SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 5
P&E COMMITTEE AGENDA
JULY 27, 1995
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: July 21, 1995
File No: 5527-2
TO: Standing Committee of Council on
Planning and Environment
FROM: City Clerk, as Chair of the Street Naming Committee
SUBJECT: Naming of two new public roads in Coal Harbour
Neighbourhood and naming of a new public road north of
2400 Block of 49th Avenue,
CONSIDERATION
A. THAT the new public road, connecting Denman Street and Cardero
Street, north of Georgia Street, be named "Coal Harbour
Drive";
or
B. THAT the new public road, connecting Denman Street and Cardero
Street, north of Georgia Street, be named "Bayshore Drive";
RECOMMENDATION
C. THAT the new public road, connecting the Cardero Street end to
the Nicola Street end, north of Georgia Street, be named "Coal
Harbour Drive";
D. THAT the new public road, extending as a cul-de-sac one
block north of 49th Avenue, adjacent to Balsam Street, be
named "Balsam Place" and
E. THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to bring
forward the appropriate amendments to the Street Name By-law.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager submits the foregoing for CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council uses the Street Name By-law, No. 4054, to name and regulate
public roads in the City of Vancouver. The Street Naming Committee
is a staff team comprising the City Surveyor, representatives of
the Permits and Licenses, Fire, Planning and Law Departments,
chaired by the City Clerk. The Committee is responsible for the
management of a consistent, integrated and duplication-free street
name system.
PURPOSE
This is a report back following Council's direction of July 13, 1995
that the Street Naming Committee reconsider the proposed Street Names
for two new public roads in the Coal Harbour Neighbourhood. The report
presents new names for Council's consideration.
This report also recommends a name for a new public road that will
extend one block north of the 2400 block of 49th Avenue, adjacent to
Balsam Street.
I. Coal Harbour Neighbourhood
DISCUSSION
Names are required for two new public roads in the new Coal Harbour
community. One road will connect Denman Street and Cardero Street,
north of Georgia Street. The other road will connect the Cardero Street
end and the Nicola Street end, north of Georgia Street (Appendix A).
The Street Naming Committee has worked with Marathon Realty, the
Bayshore developer and other developers working on this project in an
effort to find mutually suitable names for these new roads. The name
"Harbour Pointe Road" was suggested by Marathon for the Cardero
Street/Nicola Street connection, and is acceptable to the Committee, but
was not supported by Council at its meeting July 13, 1995. The
alternative name "Coal Harbour Drive" is, therefore, submitted for
Council's consideration. This name is acceptable to both the Street
Naming Committee and affected developers. The name is currently in the
Street Name Index as a name for two private roads further east in the
Coal Harbour Neighbourhood, but these roads will cease to exist as this
area is redeveloped.
Staff acknowledge Council's concern that these two new roads be given
separate names, but submit for consideration the name "Coal Harbour
Drive" for both, noting discontinuous roads and street names are not
rare in Vancouver, these are short roads in an enclosed neighbourhood
and that there is only some 280 feet separating the alignment of the two
roads. If Council believes these two roads should have different names,
the Street Naming Committee proposes "Coal Harbour Drive" for the
Cardero Street/Nicola Street connection and "Bayshore Drive" for the
Denman Street/Cardero Street Connection. The Street Naming Committee,
however, is concerned for the commercial precedent of using this name,
but has been unable to work with the developer to create another
selection.
The Bayshore Hotel management and Michael Geller & Associates Ltd., the
representative for the Bayshore developer, have proposed the name
"Bayshore Drive" for the Denman Street/Cardero Street connection, as an
appropriate name for the road's waterfront setting. The developer feels
the Bayshore Hotel represents a significant component of Vancouver's
history and deserves to be recognized by a street name. The developer
is also naming its project "Bayshore" which in its view reinforces the
appropriateness of the proposed street name.
The neighbourhood name "Bayshore" is the developer's representation for
a specific development in the context of a larger neighbourhood for
marketing purposes.
The Street Naming Committee is concerned that the approval of the name
"Bayshore Drive" for this new public street could establish a commercial
precedent for the naming of new streets. The Committee has previously
been approached by other developers wanting to use a corporate name or
commercial connotation for a street name. It is the Committee's policy
that such names not be considered. In this case, however, the Committee
is now recommending this name as it has been impossible to find another
name that is acceptable to both the developer and the Committee and that
is not already in use. The name "Bayshore" is recommended on the basis
that it has transcended its commercial usage and become a generic
description of the area.
NAMING PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS
At its meeting July 13, 1995, Council members suggested possible names
for these new roads. One such name, "Kanaka", was researched. The name
refers to native Hawaiians that settled in Vancouver in the 1880's and
1890's. Although some Kanaka lived near Coal Harbour, they are
identified historically more with North Vancouver. It is difficult to
justify naming a Vancouver street after these people when other pioneer
groups and indeed aboriginal peoples have not been so honoured. Other
such historical names from pioneer records that were considered include
"Obens" from an 1890's logging camp; "Menchion" for the pioneer
shipbuilding family located in Coal Harbour and "Shingle Mill" for an
early logging operation located nearby. The Street Naming Committee
tries to develop potential names from historical atlases, maps, pioneer
records and other sources. The Committee seeks to commemorate historic
or geographic features related to the area of the new street. Many
names are rejected because they are already in use. Names celebrating
aboriginal peoples and pioneers are sought by the Committee. However,
many words in aboriginal languages are very difficult to spell and
pronounce. The selection of a street name is often a compromise
attempting to find an appropriate and acceptable name that is not in use
and that does not favour one group or part of Vancouver's history over
another.
SUMMARY
The Street Naming Committee recommends the name "Coal Harbour Drive" for
the two new public roads in the Coal Harbour Neighbourhood, but submits
for consideration the name "Bayshore Drive" for the new public road that
will connect Denman Street and Cardero Street, north of Georgia Street,
if Council wishes two separate names for the two new roads and providing
Council agrees that this name does not represent a precedent for the
commercialization of street names.
II Balsam Place
DISCUSSION
A large lot on the north side of the 2400 block of 49th Avenue is being
subdivided into four properties. This subdivision requires the
dedication of a new public road to service the new properties. This new
road is a cul-de-sac and will not be continued further north (Appendix
B).
Balsam Street exists from South West Marine Drive to 49th Avenue and
from 47th Avenue to 37th Avenue. As the new road is adjacent to the
intersection of Balsam Street and 49th Avenue, it is appropriate that
the new road be named "Balsam Place". Addresses can be provided that
will not conflict with existing addresses on Balsam Street.
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