Our City- Diverse, Informed, Together
4545 West 10th Avenue - Second Enquiry (Archived Link)One does not have to be an expert at ranking well… pretty much everything, to know that out of all our city’s retail nodes, the West Point Grey Village is suffering the worst. As a UBC alumni myself, I watched that decline everyday for years as store... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Public Hearing – May, 24th, 2022 With over 130 speakers left to hear from on the Broadway Plan this week, I assume city council are grateful to whoever scheduled the Heather Lands as the lone item for this public hearing. With an election in the fall, they had to be seen as doing something, and... Continue Reading →
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 →
2538 Birch St (DP-2021-00628)Given the tone of this Urban Design Panel meeting, you would never know that this proposal under the Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program had once gone through a passionate public hearing. With hundreds of letters, both in support and opposition, the decision came down to a single vote on city council,... Continue Reading →
2406-2484 Renfrew StThe Urban Design Panel is known for striking fear into the hearts of even the most confident applicant teams, yet this was the first time in a long while I’ve felt anxious about attending a meeting. I would like to think that’s understandable, as this was the first in-person event since March 4,... 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 →
2406-2484 Renfrew StPerhaps it’s fitting this proposal is located almost adjacent to the first two buildings approved under the Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Policy, as it's likely this program's dying gasp. At least that’s how some on city council (4:35-4:45) have described the effect of their colleague’s decision to ignore their staff’s advice to... Continue Reading →
City Duo 