West End rezoning plan will wait until fall
Vision Vancouver councillor Raymond Louie has put the kibosh on an attempt by COPE to shine more light on two controversial West End rezoning proposals. At the April 8 planning and environment committee meeting, COPE’s Ellen Woodsworth introduced a motion calling upon the city to hold a “community open house” to discuss priorities for community amenity contributions from the redevelopment of 1401 Comox and 1215 Bidwell streets.
Louie amended the motion to delete any reference to the projects, despite 20 speakers appearing before council to support Woodsworth’s idea. Louie’s motion called instead for staff to “implement an innovative approach to engage the West End community in an open discussion on issues of community needs including affordable housing”.
“This language is clearer,” Louie claimed in chambers. Woodsworth voted against this aspect of his motion, which was supported by the rest of council. (Vision Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs was absent.)
A city-organized open house for the 1401 Comox proposal will take place on April 20, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Coast Plaza Hotel (1763 Comox Street), but not under the parameters preferred by Woodsworth.
Woodsworth brought forward her original motion in recognition of the fact that the West End has not had a community-visioning plan for more than 20 years. Louie’s amendment eliminated any references to “community visioning” and “community open house”, and instead called for a “community plan process, having consideration for overall city-wide community planning needs”.
Both rezoning proposals have been made under council’s Short Term Incentives for Rental Housing program, which allows for some zoning flexibility in order to expedite rental-housing construction—in some cases with minimal consultation. Woodsworth claimed that large-scale “spot rezonings” could override community-consultation plans that take months to draft.
“The community really needs to understand what CACs [community amenity contributions] are,” Woodsworth told the Straight via cellphone, referring to expenditures a developer promises to set aside for community benefits in exchange for higher density.
Diane Cote, who lives across from the proposed 22-storey tower on Comox Street in a building she owns, told council she felt like the city was engaging in “shock-and-awe planning”. She agreed with Woodsworth’s original motion that things should be slowed down.
Comments
5 Comments
dicot100
Apr 15, 2010 at 10:31am
West End Neighbours
Residents concerned about the impacts of STIR projects, and the large density bonuses they include, should plan to attend a community Town Hall Meeting on Thursday April 22. A group called “West End Neighbours” is putting the meeting together - in the absence of a co-ordinated approach from the City - to try to help residents understand what’s going on, the impacts of these development applications, and to explore options for moving forward.
Meeting details are:
Thursday, April 22, 2010
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (doors at 6:30), Coast Plaza Hotel Ballroom
1763 Comox Street at Denman
More info. at www.westendvision.ca
dicot100
Apr 15, 2010 at 12:34pm
A correction to the article: Diane Cote does not own a building across the street.
Nelson100
Apr 16, 2010 at 11:53am
I'm a westender and was absolutely shocked to suddenly hear of all these reckless development proposals. I'm particularly shocked with the ease by which the city plans to allow demolition of two of the West End's remaining heritage buildings. I don't think city council has any idea of the anger that is mounting in the West End over this. Sure the city needs affordable rental housing but that does not mean that council has been given a blank check to go ahead and bulldoze this established and mature area of the city where some people have spent their entire lives. All this development needs to stop until some consultation and planning is in place.
hard on pete
Apr 17, 2010 at 12:42am
you call these low cost housing give your head a shake.
Mark Michaels
Apr 18, 2010 at 9:45pm
1402 Comox is not being built as low-cost housing. It is meant as market rate housing. Some of us have to pay that and have few options other than bug infested apartments. We have not had any significant development in 30 years and anything built has been condo, not rentals. The city has nothing to do with the demolition of the church. The church sold it, someone bought it and now they plan to build on it under the provisions of the approved STIR program. Alot of the complaining that is being done about this and other developments continues to be by people who have nothing, but want everything. Who said the West End belongs to only low-cost housing. If that happens it won't be long and we will have to drive every where to shop. Low cost housing does not encourage local businesses. If we don't end up with rental units built now under STIR, many of the existing towers and three story walk ups will come to the end of their life in the next 20 years and will be built as low-rise expensive condos and the low-income folks will be moving out anyway. People need to look beyond themselves, consider the long term and get real. The West End is not sustainable under the 1987 plan. We need to move forward, respect the city process, and wait our turn for a visioning process. In the meantime, let's see a few new projects.