SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 6
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
DECEMBER 14, 1995
POLICY REPORT
URBAN STRUCTURE
Date: November 28, 1995
Dept. File No. IS
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: General Managers of Community Services, Parks &
Recreation, and Engineering Services
SUBJECT: Status and Funding Requirements of an Advisory Group Set Up
to Increase Opportunity for Diverse Use of the Water and
Water's Edge
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council endorse the 'ad hoc' Water Opportunities
Advisory Group as a legitimate Task Force for a limited
duration with a composition as set out in Appendix A; and, if
'A' is approved.
B. THAT Council authorize an additional $12,500 to be provided
in the 1996 Operating Budget and assigned to the Planning
Department to be used by the Water Opportunities Advisory
Group for the purposes of public consultation, as outlined in
the proposed budget included in Appendix A.
MANAGERS' COMMENTS
The General Managers of Community Services, Parks & Recreation
and Engineering Services RECOMMEND approval of A and B. The
General Manager of Community Services notes that other work
priorities will severely constrain the level of staff support
which can be provided to the advisory groups. The level of staff
support provided to date cannot be sustained.
COUNCIL POLICY
Many land-related policies.
PURPOSE
This report provides information to Council on the Water Opportunities
Advisory Group, including activities and anticipated product, and
seeks Council's endorsation of the group as a Task Force of limited
duration with funding for an appropriate level of public consultation.
The Task Force's composition and proposed budget are included as
Appendix A.
BACKGROUND
Just over a year ago, Councillor Sullivan identified his concern over
the loss of diversity on Vancouver's waterfronts and the need to
develop a new vision to preserve water-related activities. Shortly
thereafter, under Councillor Sullivan's guidance, the Water
Opportunities Advisory Group was formed. It is an 'ad-hoc' group with
diverse representation from both the public and private sectors, all
on a voluntary basis. The initial task was to understand the existing
situation by compiling a comprehensive inventory of waterfront and
water related policies. Over the last year, the group has worked its
way around the City's perimeter, reviewing policy and assessing the
context and locational characteristics of waterfront sectors such as
adjacent land use, quality of water, tides, currents and winds. It is
now time to include the public in this review and with their help
identify opportunities and new policy.
DISCUSSION
Vancouver is a waterfront city with approximately 30 miles of
shoreline. Over four miles is under the jurisdiction of the Port,
where approximately 60 million tonnes of shipping (not counting
containers) each year rate Vancouver as the number one port in Canada
and the third largest port in North America.
In addition to the Port and other industrial uses, the waterfront is
home to all types of recreation from park and walkways to power and
non-power boats. Commercial use includes restaurants, marinas and
charter operations. Residential is limited to a few liveaboard or
float home developments. In all, the water within the city limits
totals over 5,000 acres compared to about 3,000 acres of park space.
Over the last 30 years, public access to the water has greatly
increased with the redevelopment of industrial land in Coal Harbour,
False Creek and along the Fraser River. From the land based
perspective, new parks, walkway and bicycle routes have changed the
character of the waterfront and added missing links in the continuous
public waterfront system. However these improvements have resulted in
a loss of diversity from the water's perspective. Concerns over water
quality and the desire for a tidier, more urban shoreline have reduced
the size of marinas or eliminated them. Marine industrial and
commercial activity has also been lost. At the same time, increased
competition for water areas could lead to conflict.
All of these factors make it now necessary to pay attention to the
water and its use. The work already done by the volunteer Water
Opportunities Group in compiling policy and assessing waterfront use
provides the basis for a full public consulta-tion. The public
comments could then be reworked into a policy proposal for Council's
consideration.
Before going to the public for comments, the group would like Council
to endorse the process and the advisory group as a legitimate Task
Force with limited duration and funding. The Task Force would report
under the authority of the Planning Department with the consultation
of the General Managers of Engineering Services and Parks and
Recreation.
The public consultation is scheduled to begin with the Boat Show in
early February. To facilitate discussion, the Boat Show operators
have agreed to provide high exposure for the advisory group's use. As
this space is normally rented out, free use of this space represents a
fair contribution on behalf of the industry. Additional meetings with
the various user group will continue after the Boat Show.
To provide for public consultation, the advisory group needs $12,500
for the preparation of suitable graphic material, printing, mail-outs,
newspapers ads, translation, etc. A copy of the projected budget is
included in Appendix A. There will be no costs beyond the $12,500 and
these funds will be spent by the end of June 1996. Any funds not
needed will be reassigned.
Following the public consultation, it is proposed that a draft policy
statement be prepared and presented at a public meeting of Council,
expected in the late spring. Notification for this meeting would
include all interested user groups and the general public.
CONCLUSION
To further the work of the 'ad-hoc' Water Opportunities Advisory Group
leading to the development of a policy statement for Vancouver's
waterfront, it is recommended that Council recognize this group as a
Task Force to report under the Planning Department, in consultation
with the General Managers of Engineering Services and Parks &
Recreation, and provideadequate funding for a fullpublic consultation.
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APPENDIX A
Page 1 of 2
WATER OPPORTUNITIES ADVISORY GROUP
Sam Sullivan, City Councillor
Private Sector
Wayne Hartrick, Vancouver City Planning Commission
Dianna Colnett, Fraser River Management
Jim Crandles, Vancouver Port Corporation
Gary MacDonald, Maritime Journalist
Max Whitcomb, Ambassador, Shrine Yacht Clubs,
Founder of Boaters' Day
Staff
Jim Lowden, Park Board
Alan Duncan, Greenways
Don Brynildsen, Engineering
Ian Smith, Planning
Richard Johnson, Planning
Coralys Cuthbert, Social Planning
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Appendix A
Page 2 of 2
PROJECTED BUDGET
Printing 1,000
Materials 500
Meeting space 500
Enlargements 100
Slide show 100
Graphic Artist 3,000
Land use map or model 0
Signage 0
Advertising & PR 3,000
Pictures 0
Mailings 0
Video stand-ups 1,000
Staff Overtime 500
Translation 1,300
Contingency 15% 1,500
12,500
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