ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

The Standing Committee on Planning and Environment

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:

Changes to the China Creek Open Space Agreement

 

RECOMMENDATION

COUNCIL POLICY

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to obtain Council approval to amend the terms of a legal agreement (the China Creek Open Space Agreement) that was required as a condition of the rezoning of 555 Great Northern Way (the Finning Lands). These amendments are recommended in order to improve the location of a landscaped public walkway.

BACKGROUND

The original purpose of the China Creek Open Space Agreement was to secure a public walkway and landscaped open space, similar to a greenway, to connect China Creek Park to the south with the BC Parkway Route Greenway through the False Creek Flats. It is located over an existing 72" storm sewer right-of-way over lot 1 (see Appendix A), that secures the City's right to maintain and protect the sewer, and allows for the long term potential for creek daylighting.

Finning International Inc. has applied to the Approving Officer to subdivide the Finning site to create two new development lots (Lots 1 and 2) with a remainder of undeveloped land, and intends to sell Lot 1 to QuadraLogic Technologies Inc. QLT currently owns Lot F, adjacent to and east of Lot 1. As a number of changes have occurred on or near this site since the rezoning of the Finning Lands in 1999, this is an appropriate opportunity to re-evaluate the location of this landscaped public walkway.

DISCUSSION

Improving public access in the False Creek Flats is a City priority. This is recognized by the False Creek Flats Structure Plan, approved by Council in March of this year. Due to a number of factors that have reduced the desirability of this location, staff believe that public access through the rezoned lands would be improved by relocating the landscaped public walkway west, adjacent to the extension of Prince Albert Street.

The existing sewer/landscaped public walkway alignment is located on Lot 1, adjacent to Lot F and bounded by Great Northern Way to the south and rail tracks and the proposed skytrain alignment to the north. Due to the proposed skytrain elevations, and the long term tenure of the railway, the alignment cannot be part of a continuous public corridor as was originally intended.

Relocating the landscaped walkway to Prince Albert Street will allow pedestrians coming from the south to use the proposed traffic signal at Prince Albert and cross Great Northern Way safely. A sidewalk will also be constructed on the south side of Great Northern Way, between China Creek Park and Prince Albert Street to provide a continuous pedestrian amenity from the park. In addition, there will also be improved pedestrian access to the north, as Prince Albert is planned to connect through to Industrial Avenue.

The relocated landscaped public walkway will be provided, in addition to the sidewalk, east of the street dedication in an additional statutory right-of-way. The width of the new statutory right-of-way will be subtracted from the 50' width currently required for the existing, combined sewer/lanscaped public walkway right-of-way.

Future daylighting of this small section of China Creek remains a long term goal, potentially occurring some time after 2050. However, the skytrain alignment to the north, and Great Northern Way to the south, constrain the continuous length of an open creek at this location to a mere 125 metres. Nonetheless, the terms of to the China Creek Open Space Agreement will continue to secure the City's future right to daylight the creek as well as the current need to maintain the sewer. All improvements over the existing sewer right-of-way will be subject to approval within the normal Development Permit process with the consent of the General Manager of Engineering Services. The existing agreement secures construction of the landscaped open space and public walkway prior to occupancy of any rezoning building. This obligation would be transferred to the new location of the landscaped public walkway

Removing the obligation to provide a landscaped public walkway from lot 1 also provides a benefit to the property owner, QLT. The only access to QLT's current building (to the east of the sewer right-of-way) is on to Great Northern Way. At present, due to the nature of Great Northern Way, access to and from the site is difficult. QLT has proposed a vehicular connection over the sewer right-of-way that would allow a significant amount of the traffic which currently enters the easterly site from Great Northern Way to be diverted, by way of this vehicular connection, to the proposed traffic signal at Prince Albert and Great Northern Way.

CONCLUSIONS

Staff recommend changes to the China Creek Open space Agreement as proposed in this report as they provide a mutual benefit to both the public and to QLT. A more accessible landscaped pedestrian amenity connecting Mount Pleasant with False Creek along with safer access for QLT's lots 1 and F and will result from these changes. The agreement further secures the future right to daylight the creek as well as the current need to protect the sewer.

ATTACHMENTS THAT DO NOT HAVE ELECTRONIC COPY ARE AVAILABLE ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

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