A6
                             ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

                                            Date: April 12, 1996
                                            Dept. File No.000 020

    TO:       Vancouver City Council

    FROM:     General Manager of Engineering Services and
              Manager of Real Estate Services

    SUBJECT:  Street Closures and Subdivision - Rupert Park


    RECOMMENDATION

         A.   THAT all those portions of Kitchener Street, Cassiar Street,
              the lane south of Kitchener Street, west of Cassiar Street in
              Block 86, and the lane north of Kitchener Street, east of
              Cassiar Street in Block 100, the same as shown hatched on the
              plan attached as Appendix "A", be closed, stopped-up and
              placed in the care and custody of the Park Board, subject to
              the following conditions:

              1.   The Park Board to be responsible for the cost of
                   physically closing the streets and lanes to the
                   satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering
                   Services.

              2.   The Park Board to be responsible for relocation or
                   removal of existing utilities contained within the area
                   of streets and lanes to be closed or, alternatively,
                   provision of Statutory Rights-of-Way to contain them, to
                   the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering
                   Services.

              3.   The said streets and lanes to be closed to be subdivided
                   dedicating City road as required, with the lands as
                   shown within the heavy outline on the plan attached as
                   Appendix "A", to create a single parcel to the
                   satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering
                   Services and the Approving Officer.

              4.   Completion of acquisition of a portion of Block B,
                   Sections 28 and 29, Town of Hastings Suburban Lands,
                   Plan 19244, by the Ministry of Transportation &
                   Highways, for the new Rupert Street off-ramp.

              5.   The Ministry of Transportation & Highways to cancel all
                   gazette notices relating to the subject streets and
                   lanes to be closed, and the abutting lands.

         B.   THAT the 16 City-owned parcels with Blocks 85, 86 and 100 of
              Town of Hastings Suburban Lands shown shaded on the plan
              attached as Appendix "A", and listed in Appendix "B", be
              placed in the care and custody of the Park Board.

         C.   THAT the Director of Legal Services be authorized to execute
              the subdivision plan and documents, on behalf of the City,
              required to accomplish the creation of the single parcel
              described in Recommendation A.

    COUNCIL POLICY

    The authority for closing and disposing of portions of streets and
    lanes is set out in the Vancouver Charter.


    PURPOSE

    The purpose of this report is to:

    1)   obtain Council approval to close, stop-up and place in the care
         and custody of the Park Board, portions of City streets and lanes
         no longer required for road purposes;

    2)   place 16 City-owned parcels in the care and custody of the Park
         Board;

    3)   authorize the Director of Legal Services to execute the required
         plans and documents.

    BACKGROUND

    On April 19, 1994, Council approved the report of the General Manager
    of Engineering Services that recommended closure of the portion of the
    former Cassiar-Rupert Diversion under City control.  That report also
    described the process by which the new Rupert Park will be created.

    On July 5, 1994, Council approved the report of the General Manager of
    Engineering Services that recommended closure of portions of Kitchener
    Street, Grant Street, the lane east of Rupert Street between Kitchener
    Street and Grant Street and the lane north of Grant Street running east
    of the lane east of Rupert Street.

    This report is the third and final report related to the closure of
    streets and lanes required to create the main parcel of the new Rupert
    Park.  (A smaller parcel to contain the parking lot, north of Charles
    Street, will be dealt with under closures related to the Cassiar
    Connector, City and Ministry of Transportation & Highways Land
    Exchanges.)

    DISCUSSION

    On April 2, 1996, Council approved the recommendations contained in the
    report of the General Manager of Engineering Services pertaining to the
    Cassiar Connector.  With approval of those recommendations, we are now
    able to seek the final approval of road closures required to complete
    the creation of the new Rupert Park described in the report approved by
    Council on April 19th, 1994.

    The subject streets and lanes were included in the 1960s series of
    Highway Plans prepared on the Trans-Canada Highway.  Specifically,
    these streets and lanes were included in Highway Plan and formed the
    initial phase of the Cassiar-Rupert Diversion.  With the 1993
    construction of the new Cassiar Connector and the Rupert Street
    Off-ramp, the Cassiar-Rupert Diversion is no longer in use.  The Park
    Board has redeveloped the subject area, as a part of a golf course, and
    occupies the land.  The streets and lanes to be closed and the adjacent
    City-owned lots in Blocks 85, 86 and 100 of the Town of Hastings
    Suburban Lands, which are shown as part of the Cassiar-Rupert
    Diversions on Highway Plan 62, are to be turned over to the Park Board
    in exchange for the portion of Rupert Park contained in the new Rupert
    Street Off-ramp.  The Ministry of Transportation & Highways has
    cancelled gazette notices pertaining to the subject closures and to the
    lands listed within Appendix "B".  A right-of-way will be required to
    contain the services (B.C. Telephone and B.C. Hydro) that exist within
    the portion of Cassiar Street to be closed.  Alternatively, the Park
    Board will be responsible for the relocation of any utilities not
    contained in the required right-of-way.

    CONCLUSION

    Council approval of the recommendations contained in this report are
    required to complete the creation of the new Rupert Park.


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