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CITY OF VANCOUVER SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JULY 15, 19, 20 AND 21, 2004 |
A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, July 15, 2004, at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall, for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing to consider proposed amendments to the CD-1 By-law No. 3656 for 2901 East Hastings Street (Hastings Racecourse). Subsequently, the meeting was recessed, and reconvened in the Council Chamber at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 19, 2004, at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20, 2004, and at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21, 2004. The Minutes have been consolidated for ease of reference.
PRESENT: |
Mayor Larry Campbell
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CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers, City Manager (July 19 and 21, 2004) |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Laura Kazakoff, Meeting Coordinator |
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
SECONDED by Councillor Stevenson
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Campbell in the Chair, to consider proposed amendments to the CD-1 By-law for 2901 East Hastings Street (Hastings Racecourse).
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
1. Text Amendment: 2901 East Hastings Street (Hastings Racecourse)
An application by Hastings Entertainment Inc. and B.C. Lottery Corporation was considered as follows:
Summary: |
The proposed text amendment to the CD-1 zoning would permit slot machines at Hastings Racecourse. |
The Director of Current Planning recommended approval, subject to conditions as set out in the agenda of the Public Hearing.
Staff Opening Comments
Larry Beasley, Director of Current Planning, provided Council with an overview of the application and noted this proposal was for installation of slot machines only and not for a full casino. Mr. Beasley also reviewed the development permit process which would follow should the rezoning be approved.
Mr. Beasley provided information regarding the results from the Public Open House held July 7, 2004, as outlined in the Memorandum from Dave Thomsett, Senior Rezoning Planner, dated July 15, 2004, which was also before Council this evening.
Applicant Comments
Vic Poleschuk, President and CEO, BC Lottery Corporation (materials filed), representing the applicant, advised this proposal is about the future of Hastings Racecourse. He noted that today's more competitive market has meant the racecourse has experienced a decline in attendance and smaller purses. Mr. Poleschuk outlined the corporation's vision of reducing the number of operating casinos and providing fewer, but larger and better gaming facilities in the Lower Mainland. Revenues from this proposal, if approved, will allow infrastructure improvements at the track and revitalize the horse racing industry, as well as support community and social programs.
Mr. Poleschuk, along with Gail White, Director of Social Responsibility, BC Lottery Corporation, responded to questions regarding the total number of slot machines projected for the lower mainland, revenues from last year, and the percentage of revenues which comes from problem gamblers. Mr. Poleschuk also responded to questions concerning the corporation's investigation into a recent loansharking allegation made in the media.
Bruno Wall, Director, Hastings Entertainment Inc., representing the applicant, noted that thoroughbred racing has been a significant part of the city's heritage for the past 115 years and for many years offered the only form of legal gambling. Entertainment and gaming options have increased over the past two decades and racecourses have suffered as a result. Slot machines have provided the industry a means to revitalize by attracting new horse owners and creating thousands of new jobs.
Howard Blank, Great Canadian Casino, representing the applicant, provided information regarding Great Canadian's operations, noting it works closely with BC Lottery Corporation and develops strong relationships with the municipalities in which its casinos are located. Mr. Blank advised Hastings Racecourse is in need of modernizing and this proposal will enable a first class entertainment facility to be offered to the citizens of British Columbia.
Summary of Correspondence
Council received the following correspondence since the date the application was referred to Public Hearing:
· 86 letters in support
· 65 letters in opposition
· 89 postcards in support
· 8 "other" letters.
Speakers
The Mayor called for speakers for and against the application.
The following delegations spoke in opposition to the application:
David Bornman
Mark Caloren (materials filed)
Barry Sharbo
John Barrington-Craggs
Pablo Policzer
Claudia Ferris, Stop the Slot Machines in Hastings Park Committee (petition filed -
signatures unaudited)
Gillian Richards
Gordon Hughes
Jim Hamm, Stop the Slot Machines in Hastings Park Committee (brief filed)
John Irwin, Society for the Promotion of Environmental Conservation
Laura Hamm
Joanne Van Snellenberg
Marty Lund
Erik Harms, Hastings Community Association
Garry Johns
Lara Olson, Hastings Park Conservancy
Jim Thomson
Helen Mintz
Graham Cook
Reed Harris
Blair Goodman
Odette Slater
Elaine Barbour
Lana Leeson
Aidan Poulter
Mark Roxborough
Don Clark
Karen Gram
Colleen Fuller
Susan Hollick-Kenyon
Fabian Hope
Mariken Van Nimwegen
Stephanie Gerbrandt
Angela Palaia
Willie Lee
George Engelman (petition filed - signatures unaudited)
Rob Austin
Cynthia Flood
William Hansen
Monique Zander
Bruce Pearson
Catherine Robinson
Rosalind Barrington-Craggs
Cathy Shannon
Thomas Day-Madunicky
Dean Sinnett
Jin Me-Yoon
Isabel Minty, Citizens Against Gambling Expansion (materials filed)
Armin Strohschein
Michael Bouche
Tyson Shober
Stephanie Knueppel
Doris Pickelein
Janet Willson
Chris Zuberec
Fiona Gold (brief filed)
James Tigchelaar
Corrine Sepke
Kevin Lastoria
Jamie Lee Hamilton
Rachel Craggs
Bill Chu
Zoe Leung
Pam Costanzo
Nancy Sorel-Magel
Lawrence Cohen
Simon Houlding
Bernie James
Michael Rosser
Dara Rosenzveig
Barbara Heihuizen
Sue Reid
David Henderson
Ann Grant
Louis Seto
Rickard Dominika
George Rammell
Josephine Hope
Eleanor Hadley
Georgina Nicholson
Mari Pighini
Catherine Watson
Shawna Fabor
Darcy Swinton
Stewart Brinton
Sharon Kearney
Howard Kruschke
Derek Zander
Jiri Hornburg
John Hoogenboom
Shirley Casper
Toni Crow
Sonia Worobetz
David Butler
Ken Baynes
Jesse Enns
Colin Hay.
Comments provided by the foregoing speakers included the following:
· slot machines have the highest impact addiction problems; whereas horse-racing has a low addiction rate;
· gambling addictions can be devastating to families;
· local community around Hastings Park has been improving in recent years with influx of new families and many heritage homes being restored; allowing a casino to operate in the heart of this community will seriously jeapordize it;
· two-thirds of Vancouverites agree that a casino does not belong in a residential neighbourhood or in a park;
· this issue is about money, power and greed; it is about a corporation wanting to make money at the expense of the public good and amounts to an economic bail-out of this corporation;
· installing slot machines into a park in one of Vancouver's poorest neighbourhoods, with its large percentage of vulnerable residents, will have serious negative social and economic impacts;
· proposal will result in massive increases in vehicular traffic in the neighbourhood; consultants' report notes traffic congestion is already at a peak;
· Consultants' report prepared for the City recommends environmental design "improvements" for crime prevention which includes increased lighting, removal of shrubs and trees which may conceal criminal activity, the installation of closed-circuit tv cameras, and increased police and private security presence - how does this fit into a neighbourhood park?
· other racetracks in Canada may have casinos, but they are not racetracks which are located in neighbourhood parks;
· current owners would not have purchased track if it was not financially viable; feel it is a matter of wanting to make even more money with slot machines;
· the "save the track" ploy has been a scare tactic to garner support of track workers for slot machines;
· if the impacts of slot machines are so benign, why are they not being considered for parks in other parts of the city?
· 80% of casino revenues come from the local community, thus diverting money from other community businesses; the amount people spend on gambling is relative to the proximity of the gaming facility;
· a Saskatchewan study shows that native people are five times as likely to develop gambling addictions;
· allowing slot machines will open the door for a future application to expand the facility to a full casino operation;
· reports state that the best site for a casino is a remote, fortress-like location which can be made secure by virtue of its isolation;
· Hastings Racecourse is only five-eighths of a mile; most horse owners and trainers are not interested in racing on a short track, which is the main reason why the operation at this track is declining;
· there are very few resources available to help people with gambling addictions; often treatment cannot be obtained unless they are also suffering from another major problem, such as schizophrenia;
· studies showing no link between gambling and crime are unbalanced; over 50% of problem gamblers admit to having committed crimes;
· another, more creative solution for maintaining viability of the track which supports both sides must exist and needs to be found; slots are not the answer;
· this neighbourhood is constantly under siege; we successfully fought against LaFarge, and now are fighting another threat;
· slots have become a substitution for taxation; it would be preferable to pay increased taxes to pay for needed social and community services;
· slot revenue will not go to horsemen, who get most of their money from simulcast racing;
· suggest a delay on the decision on this application until after the ward referendum;
· people speaking against slots have been wrongly portrayed as being anti-jobs and anti-union.
The following delegations spoke in favour of the application:
Steve Varty, Secretary Treasurer, CUPE 1004
Randy Goulding, Save the Track Coalition (petition filed - signatures unaudited)
Kathy Bremner, Save the Track Coalition
Bill Pierson, President, Hotel, Restaurant, Culinary Employees and Bartenders Union,
Local 40
Stephanie Williamson, President, Hastings North Business Improvement Association
Andrew Bankley
Mel Snow, President, Horsemen's Benevolent Protective Association (HBPA) of BC
Sara Evans
Chuck Keeling, Fraser Downs Racetrack
Greg Pyc
Dixie Jacobsen, President, Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society
Bill Turner, Winners Foundation of BC
Noel Roddick, HBPA
Rob Gilker
Jeannie Spence, The Learning Centre (materials filed)
Leah Bolton
Richard Yates
Dan Steer
Angela Schira, BC Federation of Labour
Gael Marriotte
Jennifer Tompkins
Chantelle Beveridge, HBPA
Vicki McCullough
Bill Saunders, President, Vancouver and District Labour Council
Barb Williams
Audrey Beatch
Michael Skrivanek
Jim Major
Ardel Brophy, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union
Doug Clyde
Josie Anderson
Edgar Hildebrandt
Margaret Sykes
Gillian Pinet
Andrew Brown
John Teti
Jeannie Nord
Joan Robinson
Merrit Smith
Diane Bradsen
Al Hammond
Dawne Bradley
Barbara Walsh
Kelly Quinn, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (materials filed)
Jerri New, President, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union
Alec Murray
Craig O'Reilly
Suzanne Anderson, Director, Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society
Alice Chung
Dan Jukich
Lonnie Overshot
Barb Heads
Terri Forster
Shawna Ferguson
Maryanne Baumgartner
David Milburn
Robert Ireland
Christine Hong
Claudio Marchioni
Natasha Mitchener
Al Engler
Margaret Brown
May Jaager
Audrey Brown
Mary Grindley
Lola McCarthy
Harvey Bowers
Fred Parr-Pearson
Anne Gregory
Lorne Mitchell
Theresa Jukich
Bill Heads
Gail Veikle
Alexander Duncan
Kirsten MacDonald
Elisa Jukich
Brooke Snow
Raj Sihota
David Black
Nicola Wright
Maya Russell
Comments provided by the foregoing speakers included the following:
· many of the people employed at the track live in East Vancouver; a massive loss of employment will result if this application is not approved;
· Hastings Racecourse provides a safe, sociable, clean environment for the many seniors who frequent it on a regular basis;
· the track is a unique and vibrant part of the city's fabric;
· 77% of the membership of the Hastings North Business Improvement Association support this application;
· increase in traffic on a daily basis will be minimal and parking will be accommodated on-site;
· a drop-in college for track workers (The Learning Centre) has operated at the track for past two years, and many of the attendees cannot attend regular college courses due to irregular work hours; approval of the slots application will enable this program to be extended to the surrounding community;
· slots are another form of gambling, and one which is required to keep the horse-racing industry alive;
· majority of people who frequent the track and casinos are simply regular people who choose to spend their free time and entertainment dollars in that activity; people have the right to choose how to spend their time and money;
· raising, breeding, housing and feeding horses is a big business, with an economic structure that goes far beyond the racetrack; 1,100 farms that breed thoroughbreds, most of which are family-owned, are struggling;
· slot machines have divided the racing community into two groups - those that have them, and those that do not;
· the Winners Foundation runs a problem gambling program at Hastings and at Fraser Downs and is entirely funded by the industry;
· hay and oat production is a very important crop and is vital in crop rotation and makes up part of the 10,000 jobs that are supported by the horse-racing industry;
· racetrack survival and Hastings Park restoration, maintenance and greening is dependent on slots application being approved which would provide the necessary funding source;
· many track workers would be unable to find employment should the track close; the track provides opportunities for people to start in entry-level positions and move up as they gain skills; it helps many people overcome poverty and a majority of the workers are women; track employment offers flexibility to those who need it; it also provides employment for many people with marginal abilities and/or physical or mental disabilities;
· horse-racing is not a dying industry, but it is an evolving industry;
· parking concerns could be addressed by providing more on-site parking, which would also eliminate the need for the large surface parking lot across the street from the park which could be developed to generate revenue;
· the Calgary racetrack is only five-eights of a mile, and slot machines have assisted operations there; the track is also located in the centre of the city, and has not seen an apparent increase in crime since the introduction of slots;
· Hastings Racecourse offers family-oriented activities which are not taken advantage of by most of the residents of the area;
· many area residents who support the proposal are not comfortable speaking in a public forum such as this or lack the language skills to do so;
· when the provincial government expanded gaming, racetracks were promised slot machines to offset their losses;
· Hastings currently is not making enough money - purses are down, horse population is down, employment is down, live racing is down to two days a week from four, barns need upgrading;
· feel many of the residents moved into the neighbourhood knowing the track was there, and now they don't want to allow what is necessary to keep it operating;
· the track is an important social gathering place for many Chinese Canadians, with 42 live simulcast Hong Kong racing nights per year;
· paranoia about increased crime is a result of fear-mongering; most users of slot machines are over 65 and/or women; eliminating jobs, however, will increase crime;
· the slots at Hastings Park will be contained within the track and will be apparent only to those people who want to know about them;
· slot revenues would allow the re-opening of the daycare;
· suggest a one-year review be done to measure impacts to neighbourhood and ensure residents' concerns are fully addressed.
Richard Lipsey, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Economics (brief filed), provided a presentation questioning the assumed economic benefits of introducing slot machines into the Hastings Park racing facility.
Robert Waldmann advised Council to make the best decision based on the information it has received.
Gordon Walker provided comments in support of moving ahead with this proposal, but with a new, more creative approach that would resolve the concerns of all parties.
Note from Clerk: the following took place on Tuesday, July 20th, partway through the hearing of speakers:
MOVED by Councillor Sullivan
THAT Council continue to hear from registered speakers this day until the hearing of the public is concluded.
LOST
(Councillors Bass, Cadman, Green, Ladner, Louie, Louis, Roberts and Woodsworth opposed)
MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
THAT Council hear from registered speakers until midnight and then recess and reconvene at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21, 2004, until the hearing of the public is concluded; and
FURTHER THAT the public be advised via the City's webpage that the hearing of the public will conclude on Wednesday, July 21, 2004.
CARRIED
(Councillors Green, Stevenson and the Mayor opposed)
During the hearing of speakers on all four nights, Mr. Beasley, Mario Lee, Social Planner and Sue Harvey, PNE/Hastings Park Project Manager, responded to questions concerning rates of addiction in relation to slot machines compared to other forms of gaming, studies on crime in relation to casinos, the racecourse's lease terms and rate with the City, possible conditions of approval which would guarantee racecourse performance and job creation, what measures are in place to ensure approval of slots will not lead a full-scale casino and projected traffic increases.
Staff also agreed to provide further information prior to Council's decision on this matter to respond to other queries concerning Hastings Racecourse's financial statements for the past few years, viability of the track and long-term future of horse-racing, current and projected employment levels, crime and gambling addiction issues, and the current opinion of the Police Department in regard to this application.
Applicant Closing Comments
Mr. Wall noted that generally everyone heard from during the Public Hearing is supportive of the racetrack and want it to remain viable. He advised a proven model for maintaining its viability is the introduction of slot machines, and should this application be approved, current union jobs will be preserved, there will be no expansion to a full casino, live racing will continue, and the racecourse will remain within its current footprint. He further advised the applicants are committed to working with residents through the development permit process to ensure their concerns are addressed. In addition the applicants intend to create new jobs, expand the Learning Centre for PNE workers and local residents, open a daycare to serve employees and local residents, open a grooming school, participate in the greening of Hastings Park and work hard to gain the respect of the local community.
Council Decision
Council concluded the hearing of the public at 2:40 a.m. on July 22, 2004, and agreed to refer the staff summation and Council's discussion and decision on this matter to the regular Council meeting following the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment meeting to be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 22, 2004.
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Stevenson
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Sullivan
SECONDED by Councillor Louie
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Special Council recessed at 10:30 p.m. on July 15th,
recessed at 11:20 p.m. on July 19th,
recessed at 11:59 p.m. on July 20th,
and adjourned at 2:41 a.m. on July 22, 2004.
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