Ecodensity
Dear friends and supporters,
We are beginning to enter election silly season but the work at City Hall continues apace.
Ecodensity
A year of listening for initial ideas, a first and second draft, 54 community meetings for feedback, and 150 speakers at council, I am confident that the document which is coming back to us as a third draft on will be a strong vision for growth in Vancouver. It will be on the website (Vancouver.ca/ecodensity) on 13th May, for debate on 10 June. EcoDensity is being discussed by planners around the continent and Vancouver continues to lead in planning issues.
Some of the recommendations will likely be:
Immediate actions:
- Leeds standards for all larger rezonings.
- Green standards for larger developments
Actions for further consultation and development:
- lane oriented housing
- policy to allow consideration of housing types from Community Visions (further places for townhouses, fee simple row houses, for example)
- consideration of midsize (6-8 stories) buildings in some locations.
The purpose remains the same: to reduce our ecological footprint and to remain economically strong. To maintain affordability we need to accommodate growth, and doing that growth right is the goal of EcoDensity.
Burrard Bridge
I'm
very interested in your opinions on this. As you have likely heard, the
cost of the current sidewalk widening proposal has come back at a
whopping $63m (2010 dollars). Our overall capital budget for 2009 -
2011 will be about $486m. Staff are developing their recommendations
for priorities - which will include such projects as new police
building, dog shelter, waterworks, sewers, roads, parks, recreation,
sport and cultural facilities, and community centres. Should the
Burrard Bridge be in or out?
The choices are:
- complete this project at $63m.
- close 2 lanes to cars (slow down transit, back vehicles up into Kits and downtown) at a somewhat lesser amount.
- do
nothing and see if the answer is clearer in 3 years time (railings are
in poor condition, sidewalk is narrow for bikes and pedestrians)
Whitecaps Stadium
The stadium is back in the news. The negotiation between the parties continues - and we as a city continue to wish for a good result. The proposed venue will be one of the most spectacular in North America and can serve a variety of sport and cultural purposes. We can let federal and provincial politicians know our interest, but the Port is an independent authority and the Whitecaps are a business - they are in the room, not us, and we have to wish them the best.
Wishing you all the best this beautiful beginning of May.
Suzanne Anton
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