ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: November 15, 1999

Author/Local: J. Griffin/7928

RTS No. 1133

CC File No. 5804-5

Council: November 30, 1999

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT: Local Improvements by Initiative - February 15, 2000

First and Second Step Report

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT the projects listed in Appendix I be advanced as Local Improvements on the Initiative and brought before a Court of Revision on February 15, 2000

B. THAT the reports of the City Engineer and Director of Finance be adopted together with details of the Second Step Report as summarized in Appendix II, and Council declare it is desirable that the projects set out in Appendix I of this report be undertaken and deems that each will specially benefit the real property abutting it. (Requires two-thirds approval of those present).

C. THAT sidewalk projects Numbered 23-34 inclusive, as described in Appendix I, be designated as "pedestrian collector routes" so that the abutting residential property owners' rates are reduced by the required 25%.

D. THAT the City-owned parcels on the list attached to the Detailed Second Step Report be declared "assessable for the local improvements projects".

E. THAT the Powell Street Tree Lighting Special Project be advanced as a local improvement initiative to a Court of Revision on February 15, 2000.

F. THAT Council instruct the Director of Legal Services to prepare the necessary By-laws for the above Special Project.

COUNCIL POLICY

Policies governing the Local Improvement process are set out in the Vancouver Charter and Local Improvements Procedure by-law.

PURPOSE

A Court of Revision is scheduled for February 15, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. to review a number of petition and initiative projects. The report for petition projects will be advanced to Council separately at a later date to allow as much time as possible for residents to circulate their petitions. The purpose of this report is to begin the formal Local Improvement process by advancing the initiative projects to the Court of Revision and reporting on the financial arrangements for the projects. Approval of this report does not commit Council to undertake the projects.

First Step

As required by the Local Improvement Procedure By-law, projects for the following categories and detailed on the attached schedule (Appendix I), are advanced to Council by Initiative for review at a Court of Revision, which will be held at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 15, 2000.

Court #593

I. Pavement and Curbs, Higher Zoned
II. Pavement and Curbs, Local Residential
III. Lane Pavement, Higher Zoned
IV. Lane Pavement, Local Residential
V. Speed Humps
VI. Pedestrian Collector Sidewalks
VII. Sidewalk Reconstruction

Court #595

I. Decorative Street Tree Lighting

Drainage Prior to Paving

In addition to construction of the initiative paving projects, advanced drainage work involving installation of catch basins and storm drains must first be carried out. Based on past experience, the estimated cost of this work is in the order of $35,000.

This drainage work is not necessarily related to the street and lane construction. However, it should be done now in order not to delay the construction and so that the newly paved streets and lanes will not have to be dug up to accommodate the drainage works in the future.

The work involves installation of permanent facilities to replace temporary drains and should be done whether or not the paving proceeds.

The location and individual costs of this work will be reported in a subsequent General Manager of Engineering Services Authorization.

POWELL STREET TREE LIGHTING SPECIAL PROJECT

1. Powell Street North Side from Carrall Street to Columbia Street and on the South Side from 57.83 feet east of Carrall Street to Columbia Street.

A petition has been circulated on this block for pedestrian and high level lighting upgrades. The petitioner representing property owners has advised us that property owners are also asking for the addition of tree lighting as part of the project. Because this improvement was not included in the original petition, this must be advanced as a second project. Rather than require the petitioner to circulate another petition for this project, it is proposed that this project be advanced on the initiative and that it be made subject to approval of the petition project by Council. Ongoing energy and maintenance costs associated with the tree lighting would be recovered from property owners through future maintenance local improvement charges.

Capital Funds

Funds for the City's share of the projects are available from existing Engineering Department Basic Capital Accounts or are subject to approval of the 2000 Streets Basic Capital Budget.

Second Step

The Director of Finance reports as follows:

In accordance with the Local Improvements Procedure By-law, I am submitting the attached City Engineer's report. The estimated cost of these projects is $1,959,782. The property owners’ share of the projects is $848,798. The City’s share is $1,110,984. I have to report that the necessary financial arrangements can be made to carry out this work subject to approval of the 2000 Streets Basic Capital Budget.

Appendix I

COURT OF REVISION - FEBUARY 15, 2000

INITIATIVE PROJECTS - SCHEDULE #593

I. PAVEMENT & CURBS - HIGHER ZONED

The following higher-zoned streets being initiated have strip pavements and are all in poor condition. Higher-zoned streets that are in poor condition are often difficult to improve by the petition process due to the large number of absentee land owners on the block. These streets therefore deteriorate, causing numerous resident complaints and maintenance concerns. The initiative process is an effective way of improving these situations.

1. Graveley Street - Cotton Drive to Commercial Drive
2. 3rd Avenue - Woodland Drive to Commercial Drive

II. PAVEMENT & CURBS - LOCAL RESIDENTIAL

The following four residentially zoned flankage streets are being initiated because of the poor condition of the existing strip pavement. Generally, flankage streets are difficult to improve because of the small number of owners involved which makes it difficult for a petitioner to acquire a majority. However, in this case the adjacent owners have been balloted and a majority supports the proposed improvement.

3. Argyle Street - 33rd Avenue to 34th Avenue
4. Argyle Street - 34th Avenue to 35th Avenue
5. Argyle Street - 35th Avenue to 36th Avenue
6. Camosun Street - L/N 27th Avenue to 29th Avenue

The following two projects are being initiated because of the poor condition of the existing
strip pavement.

8. Vanness Avenue - Nanaimo Street to Gladstone Street
9. 38th Avenue - Oak Street to Willow Street
III. LANE PAVEMENT, HIGHER ZONED

Higher-Zoned lane paving addresses Council's stated priority on infrastructure renewal. These lanes tend not to be improved by petition because of absentee ownership, yet they carry much more traffic than residential lanes, and the lane surface deteriorate as a result. This causes high maintenance cost and a significant number of complaints from commercial and/or apartment tenants.

10. L/W Cambie Street - 7th Avenue to L/S of 7th Avenue
11. L/E Laburnum Street - Creelman Avenue to Cornwall Avenue
12. L/S 1st Avenue - L/E Clark Drive to McLean Drive and L/E Clark Drive from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue
13. L/S 3rd Avenue - Larch Street to Balsam Street
14. L/S 7th Avenue - McLean Drive to Woodland Drive
15. L/S 8th Avenue - Stephens Street to Trafalgar Street
16. L/S 64th Avenue - Inverness Street Eastward to 22.5 ft. East of WPL of Lot E

IV. LANE PAVEMENT, LOCAL RESIDENTIAL

The following residential lane is being initiated to assist the petitioner who found it difficult to circulate a petition because of absentee ownership.

17. L/S 6th Avenue - MacDonald Street to L/W of MacDonald Street and the L/W MacDonald Street from L/S 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue

V. SPEED HUMPS

The following speed hump projects are being initiated as a result of complaints about safety due to speeding vehicles using the lanes as an alternate route in order to avoid signalized intersections or as a short cut to their destinations. Circulating a petition would be difficult because of the number of owners involved of which some are absentee owners.

18. L/W Knight Street - 47th Avenue to L/N 49th Avenue
19. L/S Nelson Street - Chilco Street to Gilford Street
20. L/N Pacific Street - Thurlow Street to Burrard Street
21. L/E Ross Street - 35th Avenue to 37th Avenue
22. L/S 10th Avenue - Commercial Drive to Victoria Drive
VI. PEDESTRIAN COLLECTOR SIDEWALKS

On February 9, 1982, Council reaffirmed its policy objectives of providing sidewalks:
- on both sides of arterial streets;
- on both sides (as needed) of pedestrian collector routes;
- on both sides of higher-zoned streets; and
- on local residential streets, where property owners petitioned for them.

The construction of new pedestrian collector sidewalks responds to Council's top two priorities for transportation improvements; pedestrians and transit. Of the 12 new sidewalk projects initiated, 6 projects are along Greenway routes.

23. N/S Alberni Street - Broughton Street to Nicola Street

Infill

24. E/S Brunswick Street - 2nd Avenue to L/S 2nd Avenue

Infill

25. W/S Clark Drive - Kingsway to L/N Kingsway

Infill, access to bus route on Kingsway

26. W/S Kerr Street - 45th Avenue to Rupert Street

Access to Ridgeway Greenway on 45th Ave., access to Rupert Park & Killarney High School

27. W/S Nanaimo Street - 35th Avenue to 37th Avenue

On Ridgeway Greenway

28. W/S Nanaimo Street - 37th Avenue to 38th Avenue

On Ridgeway Greenway

29. W/S Nanaimo Street - 38th Avenue to 39th Avenue

On Ridgeway Greenway

30. E/S Pine Street - 15th Avenue to 16th Avenue

Infill, adjacent to adjacent to Granville Park

31. W/S Raymur Avenue - Union Street to Venables Street

Infill

32. E/S Wales Street - 43rd Avenue to 45th Avenue

Access to Ridgeway Greenway

33. W/S Wales Street - Waverley Avenue to 45th Avenue

Access to Ridgeway Greenway

34. N/S 45th Avenue - St. Catherines Street to Ross Street

Infill, access and adjacent to South Memorial Park

VII. SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION

The Sidewalk Reconstruction Program is directed toward poor condition sidewalks in commercial areas which involve high pedestrian usage and are on transit routes. In this report there are 2 projects recommended for initiative. Sidewalks rating reconstruction are often badly cracked and sloped and may be patched in many places by asphalt fillets. In spite of inspection and regular maintenance by City staff, sidewalks in this condition are more prone to trips, water ponding and liability concerns for the City. Sidewalks in poor condition also provide obstacles for the disabled and seniors.

These sidewalk reconstruction projects are shared 50/50 with the abutting commercial owners, and the program has been very well received since it began about 13 years ago.

35. Dunsmuir Street - N/S - Seymour Street to L/E of Seymour Street
36. Graveley Street - N/S - Cotton Drive to the L/W of Commercial Drive

POWELL STREET TREE LIGHTING SPECIAL PROJECT

1. Powell Street North Side from Carrall Street to Columbia Street and on the South Side from 57.83 feet east of Carrall Street to Columbia Street.

APPENDIX II

CITY OF VANCOUVER - LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS DETAILED SECOND STEP REPORT
Summary of Estimated Costs and Certificates to the Attached Local Improvement Estimates
Advanced on the Initiative Principle for a Court of Revision February 15, 2000

Court #593

CATEGORY	ITEM NUMBER	TYPE OF PROJECT	P.O. SHARE	CITY'S SHARE	TOTAL COST	EXISTING FUNDS	SUBJECT TO APPROVAL OF THE 2000 CAPITAL BUDGET
I	1,2	Pavement & Curbs, Higher Zoned	$ 281,211	$ 158,010	$ 439,221	$158,010 30000327
II	3-6,8,9	Pavement & Curbs, Local Residential	$ 211,046	$ 686,151	$ 897,197		$686,151
III	10-16	Lane Pavement, Higher Zoned	$ 226,253	$ 80,175	$ 306,428		$ 80,175
IV	17	Lane Pavement, Local Residential	$ 17,295	$ 26,470	$ 43,765	$ 26,470 30000331
V	21,23	Speed Humps	$ 15,912	0	$ 15,912
VI	23-34	Pedestrian Collector Sidewalks	$ 75,432	$ 127,410	$ 202,842		$127,410
VII	35-36	Sidewalk Reconstruction	$ 7,999	$ 32,768	$ 40,767	$ 32,768 30000128
		TOTAL	$ 835,148	$ 1,110,984	$ 1,946,132	$217,248	$893,736
Court#595
I	1	Powell Street Tree Lighting	$ 13,650	0	$ 13,650
		TOTAL	$ 13,650	0	$ 13,650

The estimated costs provide for necessary incidental work. The cost of the property owner’s share of the above noted projects, and interest, is repayable over 15 years.

Certified correct as to measurements.

_____________________________ ___________________________ _________________________
Collector of Taxes Director of Finance City Engineer

Certified adopted by the City Council on ___________________________ ___________________________ City Clerk

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver