Public Hearing – June 21st, 2022It’s somewhat fitting that the first item on this night’s agenda, a simple heritage designation, has been withdrawn, as this meeting is all about cutbacks, and lowered expectations. Certainly Hannah and I expected a far more robust response to the brick clad West End twin towers that comprise Items Two... Continue Reading →
May 17th & May 19th, 2022 Public Hearings – The West End’s Hidden Legacy Returns To A Greener Future
Public Hearings – May 17th, 2022, and May 19th, 2022 With over 50 people already registered to speak on the Broadway Plan, it would be easy to forget there are three public hearings scheduled this month. So to simplify things, Hannah and I have combined this week’s zoning bylaw reviews into this post, and we’ll... Continue Reading →
April 12th, 2022 Public Hearing – A Conscious Uncoupling Leads The Next Generation Of Moderate Income Rental Homes Back To Their East Van Origins
Public Hearing – April 12th, 2022With only ten public hearings scheduled before the civic election, Hannah and I expect this will likely be one of the last calm events this term. The pandemic certainly consumed much of our city council's ambitions, yet they still managed to spend plenty of time debating simple things like Item... Continue Reading →
March 3rd, 2022 Public Hearing – Hopes For A Balanced Parkside Community Rest On A Quiet Night
Public Hearing – March 3rd, 2022As the civic election nears, it seems city hall is going to be getting considerably busier, as the Broadway Plan, Jericho Lands, and Vancouver Plan’s fates all remain undecided. The April public hearings will likely drag on for multiple nights alone, as the proposal to provide 244 rental homes at... Continue Reading →
March 1st, 2022 Public Hearing – Vancouver Explores New Heights To Heal The Hole In Its Wooden Heart
Public Hearing – March 1st, 2022If you know the difference between a text amendment that fixes a simple error in a city bylaw vs one that allows for hundreds of rental homes, well then you’ll understand how important this night is. Conversely, if you’ve been doomscrolling the Russian invasion of Ukraine, like a normal person,... Continue Reading →
Second Place Champion Overcomes A Troubled Rental Family History
277-291 W 42nd AveAs city council grapples with whether to raise property taxes to fund a pandemic-hit budget, this rezoning application feels particularly senseless. After all, what public benefit is achieved by spending tax payer resources on such a lengthy in-depth examination when this project’s nearly identical sibling was approved only a few months ago... Continue Reading →
November 18th, 2021 Public Hearing – Ashley Marr Housing Co-op Shoots For A Cambie Corridor Hat-trick
Public Hearing – November 18th, 2021(Update – November 19th, 2021 – Despite relatively few speakers, city council only finished Items #1-3, meaning you still have time to comment on Item #4, which will be heard on November 25th, 2021.)Like recent Canuck’s games, it would be tempting to ignore this public hearing. After all, Item #1... Continue Reading →
October 14th, 2021 Public Hearing – Shaughnessy Rental Housing Undergoes A Careful Resurrection
Public Hearing – October 14th, 2021When Hannah and I first moved to Vancouver we didn’t plan to stay long, as the “big city” felt overwhelming, and the transformation the Olympics triggered sure didn’t help. Admittedly, we laugh about that sometimes, as while there’s nothing wrong with a suburban life, we’ve grown to love the flexibility... Continue Reading →
Forgotten Details Threaten To Turn Vancouver’s Parkside Daydream Into A Contested Battleground
650 W 41st Ave (DP-2021-00512) - Development Application 6 -The Commons, Upper Green, & Building 12 I'm a fairly rational person, yet I literally shivered when Hannah asked what would happen if, after eight reviews, the Urban Design Panel decided to reject the most recent phase of the Oakridge Centre. Sure enough, a few days... Continue Reading →
October 5th, 2021 Public Hearing – No Boos Expected For Vancouver’s Town Centre Rental Homes
Public Hearing – October 5th, 2021As comedy can help keep powerful institutions humble, I’ve joked that perhaps Vancouver’s new Auditor General should examine if public hearings are held primarily for the taxpayer funded catering. Hannah often notes even bad humour occasionally reflects some truth, and Item #1 demonstrates how enacting wider changes can be more... Continue Reading →