Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the General Manager of Parks and Recreation and the Director of Current Planning

SUBJECT:

Concord Pacific Place Lands-Beach Neighbourhood Marina

 

RECOMMENDATION

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

City Council approved the rezoning of the Beach Neighbourhood East-Area 1B in 1996, and rezoning of the Beach Neighbourhood West-Area 1A in 1999, which required the applicant to construct various shoreline, park and open space works. The area 1A rezoning permitted an existing marina use along with a small expansion at the western end of the site.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to request Council approval of an arrangement with PPHL for a one year deferral of its obligations to start construction of both the shoreline and the adjacent portion of George Wainborn Park.

BACKGROUND

The FCYC was originally located in False Creek at the foot of Davie Street and was relocated to its current location at the foot of Granville Street for the 1986 Exposition. It operates on lands leased from the City, the Province, and from PPHL. The FCYC has secured long term leases from both the City and the Province, on which they constructed a three-storey clubhouse and parkade and approximately half their marina, but its lease of the PPHL lands is subject to an 80-day termination notice. FCYC currently operates 50 slips on the PPHL owned lot 267. (See Appendix A).

At a Public Hearing in 1999, Council approved the rezoning of the Area1A lands, which included permitting the existing marina use on lot 267 along with an expansion of approximately 20 slips. The marina was approved subject to a number of conditions including: the provision of access and servicing; 200 visitor nights per year; and public amenities such as a visitor centre, pump out station, laundromat and a toilet facility.

PPHL was required either to secure these provisions through a legal agreement with the Province, the owner of the adjacent water lot, which they lease to FCYC, or to apply for a text amendment to reconfigure the adjacent building sites and satisfy the required conditions from its own lands.

DISCUSSION

Under the current obligations to the City for Area 1, PPHL is required to complete construction of George Wainborn Park and the shoreline walkway prior to occupancy of the 625th residential unit in the area. In order to meet these obligations, PPHL must start construction of the shoreline works this spring. This obligation precipitated delivery of a termination notice to the FCYC who must vacate the lands by March 19, 2002.

Negotiations between FCYC and PPHL have been underway for some time to determine the future role of the yacht club on the PPHL site and whether the agreement contemplated in the rezoning can be reached. The negotiations had been, until recently, unsuccessful with a great deal of uncertainty regarding its outcome. The FCYC has indicated that in order to continue to negotiate in good faith, and to provide some security to its members, it requires a one year extension of its lease of the PPHL lands.

Both parties have now committed to attempt to resolve the issues in a timely manner and request that Council approve the deferral of the requirement for delivery of the park and seawall to December 31, 2004 to will allow sufficient time for negotiations to take place.

Public Impacts

The proposed deferral will impact the shoreline works from Granville Street to the eastern extent of George Wainborn Park as well as that portion of the Park that requires the seawall to be in place. (See Appendix A).

The current trigger for the completion of the Park and seawall is the occupancy of the 625th unit in Area 1. The estimated date for occupancy is summer 2004. The one year extension of the water lot lease to the FCYC will delay the start of construction of the seawall by one year, but will only delay its required completion date by approximately six months. The revised substantial completion date is proposed to be December 31, 2004.

As sections of the seawall construction commence, closing the existing walkway and bikeway, temporary routes will be constructed as necessary as close to the shoreline as is practical. These detour routes during construction would be needed in any case, whether or not Council approves this extension.

CONCLUSION

The General Manager of Engineering Services is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to see a resolution between the parties on the issue of the Area 1A marina . If an agreement cannot be reached, PPHL will be required to submit a CD-1 text amendment in order to meet its obligations under the rezoning. This would necessitate a replanning and redesign of all of area 1A. Staff considers the configuration of the 1A site to be optimal and would prefer that it remain in its current form. On the basis that both parties have committed to attempt to resolve the issues in a timely manner, staff recommend that Council approve the deferral of the requirement for delivery of the park and seawall to December 31, 2004. This deferral will allow sufficient time for negotiations to take place.

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