STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT
COUNCIL DECISIONS
DATE: |
Thursday, March 8, 2001 |
TIME: |
2:00 p.m. |
PLACE: |
Committee Room No. 1
|
For information, please contact Laura Kazakoff at 871-6353.
1. Woodward's Redevelopment - Tunnel and Areaways
Decommissioning File: 5807
A. THAT Council authorize the Director of Legal Services to enter into an agreement with the owner of the "Woodward's Building"(the "Woodward's Owner") at 101 West Hastings Street, such agreement being titled the "Areaways and Tunnel Contract" (the "Contract") on the following general terms and conditions:
1. The City forego annual fees due and owing for "cavities under the sidewalk and lane being situated on the south side of Cordova Street, the west side of Abbott Street, the north side of Hastings Street and in the lane running south from Cordova Street, having a total of 6,693 square feet" (the "Areaways") for the years 1996 and following to the "Deadline" (hereinafter defined);
2. The City forego annual fees due and owing for the use of "a tunnel under and across Cordova Street, west of Abbott Street occupying a total of 1,518 square feet" (the "Tunnel") for the years 1996 and following to the Deadline;
3. The City forego all annual fees due and owing ($4,000.00 per year) for use of the "Loading Area" in the City-owned Parkade from November 27, 1995 (the date of the purchase of the Parkade by the City) forward, as such Loading Area has not been used, provided that prior to finalization of the Contract, setting out the City's agreement to forego the annual fees referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, the Woodward's Owner releases the City from:
(i) all obligations contained in Loading Easement, registered under No's. BJ381025 to BJ381030 on title to the City-owned Parkade, and
(ii) all obligations contained in a related agreement, the Loading Area Agreement dated November 27, 1995 between the City and Fama Holdings Ltd., which agreement further defines the "Loading Area".
4. "Deadline" to mean November 30, 2005, provided that if the City requires either the Areaways Work or the Tunnel Work as defined in the Contract or both to be done before that date for any valid City purpose as determined by the City Engineer in his sole discretion, then the City will have the right to advance the deadline by giving Fama six (6) months written notice of same, but the City may not give such notice until on or after November 30, 2001;
5. That the Woodward's Owner decommission the Areaways and Tunnel prior to the Deadline. All costs to decommission the Areaways and Tunnel and repairs to the street and sidewalk replacement are to be the responsibility of the Woodward's Owner. All work to be to the satisfaction of the City Engineer;
6. If the Woodward's Owner does not decommission the Areaways by the Deadline, the Woodward's Owner must pay to the City the aggregate of all annual fees then due and owing by the Woodward's Owner to the City pursuant to the Areaways Easement (as defined in the Contract) and the Encroachment By-Law. For greater certainty, the annual fees which would then be due and owing to the City would be the amount of $19,729.00 in 1996 and $19,744.00 in each of 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000, for a total of $98,705.00 in the years 1996 to 2000 inclusive, together with all annual fees owing in the years 2001 to the Deadline calculated in accordance with the Encroachment By-Law;
7. If the Woodward's Owner does not decommission the Tunnel by the Deadline, the Woodward's Owner must pay to the City the aggregate of all annual fees due and owing by the Woodward's Owner to the City pursuant to the Tunnel Easement (as defined in the Contract) and the Encroachment By-Law. For greater certainty, the annual fees which would then be due and owing to the City would be the amount of $4,204.00 in 1996 and $4,219.00 in each of 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000, for a total of $21,080.00 in the years 1996 to 2000 inclusive, together with all annual fees owing in the years 2001 to the Deadline calculated in accordance with the Encroachment By-Law;
8. Such other terms and conditions as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services.
B. THAT the Woodward's Owner pay $50,000.00 (inclusive of all taxes if applicable) as a payment in lieu to satisfy its obligations in respect of repairs to the City-owned lands on the north side of Cordova Street (the "Parkade")
C. THAT all annual rentals and/or annual fees for a "pedestrian overpass and merchandising area over Cordova Street", comprising an area of approximately 9,460 square feet (the "Overpass") be forgiven for the years 1996, 1997 and 1998 (a total of $84,120.00) upon payment of the $50,000.00 as described in Recommendation "B".
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. Financial Audit and Review of TransLink File: 5561
WHEREAS, TransLink has proposed a $7 million cut to its 2001 budget, with the majority of the cutbacks - 70 per cent - to public transit and the balance to road building and maintenance;
AND WHEREAS, these public transit cuts will result in a reduction in bus services (of 3.3 per cent) to citizens throughout the region;
AND WHEREAS, a public transit user who makes 16 one-zone, round-trips per month is now paying an additional $96 annually following last June's fare increase;
AND WHEREAS, TransLink will spend over $60 million on ticket vending machines and electronic fare boxes, and their provisional 2001 budget will see a $21.7 million increase in debt servicing costs;
AND WHEREAS, TransLink is considering the abandonment of all funding of operations and maintenance of SkyTrain's new Millennium line;
AND WHEREAS, following the failure of the vehicle levy, TransLink is now projecting a 2001 budget deficit of $7 million;
AND WHEREAS, the emission of greenhouse gases from vehicles is causing an extreme environmental crisis and thus it is a regional transit authority's prime responsibility to favour public transit;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, Vancouver City Council, under Section 7 of the GVTA Act, ask the BC Minister Responsible for Transit to request the Auditor General of British Columbia to undertake a full and complete financial audit and review of TransLink and recommend options for more efficient methods of operation of the transit system.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
3. Cuts to Transit Services by TransLink File: 5561
WHEREAS City of Vancouver transportation plans and policy statements endorse the principle that more and better public transportation services are needed in the City and the region for social, environmental and transportation purposes;
AND WHEREAS the average peak period 'wait time' or service frequency that transit users experience in the Greater Vancouver region is already one of the worst of any major Canadian metropolitan area;
AND WHEREAS officials of TransLink have publicly stated an intention to cut bus services in the region as a result of an anticipated funding shortfall;
AND WHEREAS transit users throughout the region were promised more - not less -services when TransLink implemented its June, 2000 across-the-board transit fare increase;
AND WHEREAS transit fares were increased with the understanding that services would be improved;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Vancouver strongly opposes any cuts to existing transit services in the City, and the region at large, but recognizes this is required if a new funding source supported by TransLink and the enabling senior governments cannot be found.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
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The Committee adjourned at 5:10 p.m.
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A Regular Council meeting was convened immediately following the Standing Committee meeting.
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REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
A G E N D A
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
I. Standing Committee of Council on Planning and Environment
March 8, 2001
At its meeting immediately following the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment, Vancouver City Council approved the recommendations of the Committee as set out in its report dated March 8, 2001.
ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS
1. Leave of Absence - Councillor Bass File: 1254
MOVED BY Cllr. Daniel Lee,
SECONDED BY Cllr. McCormick,
THAT Councillor Bass be granted Leave of Absence from March 26 to March 30, 2001.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. Workers' Compensation Board - Change in Regulations
Councillor Clarke noted a News Release outlining amendments to environmental tobacco smoke regulations announced today by the WCB was distributed to all Council members.
The Council adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
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