ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: February 4, 1998

Author/Local: SLReed/7204

CC File No. 5767

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services and Director of Community Planning
SUBJECT:	Wellness Walkways - Consultant Study and Funding Strategy

RECOMMENDATION

A.THAT Council allocate $8,000 from account number 12/31/6907/999 (Neighbourhood Greenways), to conduct a consultant study identifying elements of a Wellness Walkway in Mount Pleasant.

B.THAT $3,000 be allocated from account number 12/31/6907/999 (Neighbourhood Greenways), to fund enhancements to the sidewalk replacement on Sophia Street between 13th and 16th Avenues, in anticipation of the implementation of the Wellness Walkways.

GENERAL MANAGERS’ COMMENTS

The General Managers of Engineering Services and Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A and B.

COUNCIL POLICY

On July 18, 1995, Council approved a Vancouver Greenways Plan that promotes safer, more convenient and more comfortable movement throughout the city for pedestrians and cyclists. Funding is provided in the Street Capital Plan.

SUMMARY

The Wellness Walkways project, to be co-ordinated through the Greenways and Local Improvements programs is a unique project that builds on several City and community initiatives and funding sources. It is an opportunity to combine aspects of Neighbourhood Greenways, the Residential Street Program (using local initiative funding), developer funding allocated for streetscape improvements and other funding sources to improve access to and usability of the streetscape for a unique mix of users in this section of the Mount Pleasant community.

Within this multi-family zoned neighbourhood, bounded by 12th Avenue, Kingsway, 16th Avenue and Main Street, are three health care facilities whose patients and residents have a wide range of mobility restrictions (see Appendices A and B). The Wellness Walkways or circuits are proposed to be a demonstration of how the public realm can be retrofitted to contribute to community health in general and more specifically to respond to the special needs of those with challenges posed by illness, disability or age.

Local residents, property and business owners and hospital therapeutic staff have been consulted on the proposal and are enthusiastically supportive. The Wellness Walkways will likely be composed of several layers of improvements: basic street improvements (funded through standard local improvement processes); accessibility and safety improvements (funded through existing operating or capital programs); and unique elements that allow for greater therapeutic use of the streetscape (to be funded primarily through external fundraising initiatives and limited Greenways capital funds).

To comprehensively integrate ideas for a Wellness Walkways design, a consultant study will be undertaken. The mandate for the landscape architect consultant would be to develop and give form to ideas which contribute to greater therapeutic use of the neighbourhood's streetscape and one local park. These will be produced in a highly visual format to allow for discussion by affected groups and ultimately for fundraising purposes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to inform Council about the Wellness Walkways concept, which is a unique opportunity to combine a number of funding sources to achieve Greenway and community objectives. The report seeks Council approval for $8,000 to fund a consultant study to further develop the concept and to produce design solutions in a report suitable for use in fundraising for the project's implementation. The report also seeks authorization to spend $3,000 in Neighbourhood Greenways funds to enhance a required sidewalk reconstruction project on Sophia Street, in keeping with the Wellness Walkways objectives.

BACKGROUND

The idea of creating Wellness Walkways in this area of Mount Pleasant grew from a streetscape beautification proposal made by the Edith Cavell Hospital at 2855 Sophia Street when initiating their site rezoning in 1995. Council supported the concept to improve their block of Sophia Street between 12th and 13th Avenues when their facility redevelops, and directed staff to secure a $75,000 letter of credit for this work and to consult with the neighbourhood on design ideas.

Greenways and Residential Streets program staff met initially with residents, property owners and representatives of the other two health care facilities in the area (Mount Saint Joseph's Hospital and Venture House) to discuss streetscape improvements through the local initiative (shared-cost) program for Watson Street and portions of Sophia Street and 13th Avenue. However, through these discussions, a broader concept evolved for streetscape improvements more conducive to therapeutic uses that could meaningfully contribute to a healthier, more attractive community. This expanded concept combined aspects of the Neighbourhood Greenways and Residential Streets programs with opportunities to access other funding sources.

Subsequent meetings with these groups and the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Area have given more form to the concept and generated growing support for the project.

DISCUSSION

1. Wellness Walkways Concept

The Wellness Walkways concept is to retrofit an existing streetscape and, in some instances to create a new streetscape that is more functional, beautiful and therapeutic in nature. The project area is bounded by 12th Avenue, Kingsway, 16th Avenue and Main Street (see Appendix A). The Wellness Walkways will be a series of walking circuits within the neighbourhood, offering a choice of routes--long or short--with a variety of stimuli, destinations, and pedestrian comforts. Certain routes may be more conducive to differing needs of some streetscape users.

There are four primary user-groups in the area: patients and residents in the health care facilities; residents (both homeowners and those in a variety of rental accommodation); employees and volunteers in the health care facilities; and merchants. Each of these groups has different but related needs. Some of the elements they identified include shade trees for sun-sensitive patients, consistent curb letdowns, very smooth wide sidewalks for wheelchairs, regularly-spaced seating, way finding, and points of beauty. These ideas are described more fully in Appendix B.

2. Consultant Study

The main objective for the consultant study is to build on the ideas generated by the community and identify design solutions which can be applied to the public realm to accommodate and encourage use by the full range of people living, working, volunteering, visiting or receiving treatment in the neighbourhood. The landscape architect, through consultation with neighbourhood groups and other relevant advisory groups, will propose solutions which achieve the following:

·create a variety of circuits within the neighbourhood;

·eliminate physical barriers;

·provide for physical and psychological comfort;

·provide for appropriate levels of way-finding;

·stimulate the senses of sight, touch, smell and sound;

·incorporate elements of interpretation;

·provide opportunities for social interaction;

·maintain or improve safety;

·increase access to natural elements; and

·beautify the neighbourhood.

Proposed interventions should lend themselves to discrete funding. For example, there may be a range of elements that could be donated individually or as a series, or entire separate layers that could be donated as packages (e.g., way finding or interpretive signage).

The total cost of this consultant study is estimated at $8,000 (including GST). A draft Call for Proposals is attached as Appendix C.

3. Sidewalk Improvements

The community has identified a number of improvements to the streets and sidewalks in the area that would meet the Wellness Walkways objectives of improved accessibility, comfort and safety. One request has been to install very smooth sidewalks, wide enough for two wheelchairs to travel abreast, with a grass boulevard wide enough to accommodate shade trees.

Recent water main reconstruction in the neighbourhood has resulted in the removal of the sidewalk on the west side of Sophia Street between 13th and 16th Avenues. The reconstruction of these three blocks of sidewalk offers a cost-effective opportunity to implement some of these ideas.

Funding for the standard replacement of this concrete walk was included in the waterworksconstruction budget. Incremental improvements to enhance the basic sidewalk design, at an estimated cost of $3,000, will allow the immediate implementation of these ideas.

The replacement sidewalk design includes:

·locating the concrete walk close to the adjacent property line to allow more curb-boulevard space for tree planting;

·providing wheelchair letdowns at all intersections and lanes (this is the City standard, and will be funded through existing operating budgets);

·replacing the existing standard diagonal wheelchair letdowns at the traffic circle at 15th Avenue. The new letdowns would be in line with the new sidewalks and the pedestrian crosswalk area, creating two separate letdowns at each curb return to improve pedestrian and wheelchair safety entering the intersection adjacent the traffic circle; and

·finishing the concrete with saw-cut or smooth-trowelled joints instead of standard trowelled control-joints. This will provide a smoother ride for wheelchair users.

The total cost of the design enhancements is $3,000 and will be funded from Account No. 12/31/6907/999 (Neighbourhood Greenways). This represents about an 8% increase to the cost of the standard sidewalk treatment.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

By providing an improved pedestrian environment, the Wellness Walkways would promote walking within the neighbourhood and to nearby commercial areas, as well as greater use of the local park. It would also increase the number of street trees and landscaping in this neighbourhood.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The Wellness Walkways will demonstrate innovation in streetscape design and provide highly-accessible neighbourhood-wide improvements for walking and community-building. The Wellness Walkways will reinforce the neighbourhood as a therapeutic resource to the three local health facilities for recreation and community reintegration for their clients. It will also support the inter-generational programs at Edith Cavell and Mount Saint Joseph's Hospitals.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

It is proposed that the City fund the $8,000 for the consultant study from Account No. 12/31/6907/999 (Neighbourhood Greenways).

The cost of enhancements to the reconstruction of three blocks of sidewalk on Sophia Street to meet the Wellness Walkways objectives is $3,000. These funds are also available in Account No. 12/31/6907/999 (Neighbourhood Greenways).

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

A call for proposals for the consultant study will be issued upon Council's approval and the study may be completed by May, 1998. Sidewalk reconstruction required by the water main installation can begin immediately. If property owners indicate general support, local improvements for the 3900 block of Sophia Street, the 300 block of East 13th Avenue and Watson Street between Broadway and 18th Avenues will be initiated for the June 1998 Court of Revision and reported to Council in the usual way. Full implementation of the Wellness Walkways will be subject to Council approval, and may be staged over a number of years to take advantage of existing City funding and fundraising opportunities.

CONCLUSION

The City has an opportunity to work with the community and other groups, government agencies and institutions to develop an innovative concept, the Wellness Walkways, that has strong support within the community and will have many environmental and social benefits.

With Council's approval, the refinement of the concept and fundraising for the project can begin immediately. Construction on three blocks of enhanced sidewalk along Sophia Street can begin now. Other elements contributing to the Wellness Walkways, like streets local improvements to Sophia Street, East 13th Avenue, and Watson Streets will be reported to Council shortly and, subject to required approvals, can begin construction in 1998. Full implementation of the project concept will be staged over a number of years.

* * * * *

APPENDIX B

Page 1 of 2

PRIMARY USER-GROUPS OF MOUNT PLEASANT WELLNESS WALKWAYS

1.Patients and Residents in Health Care Facilities

Many of the Mount Saint Joseph's, Edith Cavell and Venture patients and residents are potential users of the neighbourhood. The therapeutic staff of each of these three facilities program outdoor activities, such as outings to Tea Swamp Park or to the shops on Main Street. These walks are important parts of their therapies but patients and residents face serious barriers. These same barriers also limit patients from taking recreational walks with visiting friends or relatives. Many of their concerns relate to a variety of patient limitations to effectively and comfortably use the neighbourhood. Some of these include:

·Shade: the lack of shade along streets and in the park is a barrier to people with enhanced sensitivities or even allergic reactions to sun due to their drug treatments.

·Condition of Sidewalks: people in wheelchairs can be hyper sensitive to the bumps in or the surface texture of a sidewalk. They would prefer to go side by side rather than in file for increase sociability. Even the noise of wheels or walkers on rough pavements can limit the ability to participate in conversations. Smooth, wide sidewalks are needed. Wheelchair letdowns must be included at all corners.

·Availability and Suitability of Seating: many older, infirm walkers need frequent stops to rest, so benches located with a regularity or rhythm, say at corners and mid-block, could also encourage them to go out more often and to walk further. Benches should have backs and sturdy arms and ideally be located so the next bench is clearly in view. Side tables would be used.

·Continuity and Way finding: a variety of routes of different lengths and with different possible destinations or attractions, including nearby retail strips, would facilitate greater use of the neighbourhood. Way finding, especially to accessible washrooms, stores, and back to their facility would be useful.

·Destinations: Tea Swamp Park is used by all groups as a general destination to rest, chat and have picnics but it lacks appropriate facilities and shade. Accessible picnic and games tables, preferably with a shade option, and a daylight-only water fountain would allow greater use of the park. These park improvements would also allow the care facilities to use the park for their inter-generational activity programs that introduce school children to elderly patients and residents. The retail opportunities on Main Street are also important destinations.

·Stimulation: greater use of the neighbourhood could be encouraged by providing elements that would stimulate more interest and motivation to go outside, such as historical signage and raised fragrance gardens. Bird feeders in the park would also be used and enjoyed by the patients as well as other residents. Some of these attractions could be located for the sight impaired.

APPENDIX B

Page 2 of 2

2.Residents

Residents identified a series of objectives related to safety and traffic management, community building and beautification. Specific ideas related to safety were to increase lighting, calm traffic with adequate neighbourhood access and encourage "eyes on the street". They wanted substandard streets to be upgraded in an affordable way. They wanted to create multiple uses of the street, for all ages, and to encourage community participation in redeveloping the streetscape. They wanted to see more flowers and public art in the street and hoped that street furnishings could be beautiful as well as functional. They also wanted to increase the opportunities for physical and mental well-being through environmental stimuli and interest in the streetscape.

They have asked that property owners in the 300 block East 13th and 2900 block Sophia Street be surveyed to gauge support for local improvements on these two blocks to provide a safer, more attractive and accessible streetscape. Staff will conduct this survey in February and, if the results are positive, the projects will be initiated at the June 1998 Court of Revision.

3. Employees and Volunteers in health care facilities

Mount Saint Joseph’s, Edith Cavell and Venture employees and volunteers are also a very large potential user group of the neighbourhood. Mostly this group is concerned about the lack of facilities for taking breaks or having lunch outdoors or for other fitness related activities.

4. Retailers and Other Commercial Services

There are over 100 services, stores, restaurants and other businesses offering services on Main Street between 12th and 16th Avenues. The combined resident, patient and health care employee/volunteer population is considerable. The Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association is supportive of any changes to the neighbourhood which will increase accessibility to their businesses. They are particularly interested in advancing a local improvement for the reconstruction of Watson Street (Broadway to 18th Avenues) as it would improve access for their customers and deliveries. The pedestrianisation of this narrow street would link in with the Wellness Walkways and provide a comfortable alternative to Main Street.

APPENDIX C

Page 1 of 3

CALL FOR PROPOSALS - DRAFT

City of Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant Wellness Walkways

INTRODUCTION

This Proposal Call will be of interest to Landscape Architects, particularly those with expertise in public realm development, an understanding of the needs of the aged and persons with disabilities, and possessing strong communications skills.

The City of Vancouver is proposing to develop wellness walkways or circuits as a demonstration of how the public realm can be retrofitted to contribute to community health in general and more specifically to respond to the special needs of those with challenges posed by illness, disability or age. The wellness walkways project, to be co-ordinated through the Greenways program, is located within a multi-family zoned neighbourhood in the Mount Pleasant community. There are three health care facilities in this area whose patients and residents have a wide range of mobility restrictions.

PROPOSAL BOUNDARIES

The study area, illustrated on the attached map, is generally the public realm bounded by Main Street, West 12th Avenue, Kingsway and West 16th Avenue.

There are four general areas of concern within the study area:

·the internal streets, primarily 13th, 14th and 15th Avenues and Watson, Sophia and Prince Edward Streets;

·a proposed crossing of 12th Avenue at Sophia;

·Main Street which is a primary retail destination; and,

·Tea Swamp Park which is a local recreational destination.

SCOPE OF WORK

To move beyond the standard City treatment of the public realm and to comprehensively integrate ideas for a whole wellness walkways design, a consultant study will be undertaken. A landscape architect will be hired to develop and give form to ideas which contribute to full use of the neighbourhood’s streetscape and one local park. These will be produced in a highly visual format to allow for discussion by affected groups and ultimately for fundraising purposes.

APPENDIX C

Page 2 of 3

The wellness walkways will likely be composed of several layers of improvements: basic street improvements (funded through standard local improvement processes); standard accessibility and safety improvements (funded through existing operating or capital programs): and, unique elements that allow for greater therapeutic use of the streetscape (to be funded primarily through external fundraising initiatives). Opportunities for voluntary participation by all of the affected groups will also be identified.

The main objective for the study is to identify design solutions which can be applied to the public realm to accommodate and encourage use by the full range of people living, working, volunteering, visiting or receiving treatment in the neighbourhood. There are four primary groups in the area: patients and residents of the three heath care facilities; residents, both homeowners and those in a variety of rental accommodation; employees and volunteers in the health care facilities; and merchants. All have been consulted to date on the proposal and are enthusiastically supportive. Each of the groups has different but related needs. They have already generated some ideas of what they feel could enhance the wellness walkways. These are summarized in Appendix A to this proposal.

Once the landscape architect is selected, he/she will work with Greenways staff in determining the needs of specific groups who are current and potential users of the neighbourhood and by consulting independent experts or representatives of groups who can provide relevant guidance and/or information. Meetings will also be held with the four main groups in the neighbourhood to further elaborate on their needs and to begin to articulate design solutions. Ideas will be generated for discussion and review, and once community support is achieved, Council endorsement of the fully-developed proposal will be required. After that, the City plans to seek partnerships and donations to begin to implement those ideas that will collectively create the wellness walkways.

Specifically, the landscape architect, through consultation with neighbourhood groups and other relevant advisory groups, will propose solutions which:

·create a variety of circuits within the neighbourhood;

·eliminate physical barriers;

·provide for physical and psychological comfort;

·provide for appropriate levels of way finding;

·stimulate the senses of sight, touch, smell and sound;

·incorporate elements of interpretation;

·provide opportunities for social interaction;

·maintain or improve safety;

·increase access to natural elements; and,

·beautify the neighbourhood.

APPENDIX C

Page 3 of 3

Proposed interventions should lend themselves to discrete funding. For example, there may be a range of elements that could be donated individually or as a series, or entire separate layers that could be donated as packages (e.g., way finding or interpretive signage). Although the study would address the public realm almost exclusively, recommendations for participation by adjacent properties is expected. The consultant should also consider donor acknowledgement.

SCHEDULE

The project will have four stages beginning in March 1998, including:

1.Start Up: review the scope of work, responsibilities, product, schedule and existing base mapping and other information.

2.Concept Development: present a range of concepts for the wellness circuits and park.

3.Design Development: present final components of the design details for the wellness circuits and park, including priorities for proposed interventions.

4.Design Details and Costing: present final graphics and cost estimates for proposed interventions.

The project is expected to be substantially completed by May 1998.

PRODUCT

The final product delivered to the City will be a report and presentation graphics:

1.Colour rendered display panels and/or roll drawings; and,

2.A report including presentation graphics and text reduced to a standard 8.5" X 11" format for convenient copying, preferably camera-ready and/or on disk.

(c) 1997 City of Vancouver