Metro Vancouver ‘Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel’ project survey + Open House 1 Nov (Wed). Public input sought on impacts for the West End.

Preparations for the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel, a major Metro Vancouver project, are ticking along.

Planners invite public input with an open house November 1 (Wed) and an online survey until November 29, 2023. At the open house you can meet the project team, ask questions, and provide feedback.

• Wednesday, November 1, 4:30 – 6:30 pm, Vancouver Rowing Club, 450 Stanley Park Drive, Vancouver

• Project webpage and survey (ends 29-Nov-2023): https://metrovancouver.org/services/water/stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel
• Metro Vancouver construction projects in general: https://metrovancouver.org/services/water/construction-projects
• Metro Vancouver project fact sheet: https://metrovancouver.org/services/water/ConstructionDocuments/fact-sheet-stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel.pdf

The Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel project is a $300 million tunnel excavation and construction water pipe installation project expected to start in 2024 and last a period of five or six years. A tunnel under Stanley Park at 1.4-kilometres long and 2.6 meters wide will be dug for a replace the existing section of pipe built in the 1930s, which currently carries water from the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Plant to homes and businesses in Vancouver, Richmond, Delta and the Musqueam and Tsawwassen First Nations.

This is a major geotechnical and engineering project. Is enough information being provided to the public? Has enough consideration been given to voices beyond the immediate project vicinity? Adequate consideration of traffic on West Georgia, Denman Street, Davie Street, and Granville or other streets? Are impact mitigation efforts sufficient?

What about the cumulative impacts on residents, visitors, and businesses, from the extra construction traffic through the West End and the rest of Vancouver from so many projects, including the eventual massive redevelopment of the St. Paul’s Hospital site at Davie and Burrard?

According to the Metro Vancouver project website, typical work hours will be Monday to Friday (7:30 am to 8 pm) and Saturdays (10 am to 8 pm), but not on Sundays and holidays. The website has a section on “impact and mitigation,” mostly focused on impacts within and near Stanley Park, particularly near the Chilco Street shaft, which is immediately adjacent to residential buildings and densely populated city blocks.

Here is an excerpt (as of 28-Oct-2023) on “Traffic, Noise, and Dust Mitigation.”
In meeting with local residents, Metro Vancouver understands that noise, dust, and traffic are of concern and will ensure that proper mitigation measures will be in place during construction.
Metro Vancouver will:

• Conduct noise monitoring to ensure that all work complies with City of Vancouver bylaws and granted bylaw variances
• Implement dust mitigation measures, including wheel washing stations and street watering
• Provide traffic control personnel and signage to reduce congestion associated with construction

A Vancouver Is Awesome article by Mike Howell says that the project “will mean years of disruption for park users, some tree removals and increased truck traffic on Pipeline Road. Some “park amenities” will be removed, along with a biofiltration area and there will be temporary closures or modifications of existing pathways and trails. One lane of Stanley Park Drive in the northern part of the park will be closed for the duration of the project. Some parking lots will be closed and the animal hospital will be removed.”

Beyond impacts in Stanley Park, and adjacent to the shaft near Chilco and Alberni Streets, what else?

Impacts could include truck noise, exhaust, dust, impacts on pedestrian/car/bike traffic, additional congestion particularly in the West End which has already experienced a decade of a construction boom after the West End community Plan was adopted in 2013. At some time, a massive demolition and redevelopment of the Saint Paul’s Hospital site is expected to begin, not to mention more major tower projects going in all along the Burrard/Thurlow corridor.

The map (at the top of this post) with the Fact Sheet shows the routes for empty dump trucks to arrive at each of the three shafts, and then fully loaded dump trucks (whether or not they will have with tandem trailers is not clear) rumbling fully-loaded out onto West Georgia. It appears some will continue on West Georgia, but to where? Some will go right through the West End by turning right onto Denman Street, left onto Davie Street, and onward. But to where? Our guess is that the trucks will turn right onto the Granville Bridge and onward to the Fraser River to load barges, which may then be dumped into the Salish Sea not far from UBC.

Denman and Davie Streets are already very congested with traffic. A recent trial by transit advocate Nathan Davidowics found that the average speed of transit buses in the West End was about 7 to 8 kilometers per hour. These streets are also highly popular for pedestrians and scooters on the sidewalks and crosswalks and are very popular with many small shops and restaurants.

Loaded trucks will be gearing up and down with the slopes on Denman and Davie, which produce more noise and exhaust. See this CityHallWatch video for an example of a truck loading material from from Broadway Subway excavation (Where is all Vancouver’s dirt going? High traffic of fully loaded tandem truck-trailer rigs these days. – 29-May-2023).

Despite what the project managers say, we’ve heard from locals saying there has been a lack of communication with the residents of the West End who will be affected.

What would be the routes for trucks and equipment going in and coming out? From media reports, only a portion of the route has been made public (Denman and Davie Streets). How much rock and dirt will be moved? CityHallWatch made a rough estimate at 1,000 to 2,000 truck runs, and made an educated guess at the likely truck route and dumping site offshore from UBC.

LINKS

Metro Vancouver Facebook page – video: https://www.facebook.com/metrovancouver/videos/stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel-introduction-2021/1495467554123466/

City of Vancouver page: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel.aspx

Construction on new 1.4-km-long tunnel in Stanley Park begins in 2024 (Kenneth Chan, Daily Hive, 18-Jul-2023): https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel-project-construction

$300M watermain under Stanley Park to go ahead as neighbours raise concerns (Simon Little & Travis Prasad, Global News, 18-Jul-2023) with video: https://globalnews.ca/news/9840521/stanley-park-watermain-tunnel/

Vancouver Park Board update – Board Briefing Memo (13-Aug-2021): https://parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca/files/MEMO-MetroVancouverSPWaterSupplyTunnelProjectUpdate-20210813.pdf

Vancouver park board considers $300M water tunnel under Stanley Park (Compensation deal in works with Metro Vancouver for six years of construction disruption) Mike Howell Vancouver is Awesome (17-Jul-2023): https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/vancouver-park-board-considers-300m-water-tunnel-under-stanley-park-7288340

$288M contract awarded for Vancouver water tunnel. DCN-JOC News Services January 25, 2022. https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/news/infrastructure/2022/01/288m-contract-awarded-for-vancouver-water-tunnel

Stanley Park Ecology Society. https://stanleyparkecology.ca/

Metro Vancouver Fact Sheet provided below.

metro-vancouver-factsheet-stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel-sept-2023Download

Important survey on ‘West End Community Hub site scenarios’: Online survey ends June 19, 2023, regarding current site of Joe Fortes Library, King George Secondary School, and West End Community Centre.

Public service announcement received from Anson and the W.E. Connect Team at the City of Vancouver (https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/weconnect). They would like to make a push for the survey for this phase of W.E. Connect.

Update – article – Three options for new West End Community Centre and King George Secondary School (Daily Hive) Jun 13, 2023. https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/west-end-community-centre-king-george-secondary-school-redevelopment-options

3D models are on display still at the West End Community Centre.

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As you know, we’re (City of Vancouver/W.E. Connect) asking people to identify strengths and weaknesses of three different scenarios for the configuration of the future West End Community Hub (where the current Joe Fortes Library, King George Secondary School, and West End Community Centre are located). Figuring out where the future buildings and spaces ought to go on the site is critical.

This is a project that involves multiple stakeholders. The City’s W.E. Connect Team already has the perspectives of City of Vancouver, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver School District, and the West End Community Centre Association. But they say the most important stakeholder is the larger public, and ultimately, it will be their (that is, YOUR) community hub. 

How the future WECH is laid out will decide how it will be woven into the social fabric of the neighbourhood. 

Please support this effort by completing this survey online: 

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/weconnect/survey_tools/west-end-experiences-survey

Note, open houses were already held, with 3D-printed models of different site scenarios and the chance to ask questions to partner representatives:

1. West End Community Centre (in-person) – Sunday, June 4, 2-5 pm
2. King George Secondary School Gymnasium (in-person) – Monday, June 5, 3-6 pm

New online ‘West End Community Forum’ launches 6 pm June 8 (Thu) 2023. Topic #1: Stanley Park Bike Lane & Beach Avenue. Speaker Bonnie Mackenzie (Stanley Park for All)

Public service announcement from Holly Hayes of A Beach for Everyone (https://abeachforeveryone.org), established in 2022 by a group of West End residents in Vancouver with the mission of ensuring our beaches and parks are a safe haven where everyone can come to enjoy nature. They are expanding their scope with the launch of a regular online community forum on various topics of interest for West Enders. See below for details.

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We wanted to share some exciting news with you. We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new initiative: a regular online West End Community Forum designed to address topics that directly impact our neighborhood.

Topic 1:  Stanley Park Bike Lane & Opening Beach Avenue
Guest Speaker: Bonnie Mackenzie | Stanley Park for All
When: Thursday, June 8th at 6 pm  

We believe in the power of open dialogue and collaboration. That’s why we are creating a space where neighbours like you can come together to hear from expert speakers and share thoughts, concerns, and ideas on various subjects that shape our community.

We will regularly host a moderated online forum on different topics that affect the West End and we are committed to providing a platform that encourages constructive feedback and meaningful discussions among community members.

Why should you join our online community forum?

Your Voice Matters: This is your chance to have a say on the issues that impact our neighbourhood directly. Your insights and experiences are invaluable to shaping the future of our community.

Engage with Experts: We will be inviting subject matter experts to participate in the discussions. You will have the opportunity to interact directly with these experts, ask questions, and gain deeper insights into the topics at hand.

Build Connections: Connect with your neighbours who share similar interests and concerns. Engage in thoughtful conversations, exchange ideas, and forge meaningful connections within our community.

Stay Informed: By participating in our online community forum, you will stay up-to-date on the latest developments and initiatives that impact our neighbourhood. Be in the know and make informed decisions about the future of our community.

Share Your Ideas: Do you have a specific topic in mind that you’d like us to cover or know of an expert speaker who you believe should be heard by our community? We value your input and welcome your ideas. Feel free to provide feedback and share your suggestions with us. We’re eager to hear from you!

We encourage you to join us for our inaugural online community forum on Thursday, June 8th at 6 pm. The first topic we will be discussing is Stanley Park Bike Lane & Beach Avenue. Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute your perspective and hear from guest speaker Bonnie Mackenzie, Stanley Park for All. 

Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot (Zoom) at your earliest convenience.

We look forward to seeing you online. Together, let’s build a stronger, more vibrant community!

 Kind Regards,

Holly Hayes | A Beach for Everyone 

City wants your input on West End Community Hub Renewal Plan (Community Centre, King George Secondary School, Joe Fortes Library, Fire Hall No. 6 relocation, and more). Survey starts May 18, 2023. Open houses and pop-up events.

Below is another announcement from City of Vancouver. This came via the West End Community Plan Implementation Newsletter today. We recommend you visit the Shape Your City web page for full information, background, and the survey link.

Above: Google Maps image showing the future location of the West End Community Hub. Currently the community centre, library and school.

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WE Connect: West End Community Hub Renewal Plan

The future West End Community Hub (WECH) will include a renewed West End Community Centre, King George Secondary School, Joe Fortes Library, relocation of Fire Hall No. 6 and other important facilities. This project will create the WECH Renewal Plan – a document that will guide the future of the site’s buildings, programming, and outdoor spaces.

Starting in May 2023, we will ask the community to explore options and share feedback for how the buildings and spaces come together to create the future WECH:

Visit: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/weconnect to:

• Learn about the plan
• Take our survey starting Thursday May 18
• Survey will be available online and at the community centre front desk

Attend an in-person open house:

• Sunday, June 4, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at West End Community Centre
• Monday, June 5, 2023 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at King George Secondary School

Visit a pop-up event at the West End Community Centre:

• Friday, May 26, 2023 – 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, May 27, 2023 – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Sunday, May 28, 2023 – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.​

City of Vancouver seeks your input on a West End Waterfront plan. Survey ends in ten days (May 21). Pop-up events May 13, 16, 18.

Below is an announcement from City of Vancouver. This came via the West End Community Plan Implementation Newsletter today. We recommend you visit the Shape Your City web page for full information, background, and the three options being considered, nicknamed Weave, Carve, and Seed.

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Image credit: City of Vancouver

Help us create a plan for the West End Waterfront

Do you love spending time at one of Vancouver’s special beachfront areas? We want to hear from you!

The Vancouver Park Board and the City of Vancouver are planning for the future of the Salish Sea oceanfront parks, beaches and streets that make up the West End Waterfront. We want to create a welcoming and joyful place for everyone – a place where humans and nature can thrive together for generations to come.

Three design approaches were developed to help guide the long-term plan, with each approach emphasizing and celebrating a different quality of English Bay, Sunset Beach Park and Beach Avenue. We are looking for feedback on the preliminary design approaches and ideas.

Visit shapeyourcity.ca/west-end-waterfront to:

• Learn about the three design approaches
• Take our survey by Sunday May 21
• Share your love letter to the West End waterfront

Visit a pop-up event at English Bay:

• Saturday, May 13, 11:00AM to 1:00PM
• Tuesday, May 16, 4:00PM to 6:00PM
• Thursday, May 18, 4:00PM to 6:00PM

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Photo credit: City of Vancouver

Below is from the Shape Your City webpage

Help create a 30-year plan for the parks, beaches and connections to and through the West End waterfront!

What’s happening?

We are planning for a West End waterfront that’s a welcoming and joyful place for everyone – a place where humans and nature can thrive together for generations to come. This plan will help shape the direction of this area for the next 30 years and beyond. We hope to shape the future of this beloved area with you. This includes formal conversations with the three Host Nations: the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band)(External link), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish Nation)(External link) and sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation)(External link).

Learn about the design approaches

Three preliminary design approaches were developed to help guide the long-term plan. Each approach emphasizes and celebrates a different quality of the West End waterfront. These approaches are not meant as stand-alone options. Elements from each can be combined, and will be developed and integrated into a preferred design concept, based on input we gather through engagement with the public, stakeholders and rightsholders – the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh.

*note: We are at an early stage in the design process, so certain elements may not be included or might end up in different locations in the final plan.

Learn more about these three design approaches(External link) (PDF, 4MB).

Take our survey by Sunday, May 21, 2023.

Share your love letter to the West End waterfront!

Check this space in the next couple weeks to find out dates and locations of pop ups in May 2023.

Next steps

We are currently in our second round of engagement: design approaches and ideas.

Your input on the design approaches and ideas will help us develop a preferred design concept for the West End waterfront, which will be shared for your feedback in fall 2023.

Public Hearing May 9 includes 57 and 60 storey twin towers by Bosa-Kingswood at 1040-1080 Barclay in the West End (Thurlow and Barclay)

The Public Hearing tonight (Tuesday, May 9, 2023) starts at 6 p.m. Item #5 is a major proposal for the West End by Perkins+Will Canada Architects Co., on behalf of Bosa-Kingswood Properties (Barclay) Inc.

This link provides the Public Hearing agenda and related documents, plus instructions on how to write or speak to Council: https://council.vancouver.ca/20230509/phea20230509ag.htm

The proposal is to allow for the development two residential towers (57 storey West tower and 60 storey East tower) over ten levels of underground parking. The zoning would change from RM-5B (Multi-Dwelling) District to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District. This proposal includes:

• 506 secured market rental units and 130 below market units (East tower)
• 365 market strata-titled units and 99 social housing units (West tower)
• Retail space at grade in both towers
• 37-space childcare facility on level eight of West tower
• A floor area of 87,923 sq. m (946,391 sq. ft.)
• An overall floor space ratio (FSR) of 21.87 (current FSR is 2.75)
• A building height of 174.5 m (572 ft.) (East tower) and 173m (567 ft.) (West tower)
• 832 vehicle parking spaces and 2,256 bicycle parking spaces

Public Hearing Item 5. CD-1 Rezoning: 1040-1080 Barclay Street

• Summary and Recommendation 
• Referral Report dated March 28, 2023 
• Draft Zoning and Development By-Law 
• Draft Sign By-Law 
• Applicant Boards 
• Applicant Renderings 

Here is the Shape Your City page, with images and video.

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/1040-1080-barclay-st

Renderings

Click to access phea5renderings.pdf

The project has changed considerably since it was first proposed. Here is our post about the developer’s pre-application open house in 2017. Bosa has been a major beneficiary of the West End Community Plan. https://westendneighbours.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/open-house-1060-1080-barclay/

Images were from the Open House.

Some important points for Council to consider:

• Construction-related disruptions: This entire Burrard/Thurlow corridor has been the target of massive development since the West End Plan was adopted in 2013, with multiple towers up to 60 storeys in height. Many projects are currently in progress, and more are coming. Council just made the “Interim” rezoning policy in Areas D and E permanent (See “West End Rezoning Policy ‘Secured rental housing option in Burrard Corridor’ – Public comment ended Feb 12. (Update – Council decision March 29)”). The City needs to take responsibility for good planning and management of construction to minimize impacts on the community.
• The West End has already far overshot the original growth targets under the West End Plan.

West End Community Plan implementation – Transportation and public space update. Great interactive map online. Surveys and resources. It’s 10th Anniversary of West End Plan in 2023.

Above: Screengrab from drone video on CoV website.

The City of Vancouver has recently launched a special interactive website, “West End Community Plan implementation – Transportation and public space update (Spring 2023). It’s nice to see this action happening this year, the tenth anniversary of the 30-year West End Community Plan that was adopted in 2013. The site includes some great video taken by aerial drone. The page includes a survey for public input, as well as link to the relevant policies.

See the link here: https://maps.vancouver.ca/portal/apps/storymaps/stories/ae3f37371ede483a84bc4ae1aded3617

Top menu categories include:

• What’s happening?
• Davie
• Robson
• Denman
• Bute Greenway
• Smaller improvements
• Related projects
• Public engagement
• Strategic policies

Key questions asked:

• “What should we prioritize to make sure West End streets work better for residents, businesses and visitors?”
• How can we apply what we learned about the importance of public space during the COVID-19 pandemic?
• What opportunities are there to make West End streets feel safe, welcoming, and comfortable for everyone?

Various initiatives are mentioned, including major projects such as the West End Waterfront Plan, and West End Community Hub Renewal Plan (W. E. Connect) – Redeveloping the West End Community Centre site on Denman Street.

Excerpt

What’s happening in the West End?
The West End Community Plan was adopted in 2013 to guide changes in the West End over the next 30 years. It is accompanied by a Public Benefits Strategy, which directs future capital investments in the community to meet the needs of a growing population.

Further investment is planned as we advance transportation and public space projects to improve walkability, strengthen public life and support local businesses.

We will focus investment on

West End commercial streets
The Bute Greenway
Other smaller improvements on local streets
Local changes can advance quickly once we’ve heard from the community, with more significant changes taking more time.

Bute Greenway (Phase 2) planning – Survey ends April 30 (Sunday)

News from City of Vancouver. The route runs from Coal Harbour to English Bay.

Bute Greenway (Phase 2)

The City of Vancouver is exploring ways to improve and prioritize Bute Street for walking, cycling and rolling with vibrant places for all ages and abilities.

This second phase of engagement will
(a) help to develop a vision for Bute Greenway
(b) present a final design for Bute-Robson Plaza and the adjacent blocks, and 
(c) explore opportunities to advance other sections of the greenway.

Have your say by April 30, 2023, or subscribe for greenway-specific updates here: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/bute-greenway

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Below are excerpts from the City’s website – https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/bute-greenway

Help us build a shore-to-shore connection

The City of Vancouver is exploring approaches to improve and prioritize Bute Street for walking, cycling, and rolling, with vibrant public spaces for people of all ages and abilities.

As part of this project we are building a permanent Bute-Robson Plaza and enhancing adjacent blocks on Robson Street. The improvements to Robson Street will involve joint efforts with the West End Commercial Streets(External link) project.

Thank you to everyone who shared feedback with us in Phase 1 and since the Bute-Robson Plaza was first installed in 2017. Review engagement highlights(External link) [PDF, 936KB] and the detailed engagement summary(External link) [PDF, 2MB] .

Phase 2 engagement is now underway

For this second phase of engagement, we are focusing on:

• Discussing a vision for the Bute Greenway.
• Sharing final designs for a permanent Bute-Robson Plaza and associated work which includes widening sidewalks on adjacent blocks of Robson Street and linking the plaza with the existing Bute-Haro mini-park towards the south.
• Exploring approaches to expand greenway on blocks north of Robson Street (between Eihu Lane to Pender Street) and block adjacent to Nelson Park (between Nelson and Comox Streets).

Get involved:

• Learn more about the Bute Greenway and Bute-Robson Plaza by reading the Public Information Material [PDF, 5MB].
• Share your input by taking our survey (open until Sunday, April 30, 2023). Paper surveys are also available.
• Visit one of our pop-up events at the following dates and locations:
  • Wednesday, April 5 (4-6pm) at Nelson Park(External link)
  • Thursday, April 13 (4-6pm) at Harbour Green Park(External link)
  • Saturday, April 15 (11am-1pm) at Bute-Robson Plaza(External link)
  • Saturday, April 15 (4-6pm) at Jim Deva Plaza(External link)
• Share your ideas for blocks north of Robson between Eihu Lane to Pender Street.
• Email us a question or feedback at butegreenway@vancouver.ca(External link).

Next steps

Staff will review the feedback and share learnings from second phase of engagement with the community in the summer. In the next phase, based on community feedback staff, will refine and share designs for other selected segments.

The greenway will be implemented in phases, beginning with building a permanent Bute-Robson Plaza and enhancing adjacent blocks in 2024.

West End commercial streets: Davie, Robson and Denman – Survey ends April 30 (Sunday)

West End commercial streets: Davie, Robson and Denman

Information from the City of Vancouver

The West End commercial streets provide opportunities for locals and visitors to shop, work and play in the West End. We are focusing investment in these areas alongside other small interventions on local streets.

The City wants to hear what opportunities you see for these commercial streets: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/west-end-streets

• Share your feedback via the City’s survey by Sunday, April 30, 2023.
• Attend a pop-up engagement session (shared with the Bute Greenway project)
• Visit the City’s interactive webpage to find out more about its transportation and public space priorities.

You may have also run across one of these pop-up events:

• Nelson Park, Wednesday April 5, 4 pm to 6 pm
• Bute-Robson Plaza, Saturday April 15, 11 am to 1 pm
• Jim Deva Plaza, Saturday April 15, 4 pm to 6 pm

Public consult: West End Rezoning Policy ‘Secured rental housing option in Burrard Corridor’ – Public comment ended Feb 12. (Update – Council decision March 29)

Above: Photo from Shape Your City webpage, where we’ve added red lines (along Thurlow and Burnaby Street) to show the portion that’s actually relevant to the discussion. See Google Earth screenshot below for a more relevant photo, and refer to the map for details of Areas D and E under the West End Community Plan. Middle right is a portion of Nelson Park. Davie Street runs diagonally across the center.

Update: This item went to City Council for staff presentation and vote on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. It was approved with virtually no discussion. The only speaker was from developer Intracorp seeking relaxation of shadowing rules on Robson. About 1,800 renters are pushed immediately right into the crosshairs of developers and speculators for demoviction risk. In some cases, this could be a bailout for developers who in excessive exuberance paid too much to buy properties to build luxury condos, before the offshore sales condo market changed. Link for meeting is here – https://council.vancouver.ca/20230329/pspc20230329ag.htm

The City’s online engagement portal Shape Your City (https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/burrard-corridor-rental-options) is seeking public input on a Vancouver City planning staff proposal to change zoning regulations in two sections of the Burrard Corridor, between Burrard and Thurlow Streets. On the surface, it’s easy to skim over and have your eyes glaze over, but there’s a lot of back-story to it, and one could arguably say the effort to inform and consult the public was minimal. The image chosen by the City to depict the subject area (above) is just one example.

Basically, it would seem the proposal would pave the way for substantially more demolition and displacement (demoviction), and construction in the area, while the West End is probably already far over what it was expected to take in additional population under the West End Community Plan.

West End residents are asked for their opinion. You can download official documents, and see some Q&As plus FAQs. You can send in your comments to planners internally on this page. Staff will summarize and “anonymize” them in a staff report for Council.

Shape Your City (https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/burrard-corridor-rental-options)

If you miss the Feb 12 deadline for that web page, there’s nothing stopping you from writing to the West End Planning team (Thomas Daley and Lihwen Hsu at westendplan@vancouver.ca). Or even write to Mayor and Council.

A few crucial tidbits gleaned from the Q&A and beyond, and filling in the blanks.

1. “There are currently approximately 24 rental buildings (803 rental units) in the study area.” If a redevelopment proposal comes forward, “notice to end tenancy for demolition would follow the requirements set out by the BC Residential Tenancy Act.” [If calculated at the typical average in Vancouver of 2.2 persons per unit, that would be nearly 1,800 renters. Plus, any renters living in strata condos are not included in those numbers.]
2. No notifications were sent to the affected residents. No signs were placed on the streets.
3. The West End has grown by approximately 5,469 people since the 2011 census. [Note: The Plan envisioned a growth of approximately 7,500-10,000 people by 2041. CityHallWatch estimated that approvals/construction/in-pipeline projects amounted to about 25,000 people already by 2020.]
4. The Q&A on Shape Your City provides lots of additional information on how the West End Community Plan has been implemented to date, as we enter its tenth anniversary.
5. A significant amount of housing has been built or is in the works already, which raises the question, How necessary, how urgent, is it for the City to change zoning to grease the skids for more demolition and construction in Areas D and E? From WECP/2013 to year-end 2021 [i.e., data more than one year old] 2,460 units completed in 24 buildings (444 strata, 1,876 secured market rental, 140 social housing) , 1,128 units under construction (784 strata, 176 secured market rental, 168 social housing), 2,553 units approved but not built (1,890 strata, 470 secured market rental, 193 social housing), and 4,225 units in rezoning review (2,467 strata, 1,527 secured market rental, 261 social housing). Add to that many projects not yet formally submitted, such as St Paul’s Hospital redevelopment (just that one alone, potentially another 3,000 people).
6. For public consultation, “virtual engagement” was by e-mail to people receiving the West End newsletter, quietly being posted on the website, public comments open Jan 24 to Feb 5 (but extended to Feb 12 based on a request). Then in spring 2023, this item will appear on a Council meeting agenda with about five days’ notice. It will be a completed report in which staff make recommendations to Council.
7. [Updated: This post originally assumed there would be a Public Hearing, but in reality this policy just goes to a committee meeting for approval or rejection. The staff report went online on about March 22, for a standing committee meeting on March 29, 2023. See Item 3 on the agenda, “West End Rezoning Policy: Secured Rental Housing Option in the Burrard Corridor” at this link – https://council.vancouver.ca/20230329/pspc20230329ag.htm. Additional note, as of March 22, planning staff had deleted all the Q&A responses from the Shape Your City website, but we’ve saved them all here below].

Above: The blocks in light blue indicated with “D” and “E” are subject to the proposed changes. Can you tell if you’re in the affected area? Difficult? Maybe this attempt via Google Maps might help to figure out the areas affected.

Above: An attempt at showing which areas are affected, with a bit more clarity than the City’s feature photo and map provided.

What staff are proposing? Here’s what you get in the main explanation, the official words on the Shape Your City page:

To help create more rental housing in the West End, in 2020, Council approved a temporary policy that allowed rezoning applications in the Burrard Corridor (see map below) for 100% secured rental buildings with 20% below-market rental (BMR) component in addition to the inclusionary social housing option. This temporary policy expired in December 2022.

The policy enabled 7 projects with 1,749 rental units and 368 BMR units. After studying the outcomes of the temporary policy, staff are proposing to make this option permanent by amending the West End Community Plan (2013) and the Rezoning Policy for the West End (2013).

If approved, this means that the City will continue to accept applications for 100% rental housing with a 20% BMR component in the Burrard Corridor sub-areas D and E (see map below). 100% rental projects with minimum 20% BMR would be subject to the same criteria that were approved by Council in 2020 for the interim policy. Read more about the 2020 interim policy and criteria.

After public input on the proposed change is received, staff will analyze and summarize the findings for a report to Council. Staff anticipate presenting the draft amendments and summary of public feedback for Council consideration in Spring 2023.

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But there’s a lot more to it.

Back in 2020 when city staff first proposed the temporary policy, West End Neighbours wrote in opposition. See the reasons here: WEN writes Council opposing proposed changes to West End Community Plan (Burrard Corridor) November 24, 2020.

Also related, for context: West End Community Plan turns ten years old in 2023 (https://westendneighbours.wordpress.com/2023/01/23/wecp-turns-ten-years-old-in-2023/)

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And beyond what information was initially provided, staff responded to questions with valuable information. Here are excerpts of some of the Q&A responses on the Shape Your City site, formatted here a bit for easier reading.