Vancouver City Council

VANCOUVER HERITAGE COMMISSION

OCTOBER 4, 2004

Minutes

A regular meeting of the Vancouver Heritage Commission was held on Monday, October 4, 2004, in Committee Room # 1, Third Floor, City Hall, at approximately 11:00 a.m.

Members Present: Richard Keate, Chair
Brad Alberts
Megan Balmer
James Burton
*Cam Cathcart, Vice-Chair
*Cheryl Cooper
Councillor Jim Green
Karen Jarvis
Henry Tom

Members Absent: Denise Cook (Leave of Absence)

Also Present: *Commissioner Heather Deal, Vancouver Park Board

Also Absent: Trustee Noel Herron, Vancouver School Board

City Clerk's Office: Diane M. Clairmont, Meeting Coordinator

* Denotes absence for a portion of the meeting.

Adoption of Minutes

Minutes of the September 13, 2004 meeting were adopted.

Attendance

There were no objections to granting Leave of Absence for Denise Cook for this meeting.

1. Business Arising from the Minutes

a) Statements of Significance Sub-committee

RESOLVED

THAT the Vancouver Heritage Commission establish a Sub-committee named 2004 - 2005 Statements of Significance Review to review 2004 - 2005 Statements of Significance developed by the consultants, members being James Burton and Karen Jarvis.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Staff distributed information relating to Training Workshops on November 10 and 19, 2004.
Funding for Continuing Education

Following discussion, the Commission

RESOLVED

THAT the Vancouver Heritage Commission approve the Report to Council Course/Conference Funding for Vancouver Heritage Commission, dated June 11, 2004 relating to funding for continuing education as presented at the October 4, 2004 meeting with the dollar amount in the recommendation being set at $2,500 annually; and

FURTHER THAT this report will be submitted to City Clerk's Office for inclusion on a future agenda of Standing Committee.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

It was agreed that Cam Cathcart would represent the VHC at the Standing Committee meeting. City Clerk's Office will forward notification regarding the date and time of the meeting to Mr. Cathcart.

LATE ITEM

c) 522 Beatty Street, former Marquis Building
C-listed n VHR - DE408442

Due to time constraints, this item was postponed to the October 25, 2004 agenda.

2. Conservation Review

a) SEFC - Rezoning

Applicant: Norm Hotson, Hotson Bakker Architects; Hal Kalman and Meg Stanley, Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Limited; and Joyce Drohan, Stantec Architecture.
Staff: Karis Hiebert, Yardley McNeill, Heritage Planner, Bruce Maitland, Director, Real Estate Services

Staff, along with the Applicant, reviewed Statements of Significance, presented a revised plan for SEFC and responded to questions relating to grid realignment, traffic patterns and subsequent impact on traffic and businesses, slips, relocation and potential changes to buildings, integration of streetcar lines, open space, land usage and water access, 2010 Olympics, heritage building inventory, public art, street naming, potential relocation of community centre, and status of Maritime Museum.

RESOLVED

THAT the Vancouver Heritage Commission generally supports the proposed SEFC plan as presented at the October 4 VHC meeting with the following to be considered by the Applicant:

i) support by VHC of Statements of Significance as presented;
ii) review of water access including having the basin come into the Salt Building and increasing waterfront space useage;
iii) retention of Wilkinson Steel and Salt buildings in present locations and developing uniqueness of site based on this;
iv) examination of potential for road to run through Wilkinson Building;
v) prominent display of artifacts;
vi) research of future occupancy potential of heritage buildings to ensure success of heritage buildings;
vii) review of potential heritage buildings in Cambie Yards;
viii) naming of streets to reflect historical significance of this industrial area;
ix) exploration of potential use of piers, barges and other waterfront industrial forms for community spaces;
x) exploration of the animated waterfront to utilize more finger slips.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

b) Burrard Bridge

Issues: i) compatibility of all options with the historic value of the bridge.
Staff: David Rawsthorne, Engineering; Yardley McNeill, Heritage Planner; Richard Johnson, Current Planning, and Gerry McGeough, Senior Heritage Planner

Staff reviewed the status and work program to date of the additional options relating to vehicle/pedestrian and cyclist traffic across the Burrard Bridge. They responded to questions relating to potential for future modes of transportation, heritage aspects, options relating to number of lanes/lane useage and safety issues.

Staff will report back to the Commission following the upcoming Council workshop. Commission members provided comments as follows

· retain bridge as is to ensure no impact on heritage features;
· if bridge has to be used in a manner other than changing traffic flows on bridge then underspan option is best and would have least impact on heritage factors;
· Granville Bridge has better access from East and could more easily accommodate cyclists; Staff indicated they have reviewed Granville Bridge as an option and provided rationale why it is not as good an option for cyclists; Commission members suggested this be revisited;
· consider moving cars off Burrard Street and maintain it as a pedestrian/cyclist bridge.

c) 24 - 36 Water Street - Terminus Hotel and Grand Hotel
B-listed on VHR - DE 408640

Issues: i) loss of the building structure of the Grand Hotel;
ii) compatibility of one-storey street wall addition to the Grand Hotel;

iii) compatibility of two-storey set back roof additions (massing & character);

iv) Blood Alley heritage and urban design treatment;
v) application of heritage incentives
Applicants: Alan Davies and Mark Ostry, Acton Ostry Architects Inc.; Robert Fung, The Salient Group; Donald Luxton, Donald Luxton & Associates,
Staff: Gerry McGeough, Senior Heritage Planner

Staff, along with the Applicant, reviewed the project and responded to questions relating to window alignment, building facades, heritage incentives, and relationship to Blood Alley.

RESOLVED

THAT the Vancouver Heritage Commission supports the project in principle as proposed at the October 4, 2004 VHC meeting with the following considerations:

i) supports loss of the building structure of the Grand Hotel;
ii) supports one storey street wall addition to the Grand Hotel;
iii) supports request by Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee (GHAPC) to provide more design development of massing and character relating to two storey set back roof additions;
iv supports transfer of density subject to financial analysis and eligibility for façade grants;
v) encourages recycling of valuable heritage interior elements;
vi) supports heritage and urban design treatment of Blood Alley as proposed.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Cam Cathcart and Cheryl Coooper not present for the vote)

3. Sub-committee Reports

Nil

4. Correspondence

There was no correspondence.

5. Other Business

LATE ITEM

a) Nat Bailey Stadium

The Commission expressed concern regarding the options relating to Nat Bailey Stadium which will be discussed by Park Board at their October 4, 2004 meeting.

RESOLVED

That as Nat Bailey Stadium may have heritage value, the Vancouver Heritage Commission requests that decision on its future be delayed in order to provide time to identify the amount of that heritage value and the exploration of options to preserve it.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Cam Cathcart and Cheryl Cooper not present for the vote)

Meeting Coordinators' Note: this resolution was forwarded to Gerry McGeough, Senior Heritage Planner, and Commissioner Deal (Vancouver Park Board) same day. Commissioner Deal acknowledged receipt same day.

6. Next Meeting:

Monday, October 25, 2004
11:00 a.m.
Committee Room # 1 - Third Floor, City Hall

The meeting was adjourned at 3:20 p.m.

* * * * *