ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 14, 1998
Author/Local: N.E. Peters
CC File No. 5753

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT:	Proposed Closure and Lease of a portion of Cassiar Street, North of Bridgeway

RECOMMENDATION

THAT all that portion of Cassiar Street, shown on the attached plan marked Appendix "A", be stopped-up and leased to Cascadia Terminal for the construction of grain handling facilities and the placement and maintenance of rail trackage, subject to the following conditions:

1. The term of the lease to be three years;

2. The annual rental to be $6120 (inclusive of taxes), based on the lease area being 5250 square feet, in accordance with the recommendation of the Manager of Real Estate Services. The lease area is to be confirmed by Cascadia Terminal, by survey on the ground and the rental adjusted accordingly;

3. The lease to contain right-of-way provisions to accommodate the existing, adjacent Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District;

4. That prior to any construction on the lease area, approval of the proposed construction is to be obtained, in writing, from the General Manager of Engineering Services and from the Chief Engineer of the G.V.S. & D.D.;

5. The agreement is to be to the satisfaction of the Manager of Real Estate Services and the Director of Legal Services;

6. No legal right or obligation shall be created hereby and none shall arise hereafter, until the documents are executed.

COUNCIL POLICY

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

PURPOSE

As part of the redevelopment of the Alberta Wheat Pool (A.W.P.), facilities north of Bridgeway, the partnership (now Cascadia Terminal) wishes to lease an unopened portion of Cassiar Street, north of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks. The partnership wishes to construct a new grain handling facility and due to site constraints, they require that the building encroach onto the unopened street.

DISCUSSION

In partnership with Cargill Limited, A.W.P. is proposing a multi-million dollar upgrade to the grain handling terminal formerly operated by A.W.P. The new facility will be known as Cascadia Terminal. The Vancouver Port Corporation has given approval to the project and Canadian Pacific Railway has given a letter of support for the lease of the required portion of street.

The proposed lease area is adjacent to a large Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage sewer. Therefore, any construction on the lease area must be approved by the G.V.S.&D.D.

The subject portion of street is isolated from the City street system by the C.P.R. tracks and it would not be safe for the public to be in this location, because of the intense rail and grain handling activity.

CONCLUSION

The subject portion of Cassiar Street is not required for street purposes at the present time. Cascadia Terminals wishes to lease this portion of street to allow modernization of their grain handling facilities. Subject to the conditions set out in this report, we recommend Council stop-up and lease the portion of Cassiar Street, shown hatched on Appendix “A”.

NOTE: APPENDIX "A" (MAP) NOT AVAILABLE ON-LINE - ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver