Two of our principal goals are to spread information about the events and problems of interest to those living in and near Arbutus Ridge and to gather opinions and suggestions about those problems from this same constituency. We do this through our newsletter, our website, our facebook page and direct email to our email list. The newsletter also goes in hardcopy to the wider neighbourhood but the emails only to members. For this reason as well as in order to support our efforts on your behalf, please consider becoming a member of ARCA. This can be done by using the membership link www.arbutusridgecommunity.org/membership or by sending a cheque for $10 for an individual or $20 for a family to ARCA c/o Jim McCardle, Treasurer, 4350 Arbutus Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 4A2.However, even if you don’t join, we will add you to our email list if you send your email address to [email protected].
Changes to 41st Avenue. (Some material is from the Daily Hive)
There will be major changes to the existing bus routes that serve the corridor as part of the public transit authority’s strategy of optimizing services and reallocating resources towards the creation of the high-capacity B-Line. The existing No. 43 express route from UBC to Joyce-Collingwood will be cancelled, as the B-Line replicates that route with improvements. TransLink is also proposing to short-turn the existing, highly-used No. 41 at the Dunbar Loop instead of running it all the way to UBC. The frequency for this local route will decrease to every 15 minutes during the day and 30 minutes during late-night. As well, modest changes are planned for the No. 49, which could be rerouted through UBC Wesbrook Village to retain transit service in the area after the No. 41 is short turned. It would run later to midnight on weekdays to match the current No. 41 schedule.
The most significant proposed change is the removal of the light-controlled intersection and crosswalk at West 41st Avenue and East Boulevard. Vehicles travelling westbound on West 41st Avenue will only be able to make a right turn into this new one-way portion of East Boulevard. Traffic northbound on East Boulevard will have to turn either East or West on 41st, no crossing 41st.The crosswalk at West 41st Avenue and East Boulevard between MacDonalds and xx coffee shop will moved westward to provide a crossing of 41stin the centre of the Arbutus Greenway. A new left-turn lane will also be created on West 41st Avenue for eastbound traffic turning into the West Boulevard northbound direction. The crossing between the Bank of Montreal and Sleep Country will remain. Some parking spaces on 41stwill be los
Proposed changes to West 41st Avenue in the area of West Boulevard in Kerrisdale.
2133 Nanton Avenue DP-2018-00896
Proposal: To develop the site with two mixed-use buildings (Blocks C and D), as part of the Arbutus Centre redevelopment, subject to Council approval of the Form of Development and enactment of the amended CD-1 (642) By-law. Block C is an 8-storey mixed-use building comprised of 39 dwelling units, retail, and social amenity facility. Block D is a 12-storey mixed-use building comprised of 200 dwelling units and restaurant. Both buildings will be situated over three levels of underground parking having vehicular access from Yew Street.
The problem for the neighborhood is the size. Originally, after consultation with the neighborhood and hearings, there were six stories and eight stories agreed to at the hearings, They are now again asking for a large increase.
Basically, at the March 4 hearing.Larco was denied most of what they wanted.
The proposal was unanimously approved but that was with the new city recommendations which did not allow further massing to Block D and a reduction in the Senior’s Centre floor area, among other items. Unfortunately the whole massing of Block D which blocked the mountain and ocean view was approved at the former DPB meeting in Oct.
One of our board members has written a letter which was sent to the Development Permit Board in advance of the March 4 hearing on the Arbutus Centre development. It aptly expresses the appropriate position to take concerning the recent attitude toward community consultation. This is the major portion of the letter.
In our view, the application by LARCO should be rejected. In our view, the application is procedurally unfair, is of questionable legality and makes a mockery of the process of community consultation.
The original application was passed by City Council in 2011. Construction started in 2017. Yet if the new application is to be believed, the process was conditional and therefore it is entirely appropriate, if the applicant is to be believed, to amend the CD-1 by-law without a new public hearing in front of elected representatives. We disagree.
In our view, it is not open to staff and an appointed board to decide that a previous permit was conditional and the changes not material. In our view, the changes sought are material changes. Further in our view, it is only open to a duly elected council to reverse a previous council decision. It cannot, in our view, be delegated to staff.
We accept that housing and development policies have changed since 2011. We do not accept that hindsight analysis of a previous Council decision is sufficient grounds to amend a decision without a full hearing in front of Council.
We note, with some regret, that the convoluted process of development at Arbutus Centre, makes a mockery of the process of community consultation. No one understood, if staff are to be believed, that the CD-1 zoning passed by Council in 2011 was “conditional”. The community feels frustrated by the deceptive consultation process from 2007 onwards.
We urge the Board reject the submission.
Advisory committees
The Nomination Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities has recommended the Establishment of Council Advisory Bodies. There would be fifteen committees consisting of both Type A and Type B advisory bodies,
The Type A advisory bodies are:
1.Transportation Advisory Committee
2. Arts and Culture Advisory Committee
3. Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee
4. Civic Asset Naming Committee
5. Racial Equity Advisory Committee
6. Vancouver Food Policy Council
7. LGBTQ2 + Advisory Committee
8. Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee
9. Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
10. Seniors’ Advisory Committee
11. Urban Indigenous Peoples’ Advisory Committee
12. Women’s Advisory Committee
Type B advisory bodies are:
13. Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee
14. First Shaughnessy Advisory Design Panel
15. Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee
Type A advisory bodies are defined as those which are advisory to Council, and Type B advisory bodies are defined as those which are advisory to staff. Members of type A bodies will be largely from the public selected from applications with fairly general qualifications. Members of type B bodes will be chosen largely from applicants proposed by specific interest groups. Specific details can be found using the link https://council.vancouver.ca/20190227/pspc20190227ag.htmand opening the staff report under item 3.
I have served on such a city committee and found it a very interesting experience. There will be a request for applications and we will try to publicize it. Seriously consider applying when the time comes.
