ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: February 17, 1998

Author/Local: P. Fry/6447

CC File No. 4201

TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets

FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT: Approval of 1998 Special Events

RECOMMENDATION

A.THAT the Special Events in APPENDIX A be approved, subject to staff working out acceptable arrangements with the event organizers.

B. THAT Council approve the new Vancouver International Marathon route, shown as APPENDIX C subject to staff working out final details with the organizers.

C.THAT Council not approve a power boat race in False Creek for 1998.

D.THAT Council instruct the FEST committee to monitor the GM Fleet Preview event for 1998 and report back to Council with their recommendations.

CONSIDERATION

E. THAT Council approve the Khalsa Diwan Society Parade, subject to the conditions established by the FEST committee.

OR

F. THAT Council not approve the Khalsa Diwan Society Parade.

COUNCIL POLICY

The FEST committee will obtain Council approval annually for the anticipated Special Events that use City property or where the event could have an impact on the adjacent property.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to submit for Council approval the list of anticipated special events to be held in 1998 and to identify issues about specific events on which staff need direction.

DISCUSSION

Appendix A contains the list of 192 Special Events which are anticipated in the City this year and which staff recommend be approved. Events in the West End include the Symphony of Fire: July 25, 29, August 1, 5; the Pride Parade - August 2, and the ISKON parade -August 17, 1998. As approved in the 1997 event report West End events will be included in the annual event listing and not on a separate calendar.

There are increasing demands for special events in the False Creek basin, and this is of concern. The rapidly growing residential community on the north and east shores and the established south shore community has been the subject of discussion for the FEST committee while approving events east of Cambie Bridge. In 1997 there were eleven events on the water, sidewalk and roads around the False Creek Basin. These are: The Molson Indy; The Dragon Boat Festival; The Gus Maker three on three; a variety of five and ten kilometre runs and walks on the road and seawall; events at the Plaza of Nations; and, a few events on Concord Pacific property (Indy paddock area) Almost half of these events run for more than one day.

FORMULA ONE POWER BOAT RACES

First Event - Sports, Sponsorship and Event Marketing has submitted a request to hold Formula One Powerboat Championship races in False Creek on July 25 - 26, 1998. The FEST committee has requested an alternate date as there is a conflict with the first night of the Symphony of Fire. This two day event would consist of six racing categories. These range from "Formula One" which reaches speeds of 135 mph, down to the "Top Gun" which reaches speeds of 70 mph. Attached as Appendix B is the course lay-out.

The organizers met with the FEST committee and representatives from the Health Department, Canadian Coast Guard, the Harbour Master’s office and the Vancouver Police Marine Squad. Items discussed were spectator safety, course lay-out, controlling spectator marine craft, shore access by other users, crowd control, crowd spill-over and finally the appropriateness of approving another large event in this location. The main concern was engine noise and its impact to the surrounding community. Although it is technically possible to put this event on, approving another large event in this area would be asking too much of the residents.

In 1991 there was a similar request before Council to approve a Formula One Power Boat race in False Creek but it was not approved. The organizers indicated they had an alternate location in mind but were hopeful the False Creek course would be approved.

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL MARATHON

The marathon organizers have requested a new route for 1998. In previous years, the route went over the Lion’s Gate Bridge and into North Vancouver before completing the course back in Vancouver. This year the route has been adjusted to remain in Vancouver for the entire distance. The proposed route is acceptable to the FEST committee and details for traffic and safety will be finalized with the Police, Park Board and BC Transit. Attached as appendix C is the proposed route.

GM VEHICLE FLEET REVIEW

Since September 1995, General Motors has put on their annual fleet preview in and around GM Place and on the parking lots and property adjacent Pacific Boulevard and Abbott Street. This preview is designed to give distributors and local sales people a chance to test drive the new vehicles coming to the market the following year. There are two main components to this event. The first is an obstacle course on Concord Pacific property just south of Pacific Boulevard and the second is a loop test drive route on Abbott, Expo Boulevard, Terry Fox Way, Pacific Boulevard and Carrall Street.

Each year staff from police, engineering and health departments receive complaints of excessive noise from the residents at City Gate on Quebec Street and in 1997 from the residents in Keefer Place on Keefer Street. Vehicles are driven from normal to high speeds for a short distance on the obstacle course then to simulate emergency braking conditions the vehicle is allowed to skid to a halt to test the vehicle’s stabilization feature. The organizer was advised to make adjustments in 1996 to reduce the tire noise. It was found that spraying the course with water prevented most of the noise. This helped significantly but it requiredconstant monitoring and re-wetting throughout the day. The Police traffic officer on duty in 1997 reported two single vehicle accidents on the street involving the fleet vehicles while driving in the loop test drive route.

Abbott Street, between Expo and Pacific, is closed to regular vehicle traffic for three days of this event to allow the organizer the full use of Abbott as a staging area.

This event is not community based (other than being situated at GM Place), cultural in nature, or used as a means to generate money for a charity. The event is focused directly to the distributers and salespeople of their company and the FEST committee feels the event would be more appropriate on private property.

KHALSA DIWAN VAISAKHI PARADE

In 1996 a major review of this event was done by the FEST committee with the organizers to determine a solution to the problems associated with this event. In a report dated March 5, 1997, Council approved a number of recommendations proposed by the FEST committee to reduce the impact on the surrounding neighbourhoods and, in particular, the safety concerns expressed by the community.

The FEST committee and the Khalsa Diwan executive committee agreed to the following recommendations:

·The parade date would be Saturday, April 12, 1997. (FEST committee preferred Sunday because of lower traffic volumes and commercial business impact.)

·The parade would start at 11:00 a.m. allowing more time for speeches at the Ross Street Temple instead of time spent on speeches in the Punjabi Market area.

·The lead vehicle would travel at a faster rate to keep the pace of the procession to an appropriate rate.

·The stop at the Punjabi Market for speeches would not exceed twenty minutes.

·The parade would be off the street and back into the Ross Street temple by 3:00 p.m.

·The organizer is responsible for costs associated with establishing an east/west and north/south emergency corridor for emergency access.

The 1997 event was not successful in meeting these requirements. The weather was warm and sunny and the crowds were the largest ever seen at this event. Attendance was estimated between 50,000 and 60,000.

Photographs taken from a third story window at the north west corner of Main and 50th Avenue show the magnitude of the crowd.

Evaluation of the 1997 Event

Crowds began to gather on roof tops of the businesses on both sides of Main Street just as the parade was leaving the Ross Street temple at 11:00 a.m. It took Police thirty minutes to clear the roof of spectators. Although the parade began on time, the speeches in the market and the size of the crowd made it impossible for the lead vehicle to move any faster or exit the area any sooner than in previous years.

Parking Enforcement was effective in clearing the no parking zones for a short time but were unable to patrol the streets after a certain point when the crowds and vehicles got too thick to drive safely in. Parking Enforcement reported that many streets and lanes between Main Street and Fraser Street and 49th Avenue and 53rd Avenue were inaccessible by car by 11:00 a.m. The emergency corridors established for emergency vehicles were taken over by abandoned or parked vehicles by 11:30 a.m.

Main Street was closed from 53rd Avenue to 49th Avenue to allow the gathering crowd room to spread out and traffic was rerouted for spectator safety by 11:30 a.m. By 1:30 p.m. when the lead vehicle arrived in the market, 49th Avenue was reduced to a single lane east bound, Main Street was still closed from 49th Avenue to 53rd Avenue and all alternate north south routes were congested severely. BC Transit was rerouted to Ontario Street and were forced to endure lengthy delays caused by the displaced vehicles from Main Street.

The parade took approximately two hours to turn the corner onto 49th Avenue and clear the Market. The rear of the parade was still in the Punjabi Market when the front of the parade was turning onto Fraser Street at 3:30 p.m. In previous years vehicles were permitted to travel north bound on Fraser street while the parade travelled south. This is no longer possible and at approximately 3:00 p.m. Fraser Street was closed from 49th Avenue to 57th Avenue. BC Transit reported Fraser Street did not open to traffic until 4:30 p.m. It was 5:00 p.m. before the parade was able to disperse in the vicinity of the temple.

Suggested Changes For 1998

Public safety and emergency access are the two issues at the heart of the problem. In order to continue with this event, it is imperative to set down firm rules that the organizer must follow. The FEST committee suggests the following conditions must be met in order to approve this event for 1998.

1) That the parade take place on Sunday, April 12, 1998.

2)That no stage is erected at 50th Avenue and Main Street and no speeches take place in the Market.

3) That the procession walks through the market without stopping.

4) That the procession be off the street by 3:00 pm.

5)That the Emergency Operations Centre be set up for the event and staffed by the appropriate emergency response staff at the cost of the organizer. (Approximately $4,500 based on a six hour shift.)

6)That the organizer pays the cost of the standard engineering and police services as usual and any additional costs associated with setting up the emergency operations centre (1997 police and engineering costs were $16,407.)

Council is asked to consider not approving this event if the organizers are not prepared or willing to adhere to these conditions.

CONCLUSION

It is recommended that Council approve the 1998 event list and the new Vancouver International Marathon route. It is also recommended to Council to not approve the Power Boat races in False Creek and to confirm the FEST committee will monitor the GM Fleet event in 1998 and report back to Council with recommendations for 1999.

Council is asked to consider approving the Khalsa Diwan Society’s event subject to meeting the conditions set by the FEST committee. Alternately, Council may consider not approving the event if the Society is unable to follow these conditions.

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(c) 1997 City of Vancouver