CITY OF VANCOUVER
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
STANDING COMMITEE OF COUNCIL ON
CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS
JUNE 19, 1997
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held
on Thursday, June 19, 1997, at 3.55 p.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third
Floor, City Hall, following the Standing Committee on City Services and
Budgets meeting, to consider the recommendations of the Committee.
PRESENT: Mayor Philip Owen
Councillor Don Bellamy
Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario
Councillor Jennifer Clarke
Councillor Alan Herbert
Councillor Daniel Lee
Councillor Don Lee
Councillor Gordon Price
Councillor George Puil
Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT: Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Leave of Absence)
CITY MANAGER'S
OFFICE:
CLERK TO THE
COUNCIL: Tarja Tuominen
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor
Owen in the chair.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Report of Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
June 19, 1997
Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as
contained in the following clause of the attached report:
Cl.1: Payment-in-Lieu - Major Project Non-Market Housing
Clause 1
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 1
of this report, be approved.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Council recessed at 4:00 p.m. to reconvene "In-Camera".
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REPORT TO COUNCIL
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS
JUNE 19, 1997
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City
Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, June 19, 1997 at 2:00 p.m.,
in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT: Mayor Philip Owen
Councillor Don Bellamy
Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario
Councillor Jennifer Clarke
Councillor Alan Herbert
Councillor Daniel Lee
Councillor Don Lee
Councillor Gordon Price
Councillor George Puil
Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT: Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Leave of Absence)
CITY MANAGER'S
OFFICE:
CLERK TO THE
COMMITTEE: Tarja Tuominen
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
meeting of May 15, 1997, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Payment-in-Lieu - Major Project Non-Market Housing
File: 4656-1
The Committee had before it a Policy Report dated May 28, 1997 (on
file) in which the Manager of the Housing Centre, in consultation with
the Director of Central Area Planning recommended approval of the
following:
A. THAT Council adopt the following additional policies for non-
market housing in the major projects:
1) In future major project rezonings, air-space parcels for
non-market housing are to be avoided wherever possible,
and where they cannot be avoided should be restricted to
parking podia.
2) If senior government funding is not available for non-
market housing sites that are air space parcels within
larger market projects, when the market components are
ready to proceed, Council is prepared to consider
alternative affordable housing options or payment-in-lieu
to allow the whole project to be developed at the same
time.
3) For non-market sites that are air-space parcels, payment-
in-lieu will be calculated as if senior government
funding for non-market housing were available for the
project.
4) If senior government funding is not available for non-
market housing sites that are not air-space parcels, they
are to be held in reserve, pending future senior
government funding, at Council s discretion.
B. THAT the Director of Central Area Planning and the Manager of
the Housing Centre explore options to expand the capacity for
non-market housing in the major projects, and in particular
Concord Pacific Place, with the intent to maintain to the
extent possible the objective of 20% non-market housing.
Ted Droettboom, General Manager of Community Services, and Larry
Beasley, Director of Central Area Planning, briefly reviewed the report
and responded to questions. It is estimated there are three potential
social housing sites where development timing and funding is a problem.
Regarding payment-in-lieu, there are many ways and theories to calculate
the amount. The recommended calculation is the truest amount, in that
it is the same amount whether the development proceeds or not.
The following speakers expressed concern the proposed
recommendations will set a precedent to allow developers on future major
projects to by-out of affordable housing obligations. The speakers also
supported the City maintaining a commitment to affordable housing and
mixed income communitites.
Sean McEwen, Lower Mainland Network for Affordable Housing
Ga Ching Kong, Lower Mainland Network for Affordable Housing
Tom Laviolette, Carnegie Community Association
Suzanne Zimmering, Community Housing Land Trust Foundation
Doug Ragan
John Irwin
Leslie Stern, Women's Housing Coalition
Dana Webber, B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association
Lita Barrie
Joffre Pomerleau, Innovative Housing Society
Donna Clarke
The speakers' points are summarized as follows:
Several speakers spoke in support of a letter dated June 16, 1997
from the Lower Mainland Network for Affordable Housing and the
Vancouver Coalition of First Line Children and Youth Service
Providers (on file) which asks the City reject Recommendation A,
reaffirm its commitment to affordable housing and mixed-income
communities, explore a new affordable housing policy which
addresses the reality of cuts from senior levels of government, and
establish an affordable housing commission to reassess the City's
affordable housing policy.
The proposed policy will have broad ramifications for all projects
and affordable housing. The municipality has the responsibility
to support affordable housing and developers should not be allowed
to avoid paying for affordable housing.
Payment-in-lieu could also include the share of construction costs
savings.
By maintaining the City's affordable housing policy, people will be
able to live close to where they work and will not have to commute
to get to work.
We need to look at more cost effective ways to build affordable
housing for young people, pensioners, women on their own.
In response to questions, Larry Beasley advised of the 31 sites in
downtown mega-projects, only 5 are in complicated circumstances. Of
those 5, only 2 are so complicated the sites will forego getting the
affordable housing. The other 26 sites still represent mixed income
communities.
Jeff Herold, representing Marathon Realty, noted he supported the
general intent of the Report, but requested a change to the wording in
Recommendation A(4) as follows: "If senior government funding is not
available for non-market housing sites that are not air-space parcels,
alternate affordable housing initiatives will be considered by Council
until such time that future senior government funding is in place."
Ted Droettboom advised he had no concern with the proposed
amendment if the recommendation also included wording which clearly
states the sites be held in reserve until there is an acceptable
alternate or the availability of funding.
Jon Markoulis, representing Concord Pacific Development
Corporation, noted the 20% affordable housing target was an artificial
one, and will result in empty lots. It is difficult to build non-market
housing if developers are not allowed to build the units off-site of
mega-projects.
The following motion by Councillor Price was put and carried. The
Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
A. THAT Council reaffirm its commitment to have mixed income
housing on major projects.
B. THAT Council adopt the following additional policies for non-
market housing in the major projects:
1) In future major project rezonings, air-space parcels for
non-market housing are to be avoided wherever possible,
and where they cannot be avoided should be restricted to
parking podia.
2) If senior government funding is not available for non-
market housing sites that are air space parcels within
larger market projects, when the market components are
ready to proceed, Council is prepared to consider
alternative affordable housing options or payment-in-lieu
to allow the whole project to be developed at the same
time.
3) For non-market sites that are air-space parcels, payment-
in-lieu will be calculated as if senior government
funding for non-market housing were available for the
project.
4) If senior government funding is not available for non-
market housing sites that are not air-space parcels,
alternative affordable housing initiatives will be
considered by Council; otherwise they will be held in
reserve until there is an acceptable alternative or
available funding, at Council's discretion.
C. THAT the Director of Central Area Planning and the Manager of
the Housing Centre explore options to expand the capacity for
non-market housing in the major projects, and in particular
Concord Pacific Place, with the intent to maintain to the
extent possible the objective of 20% non-market housing.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.
* * * * *