Vancouver’s East Fraserlands heats up
By Carlito Pablo
Before the economy tanked last year, there wasn’t much disagreement about what to do with Vancouver’s East Fraserlands.
Once the site of the Canadian White Pine Mill, this former industrial area in the southeast corner of the city was envisioned by many as a “complete” community by the Fraser River. Here, residents would live, work, shop, and play locally.
Under the plan adopted by the city in 2006, development is to take place in phases. It starts with Area 1, a 21-hectare parcel of land that will underpin the sustainability of the entire East Fraserlands project. It’s supposed to be the heart of the new community and where most of the services and facilities, including a commercial centre, will be located. On September 16, 2008, city council approved the rezoning of this area.
Then the recession kicked in.
Faced with financing difficulties, ParkLane Homes, the developer of the land, is now saying it can’t proceed with the development of Area 1 as was originally planned.
Instead, it is seeking approval for the rezoning of Area 2, a 14-hectare parcel designated mostly for housing. The application covers 1.7 million square feet of residential space, 10,000 square feet of retail, two child-care facilities, an elementary school, parks, and underground parking.
It’s a move that enjoys support from city staff, but that has upset the East Fraserlands Committee. For many years, this citizens’ group has worked with the City of Vancouver and ParkLane Homes to ensure that sustainability was built into the development plan.
According to committee cochair Milt Bowling, the proposed change will likely result in a community similar to the West Fraserlands, what he calls an amenity-deprived neighbourhood located immediately west of Kerr Street.
“The whole idea of the East Fraserlands is environmental sustainability—a walkable, cyclable community,” Bowling told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview. “Right now, the way it looks is that East Fraserlands will be like West Fraserlands.”
This point was echoed by a letter the committee sent to Mayor Gregor Robertson, city staff, and ParkLane Homes.
Members noted that the new proposal is a major departure from the original plan, in which high-street retail, a community centre, transit, and other public facilities would be delivered in the first phase of the project.
“Since the vast majority of Phase 2 consists of housing at the western end of the site, the EFLC is concerned that building Phase 2 first will lead to a protracted period of time during which residents will be reliant on cars to move them out of the community to work, shop and play,” the group stated in the letter dated November 23, 2009.
City planner Matt Shillito said in a phone interview that ParkLane Homes is keen to break ground by the end of 2010 or early in 2011.
full article:
http://www.straight.com/article-2742...serlands-heats
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