CITY OF VANCOUVER
City Manager's Office
Judy Rogers, City Manager
Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Manager
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: January 29, 2004 | |
TO: |
City Council |
COPY TO: |
S. Baxter, City Clerk |
FROM: |
B. MacGregor, Deputy City Manager |
SUBJECT: |
Eburne Lands |
At its meeting on November 20, 2003, Council dealt with a report from the subdivision Approving Officer recommending Council accept payment-in-lieu of park dedication that would be required as a condition of subdividing this large site. Council heard from various public delegations, most of whom supported the Park Board position in favour of obtaining park dedication rather than payment-in-lieu. Council chose not to accept payment-in-lieu and resolved:
THAT TransLink and the North Fraser Port Authority work with City staff and the community to develop a pathway and park public amenity along the waterfront of the Eburne Land site.
Staff have had continuing discussions with Eburne Developments Ltd. (on behalf of the Port Authority) and TransLink and have met with various interested community groups who have come together as the "Eburne Lands Coordinating Group".
On January 20, 2004, Eburne Developments Ltd. presented to the City a sketch plan identifying two areas of the site, amounting to about one acre of land that it would be prepared to dedicate for park as part of the site subdivision. The balance of required park dedication (about 2.3 acres) would be satisfied by payment-in-lieu. The submission from Eburne Developments Ltd. is attached. It is clear the Port Authority is not prepared to dedicate additional park land or to have any dedicated lands along the waterfront. Staff have been unsuccessful in achieving the outcome requested by Council.
However, the January 20th proposal, if pursued, would deliver some park land and the City Engineer has confirmed that the adjacent Bentley Street allowance could largely be made available for compatible open space development. Together, they would provide an important public amenity, including access to the waterfront.
On January 22, 2004, the North Fraser Port Authority withdrew the application for subdivision of the Eburne site.
While the proposal submitted on January 20, 2004 constituted partial park dedication and partial payment-in-lieu, and the lands identified for park dedication do not allow for a pathway and park public amenity along the waterfront, staff believe the proposal should not be abandoned and the Port Authority should be encouraged to resurrect and proceed with the site subdivision in either of two manners:
· a combination of park dedication and payment-in-lieu per the January 20th proposal; or
· payment-in-lieu of park dedication.
On this basis the Deputy City Manager RECOMMENDS:
A. THAT Council accept either:
(i) partial park dedication consisting of 1.0 acre (+/-) of land as illustrated in the January 20th proposal submitted by Eburne Developments Ltd., with the balance of the 3.3 acre total dedication requirement being payment-in-lieu; or
(ii) payment-in-lieu of park dedication.
B. THAT the City Manager be authorized to encourage the North Fraser Port Authority to resurrect and proceed with the site subdivision on the basis of either of the alternatives in A above.
B. MacGregor
brent_macgregor@city.vancouver.bc.ca
604-873-7627
Attachment -
(Attachments that do not have electronic copy are available on file in the City Clerk's Office.)