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CITY OF VANCOUVER SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JULY 6 and 7, 2004 |
A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, July 6, 2004, at 7:30 pm, and was reconvened on Wednesday, July 7, 2004 at 7:30 pm, in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall. The minutes have been consolidated for ease of reference.
PRESENT: |
Deputy Mayor Sam Sullivan
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ABSENT: |
Mayor Larry Campbell (Sick Leave) |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Nicole Ludwig, Meeting Coordinator |
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Green
SECONDED by Councillor Bass
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Deputy Mayor Sullivan in the Chair.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
1. Broadway-Arbutus Neighbourhood Centre – Proposed Policies and Draft Broadway-Arbutus C-3A Guidelines (File 8001)
Vancouver City Council, at its meeting on June 22, 2004, received a Policy Report on the Broadway-Arbutus Neighbourhood Centre – Proposed Policies and Draft Broadway-Arbutus C-3A Guidelines and referred this matter to a Special Council Meeting on July 6, 2004, in order to hear from members of the public. This meeting was subsequently reconvened on July 7, 2004. The minutes have been consolidated for ease of reference.
Accordingly, Council had before it the following:
a) Policy Report dated June 8, 2004, entitled “Broadway-Arbutus Neighbourhood Centre – Proposed Policies and Draft Broadway-Arbutus C-3A Guidelines”;
b) Memo dated July 6, 2004, from the Director of Current Planning; and
c) Memo dated July 7, 2004, from the Director of Current Planning.
Larry Beasley, Director of Current Planning, reviewed the report and commented on the nature of the local shopping area.
The following spoke in general favour of staff’s recommendations, however, expressed concern with regard to the height and size limits for future development, and “big box” store developments:
Ron Bijok
Sean McEwen
Veronica Ross (petition filed)
Stefan Koehl
Wendy Hunt (brief filed)
Leah McCadie
Bruce McCadie
Charlene Wells (brief filed)
Steve MacFarlane
Thomas Marshall
Michael Brown
Renzo Peterzani
Bill Raikes
David Fushtey (brief filed)
Maureen Charron
Graeme Webster
Patricia Oswald
Janet Bruce
Tremayne Perry
Robert McGilvray
Michael Lount
Chris Mott
Anne Bethell
Pauline Veto
Doreen Bellamy
Hazel Ackner
A summary of speakers’ comments follows:
· a big box store will increase traffic congestion, pollution and noise in the area;
· the area is pedestrian-oriented and should remain so; developments should maintain or enhance this aspect as many residents do not have a car;
· the size caps in the report are too large for the area; it should be reduced from 40,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet, but a grocery store could go up to 30,000 square feet;
· the existing small businesses will not be able to compete with big box stores and will be run out of business;
· limit height of developments to 4 storeys;
· concern was expressed with regard to the social, environmental and economic costs of overdevelopment and the increasing population of the area in the absence of recreational facilities, new schools and green spaces;
· there is the potential for an increase in traffic accidents due to the proximity of schools and the large number of pedestrians in the area;
· concern was expressed over the consultation process and whether the needs and desires of residents are being considered in the policy process;
· big box stores should be kept out of residential neighbourhoods;
· use green spaces instead of big box stores to unite the neighbourhood;
· individuality of local areas should be preserved;
· according to surveys by various neighbourhood associations (submitted – on file), there is nearly unanimous opposition to big box stores;
· 5,000 signatures on a petition (submitted – on file) against building a Home Depot in the area; and,
· the economic model used by big box stores is predatory in nature.
The following spoke in opposition to staff’s recommendations:
Yvonne Grohmuller (brief filed)
David Gardiner (brief filed)
Alisa Smith
Barbara Dill (brief and surveys filed)
Joan Bunn
Greg Booth
Leah Whitehead
Leslie MacKenzie
Wendy Galczik
Heather Jones, Strata LMS 2313
Caroline Becerra
Margaret Mackenzie
Lewis Villegas (brief filed)
Marilyn Kalman
Brad Tone
Derek Spragg
Michael Haslam
Jeff Mottershead
Sharon McNeill
A summary of speakers’ comments follows:
· adoption of these policies would result in increased traffic congestion, noise and pollution in the area, not only because more traffic will enter the area but also, residents of the area would drive to big box stores – they do not walk due to the size and nature of the products they purchase;
· the projects should be scaled down;
· City should look at parking and traffic issues;
· questioning the logic of the developments as the Vine site is half the size of the Maple site, but the proposed development is bigger;
· this is not a NIMBY issue as the proposed services already exist and there is no need to pile them on;
· big box stores do not contribute to the character and needs of the neighbourhood and its residents, nor do they form the heart of a community;
· small businesses in the area should be supported and it is difficult for new small businesses to emerge due to prohibitive startup costs;
· people in the community need a chance to say how these developments will occur;
· question as to whether big box stores are needed as anchors;
· Kitsilano is a unique area and its character should be preserved; stores larger than 10,000 square feet will take away from this character;
· the process has been done backwards – neighbourhood planning should be done first, and not when a multinational wants in;
· the real issue is that at the end of the day, travel costs outweigh the savings of big box stores; and
· stores like Home Depot do not fulfill consumer needs.
The following spoke in favour of staff’s recommendations:
Mary Moore (brief filed)
Kathy Battye, Wellness Coordinator (Nurse), The O’Keefe (brief filed)
Valerie York (brief filed)
Kathleen Moorby (brief filed)
Andrew Ettinger, Home Depot Canada
Diane Boutsamkis
A summary of speakers’ comments follows:
· the planning guidelines are a success for seniors, especially the grocery and drug store proposals as they are close enough to walk to with ease;
· developments would be good for other businesses as they would bring in more customers;
· retailers are willing to work with the City and stakeholders to create a store that would meet the area’s needs and be a positive addition to the city; and
· new measures will revitalize the area.
During the hearing of the speakers noted above, Lynda Challis, Rezoning Planner, Rob Jenkins, Assistant Director of Current Planning, Paul Pinsker, Transportation Engineer, Mary Beth Rondeau, Development Planner and Harv Weidner, Policy Planner responded to questions related to anchor stores, consequences of a size cap for the proposed developments, the public consultation process, height and FSR issues and comparisons to similar retail outlets in other areas.
Mr. Beasley reviewed potential resolutions for Council’s consideration (distributed - on file).
MOVED by Councillor Roberts
A. THAT the “Broadway-Arbutus Proposed Policies” be amended to limit individual store sizes to a maximum of 10,000 square feet (929 m2), except for grocery or drug stores which are limited to 30,000 square feet (2,787 m2), except that the project at Broadway and Vine (2256 West Broadway) may be considered as currently proposed; and
THAT the “Broadway- Arbutus C-3A and 2000 Block West 10th Avenue (North Side) Guidelines” be amended to limit the single unit or strata lot size for retail and other commercial uses to a maximum of 10,000 square feet (929 m2), except for grocery or drug stores which are limited to 30,000 square feet (2,787 m2) ; and
B. THAT Council approve the “Broadway-Arbutus Proposed Policies” as outlined in Appendix A and the “Broadway-Arbutus C-3A Guidelines” generally as outlined in Appendix B of the Policy Report dated June 8, 2004, entitled “Broadway-Arbutus Neighbourhood Centre – Proposed Policies and Draft Broadway-Arbutus C-3A Guidelines” both as amended in A, above, and appropriate consequential amendments to related Policies and Guidelines.
carried
AMENDMENT MOVED by Councillor Bass
THAT the words “except for grocery or drug stores which are limited to 30,000 square feet (2,787 m2)” be struck out and replaced with “except for grocery stores, which are limited to 30,000 square feet, and drug stores, which are limited to 25,000 square feet.”
LOST
(Councillors Cadman, Ladner, Louie, Roberts and the Deputy Mayor opposed)
AMENDMENT MOVED by Councillor Bass
THAT the words “except that the project at Broadway and Vine (2256 West Broadway) may be considered as currently proposed” be struck out.
LOST
(Councillors Cadman, Green, Louie, Roberts, Woodsworth and the Deputy Mayor opposed)
The amendments having lost, Councillor Roberts’ motion was put and CARRIED with the Deputy Mayor opposed.
Councillor Roberts submitted the following Notice of Motion for the Council meeting immediately following the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment meeting on July 8, 2004, which was recognized by the Chair:
THAT staff report back on the City adopting a similar maximum size limit – or retail cap - for retail uses across the city, outside the downtown core, as a zoning tool to:
i) sustain the vitality of small-scale, pedestrian-oriented neighbourhood shopping centres;
ii) preserve locally-owned businesses;
iii) protect the unique character of local shopping areas;
iv) reduce retail sprawl; and
v) reduce dependency on the automobile.
Consultations with key groups such as CityPlan Committees and other neighbourhood organizations, BIAs, Board of Trade and UDI should be undertaken as part of the report.
Notice
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Green
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Green
SECONDED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Special Council recessed at 10:35 pm on July 6, and
adjourned at 11:52 pm on July 7, 2004.
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