POLICY REPORT
URBAN STRUCTURE

Date: February 5, 2001
Author/Local: A. McAfee/7451

RTS No. 00115

CC File No. 8026

Council: February 20, 2001

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of City Plans in consultation with the General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT:	Update on Electoral Area "A" Initiatives

RECOMMENDATIONS

A. THAT Council receive this INFORMATION report about the conclusion of the recent Electoral Area `A' Governance study and the adoption of the UBC Strategic Transportation Plan and the UBC Comprehensive Community Plan.

B. THAT Council advise the Minister of Municipal Affairs, GVRD, and UBC that the City's "Principles for Amalgamation", adopted by Council on September 21, 1999, remains as the City's proposal for any future discussions of amalgamation.

C. THAT Council continue to address any issues of mutual interest between the City of Vancouver and UBC through participation on the GVRD/UBC Joint Committee and bring broader issues to the attention of the GVRD Electoral Areas Committee.

CONSIDERATION

D. THAT Council invite UBC to work with the City to establish a Memorandum of Understanding to address issues of mutual interest.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of `A', `B', and`C' and offers for Council's CONSIDERATION `D'.

COUNCIL POLICY

On May 29, 1997, Council supported enactment of the Electoral Area `A' (UBC) Official Community Plan.

On January 31, 1995, Council agreed to continue the City's policy of not actively pursuing amalgamation with Electoral Area `A'. However, if the Province, UBC, and/or UEL residents request amalgamation, the City welcomes the inclusion of the area within its boundaries provided the City is fully compensated for any costs incurred as a result of the transition. On September 21, 1999, Council approved draft "Principles for Amalgamation" for consideration by the Electoral Area `A' Governance Committee.

PURPOSE

This report is to update Council on the status of three initiatives: Electoral Area `A' Governance Study; UBC Strategic Transportation Plan; and UBC Comprehensive Community Plan.

BACKGROUND

Electoral Area `A' is the unincorporated area west of the City of Vancouver. It includes Pacific Spirit Park, the University Hill/University Endowment Lands (UEL), the institutional core of UBC and related campus lands including the new residential community of Hampton Place.

In 1997, the Greater Vancouver Regional District adopted an Official Community Plan (OCP) for part of Electoral Area `A' including the University of British Columbia and Pacific Spirit Park. The OCP and related documents included commitments to:

· study options for governance of Electoral Area `A';

and for UBC to prepare a:

· Transportation Plan to address car and truck traffic; and
· Comprehensive Community Plan to provide more detailed land use directions for eight areas of significant residential development.

Council commented on issues of interest to the City, specifically to ensure that new development at UBC does not:

· increase commuting and truck traffic through Vancouver neighbourhoods; or
· place demands on City services.

Since the OCP was adopted the City has been participating in initiatives to implement the OCP:

· During the past two years Councillor Clarke has represented the City on a Committee to study governance options for Electoral Area `A';

· During 1999, City staff provided comments on drafts of the UBC Transportation Plan; and

· In February 2000, Council received an information report from staff on progress in the preparation of a UBC Comprehensive Community Plan. Staff suggested some revisions to the Draft Plan to address City concerns.

This report provides an update on the status of these three initiatives.

DISCUSSION

Electoral Area `A' Governance Study

The Governance Committee considered several options for the future governance of Electoral Area `A'. Creation of a new municipality was rejected early in the process. Two options considered were:

· a modified status quo based on a "university villages" model prepared by UBC; and
· amalgamation with Vancouver.

On September 21, 1999, Council provided the Governance Committee with draft principles for amalgamation and proposed a process to establish service levels and funding requirements if the Committee wished to pursue an amalgamation option.

The Governance Committee received the City's submission. The GVRD and City were interested in further discussion of the amalgamation option. UBC and UEL Committee members did not support pursuing the amalgamation option.

The Terms of Reference for the Electoral Area `A' Governance Study were for the Governance Committee to operate by consensus. Since consensus was not reached, the matter was referred back to the sponsoring organizations (the GVRD, Provincial Government, and UBC). Members of the Governance Committee provided comments at the conclusion of the process. Councillor Clarke's submission is attached as Appendix A (on file in the City Clerk'sOffice).

With the failure of the Governance Committee to recommend an alternative governance structure, the GVRD continues to have responsibility to monitor the implementation of the OCP. GVRD and UBC have redrafted their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning procedures for the ongoing review and implementation of the OCP. Pursuant to the approved Comprehensive Community Plan, the MOU establishes a neighbourhood planning process, a development review process, continuation of UBC housing and transportation commitments, continuation of the GVRD-UBC Task Force as a "Joint Committee", a dispute resolution process, and acknowledgement of UBC's proposed University Neighbourhood Association as an advisory group to the UBC Board of Governors. The GVRD Board approved the MOU on December 15, 2000.

The new MOU includes several points of interest to the City:

· A GVRD/UBC Joint Committee will continue to facilitate communications between the GVRD Board and the UBC Board of Governors. Matters relating to the broader Electoral Area `A' will continue to be addressed through the GVRD Electoral Areas Committee.

No doubt there will continue to be issues of mutual interest between UBC and the City of Vancouver. One example is the possibility that, as the UBC residential lands develop, UBC may wish to purchase some `municipal type' services from the City.

Council could choose to address any future issues through existing committees --the GVRD Electoral Areas Committee and the GVRD/UBC Joint Committee -- and through meetings as and when issues arise. The advantage of this procedure is that the Committees are in place to address most issues. Should other issues, such as the purchase of services, arise which are specifically between UBC and the City the two agencies can meet and address the issue directly.

Alternatively, Council and UBC could establish a pre-agreed arrangement for addressing issues of mutual interest. Both parties could develop a memorandum of understanding similar to the "Charter for the Relationship Between the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Port Corporation". For reference, the Port Charter is attached as Appendix B (in City Clerk's Office). In the case of the Port, the advantage of the Charter is that it establishes regular communication between the two agencies and provides a process for resolving issues often involving development. The situation with UBC is different in that Electoral Area `A' is not within Vancouver's boundaries, consequently the City is not involved in development applications. Also, a GVRD/UBC Joint Committee exists to address issues. Staff recommend seeing how the GVRD/UBC Committee functions before drafting a separate MOU between theCity and UBC. However, the option of developing a City/UBC MOU is put forward for Council's consideration.

· The GVRD/UBC MOU provides for a "University Neighbourhood Association". The Association will include representatives from UBC, the students (AMS), and occupants elected by lessees of market and rental housing. The Association will promote and provide services and facilities similar to those provided by a typical local government. The principle difference between the Association and a municipal government is that the Association will be an advisory board to UBC Board of Governors (rather than a decision-making authority) on matters concerning the residential neighbourhoods.

The outline for the proposed University Neighbourhood Association includes the provision that any agreements between the Association and UBC will contemplate the possibility that the Lands could become part of a municipality. The agreement will include milestones at which the Association must refer to its members the question of becoming part of a municipality. This being the case, staff recommend that Council `leave on the table' the draft "Principles for Amalgamation", adopted on September 21, 1999, as a starting point for any future discussions of amalgamation with the City of Vancouver. For reference, the City's adopted Principles for Amalgamation can be found on the City's web site at www.city.vancouver.bc.ca Council Agenda Package September 21, 1999, Planning Report 5.

· Transportation, Neighbourhood Planning, and Development Approval Process: The MOU makes provision for participation by City staff on Transportation and Community Planning Technical Committees. To date staff participation on these Committees has been time consuming. Unless directed otherwise by Council, staff will continue to monitor Committee activities. Participation will be limited to attendance on specific agenda items relevant to the City's interests with offsite impacts.

UBC Transportation Plan

During the preparation of the OCP, City Council stressed the need for commitments to minimize UBC related car and truck traffic impacts on adjacent Vancouver neighbourhoods. The transportation section in the OCP required actions to: reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles travelling to the campus; increase transit opportunities through the creation of a `U-Pass'; and develop truck mitigation measures. UBC was asked to prepare a transportation plan outlining how these directions would be achieved.

In 1998, UBC started preparation of a transportation plan. The Plan was prepared with input from the public, university community, and other governments/agencies (e.g. City, GVRD, Ministry of Highways, TransLink). During 1999, City staff provided comments on drafts of the Transportation Plan. In November 1999, the UBC Board of Governors adopted a StrategicTransportation Plan. UBC was not required to submit the Transportation Plan to the GVRD for approval.

The UBC Transportation Plan sets out policies to address future transportation both within and to campus. The transportation issues of most interest to Vancouver are addressed by proposals to increase transit ridership to UBC, to discourage people from driving single occupant vehicles to UBC, and to manage truck traffic to and from campus.

· Targets for Reducing Single-Occupant Vehicle Trips: About 46,000 single-occupant vehicles (SOV) travel daily through Vancouver to UBC. As part of the OCP discussion, the City was concerned that the number of vehicle trips would increase as new residential development on UBC lands brings more people to the area. As a result, the OCP includes a target to reduce single occupant vehicle travel by 20% from 1997 levels. A 20% reduction would see the daily SOV trips reduced from 46,000 to 36,800/day. The UBC Transportation Plan potentially creates some confusion by introducing two targets -- a "Strategic Transportation Target" of 42,800 daily SOV trips and an "Expected U-Trek Results" target of 36,800 SOV trips daily. City staff support the GVRD decision to continue to use the OCP target, for future transit planning and monitoring of OCP performance.

· Actions to Reduce Single-Occupant Vehicle Commuting to Campus: Three actions to reduce SOV trips are an increase in parking fees (which UBC has done), restrictions to on-street parking (done along 16^th Avenue and SW Marine Drive), and the implementation of a transit pass, called "U-Trek". When the OCP was adopted it was hoped the transit pass would be in place by now. UBC, TransLink, and the UBC student Alma Mater Society are continuing to negotiate on a cost sharing arrangement for the extra transit service required to implement the pass.

· Actions to Reduce the Impact of Truck Traffic on Adjacent Neighbourhoods: In the OCP and Memorandum of Understanding, UBC commits to reducing the impact of truck traffic on adjacent neighbourhoods by including route and schedule agreements in service contracts and investigating the on-site use of fill materials to reduce the impact of truck traffic. This is an issue requiring ongoing action by UBC.

UBC Comprehensive Community Plan

On February 15, 2000, Council received an information report on the draft UBC Comprehensive Community Plan. The Plan outlines:

· principles for circulation, open space, urban form, housing tenure, and development timing;
· details on planning objectives, principles, land use, and density for eight areas forfuture residential development;
· strategies for tree management, servicing, community services, and sustainability; and
· outlines topics to be included in future, more detailed, neighbourhood plans.

City staff raised concerns about the off site impacts of proposed housing, traffic, commercial, open space, and community service policies. These concerns were shared with the GVRD and UBC.

UBC prepared a revised Comprehensive Community Plan. City staff reviewed the Plan and advised GVRD staff that issues raised by the City had been adequately addressed at the level of detail expected in a Comprehensive Community Plan. There are still questions as to whether the proposed mix of housing types and affordability can be attained. These will need to be monitored through the process of developing more detailed Neighbourhood Plans. On December 15, 2000, the GVRD Board adopted the UBC Comprehensive Community Plan.

City staff will continue to monitor the community planning process. The next steps include the development of detailed Neighbourhood Plans. Staff will participate on technical committees when agenda items relate to offsite impacts.

CONCLUSIONS

Three phases of UBC planning which involved the City have now concluded:

· the report of the Governance Committee has been submitted to the Provincial Government. Since the report does not recommend a new governance structure, a GVRD/UBC Joint Committee will continue to monitor implementation of the Electoral Area `A' OCP;

· The UBC Strategic Transportation Plan has been adopted. A number of initiatives have been implemented. A U-Trek transit pass is still being negotiated; and

· The UBC Comprehensive Community Plan has been adopted by the GVRD. The next steps involve UBC in preparing more detailed neighbourhood plans prior to initiating new development.

City involvement in future UBC development initiatives will be through participation on the:

· GVRD/UBC Joint Committee; and
· when appropriate, staff participation on Transportation and Community Planning Technical Committees.

Broader planning issues concerning Electoral Area `A' are addressed through the GVRDAboriginal Affairs and Electoral Area Committee. For 2001, the City does not have a Councillor on this Committee. However, conclusions of the Committee are brought to the GVRD Board. If there are issues of concern to Vancouver these can be raised and considered by the Committee.

The City could conclude that these committees provide adequate opportunities to address future issues between the City and UBC/Electoral Area `A'. Staff recommend starting with this approach. Alternatively, of if this is not sufficient to address issues, the City could develop a Memorandum of Understanding with UBC to provide a process to respond to issues of mutual interest.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver