking about this subject a few weeks ago, how Vancouver is lacking so many public pools and rinks etc. They talked about how so many other cities in Canada have much better facilities and much smaller populations and Vancouver really needs to get caught up.

You don't have to go far. Most of the burbs are better than Vancouver.

Not that our facilities all suck. Hillcrest is still amazing, we just need about 3 more of them.

[BaddieB]

I think community cenres aren't the greatest use of taxes? I feel like that's something that could be better handled by the private sector. Pools especially are giant money holes, but I understand the public benefit. What I don't like is the strategy of cities building so many amenities funded by levies on new housing. That is super unsustainable. I'd rather it be exclusively from property taxes. If people want to pay more taxes that's fine by me, but personally I don't mind them not existing. I would rather that money be spent on economically productive projects like transit or education.

Small amenities like outdoor pools, parks, sports venues etc are great. It becomes problematic when your city is spending over $250M on vanity projects like CG Brown in Burnaby. Imagine how much transit or new classrooms could be funded with that money. We need those for a functioning society, an olympic sized pool? That's more of discretionary.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by BaddieB

I think community cenres aren't the greatest use of taxes? I feel like that's something that could be better handled by the private sector. Pools especially are giant money holes, but I understand the public benefit. What I don't like is the strategy of cities building so many amenities funded by levies on new housing. That is super unsustainable. I'd rather it be exclusively from property taxes. If people want to pay more taxes that's fine by me, but personally I don't mind them not existing. I would rather that money be spent on economically productive projects like transit or education.

Small amenities like outdoor pools, parks, sports venues etc are great. It becomes problematic when your city is spending over $250M on vanity projects like CG Brown in Burnaby. Imagine how much transit or new classrooms could be funded with that money. We need those for a functioning society, an olympic sized pool? That's more of discretionary.

Consider yourself in the minority.

Vancouver collects giant CAC payments from developers. They need to be more for things like community centres, pools, etc. Less art and other crap.

[VanK]

Hilcrest is overcapacity. Vancouver is building an outdoor pool at Marpole that will be usable 2 months of the year. There is no obligation for YMCA to provide a pool but we can put pressure on the City / Council / Staff to tie the rezoning application to a new pool. Its up to the City. The Cambie Plan for the site " Consider building a partnership between City and YMCA to gain access for public use of new YMCA aquatic facility."

Let your opinion be known. Leave your comments on the project page:

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/282-w-49th-ave

Email your council: https://vancouver.ca/your-government...y-council.aspx

https://vancouver.ca/your-government...y-council.aspx

[mcj]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

You don't have to go far. Most of the burbs are better than Vancouver.

Not that our facilities all suck. Hillcrest is still amazing, we just need about 3 more of them.

Hillcrest is pulling the weight of the Broadway Plan and the Cambie Corridor Plan, when both could easily justify another Hillcrest level facility being built to service the new population.

This YMCA would have filled that gap for the Cambie Corridor.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Consider yourself in the minority.

Vancouver collects giant CAC payments from developers. They need to be more for things like community centres, pools, etc. Less art and other crap.

Public art doesn't require maintenance or staff. Instead of swimming pools I think we need more pickleball courts.

[seamusmcduff]

Originally Posted by BaddieB

I think community cenres aren't the greatest use of taxes? I feel like that's something that could be better handled by the private sector.

The private sector will never fill the gap of community/rec centres/pools in Vancouver. The land costs are far too high for it to ever make sense. There's just no way it would be profitable (which they shouldn't be trying to be anyways).

What developer would choose a rec centre with a large footprint over residential buildings that fetch $1000 psf? Anyone who is able to assemble a piece of land big enough is going to try and get as much profit out of it as they can

[mcj]

Originally Posted by seamusmcduff

The private sector will never fill the gap of community/rec centres/pools in Vancouver. The land costs are far too high for it to ever make sense. There's just no way it would be profitable (which they shouldn't be trying to be anyways).

What developer would choose a rec centre with a large footprint over residential buildings that fetch $1000 psf?

Okay but hear me out, what if a developer were to develop residential buildings on an existing recreation center and in exchange for being allowed to do so and therefore profit from said residential buildings, they have to build a pool.

Wild idea right?

[seamusmcduff]

The redevelopment like this one is a very rare opportunity I agree, and we should be getting as much as possible out of it, but it's still only replacing an existing rec centre. We need at least 3 or 4 brand new ones in the City considering our population growth, which isn't going to be done by the private sector.

[BaddieB]

Originally Posted by mcj

Okay but hear me out, what if a developer were to develop residential buildings on an existing recreation center and in exchange for being allowed to do so and therefore profit from said residential buildings, they have to build a pool.

Wild idea right?

Being forced to build a new public pool if you want to develop your land because your land already has a pool, is an incentive for people to not make public pools in the first place. Let them do what they want with their land.

[BaddieB]

Originally Posted by seamusmcduff

The redevelopment like this one is a very rare opportunity I agree, and we should be getting as much as possible out of it, but it's still only replacing an existing rec centre. We need at least 3 or 4 brand new ones in the City considering our population growth, which isn't going to be done by the private sector.

The private market does add amenities like gyms, for example. You'll rarely see a private pool open to the public because pools are just extremely expensive to run. Again, fund that via property taxes if the people really want it, just don't tax new housing to build it.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Public art doesn't require maintenance or staff. Instead of swimming pools I think we need more pickleball courts.

Haha I like pickleball too. I'd love to see a few more around town.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by BaddieB

The private market does add amenities like gyms, for example. You'll rarely see a private pool open to the public because pools are just extremely expensive to run. Again, fund that via property taxes if the people really want it, just don't tax new housing to build it.

Is it just pools you're against? I don't get it. Community centres fill a need in cities with all kinds of classes, warming/cooling in bad weather, etc.

[BaddieB]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Is it just pools you're against? I don't get it. Community centres fill a need in cities with all kinds of classes, warming/cooling in bad weather, etc.

I don't think YMCA and a developer should be responsible for providing a pool for the city. If they want to build one, great, but the YMCA would probably direct funds to fund other uses, than a pool. They can probably run more programs that way.

[VanK]

Originally Posted by BaddieB

I don't think YMCA and a developer should be responsible for providing a pool for the city. If they want to build one, great, but the YMCA would probably direct funds to fund other uses, than a pool. They can probably run more programs that way.

No but the residents of vancouver are not asking YMCA / private developer to ADD a new pool to the community, we just want them to add back the existing pool (not subtract) and in exchange for this community amenity contribution, YMCA / private developer will be able to build market condo and other rental units.

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/282-w-49th-ave - so have your say here.