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CITY OF VANCOUVER
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 29, 2004
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A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on September 29, 2004, at 2:00 p.m., recessed at 6:00 p.m and reconvened at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall. The minutes have been consolidated for ease of reference.
PRESENT:
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Mayor Larry Campbell
Councillor Fred Bass
Councillor David Cadman
Councillor Jim Green
Councillor Peter Ladner
Councillor Raymond Louie
Councillor Tim Louis
Councillor Anne Roberts
*Councillor Tim Stevenson
Councillor Sam Sullivan
Councillor Ellen Woodsworth
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CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:
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Judy Rogers, City Manager
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CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:
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Nicole Ludwig, Meeting Coordinator
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* Denotes absence for part of the meeting.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Bass
SECONDED by Councillor Louie
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Campbell in the Chair.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
1. Woodward’s – 101 West Hastings Street: Request for Proposals – Developer Selection (File 8104)
Vancouver City Council, at its meeting September 28, 2004, received a Report Reference on the results of the request for proposals for the developer section for the redevelopment of the Woodward's site at 101 West Hastings Street and referred this matter to a Special Council Meeting on September 29, 2004, in order to hear from members of the public.
Accordingly, Council had before it the following
a) Administrative Report dated September 20, 2004;
b) Report entitled “Woodwards Redevelopment Proposals Review of Commercial Components” from Hudema Consulting dated August 27, 2004; and
c) Report to Council from the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee dated September 28, 2004.
Larry Beasley, Director of Current Planning, Michael Flanigan, Woodward’s Project Manager/Manager of Real Estate, Cameron Gray, Director – Housing Centre, Sue Harvey, Social Planning/Office of Cultural Affairs, Clyde Hosein, Director, Facilities Design and Management, and Bruce Maitland, Director, Real Estate Services, were available to respond to questions.
The following delegations spoke in opposition to all of the proposals submitted, and felt that the amount of social housing included in the proposals was inadequate:
Bev Meslo, NAC-BC (brief filed)
Rob Morgan, VANDU
Kim Kerr, DERA
Sister Elizabeth Kelliaher, DERA
Eric Holopainen, Hope Village Initiative
Donald Morin, Longhouse Council of Native Ministry Church
Debbie Krull, UNN Local 111
Bev Jones
Doug Peterson
Peter Haskell
A summary of speakers’ comments follows:
· Woodwards has the potential to be a model of social housing and support services;
· the City has not listened to residents of the Downtown Eastside;
· the social housing included in the proposals is inadequate;
· this process has betrayed the Downtown Eastside;
· a decision was made before any public input was taken into consideration;
· there is uncertainty that the needs of First Nations are being met;
· plans should include housing and services for the working poor;
· need more than 100 units of social housing and more than 16 units of family housing;
· there is a need to help the poor regain their dignity; and
· these proposals will not help the current problem and there may be other possibilities, such as progressive homeless shelters that include separate sleeping quarters and shared kitchen and bathroom areas.
The following delegations spoke in general favour of the proposals and encouraged Council to make a speedy decision:
Siobhan McCarthy, Gallery Gachet
Ken Lyotier
Kurt Lock
A summary of speakers’ comments follows:
· there is a good understanding of what the Woodward’s development could do for revitalization of the Downtown Eastside;
· urge Council to ensure capacity building measures are in place from the outset;
· revitalization has more to do with social concerns than with density issues;
· the Woodwards redevelopment and revitalization has the potential to include standards of behaviour that would further contribute to revitalization;
· there is a need for more social housing; and
· an expedient decision should be made.
The following delegations spoke in general favour of the Concert/Holborn proposal:
Brian Slater (brief filed)
Jim Leyden, Woodward’s Social Housing Coalition
Todd Peterson, Victory Lanes
Jan Noster, Carpenter’s Local 1995 (brief filed)
Bill Saunders, Vancouver and District Labour Council
Wayne Peppard, BC Building Trades Council
David Podmore, Concert Properties, Ltd.
Tina Konkin
Allan Burnett
Angela Giannoulis
Craig Sahlin
A summary of speakers’ comments follows:
· asking Council to defer decision and allow Concert/Holborn to resubmit their proposal;
· there is a need for more social housing and Woodwards has this potential;
· this process should serve the Downtown Eastside; Westbank is taking a softer/easier road and will lead to gentrification of the area;
· there is a dominant feeling that the community has been betrayed by the process;
· this process was neither open to the poor, nor was it clear for non-profits;
· the Woodwards redevelopment provides a good opportunity to provide apprenticeship programs that lead to careers;
· more needs to be done in the area of core and deep-core housing;
· choosing Concert/Holborn will provide more benefits for the citizens of Vancouver;
· union apprenticeships allow for finishing the apprenticeship, which leads to a career;
· the report recommends the Westbank proposal with changes to some aspects, similar to the existing Concert/Holborn proposal;
· the need to include a density transfer to 1133 West Georgia street in the Concert/Holborn proposal;
· there is a need for more family housing;
· the Concert/Holborn proposal makes more sense financially;
· Concert/Holborn has the least amount of retail space of the three proposals;
· why can’t the City enter into negotiations with Concert/Holborn and Westbank; and
· the Concert/Holborn proposal has more room for heritage aspects.
The following delegations spoke in general support of the Westbank proposal:
Ian MacRae
Christopher Livingstone, Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society
Carol Vignale
Ruth Adams
Richard Evans
Bruce Gongola
Lorne Goldman
Dean Wilson
Thia Walter
Jon Stovell, Gastown Business Improvement Association
Robert Leshgold, Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee
Lee Donohue
Muggs Sigurgeirson
Karen Ree
Tom Laviolette
Liz Evans, Portland Hotel Society
Gregory Henriquiez, Westbank Projects Corporation
Ian Gillespie, Westbank Projects Corporation
A summary of the foregoing speakers’ comments follows:
· the report is a starting point;
· Westbank is the best choice of the three proposals;
· fear of gentrification of area;
· the Westbank proposal is inclusive of people in the community;
· there are concerns around selling Woodwards to a developer;
· people of the Coast Salish territory are a part of the Woodwards vision;
· it is a mistake to allow the market to determine where density will go;
· there is concern over separate entrances for market and non-market housing;
· Westbank has the most flexible proposal;
· stay with Westbank and start construction as soon as possible;
· the Westbank proposal will allow for greater retail continuity in the area;
· restoration and revitalization are contingent on density staying in the area;
· the project needs to be an integral part of the community;
· Woodwards has the potential to be an anchor for the community;
· the Westbank proposal is more community-oriented than the other two, with basic community involvement throughout the process, allowing residents to have a voice;
· the Woodwards site has a symbolic value;
· designs and intentions will bring back the vitality of the old Hastings Street;
· the proposed community advisory council will include a broad selection of residents from the Downtown Eastside; and
· Westbank will do what they propose.
During the hearing of speakers, Councillor Louis rose on a point of order concerning the Chair’s ruling that speaker’s comments be limited to addressing the report.
Councillor Louis challenged the ruling of the Chair.
The Chair then put the question:
(Councillors Bass, Cadman, Louis and Roberts opposed)
(Councillor Stevenson absent for the vote)
A two-thirds majority of those present is required to overrule the ruling of the Chair. Therefore the ruling of the Chair was sustained.
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Council recessed at 6:00 p.m. and reconvened at 7:30 p.m. with the same members and Councillor Stevenson present, to continue hearing from speakers.
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Staff responded to questions regarding concerns raised by some of the foregoing speakers, various aspects of the proposals put forward and legal issues surrounding density transfer.
MOVED by Councillor Green
A. THAT Council approve the recommendation of the Woodward's Steering Committee, made in accordance with the Request for Proposals issued April 13, 2004 (the "RFP"), for staff to enter into negotiations with Westbank Projects Corp./The Peterson Investment Group Inc. (“Westbank”) to be the developer (the "Developer") for the Woodward's site (the "Project"), to carry out the Project substantially in accordance with its Proposal (a "Proposal") as further evolved through the normal development approval process.
CARRIED
(Councillor Louis opposed)
MOVED by Councillor Green
B. THAT Council require, as a condition of the approval in Recommendation A, of the Administrative Report, dated September 20, 2004, entitled “Woodward’s – 101 West Hastings Street: Request for Proposals – Developer Selection” that the Developer address to the satisfaction of the City the following development conditions applicable to its Proposal for report back:
i. design development to improve the project scale and proportional relationships of the tower and street-walls to the historic precinct, especially consideration of lowering the tower height, and consideration of off-site transfer of density possibilities;
ii. design development to improve heritage conservation; and
iii. design development of public open space, both open-air and covered, to improve general accessibility and clarity of public and semi-public access, especially acknowledging the upper-floor open spaces might not be useful for the general public but will be attractive for on-site residents, and that ground space must be designed for general public use.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOVED by Councillor Green
C. THAT Council authorize the Director of Real Estate Services, in consultation with the Directors of the Housing Centre and Social Planning, to negotiate the terms and conditions of the following agreements with the Developer, with the view to minimizing the City’s financial risk and exposure:
(i) a contract of purchase and sale (The “Sale Contract”) for the sale of the Woodward’s site to the Developer; and
(ii) a development agreement (the "Development Agreement") for the development of the Project substantially in accordance with the Developer's Proposal and other conditions set out herein;
which agreements must be to the satisfaction of the Director of Legal Services, provided that the Woodward's Steering Committee will report back to Council for approval of the final terms and conditions of each such agreement prior to execution of same.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOVED by Councillor Green
D. THAT Council instruct the Directors of Cultural Affairs and Social Planning, in conjunction with the Director of Facility Design and Management, to report back to Council in 2005 with recommendations for the users in the Non-Profit Premises Category which the City wishes to consider as potential owners/tenants of space in the portion of the Project to be owned by the City (the “City Parcel”).
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOVED by Councillor Green
E. THAT no legal rights or obligations shall arise or be created until the legal agreements are fully executed between the City and the Developer on terms and conditions to the satisfaction of the Director of Legal Services.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOVED by Councillor Green
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOVED by Councillor Louie
G. THAT staff examine reduced retail, particularly in a non-SFU development, paying particular heed to retail space that would have harmful impacts on Chinatown and Gastown, having special regard to the Day and night Market, and retail use that would generate significant car traffic, with the general intent to achieve relatively neutral impacts on surrounding retail areas.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOVED by Councillor Roberts
H. THAT as much public plaza space as possible, located at ground level to ensure maximum community access and use and to provide animate at street level as well as encourage integration of project with the surrounding community.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOVED by Councillor Roberts
I. THAT retail be generally street- and plaza-oriented, avoiding internal malls that pull people off the street and out of the community.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
SECONDED by Councillor Roberts
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
NEW BUSINESS
1. Leave of Absence – Councillor Green (File 1254)
MOVED by Councillor Louie
SECONDED by Councillor Cadman
THAT Councillor Green be granted Leave of Absence from the Public Hearing to be held September 30, 2004.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. Leave of Absence – Mayor Campbell (File 1254)
MOVED by Councillor Green
SECONDED by Councillor Cadman
THAT Mayor Campbell be granted Leave of Absence from the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting, the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment meeting and the Public Hearing to be held September 30, 2004.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
3. Leave of Absence – Councillor Stevenson (File 1254)
MOVED by Councillor Green
SECONDED by Councillor Cadman
THAT Councillor Stevenson be granted Leave of Absence from the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting to be held September 30, 2004.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
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