Our City- Diverse, Informed, Together
Public Hearing – June 15th, 2023 Whether you’re a morning person like Hannah, or a night owl like me, there’s never really a good time to sit down for a public hearing, especially when they often drag on late into the night. City council’s recent decision to move the start time for these meetings from... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
Public Hearing – December 7th, 2021While Hannah and I put our tree up this weekend, it’s too soon for this night’s items to go under the tree, as they first must be wrapped up by city council. Like good little children, they’ll start with their chores, in this case Item #1, which is essentially a... Continue Reading →
Public Hearing – November 16th 2021(Update – November 19th, 2021 – Despite relatively few speakers, city council only finished Items #1 & #2, meaning you still have time to comment on the rest, which will be heard on November 25th, 2021. While the last public hearing offered some unique stories, including one person’s recollection of... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
Ironworks (Formerly 1900 Pandora Street - DE419697)It is hard to believe nearly a year has passed since Darren and I were rushing down Powell Street, late for a tour of the Ironworks building. My recap of that experience has been similarly delayed, but the double-whammy of the pandemic, and my father-in-law’s passing, upended many of... Continue Reading →
315 - 319 East 2nd Avenue - DP-2020-00305 It’s never a good sign when city staff begin an Urban Design Panel meeting by stating this review wouldn’t normally be needed. The issue isn’t that this project is half an inch over the 100 foot height limit permitted by the False Creek Flats Plan, or its... Continue Reading →
1220 - 1298 East Hastings Street and 560 Raymur Avenue As the fate of these two applications are linked, like their open house, this Urban Design Panel review had an unusual format. It started out like normal, with a presentation from the applicant on the Hastings site, and then questions from the panel. Surprisingly, one person... Continue Reading →
City Duo 