688 Cambie St (DP-2021-00171) - (Vancouver Art Gallery)Even reaching this Urban Design Panel review could be seen as a win for the plans to build a new Vancouver Art Gallery, as it’s been six years since its pre-application open house. That doesn’t account for the time spent searching through 12 locations before this site was... 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 14th,19th, & 21st 2022 Public Hearing – Will City Council Vote To Derail Broadway Subway Station?
Public Hearing – April 14th, 2022 (Edited: April 19th, 2022 - As councilors Fry, Swanson, Hardwick and Kirby-Yung refused to hear any more speakers, this meeting will resume once again on April 21th, 2022 with Speaker 62 of 73 on Item #4. As such, it is still possible to speak or comment on 1477 W... Continue Reading →
Urban Design Panel Support Raises Broadway’s South Granville SkyTrain Station Up To Purr-fection
1477 W BroadwayFrom the moment its development plans were found in a dumpster, the future South Granville SkyTrain station has polarized opinions. In fact, Councillors Bligh, Hardwick and Kirby-Yung, even voted against (pg 8) the Issues Report that let the average person speak their mind on this mix of market and moderate income rental homes,... 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 →
The Jericho Lands Soar Forward On The Wings Of A Magical Urban Design Panel Experience
Jericho Lands Planning ProgramAt ninety acres, it’s unlikely the Urban Design Panel will ever again get to examine something as large as this former military base, now dubbed the Jericho Lands. These volunteers were clearly excited by this process, a sentiment I didn’t share it as I’ve sat through enough of these meetings to know... Continue Reading →
Refined Humility Guides The New St. Paul’s Hospital To Urban Design Panel Support
1002 Station St – New St. Paul’s Hospital (DP-2021-00085) Phase 1A – Revised Concept Apparently I’m not the only person tired of seeing the Urban Design Panel examine the new St. Paul’s Hospital, as city staff started this event by expressing hope it would go faster than the last review. That meeting concluded with a request... Continue Reading →
Once Again, Vancouver’s UDP Is Calling For Your Non-Support Of The New St Paul’s Hospital
1002 Station St - New St. Paul's Hospital (DP-2021-00085) Phase 1A - Part Two Design Rational & Building ConceptI’m lucky to have a spouse who shares my passion for following our city’s evolution, and endless meetings like this one. Now on its fourth review, The Urban Design Panel spent over four hours examining the new... Continue Reading →
St. Paul’s Hospital Turns The Other Cheek As Vancouver’s UDP Hopes 12 Floor Cutback Will Promote Patient Recovery
1002 Station St - New St. Paul's Hospital (DP-2021-00085) - Campus Public Realm WorkshopIt would be wrong to assume that in the middle of a pandemic, the Urban Design Panel would spend two hours reviewing city council approved plans to build a new hospital in Vancouver. In reality, this meeting dragged on for over four... Continue Reading →
Strike Three! Urban Design Panel Throws The Book At Latest Version Of SkyTrain Focused Housing
5163-5187 Joyce StIt’s ironic that buildings around the Joyce-Collingwood SkyTrain station are prohibited by the similarly named area plan from exceeding the Telus Boot’s height, as four high-rises are now planned there. While Burnaby debates which structure will become the region’s tallest, on this side of Boundary Road, opponents decry this development as the new... Continue Reading →