City of Vancouver to hold "learning sessions" for West End's 30-year plan

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      Vancouver city staff will soon hold the first of five “learning sessions” for West End residents to help them understand the 30-year plan for their community.

      The meeting on Friday (October 25) at the West End Community Centre is one of the final steps before council considers the future growth of what is already one of the most tightly packed neighbourhoods in the city.

      Although council voted in September to extend planning timelines for three other neighbourhoods—Downtown Eastside, Marpole, and Grandview-Woodland—it didn’t give the West End any extension.

      “The city is very conciliatory with all of the other neighbourhoods but not the West End,” resident Randy Helten told the Straight in a phone interview Tuesday (October 22).

      As of midmorning that day, the plan was nowhere to be found on the city’s website, reinforcing Helten’s feeling that his neighbourhood isn’t getting a fair shake.

      “The West End deserves fair treatment,” Helten said. “And for a 30-year plan, there’s a tremendous amount of detail for a community of 45,000 people. If the city is working in good faith, you’d think they would give more details early, give adequate time for groups to meet on their regular meeting cycles and review the content with the support of professionals who can help us interpret it, and then know with a confidence that comments from the public will be incorporated into the actual plan.”

      City hall is eyeing more high-rises in the community. Based on its initial projections, one may go as high as 70 floors—topping even Donald Trump’s planned 63-storey hotel-and-residences project and the 61-storey Shangri-La hotel, both of which are on West Georgia Street.

      Comments

      6 Comments

      Nelson100

      Oct 23, 2013 at 5:59pm

      The level of trust between the West End and the city is about the same as one would have if the Boston Strangler offered to straighten your tie.

      G

      Oct 23, 2013 at 8:49pm

      LMAO! "Learning session?" When the city is involved negative public input is dismissed as "NIMBYISM" and the big decisions, the controversial ones, are delayed until after the next election. The residents need to know that when it comes time to meet with developers the only word city officials use is "yes." Whatever means they can use to help their masters make a profit will be used with the knowledge that some of that profit will kick-back into party coffers.

      Collarbone O'Hare

      Oct 24, 2013 at 10:55am

      I'm certain the above-commentators are condo owners. People in towers against people in towers. Such hypocrites!!

      Nelson100

      Oct 24, 2013 at 4:35pm

      @Collarbone O'Hare

      You forgot to call somebody a NIMBY. It is important to stick to the script. Everyone who disagrees with Vision is a NIMBY [repeat] Everyone who ....

      Just a Voter

      Oct 25, 2013 at 9:14am

      It would have been appreciated if the the City had held these types of sessions earlier in the process as there is currently no opportunity to provide additional input to the plan. Residents have gone from seeing general ideas to 120 pages of zoning detail in one step with little rationale provided. "We heard that residents wanted to retain the character of the neighbourhood. So the plan includes densities of 8.75 on Lower Robson Street."

      westendguy

      Oct 26, 2013 at 10:11pm

      I appreciate all the consultations and really like the plan. I think the city's doing a great job.