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CITY OF VANCOUVER POLICY REPORT
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Date: |
January 24, 2004 | |
Author: |
Ted Sebastian | |
Phone No.: |
873 7458 | |
RTS No.: |
03734 | |
CC File No.: |
8009/8019 | |
Meeting Date: |
February 24, 2004 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
Director of City Plans in consultation with the General Manager of Engineering, the General Manager of the Park Board, and the Director of the Housing Centre |
SUBJECT: |
Adoption of the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions |
RECOMMENDATIONS
A. That Council adopt the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions, attached in Appendices A and B (limited distribution; on file in the City Clerk's Office), as follows:
i. Directions categorized as "Approved" to be adopted as written;
ii. Directions categorized as "Not Approved (Uncertain)" not to be adopted but to remain in the text for information and brought forward for additional community discussion in future planning processes; and
iii. Directions categorized as "Not supported" not to be adopted nor considered in future planning processes but to remain in the text for information.
B. That Council and Departments use the adopted Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Vision Directions to help guide policy decisions, corporate work priorities, budgets, and capital plans in these two communities; and
C. That Council direct the Director of City Plans to report back on an action plan to implement the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions.
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A, B, and C.
In June 1995, Council adopted CityPlan: Directions for Vancouver as a broad plan for the city. In July 1996, Council approved the CityPlan Community Visions Terms of Reference [hereafter CCVToR], together with funding and staffing to test the process in two communities as a pilot project. Community Visions were designed to bring CityPlan to the local level. In July 1999, City Council approved the continuation of the Community Vision Program through the predominantly single family areas of the city.
SUMMARY AND PURPOSE
This report first describes how the completed Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions meet the criteria set out in the Terms of Reference which Council adopted in 1996. It then provides highlights from each Vision. Recommendation A is that the approved Vision Directions be adopted. Recommendation B instructs that the adopted Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Vision Directions be used to help guide decisions affecting these two areas, starting immediately. In addition, recognizing that following up the 20-year Visions will be a long term effort by both the City and community, Recommendation C is for a report back on an implementation action plan.
BACKGROUND
On many topics, CityPlan calls for local communities to determine more precisely how the plan's city-wide directions should be carried out locally. The mandate of the Community Visions Program is to "...have communities, assisted by staff, develop Visions that incorporate a wide range of community interests and describe common ground for moving in CityPlan directions." The program asks each community "...to implement CityPlan directions in a way and at a scale and pace that suits the community." [CCVToR]
The Vision process requires each community to move forward in CityPlan Directions, but allows flexibility in how that movement is undertaken. For example, the city already has enough unit capacity under current zoning to meet the regional population objectives, as noted in the City's adopted Regional Context Statement. Nevertheless, CityPlan calls for greater neighbourhood housing variety and housing affordability. The Visions program works with residents to find out what new housing types and locations are supported by the community, rather than imposing targets. The result has been that each completed Vision includes support for additional housing. A parallel approach is taken with other topics including services, facilities, parks, and transportation.
Visions for Kensington/Cedar Cottage (KCC) and Dunbar, the two pilot communities, were completed and adopted in July and September 1998. A complete evaluation of the pilot program was done, the program was modified, and Council approved continuing the Visions program throughout the mainly single family areas of the city, most of which have never had any local planning. The Sunset and Victoria-Fraserview/Killarney Visions were approved by
Council in January 2002. This report focuses on the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Visions. Map 1 shows the communities and the Council-endorsed order for Visions planning.
DISCUSSION
1. Adoption of Community Vision Directions
The CCVToR set out criteria which the community process must meet for the Vision Directions to be considered valid, which can be summarised as:
_ Furthering CityPlan: Visions should cover all CityPlan topics, and move the community in CityPlan directions; and
_ Reflecting informed community opinion: Visions should validly reflect broad community opinion and "common ground", based on informed participation.
(a) Furthering CityPlan
Appendix C describes in detail how Vision Directions carry out the 14 CityPlan Directions. To mention a few highlights, the Visions:
Identify which shopping areas should be the foci for neighbourhood centres and contain Directions both to improve these shopping streets and to provide additional housing in adjacent areas;
Describe new housing types and locations to meet housing variety and affordability goals. Both Vision areas already have a good mix of housing types. Hastings-Sunrise has enough capacity under current zoning to meet the additional housing demand created by the community's existing population as it ages. The approved Directions on new housing could provide up to 2,100 additional ground-oriented units. In Renfrew-Collingwood, future demand exceeds current capacity by about 1,200 units. Here the approved Directions could provide about 1,900 additional ground-oriented units, meeting the shortfall. Further planning would be required to finalize these housing options in each community.
Support increased pedestrian and cycling activity by making existing routes to neighbourhood destinations more attractive and their crossings of busy roads safer;
Strongly support housing for seniors; and recognize the City policy to consider site-specific rezonings for non-market/affordable housing projects, Special Needs Residential Facilities, and heritage projects;
Point to ways in which the communities want to improve arterial streets to make living with them more acceptable, while still recognizing their role carrying through-traffic; and
Call for more variety in park design and activities to serve the increasingly diverse population of the communities and support better use of school grounds for recreation for all age groups, especially in areas poorly served by neighbourhood parks.
The City Perspectives Panel (CPP)
The CCVToR calls for a panel of respected citizens, who live outside the Vision communities, to wear a `city hat' while providing commentary on how well the Visions meet CityPlan directions. A six person City Perspectives Panel was appointed by Council at the start of the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Vision process. They met to comment on how the Directions in the Choices Survey relate to CityPlan and regional plans. Their comments were included in Choices Survey for the information of people filling out the survey. They also reviewed the survey response. The CPP feels that the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Visions fulfill the requirements of CityPlan and the CCVToR. The Panel's comments are attached as Appendix G.
(b) Reflecting Informed Community Opinion
The CCVToR call for the Visions program to seek common ground and the opinion of the broad community, not just a few people. There are to be a variety of ways for people to be involved, in an informed way. Appendix D provides detailed information on the public participation in the Visions. Below are some highlights.
General outreach: Many methods were used throughout the program to create public awareness, recruit participants, and encourage responses, including attending meetings and events of community groups, school PACs, churches, etc.; delivering three newsletters to every household, business and absentee owner; holding a weekend Visions Fair in each community; and publicizing events with advertisements, banners, school flyers, and media releases as well as seeking coverage in English and Chinese media;
Community Liaison Groups: The CCVToR mandate the creation of a Community Liaison Group for each community, made up of a wide range of community volunteers, who are charged with: providing continuity through the process; "watch dogging" to ensure that community input from each step is carried through to subsequent steps; advising on outreach; reviewing the draft survey; and generally advising staff. The Liaison Groups are process-focussed -- their job is not to edit community input, nor to select the preferred Directions. The Liaison Groups' comments are included as Appendices E and F, and will be presented to Council by their spokespersons;
Workshops: Creation of draft Vision ideas and options occurred in widely advertised topic workshops open to all interested individuals. The six main topic-specific workshops were augmented by special multi-cultural workshops in Chinese, as well as youth workshops in high schools and business open houses. Workshops were well attended by diverse participants who generated a range of material. Hastings-Sunrise had 700 participants in total; Renfrew-Collingwood had 650;
Choices Survey: Broadest possible input on which Vision Directions should be adopted was ensured through a comprehensive survey, delivered to every household, business, and absentee owner. A random sample of households was given the same survey to ensure Vision Directions are representative of the broad community. The survey was in English and Chinese. There were more than 1,800 responses (13% of all households) in each community (for a large, multi-topic, multi-question survey like this, a response rate of 5% - 7% is good). Respondents were broadly distributed across the communities, with a good representation of the language groups, ages, homeowners and renters. The requirement that adopted directions have majority support in both the general and random survey ensures the Visions reflect "...broad community opinion and `common ground'..."; and
Information: Informed participation was ensured at workshops and in the Choices Survey. Workshops used the over 100 fact sheets created for each community, as well as specially-prepared materials. Examples include household type profiles, home affordability, sources of housing demand, growth projections. For transportation, information was provided on the Transportation Plan, truck routes, the transit system, traffic volumes, street design standards, traffic management, parking, and accidents. Most workshops also featured technical experts, either as guest speakers or as resource persons to assist participants. The Choices Survey, which presented the draft Directions to the community for response, contained background material, `fact boxes', and City Perspective Panel comments to help respondents understand the origin and consequences of the Directions.
Overall, the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Visions meet the CCVToR criteria of furthering CityPlan, and reflecting informed community opinion. They are also the result of broad, valid input, and a legitimate reflection of community opinion. Staff therefore recommend Council endorse the Vision Directions, as outlined in Recommendation A.
2. A Summary of the Community Visions
Appendices A and B contain the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions for Council endorsation. Each contains over 120 Vision Directions on a full range of CityPlan topics that will guide decisions in the communities for up to 20 years. They reflect how the communities will balance citywide and community concerns, and meet the challenges of the future. Only a flavour of the Vision Directions can be provided in this summary.
(a) Hastings-Sunrise Vision
Hastings-Sunrise is a community of 33,045 residents, with two major language groups (by mother tongue): 41% Chinese and 38% English. In 2001, the median household income was $43,031 compared to the overall Vancouver median of $42,026. Other than the port lands bordering Burrard Inlet and a small industrial area adjacent to Boundary Road, the area is predominantly small lot single family, with secondary suites permitted and common. The area was almost fully developed prior to World War II, and there is now a mix of older "character" and newer redeveloped houses, particularly north of Adanac. At the request of community leaders, the Vision area also includes the apartment area bounded by Hastings, Nanaimo, Semlin, and Burrard Inlet. This area's 5,600 residents have a lower median household income (about $29,000) and higher ratio of English as a mother tongue (about 50%) than the rest of the community.
Hastings-Sunrise is a community rich in diversity and history. Its residents value the area's distinct single family neighbourhoods, character homes, views of the mountains and Burrard Inlet, and convenient shopping areas. The area's community centres and neighbourhood houses are heavily used and its parks and open spaces are considered key assets. The community's tradition of involvement in local issues continues with active neighbourhood groups, community schools, business improvement association, and community policing office.
The Hastings-Sunrise Vision seeks to enhance an already appealing community. Here are some key messages.
As in Sunset and KCC, litter and garbage are major community-wide concerns and, among commercial areas, Hastings-Sunrise/North (from Semlin to Renfrew) is most in need of attention. Like other Vision areas, residents want individuals, supported by the City, to increase recycling and composting while improving conservation of energy and water. Hastings-Sunrise also wants individual businesses to participate in these initiatives.
Like KCC, Sunset, and VFK, there is strong support for more variety in park design, appearance, and activities to appeal to the diverse population of the community. School grounds should become attractive community spaces usable by people of all ages, particularly in areas underserved by neighbourhood parks (such as the area south of First Avenue). Safety in, and maintenance of, parks need to be enhanced and community access to New Brighton Park improved.
As in KCC, Sunset, and VFK, Hastings-Sunrise residents want individuals, the community, and the police to work more diligently to create a safer community. In Hastings-Sunrise there are additional Directions supporting continued funding of their CPC, new initiatives to reduce youth crime, and a comprehensive look at prostitution to reduce its negative community impacts, particularly near the western edge of the Vision area.
The "Hastings-Sunrise/North", "Vancouver Heights", and "First & Renfrew" shopping areas should be strengthened as the `hearts' of their neighbourhoods with improved shopping and pedestrian experiences. As in KCC, there is community support for additional housing adjacent to these centres. Along Hastings, Directions support the creation of attractive public spaces and additional parking in the 100' road allowance of sidestreets.
As in all Vision areas, residents support more input into decisions about changes in their community including recurring decisions on transit and park planning, street and traffic changes, and development proposals. In Hastings-Sunrise the community also wants full participation in major decisions like the future of the PNE in Hastings Park and port planning. The community is one of two Vision areas to support an annual community capital grant program that would be spent on community determined priorities. Hastings-Sunrise is the only community to either propose or support expanding community decision-making to include a range of issues.
Unlike KCC and Sunset there was not a push for major upgrades/expansions of community centres and pools although, like VFK and Sunset, a Direction supports more facilities for youth. Hastings-Sunrise is the only community to explicitly call for the retention of funding for important school programs such as community schools and hot lunch programs. Like most other Vision communities, Directions on additional affordable services for seniors, youth, and families are supported.
As in all Vision communities with high traffic volumes, arterial streets in Hastings-Sunrise need to be tamed, making them easier to cross, safer to walk and drive along, more livable and attractive, even while recognizing that they will continue to carry thousands of commuters through the area. Short-cutting on local streets, especially to avoid congestion caused by accidents on the Second Narrows or First Avenue, generated unusual interest in more, and more affordable, traffic calming. Transit should be more convenient and comfortable with better service to neighbourhood destinations, especially a new route on First Avenue to fill the huge east-west service gap between Hastings and Broadway.
Hastings-Sunrise is consistent with all other Vision communities in wanting to preserve its single family neighbourhoods. As in Sunset and VFK, the community would like to introduce design controls for new homes throughout the Vision area and to do more to preserve heritage and character homes. In addition, Hastings-Sunrise supported contextual design requirements for new homes to ensure they are compatible with old homes in character areas like Burrardview, Hastings Townsite, and Vancouver Heights.
Subject to proper design control and the provision of adequate services and facilities to meet the needs of new residents, Hastings-Sunrise also supported creating new housing variety around commercial areas, encouraging developments designed for seniors, and considering a new housing type with two legal suites. Overall, 83% of survey respondents supported at least one of the new housing types presented in the Choices Survey.
Unlike most of the city's single family areas, Hastings-Sunrise had a local area plan adopted by Council in 1985. Most of the plan's policies and actions had been implemented before the Vision process began. Other policies were no longer community concerns while some continued to be important issues. The Vision is a contemporary expression of community priorities, addresses the full range of CityPlan topics, and covers the full Vision area. As a result, the Vision replaces the 1985 plan.
Hastings-Sunrise also has two areas which require both more detailed planning and more binding commitment than the Vision can deliver: the port lands and Hastings Park. As a result, separate planning processes have been established for each of these areas. The plans which emerge from these initiatives will supplement the Vision, `filling in' areas which the Vision did not address in anticipation of these plans for subareas of the community.
(b) Renfrew-Collingwood Vision
Renfrew-Collingwood has 44,950 residents, with 44% Chinese and 27% English as major language groups. In 2001, median income was $42,185 compared to a Vancouver median of $42,026. Renfrew-Collingwood has a mix of residential neighbourhoods. Higher density townhouses and mid-rise apartments are clustered around the Joyce SkyTrain station. Nanaimo Station has some medium density apartments nearby and there are new rowhouse developments on old motel sites on Kingsway near Norquay Park. Apartments above stores are starting to be developed in commercial areas. However, most of the community is made up of neighbourhoods of single family homes. Lots are larger and houses generally newer than in Hastings-Sunrise, giving the area a more `suburban' character. The area also includes the large format retail and industrial uses between Grandview and Broadway.
Renfrew-Collingwood residents value the area's single family neighbourhoods, views from public places, and open sections of Still Creek and Renfrew Ravine. The area's parks offer precious open space and are heavily used as are the community centre, pool, neighbourhood house, libraries, and community policing centre. The Vision seeks to maintain these community assets.
The Renfrew-Collingwood Vision also seeks to improve the community. Key Vision messages include:
Like Sunset, Renfrew-Collingwood is deficient in neighbourhood park acreage and residents would like to see the shortage addressed. As in KCC, Sunset, VFK, and H-S, all parks and school grounds should be improved for more diverse activities. Renfrew-Collingwood would like Renfrew Ravine restored and enhanced as well as park space added along daylighted sections of Still Creek.
Similar to Sunset and H-S, a cleaner and litter-free community is a high priority. As in H-S, both individuals and businesses are seen as keys to a more environmentally responsible community. Initiatives to improve the water quality of Still Creek and Renfrew Ravine are supported.
As in KCC, Sunset, VFK, and H-S, individuals, the community, and the police should all increase their efforts to create a safer community. As in H-S, retention of their CPC was supported along with initiatives to reduce youth crime and to take a comprehensive look at prostitution aimed at reducing its negative community impacts, particularly along Kingsway. Special attention should be paid to improving safety around SkyTrain stations (especially Joyce).
`Collingwood', `Norquay Village', and a combination of three `mini-nodes' are supported as neighbourhood centres with their shopping areas to be strengthened and improved. As in KCC and H-S, additional housing variety is supported adjacent to these commercial areas in order to help create neighbourhood centres.
As in all Vision areas with heavy through traffic flows, the impacts of arterials running through this community need to be addressed while accepting their continued role in carrying traffic. As in Sunset and VFK, several secondary arterials should be reclassified as neighbourhood collectors to ensure they are not widened to carry more through traffic. Renfrew-Collingwood also supported unique requests for more amenities at SkyTrain stations, improvements in north-south transit service, and control over non-resident parking on local streets.
Renfrew-Collingwood is like other Vision areas in supporting more timely and effective public involvement in decisions that affect their community. Like H-S the community supports a new program of neighbourhood capital grants to be spent on community priorities. The community is unique in proposing and supporting more City-community partnerships to plan and implement community projects.
Consistent with other Vision areas, Renfrew-Collingwood wants to maintain the `single family' character of most of the community and permit some small developments designed for seniors. As in Sunset, VFK, and H-S, design controls are wanted for new houses and the community's stock of heritage and character homes should be preserved. Like H-S, Renfrew-Collingwood supported reinstatement of senior government programs to support non-market housing and to improve home affordability for lower income households. Renfrew-Collingwood is unique in supporting homes with a legal rental suite in new areas.
Like Sunset, VFK, and KCC, the community calls for expansion of indoor recreation space and their pool. Like VFK, Sunset, and H-S, a Direction supports more facilities for youth and seniors. Renfrew-Collingwood also endorsed a Direction to encourage enhanced multi-cultural participation in community life.
Overall, each Vision is a rich expression of community priorities that identifies what residents value and want to protect, as well as things that should change, and how.
3. Implementing the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions
Recommendation B directs that Visions be used to guide City decisions, corporate work priorities, budgets, and capital plans. Beyond that, Recommendation C directs staff to report back (as we have done in KCC, Dunbar, VFK, and Sunset) with a detailed action plan for each community developed in consultation with community members (action plans are posted, and regularly updated, on the Community Web Pages of areas with adopted Visions, e.g. http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcsplanning/cityplan/visions/VFK_Actionpln.htm).
Several CLG members from Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood have expressed an interest in being involved in the implementation of their Vision. The experience in other communities has been that these long-term participants are joined by new volunteers with a keen interest in seeing the Vision implemented. Overall, the broad participation and bottom-up nature of the Community Vision process helps build community capacity to move forward through implementation.
The implementation process in these two communities will be initiated using existing resources. A subsequent report will discusses additional requirements for Vision implementation in the longer term.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The CityPlan direction on City finances is to continue to be cautious about increasing spending, and to use CityPlan to re-direct funds. This direction was taken as a given during the Vision programs, including the workshops and Choices Survey.
Adopting the Vision Directions for Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood does not imply an increase to the City's budget. In order to achieve some Vision Directions in the short-term, hard choices among civic spending priorities would be required. However, in the longer-term, Vision implementation may be supported by the development of servicing efficiencies, the creation of new partnerships, and the harnessing of external resources.
The Visions will help the City and the communities set priorities and direct or reallocate funds to programs which achieve the Visions (for example the refocusing of Community Planning staff to complete Neighbourhood Centre commercial realm and housing plans in KCC). Changes will happen over time, extending over the life of the Visions, 15 to 20 years into the future.
PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS
The teams which helped the community develop the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions are now working in Riley Park/South Cambie and Arbutus Ridge/Kerrisdale/Shaughnessey. A subsequent report will discuss staffing recommended to work with Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood on implementing their Visions.
COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR THE FINAL VISIONS
After the Vision is adopted, a Newsletter is prepared which announces adoption of the Visions, contains Vision highlights, and invites people to attend a large workshop to initiate the implementation process (the newsletter contains the same information in English and Chinese). The newsletter is delivered to each household and business in the community. The Vision is posted on the City website and copies are provided in the community's libraries, community centres, and neighbourhood houses. This concludes the Community Vision process.
Funds for printing and distribution of the newsletter and final Visions, as well as the website posting, come from the Community Visions Program budget.
CONCLUSION
The Community Visions developed in Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood through the Community Vision Program succeed in the tasks set by the Council-adopted Terms of Reference. They "...incorporate a wide range of community interests and describe common ground for moving in CityPlan directions...in a way and at a scale and pace that suits the community." When adopted, the Vision Directions will help provide guidance for both City and community action.
LINK TO APPENDIX A (Hastings Sunrise Community Vision)
LINK TO APPENDIX B (Renfrew Collingwood Community Vision)
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