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 →
A Final Battle – Vancouver Families Face Exile As Shaughnessy Fights To Preserve Community Values
4750 Granville Street and 1494 West 32nd Avenue Perhaps Darren and I would have skipped this open house if we knew it would be the last time we would be able to drop by the VanDusen Botanical Garden before it was closed due to physical distancing measures. After all, I would rather remember our visit... Continue Reading →
Urban Design Panel Decision Paves Way For City Council To Reconsider Neighbourhood Prohibition Of Rental Housing
4750 Granville Street and 1494 West 32nd Avenue It's not often that a project goes to the Urban Design Panel before it's presented to the public at an open house. Then again, rental homes are rarely proposed in Shaughnessy, and this one might be the last for many years to come as the upcoming city-wide... Continue Reading →
Neighbours Fear New Rental Homes Will Bring Big Trouble To Little Shaughnessy
4750 Granville Street and 1494 West 32nd Avenue A lot can change in a year, and there have been plenty here since Darren and I attended this proposal's first open house 10 months ago. After that, a new developer not only purchased this site, but the property next door too. That may seem like an odd move... Continue Reading →
Double Or Nothing – Shaughnessy Rental Homes Struggle Forward Despite Facing Long Odds
4750 Granville Street and 1494 West 32nd Avenue Following city council's recent rejection of 21 rental homes in Shaughnessy, neither Hannah nor I thought we would see any changes here for a long time. After all, the majority indicated they were only paying lip service to the idea of allowing new rental housing in one... Continue Reading →
June 11th, 2019 Public Hearing – Local Business Owner Fights for East Van Renters as City Council Prepares to Reject 21 Rental Homes in Shaughnessy
June 11th, 2019 Public Hearing Last month, Hannah and I predicted this public hearing was going to be a rough one, and unfortunately it seems like we were right. While the elimination of over over 2,000 sq.m (20,000 sq.ft) of retail and living space has blunted opposition to the rental homes in Hastings Sunrise. Then... Continue Reading →
Fears of Affordable Rental Homes Prevail at Shaughnessy Open House
4750 Granville Street Given how many urban events we attend, one might assume that Darren and I would have made attending an event to discuss whether 32 rental homes were appropriate for Shaughnessy our highest priority. Ultimately that would be wrong, as we may care deeply about our city, but we do have other obligations... Continue Reading →
A Monday Night Miracle – Will Shaughnessy Open its Doors to 32 Rental Homes?
4750 Granville Street Even when it was first built in 1951, it's unlikely that the average Vancouverite would have been able to afford this home in Shaughnessy. Certainly it wasn't obtainable for the average soldier returning from Korea, or the World War 2 veteran now starting a family. However, it was something they could dream... Continue Reading →
Opposition to Rental Homes Near Hospice Masks Concerns About Lower Property Values
This wasn't an easy post to write, as several years ago my mother passed away from colorectal cancer that was only diagnosed after it had spread throughout her body. My parents decided they didn't want her medicated and dying alone, so they brought her home and I watched her wither away, suffering and slowly losing not only her... Continue Reading →
It ‘Connaught’ Be- Rental Homes Proposed for Second Shaughnessy
4575 Granville St - Open HouseAfter walking through what felt like a scene from a horror movie, the near deserted fog-filled streets of 1st Shaugnessy for about hour, I went down to the open house. I will admit, I was surprised that over the course of the time I spent there, about a half dozen... Continue Reading →