The proposed redevelopment of 1401 Comox Street goes to public hearing on Monday, June 11.
City staff is recommending approval (with a few minor modifications) of the proposal to rezone the former site of St. John’s United Church to allow for the construction of a 22-storey market rental building.
Details can be found on the City website at http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20120611/phea20120611ag.htm.
Dates of 3 Open Houses:
Tuesday, June 5th, Woodwards Atrium, 4pm-7pm, 111 West Hasings
Thursday, June 7th, Creekside CC, 3:30-6:30pm, 1 Athlete’s Way
Saturday, June 9th,Central Library Promenade, 10am-2pm, 350 Georgia St.
One of the more exciting moves that this Council has been working on is the discussion and planning on the removal of the viaducts. Imagine the possible uses for the land under the bridges, from more park space to whole new opportunity to develop a model of an affordable community. The city is hosting open houses for the project and this would be an opportunity for resident put their ides forward and what should be done with land.
Here a link to CoV page about the project with a very cool slide presentation about it:Viaducts
The project is describe in the following manner on the city’s website:
In July 2011, Vancouver City Council directed staff to undertake work on an Eastern Core Strategy. The purpose of the study was to explore reconfiguration options for the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts, within the context of a “big picture” land-use and transportation examination of the broader area. Based on input gathered from initial stakeholder consultation and an open ideas competition, a new concept for the area has been developed. The public is invited to view this new concept for the viaducts and provide their feedback at upcoming open houses. Staff will be reporting to Council prior to the summer break (July 2012).
MLA for Vancouver-West End,Spencer Chandra Herbert is hosting a renters forum this Thursday, June 7th, 6pm at Central Presbyterian Church at 1155 Thurlow Street.
Want to know more about your rights and responsibilities as a renter?
MR. Herbert will be joined by Tenants Resource Advisory Centre (TRAC) and local community members affected by evictions and other tenancy issues.
They will be addressing:
• What to do when first signing a lease and moving in
• How to make repair requests or submit complaints
• How to mediate with your landlord and solve problems together
• How to prepare for dispute resolution or challenge evictions
• Getting your damage deposit back at the end of your lease
• Organizing with your fellow tenants
• How to make larger changes to rebalance the Tenancy Act
• And a whole lot more!
This workshop will be a great chance to get your questions answered and learn more about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Participants will also receive great renters’ resources to take with you!
The workshop takes place at Central Presbyterian Church at 1155 Thurlow Street on Thursday June 7th from 6PM-8PM and is FREE, but registration is required.
Please call 604-660-7307 or email s.chandraherbert.mla@leg.b c.ca to register and for more information.
The City of Vancouver is in the process of conducting three new community plans in Grandview Woodlands, Marpole and the West End as well as a Community Planning Table meeting in the Downtown Eastside. While these planning processes are underway, fundamental questions need to be asked about this planning process. What are are the outcomes of this process and what do we collectively hope to achieve through them? While some residents are engaged in the process to protect the status quo and to say “no” to change, other residents know that the world is changing and every neighbourhood needs to respond to the critical issues of our time through creating more housing affordability, adapting to climate change and responding demographic challenges. Continue reading Justice not just democracy: are residents’ self interest a barrier to the critical needs of our time? →
Demo at 138 Hasting, Dec. 1, 2011
Vancouver needs a form of development that is appropriate for the communities where the projects are being built. I have previously written about the idea of inclusionary zoning and bench marking a certain amount of units to the median income of a community as a method of ensuring that there is a tangible and real benefit to a community from the addition of more density in rezoning applications Read Story Here. But in the case where a proposed development project is not a rezoning the city’s tools for evaluating the merits of a project are limited. Continue reading Tools for a just city →
more photos
Today the Vancouver Renters’ Union held a rally in support and to bring attention to evictions occurring at 1850 Adanac Street to tenants of the building. MLA for Vancouver Hastings was attendance as well as city councilor Adrian Carr.
In a media release Vancouver Renters’ Union stated that the purpose of the rally was to, “protest illegal and hazardous renovictions by landlord Ashurwin Holdings, Lorenzo Aquiline CEO.” Continue reading Landlord tries to evict tenants without having necessary permits →
On Tuesday, May 22 at 10 am the Vancouver Renter’s Union is organizing a rally to support tenants at 1850 Adanac Street who are being evicted. Activists are alleging that the tenants are being “renovicted”, a tactic that landlords use claiming the need to evict tenants in order to do major repairs to the rental unit, but in reality they are only planning minor cosmetic repairs. When the cosmetic repairs to the units are completed then they are placed back on the market at a higher monthly rent. This is also a tactic to increase rent in a unit that is rented by long-term renter given that the allowable rental increase is regulated. Continue reading Is there a epidemic of renoviction occurring in Vancouver ? →
This is like a little visual poem. The materials speak for what they are: : a brunt piece of wood, old chunk of painted wood, a machined stock of lumber, some old rusty cut nails, a dangle of rusty wire and a marble. The materials have associations and memories in combination with each other and in isolation.
I just love how burnt wood looks with moss. Beyond the visual effect of how the dark black of charcoal wood looks against the green of moss, on another level the combination of colours and materials speaks to a process of renewal from catastrophe. Part of the natural process of the forest is for it to periodically burn. This burning creates new growth as new nutrients go back into the forest soil.
I am constantly trying to emulate or capture the richness of the forests that thrives in and around Vancouver.
I grew up back east in Hamilton Ontario. Hamilton is generally regarded as an industrial wasteland largely because most folks view the city from the Skyway bridge on the drive from Toronto to the United States, which has a pretty horrific view of Hamilton Bay and the two steel plants belching pollution into the air and water. Currently, Hamilton is more part of the rust belt of the declining Southern Ontario industrial machine. But some areas of Hamilton are very lush with the city surrounded by the Niagara escarpment. I grew up on the West Side of Hamilton, which had a number of opportunities for accessing nature. I am often struck how relative to BC’s Coastal forest how the forest of Ontario seems so stunted in scale.
Since moving to the West Coast in the mid 90s I have been constantly wowed by how big the trees are here and how wet and green the forest is. I love the look of green moss against the brown of the tree trucks. I spent numerous hours in Stanley Park taking pictures of this rich and fertile habitat. I am fascinated by the look and the idea of how a tree can fall over and in time it is transformed in the forest. Even in sometimes unrelenting winter rain, Stanley Park is just so green and this sight is makes the rain a bit more bearable at times.
A group of West End renters are interested in building a web site and undertaking related activities to provide information to BC renters is calling out for your help.
In order to make sure the site meets a wide range of needs, they need input from apartment renters in Vancouver. The group is holding a series of focus groups to present the ideas and get feedback on the proposed web site, its content and other potential services and activities.
Would you be interested in participating in one of these focus groups?
CONTACT: bcrentersgroup@gmail.com
West End Community Storytelling Event
Thursday at the “There’s no Place like Home” West End storytelling night.
Doors open at 6 pm, Denman Cinema, 1779 Comox st.
Here’s the storyteller line-up.
The evening will begin with a welcome by Elder Audrey Rivers of the Squamish Nation.
Hosted by the hilarious Morgan Brayton, with entertainment by Drag Divas Regent Empress CoCo and Miss Mandy Kamp. Experience your community through the eyes of your neighbours:
Long-time community volunteer Gail Brown
Artist and activist Tiko Kerr
Gordon Neighbourhood House Group Storytellers Dennis Wilkinson, Barbara Shaw, Irene Santos and Sandra Goodridge
MLA Spencer Herbert
Writer, grandmother, and avid walker, Melanie Ray
Graphic designer and long-time resident, Chloe Perron
Let’s make sure we fill the house! Please pass this invitation on to your neighbours and friends.
See you on Thursday!
West End Planning Team
