Public Hearing – March 9th, 2023 That not a single person spoke in opposition to any item at Tuesday’s public hearing didn’t come as a surprise to me or Hannah, and we expect that trend to continue for at least part of this night. So far, there hasn’t been a bad thing said about either... Continue Reading →
February 16th, 2023 Public Hearing – Streamlined Rental Housing Policy Debuts To A Divided City
Public Hearing – February 16th, 2023 This public hearing brings uncharted territory for Hannah and I, as it will be the first time city council will hear streamlined rezoning applications under the Secured Rental Policy. These projects are similar to the Cambie Corridor’s pre-designed townhome forms, like Item #1, 691 West 28th Avenue. However, in... Continue Reading →
January 17th & 19th, 2023 Public Hearing – Forget The Kids! Won’t Somebody Please Think Of The Coyotes!?
Public Hearings – January 17th, 2023 & January 19th, 2023 After the dysfunction demonstrated at public hearings over the last four years, this week should come off as a nice palette cleanser. In fact it’s why Hannah and I felt comfortable combining Tuesday and Thursday night’s meetings into one summary, as it’s hard to imagine... Continue Reading →
Behind The Scenes Cutbacks Unlikely To Bring Relief To Fraserhood’s Middle Class Renters
3233-3245 Fraser Street - (Archived Link)Would you be angry with your partner to learn the real reason you were driving down Fraser Street was not to have dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, but rather to drop by the Polish Community Centre? I suppose your answer might depend on how much you like boxed coffee, or... Continue Reading →
July 12th, 2022 Public Hearing – Vancouver Neighbourhoods Stand To Gain Over A $100 Million From Loopsided Trades
Public Hearing – July 12th, 2022Update: July 14th, 2022 - Thanks to the reporting of Denise Ryan, we have learned the reason why Item#2 was justifiably removed from this agenda, and you can read about this building's complicated past here.As city council scrambles to find dates to hear the remaining public speakers on several controversial... Continue Reading →
July 7th, 2022 Public Hearing – A $26 Million Community Face-lift Helps Calm Vancouver’s Identity Crisis
Public Hearing – July 7th, 2022It’s not as bad as flushing a toilet on a live stream, however our city council must be embarrassed by how Tuesday’s meeting ended. Too many ignored the mayor’s warnings to stay at their computers, with their webcams on to maintain quorum, bringing the night to an immediate end before... Continue Reading →
Moderate Income Rental Homes Prove To Be A Bargain West Point Grey Cannot Resist
4545 West 10th AvenueTo say I was excited when I saw renowned journalist Frances Bula tweet out a notice about an in-person pre-application meeting in West Point Grey would be an understatement. I was worried this event could be a heated affair in light of the backlash to the Jericho Lands, which includes a GoFundMe... Continue Reading →
June 28th-30th & July 14th & 25th, 2022 Public Hearing – Kitsilano Groundhogs Force Supportive Social Homes To A New Low
Public Hearing – June 28th, 2022Update July 14th, 2022 : After spending 22 hours over four days, city council has approved Items 1 & 2, and has heard from 225 speakers on Item 3. This marathon will resume on July 25th, at 3pm, and with at least 60 speakers remaining (estimated at 7 hours), you... Continue Reading →
June 23rd, 2022 Public Hearing – Strathcona Residents Feel The Sting Of “Unjustified” Rental Housing
Public Hearing – June 23rd, 2022Time can be a funny thing, as these last two years have felt like an eternity, which in hindsight have also flown by. Supposedly as you get older this feeling only gets worse; since you’ve experienced more years, minutes, and hours can seem far quicker. Maybe that sense of time... Continue Reading →
June 21st, 2022 Public Hearing – Shadowy Figures Disappear After Taking An Axe To Vancouver’s Urban Forest
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 →