Agenda Index City of Vancouver

POLICY REPORT
URBAN STRUCTURE

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

The General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Current Planning

SUBJECT:

CN Lands Subdivision - Proposed Width of Future Central Boulevard

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGERS' COMMENTS

The General Manager of Engineering Services and the General Manager of Community Services RECOMMEND approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

· On March 27, 2001 Council approved the False Creek Flats Structure Plan which defines, in a conceptual way, a future street network for the Flats, as well as corridors for greenways and transit, and locations for parks.

PURPOSE

This report is to seek advise from Council on a proposed phased approach in securing the future dedication of a major street in CN's subdivision. The City would option an 80-foot width in the current phase of subdivision, even though the Structure Plan proposes a wider street, on the condition that further subdivision of the remaining property would require reviewing the needs for the street at that time and a reporting back to the Council on the ultimate recommended width.

BACKGROUND

In May 2000, Council approved a work program for staff to develop a comprehensive Structure Plan for the False Creek Flats, and in particular to provide planning direction for CN's Terminal Avenue railyard and for City-owned properties at Main and Terminal. This plan was endorsed by Council on March 27, 2001.

The Phase 1 of CN's subdivision proposes to create four new blocks along Terminal Avenue for redevelopment, while retaining the remainder of the 40-acre parcel in existing rail and transportation uses. (See plans in Appendix A.) The railyard is to be retained for an indefinite period and accommodation is being made within the current subdivision for a temporary greenway route for the Central Valley Trail across the north edge of the yard. Should the railyard eventually close, the long-term goals of the Structure Plan could be realized.

The Structure Plan proposes several new streets for the Flats, as well as extensions to existing streets. Between Terminal Avenue and Great Northern Way, two wide east-west boulevards are proposed. One is an extension and widening of Industrial Avenue and the other is a new street extending from Quebec Street in the west to Glen Drive in the east. It aligns roughly with the existing Central Street within the City-owned properties and crosses through land currently occupied by the CN railyard. Identified for convenience as "Central Boulevard," the creation of this street through CN's property will only occur in the long term, if and when the railyard closes.

The Structure Plan identifies the width of the Central Boulevard as 100 feet, wider than the standard City street width of 66 feet. The extra width is to accommodate the permanent alignment for the Central Valley Greenway, as well as normal vehicular movements. The width is also intended to allow for a greener street as there is more space for a landscaped centre median and wide boulevards. All of the east-west streets proposed in the Structure Plan are wider than the standard width. Great Northern Way exists at 100 feet in width and Terminal Avenue is at 125 feet. Industrial Avenue is currently at 75 feet but is proposed to be widened to 95 feet to accommodate a streetcar line. In the plan, the extra street widths are justifiable to meet various transit, greenway and traffic movement objectives, as well as to meet overall urban design objectives for a greener public realm.

DISCUSSION

Council's endorsement of the Structure Plan has allowed CN's subdivision application to advance so that a Preliminary Approval letter has been issued. CN is working on meeting the conditions identified in the letter, but they have an outstanding concern about the need for the 100-foot width for the Central Boulevard. Even though this street will not be provided across CN's property until the railyard closes, the City secures the future dedication by taking an option to purchase in the current subdivision agreement. For their business reasons, CN has requested that this option be for an 80-foot width at this time, recognizing that the City may seek a wider dedication when the option is exercised.

Staff are generally in agreement with this phased approach for the street width, provided that it is not interpreted as an amendment to the newly adopted Structure Plan. The detailed design of new streets is not normally undertaken until just prior to construction and because the dedication of the Central Boulevard may not occur for many years, finalizing the ultimate uses and therefore the ultimate width is difficult to do today. Staff are not prepared to say at this time that a narrower dedication will be sufficient. Therefore, it is recommended that even though an 80-foot width may be optioned now to fulfill CN's request, the design and ultimate width of the Central Boulevard should be informed by the plans and policies at the time of its implementation and reported to the Council of the day for direction.

CONCLUSION

The General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Current Planning recommend that Council advise the City Engineer that provisions for an 80-foot wide future Central Boulevard should be secured in CN's current subdivision application and that, if and when the railyard vacates, the City Engineer should seek Council's confirmation of the ultimate width of the future Central Boulevard which is currently expressed as 100 feet in the False Creek Flats Structure Plan. That confirmation is to be based on a detailed assessment of the Central Boulevard's role within the False Creek Flats vis a vis the pattern of other development, open spaces, streets and public ways at that time. The City Engineer will in turn advise the Approving Officer of Council's point of view.

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Appendix A

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ag010710.htm

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