West End Neighbours for a community plan

West End Residents want a vision and comprehensive plan for Vancouver’s West End. Spot rezonings threaten the quality of life, and the unique and distinctive character of our neighbourhood. (Image: The “hotspot” watch list for developments in West End) Read more.

Streetcorner info session on controversial West End rezoning, 1401 Comox, 5:30 pm, May 30 (Wed)

For info on this controversial rezoning (public hearing June 11), please stop by for 20 minutes at the corner of Broughton & Comox:
Update, questions, comments.
Find out what’s going on.
BY the community, FOR the community.

 

West End Town Hall Meeting, June 4 (Monday) 6:30 pm, Coast Plaza Hotel

Thanks to generous donations in the past 72 hours and a positive response, we are pleased to announce the following meeting. More info will be provided soon about the program. Feel free to download, print, and use this notice here West End Town Hall 2012 May, poster-1. Four-to-a-page print and hand out version West End Town Hall 2012 May, 4×4 handout-1.

West End Town Hall Meeting, June 4 (Monday) 6:30 pm, Coast Plaza Hotel
7 to 9 pm (Doors 6:30)
Monday, June 4, 2012
Coast Plaza Hotel Ballroom (1763 Comox St.)

More than 12,000 people have signed the petition asking for “no rezoning without a comprehensive plan.” City Hall has responded and that planning process has just begun. But rezonings continue and June 11 Council will hear from residents about the controversial rezoning at 1401 Comox Street. More could be coming that could affect the character of our neighbourhood.

Attend this meeting, with an expert moderator, to hear updates on issues affecting the West End, learn what to expect in the Community Plan process, and share, discuss, listen, and speak as a community. For over 100 years citizen input has helped create the community we love. Join the Town Hall on June 4th to speak up and participate in the future of your neighbourhood!

Everything you always wanted to know about community planning (but were afraid to ask)

Click here to enjoy our slideshow about community planning. This will be useful for people who are interested in the official West End Community Plan process that has just begun. The slides online will tell you this:

• How zoning works
• The difference between zoning and community plans
• A brief history of community planning in the West End
• Heritage Preservation – Tools and opportunities
• Ideas for future planning in the West End
• What’s the lingo? FSR (Floor Space Ratio), DCL’s (Development Cost Levies), CAC’s (Community Amenity Contributions), and more.
• The development application review and approval process, including how Public Hearings work

WEN News: 1401 Comox public hearing June 11, Town Hall Meeting June 4, Donate!

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WEN NEWS May 26, 2012 Greetings!  Please stay tuned for important notices via the WEN Newsletter in the next couple weeks. The West End is now at a very important stage Over 12,000 people have signed the “no rezoning without a comprehensive plan” petition and more signatures continue to arrive. . The City’s official million-dollar 18- to 21-month process to create a West End Community Plan has just begun. But major spot rezonings continue and more may be coming up even during the consultation process, before a comprehensive plan has been created and supported by the community.  Below we let you know about how you can be involved at this critical moment in West End history and help to create the future of this community. Please note our appeal for funds for Town Hall 2012 on June 4.  West End Neighbours

June 11 is Day One for controversial public hearing on 1401 Comox rezoning for 22-storey tower in West End: WEN calls on citizens to prepare speeches

On May 15, Vancouver Council voted to send the controversial rezoning and development application for a 22-storey tower at 1401 Comox (former site of St. John’s Church) to a public hearing. All Vision Vancouver councillors voted in favor. Only Councillors Carr and Ball were opposed. The hearing is June 11, 2012.

The proposal has not substantially changed since the first version in 2009. On May 14, West End Neighbours wrote City Council asking that they NOT send 1401 Comox application to public hearing yet, citing errors and omissions in the staff report. Many of the previous issues raised were not addressed and the main features of the application (height and density) are virtually unchanged since the first announcement shocked the community in November 2009. In spite of problems, the Council agreed to send the application to a public hearing on June 11. This is a major rezoning affecting the West End and we encourage all residents to view it carefully.

Official information about the proposal is here:

If you wish to speak to council, write publichearing@vancouver.ca saying “I would like to speak to Council about 1401 Comox rezoning. Please indicate my speaker number.” You may also call 604.829.4238 to register and you may submit your comments by e-mailing mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca or by mail to Mayor and Council, City of Vancouver, 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4.

WEN will update information about this application and the public hearing in the next several days and you can find this information here.

This is the video of the Council meeting that referred this project to a public hearing. During the meeting, Councillors Jang and Reimer criticized a citizen who had submitted 966 comment cards from residents, 95% opposed to the rezoning. The citizen had mistakenly included a city logo above the City Hall mailing address on response cards he had hand made, and this was used to distract the elected officials from the actual message of 966 residents.

 

WEN asks City Council NOT to send 1401 Comox to public hearing, citing errors, omissions in staff report

May 14, 2012

Mayor Gregor Robertson and City Councillors, City of Vancouver

RE: WEN Letter to Mayor and Council – 1401 Comox Street [ Item P1 - May 15, 2012 ]

Dear Mayor and Council:

In the regular Council meeting of May 15, 2012, you will be reviewing a Policy Report regarding a concurrent rezoning and development permit application for 1401 Comox Street. We are writing to urge you not to refer this to a public hearing, and instead refer it back to staff to correct the errors, omissions, and misrepresentations of fact in the report. We introduce just a few of them below.

This application proposes an increase in density from the existing permitted 1.5 FSR (25,938 sq. ft. of floor space) to 7.19 FSR (123,490 sq. ft.) to construct 186 market rental units in a 22 storey tower.

The report offers justifications for the height and density of the tower, but fails to reference the intention of the RM zones adopted by Council in 1989, and instead bases many of its arguments on comparisons to what it implies is a potential 190 foot tower on the site under the existing RM-5 zoning. These comparisons are not reasonable, as a theoretical building at 1.5 FSR with 18 storeys and a floor plate of 1,862 sq. ft. (livable area of 1,510 square feet per floor) is not economically feasible. That development scenario should not be used as a point of comparison or benchmark to justify the current 22 storey proposal (with a floor plate of approximately 6,000 square feet).

The staff report fails to provide any justification for the massive increase in density and floor area, apart from the fact that market rental housing is proposed and that the applicant requested the additional density. No other projects under the now-expired Short Term Incentives for Rental housing (STIR) program, under which this application was made, have required this extreme density bonusing (over 5.6 FSR) to achieve market rental units.

The report lacks clarity and accuracy on many issues, including:

• the fact that the previously-offered 3,500 square foot community space has been removed from the proposal, and in fact, may negate comments by some members of the public (and members of those two groups who were expecting to benefit from the space) and supported the application on the basis of the proposed community space

• the failure to document the differences in support between residents of the West End (those most directly affected by the development) and those from outside the community

• the fact that 970 residents submitted comment cards and, although City staff confirmed that this input would be recorded as part of the input to the project, are not reflected in the report’s summary of public input

• lack of detail on the six proposed “SAFER” units and the fact that these units are limited to a five year period

• failure to substantiate the claim that “extensive” revisions have been made to the project in its three different versions; in fact, for example, tower height and proposed FSR have remained essentially unchanged

• the basis on which the proposed market rental units have been defined as “affordable” is legally questionable, based on WEN’s previously-expressed concerns regarding the City Manager’s authority to define the affordability of rental units

• the proposed rent levels which are at odds with other new rentals currently being leased in the West End.

Information, on public record, regarding a rezoning or development application going to a public hearing must be balanced, objective, and accurate. This staff report fails to meet these tests, and fails to justify the large density bonus sought by the applicant. Almost 13,000 people have signed a petition requesting that there be no rezonings in the West End without a comprehensive plan – a plan that can guide the future of the neighbourhood in a rational, predictable manner that will protect the quality of life and unique character which West End residents cherish.

West End Neighbours requests that the rezoning proposal NOT be referred to Public Hearing. Council’s duty under the Vancouver Charter is to protect the public interest above all. We hope that your decision on this matter will do so.

Sincerely,

Emanuel Pereira, President

City Council considers controversial proposal for 1401 Comox rezoning: Massive bulk and height remain unchanged

The City of Vancouver has now published the Staff Report on the market rental STIR (Short Term Incentives for Rental) development project at 1401 Comox Street (site of former St. John’s Church).  The City Council will consider this item at its May 15th meeting:

The link to the Agenda is here and you can find the Staff Report here:

The staff recommendation in the report is that the rezoning and development application by Henriquez architects on behalf of Westbank Projects/Peterson Investment Group is supportable and should be referred by City Council to a Public Hearing.

The most recent (and current) version of the project was submitted in November 2011 and reviewed by the public at an Open House in February of 2012.  The proposal includes rezoning of the site from the existing RM-5 (Multiple Residential) zone to a new CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District to accommodate a 22-storey market rental apartment building with 186 rental suites, and an increase in density from the existing 1.50 FSR (or approximately 26,000 square feet of floor area) to 7.19 FSR (just over 123,000 square feet of floor area).

The current version of the project includes:

• 186 rental suites under the STIR program in a mix of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom units
• 22 storeys with a total building height of 61 m (200 feet)
• rents proposed to range from $860 to $2,541 per month
• 6 studio units for seniors under the SAFER program with a rent reduction of approximately $300 per month, but only for a total of five years
• removal of the previously-proposed 3,500 square foot community facility (for “Qmunity” and Gordon House)
• 79 parking spaces for the 186 apartment units
• changes to the top 15 floors of the tower in an attempt to reduce shadowing of the existing Broughton Mini-Park

Residents are encouraged to review the report and consider whether it gives an objective summary of the trade-offs associated with the density increase in exchange for market rental units.  WEN is analyzing the staff report and will provide more information on the conclusions.

Have your say on the West End Community Plan at these events

Have your say about the West End Community Plan at these City of Vancouver Events.

West End Community Storytelling Event: There’s no place like home
(Discover your community through the eyes of your neighbours)
Thursday May 10 (from 7 – 10 pm)
Doors open at 6 pm
Denman Cinema, 1779 Comox Street
Tickets are free but space is limited. Register today here.

Community Open Houses

Saturday, May 12 (11 am – 3 pm)
Best Western Sands Hotel
1755 Davie Street

Tuesday May 15 (4 pm – 8 pm)
Empire Landmark Hotel
1400 Robson Street

Thursday, May 17 (4 pm – 8 pm)
Central Presbyterian Church
1155 Thurlow Street

Post and distribute this City Open Houses May 2012 poster.

For more information about the planning process, see the Official City website.

“West End Village — Quest for a West End Plan” — WEN to hold Jane’s Walk May 5 and 6

This weekend across Canada and around the world, Jane’s Walks will be hosted by locals in celebration of their own communities. A number of walks will be held in the West End. For West End Neighbours, Liz Carney will lead two walks.

Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012 and Sunday, May 6, 2012
Start Time: 1:00 pm
Est. Duration: 2 hours
Register for Saturday here. Register for Sunday here.
More information about Jane’s Walks in Vancouver: Janes Walks (Vancouver area)
http://janeswalk.net/cities/list/category/vancouver

The West End could be a poster child from the pages of famous urbanist Jane Jacobs. The history and development of this cherished area of diversity in a true urban village. Ten by ten square blocks of humanity hum with life and vitality while residents of all ages, backgrounds and cultures live, work, study, relax and welcome the world to Vancouver. As the gatekeepers of Stanley Park and English Bay, West Enders are on the front line of what visitors envy and an example of a densely populated urban community that has captured hearts for over 100 years.

Construction crane at Alexandra (Bidwell/Davie) going up Mon, April 23, for 21-storey tower

A notice dated April 18, 2012, is up in buildings near the former Maxine’s site (1215 Bidwell), now referred to as Alexandra (1718 Davie Street, at Bidwell and Davie) saying that on Monday April 23 , the overhead tower crane will be going up. This is in preparation for a 21-storey condo with rental apartments and retail space going in at the site. The contact provided is MetroCan Construction, tel 604-683-7360 (John Owen). Note that while trucks deliver the crane parts, Bidwell Street will reportedly be closed from Davie Street to the lane, and Bidwell to Harwood Street will have large trucks on the road.

This brings a couple thoughts to mind.

• For anyone with towers likely to go up in their residential neighbourhood in the future, this time is a good opportunity to observe the kind of traffic, noise, and neighbourhood impacts involved in major tower projects.
• Once the tower is up, people are encouraged to notice where the shadows of the crane fall, as this gives an indication of the line and distance where the building shadow will fall once the tower is built.

Millennium and Concord Pacific are partners in the tower project. They have created a web  page to provide general construction-related information to the neighbourhood, but nothing as specific as scheduling of work such as this.  http://www.alexandraliving.com/construction/