CITY OF VANCOUVER

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

JULY 10, 12, 17, and 18, 2000

A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Monday, July 10, 2000, at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall, for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing to consider adoption of the Arbutus Corridor Official Development Plan. Subsequently the meeting was recessed, and reconvened in the Council Chamber, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12, Monday, July 17, and Tuesday, July 18, 2000, with the members present as noted below. Minutes have been consolidated for ease of reference.

PRESENT:	Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Jennifer Clarke (Conflict of Interest) Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick (Conflict of Interest) Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Sick Leave) Councillor George Puil (July 12, 17 and 18)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Manager
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Denise Salmon, Meeting Coordinator (July 10 & 18) Laura Kazakoff, Meeting Coordinator (July 12) Diane Clairmont, Meeting Coordinator (July 17)

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At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, July 10, 2000, Councillors Clarke and McCormick declared Conflict of Interest as they live near the Arbutus Corridor and left the Council Chamber. The Councillors did not participate in the discussion and voting for this item, and did not return to the meeting.

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COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,
SECONDED by Cllr. Dan Lee,

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Owen in the Chair, to consider adoption of the Arbutus Corridor Official Development Plan.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1. Proposed Arbutus Corridor Official Development Plan

An application by the Director of Current Planning was considered as follows:

Summary: To create an Official Development Plan to confirm the City's desire that the Arbutus Corridor be used for rail, transit and Greenway purposes.

The Director of CityPlans recommends approval.

Staff Comments

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Staff advised a Mandarin/Cantonese translator was present in the Chamber if required. - - - - -

Ann McAfee, Director of CityPlans, provided an overview of the application to adopt the Arbutus Corridor Official Development Plan and advised approval of the ODP would give the City control over what will happen in the corridor, and set the stage for future discussions regarding its use.

CPR's Comments

Andrew Massill, Regional Manager, Canadian Pacific Railway, (brief filed) advised of CPR's opposition to the proposed by-law. He noted no development applications have been made with respect to the Corridor lands, and none are pending; therefore no reason can be seen for the City to proceed with downzoning in such an abrupt manner. Mr. Massill suggested it is wrong for the City to use its regulatory powers to designate lands effectively for public use, and to sterilize their use until the City wants them. CPR also objected to the lack of information provided by the City, resulting in CPR's inability to make a fully informed presentation.

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

Mr. Massill suggested a binding commitment by the City for acquisition at fair market value in a reasonable time frame or, alternatively, that the City rescind the Arbutus Corridor Development Plan and reconsider the situation based on a process that involves CPR and the public.

Summary of Correspondence

Council was advised 22 letters in support of the application, 192 letters and one petition (43 signatures) in opposition (including specific opposition to transit), and 7 miscellaneous letters were received since the date the application was referred to Public Hearing.

Additional correspondence received subsequently is on file in the City Clerk's Office.

Speakers

The following delegations spoke in opposition to adoption of the proposed Arbutus Corridor Official Development Plan, or specifically against SkyTrain, and their comments are summarized below:

Joyce Bradbury (brief filed)
Phil LeGood and Ron Stromberg (material filed)
Pamela Sauder, Arbutus Corridor Residents' Association (material filed)
Patrick Robinson
Brendon Rose
Sonia Martins
Sherrill Grace (brief filed)
Tracy Dubnyk
Colleen Pennington
Alan Papic
Joanna Ricci
Diana Bracken
Michele Bates
Duncan Ainslie (brief filed)
Andrew Lew
Sylvia Fong
John Grace
Darryl Greigg
Jennifer Newman
Charles Tremewen

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

Esther Chu
Brian Smith
Ernest Chan
Sally Hacking
Gerry O'Hanley
Sonia Rychel
Bill Robinson
Donna McCrea
Cheryl Burian
Martin Burian
Isabel Minty
Jenny Ng
Guy Palmer
Shamim Poonja-Jiwany on behalf of the Executive Director

Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Peter Liivamati (overhead shown)
Steven Hnatiuk
Don Safnuk
Peter Cowery
Bill Bevis
Joanne Matsubara
Kevin Myhre
Robert Freimanis
Valerie Whitchelo
Mary Power
Carey Raines
Erika Forster
Anthony Westbridge
Donna Chan (via Cantonese interpreter)
Bruce Anderson
Ron Fieldwalker
Jed Friesen
Brian Heathcote
Andre Pekovich
Gordon MacFarlane (brief filed)
Greg Sahlin
Chris Matlock

· Corridor is longest and slowest route from Richmond to the Downtown, it is not wide enough to accommodate rapid transit, and has many curves which would result in increased noise pollution, and require more energy to run
Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

· rapid transit should be located on central arterials such as Cambie where it will be more cost-effective and generate the most ridership; there are no destinations along the Corridor to draw users
· concerns expressed with regard to timing, lack of public process, lack of business plan and route justification; more studies are required
· ODP would legally allow transit, including SkyTrain; the document should be redrafted to state any transit line on the corridor would be below ground, with above-ground used for other purposes
· no mention of 'park' is included in the ODP; this should be added as a potential use within the ODP for this unique public resource
· last remaining north/south corridor with no form of motorized transit on it; this unique heritage should be retained; best use of the corridor would be a linear park connecting Kitsilano Beach with the Fraser River, for use by cyclists, in-line skaters and pedestrians
· essential to retain native plant and animal life along the corridor
· clear restrictions are required on any transit uses; only those consistent with preservation of neighbourhood values should be considered
· it is not prudent to change zoning of the Corridor at this time, without first assessing the impacts one kilometre either side of the corridor
· flexible transit solutions, i.e. buses, are required rather than a fixed transit line, as we do not know what the needs of the community will be in five or ten years
· previous City Councils have opposed the idea of an elevated rapid transit line on the Arbutus corridor and have provided assurance that the expansion of transit will not negatively impact any neighbourhood
· mass transit will bring increased traffic accidents, pollution, crime, drug trafficking, and expense to tax payers
· Vancouver does not have the ridership of other major cities to recoup the costs of rapid transit
· proposal is 'spot zoning' - changing zoning before the fact is expropriation without compensation; CPR should be fully compensated for their lands
· bus route and service need to be expanded; train will not attract business, will not be used by tourists from the airport
· pedestrian safety concerns relating to seniors and infirm who must take transit have not been addressed
· increased noise levels from commuter train will affect hearing testing/evaluations, etc. at the adjacent Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
· remove Section 2.1 (a) from Schedule A of the Arbutus Corridor ODP
· make the corridor a tourist destination linking two waterways -- False Creek to Fraser River, also link to Marpole to revitalize that area as well

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

The following delegations spoke in general support of adoption of the proposed Arbutus Corridor Official Development Plan, although a number stressed the need for a broad public process, and their opposition specifically to SkyTrain. Their comments are summarized below:

Henry Hawthorne, Chair

Vancouver City Planning Commission

Scott Nelson (brief filed)
Victor Gallagher
Joe Arnaud
Vernon Halverson
Jaime Gonzalez
Malcolm Johnston (overheads shown)
David McCann
Bruce MacGowan
Valana Alden
David Marshall
Alan Herbert
Doug Caldwell
Ray Straatsma, BEST
Graham MacDonell (material circulated)
Bev Ballantyne
Bernie Magnum, Vancouver Board of Trade
Stuart Lyon
Lorne Milne, In-Line Skate Patrol

· adoption of the proposed Arbutus Corridor ODP is the only way to ensure a long-range vision for the corridor
· the city needs a north/south rapid transit route and any consultation process on options for expanding rapid transit should include Arbutus
· a bicycle and pedestrian route can follow along a new rapid transit line, similar to what exists elsewhere in the city
· there is a public misconception that buses alone can solve transit problems
· an airport to downtown Vancouver route should be developed, especially with a tie-in to the 2010 Olympics
· maintenance and operating costs must be paid whether for road or rail
· the Corridor is already in place, and is an essential transit component; as population grows, traffic problems increase and rapid transit will be a necessity
· modern rail transit philosophy is to use existing rail corridors where possible

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

· the corridor is a good venue for light rapid transit
· corridor can incorporate greenways along with transit services by use of "lawned" right of way; this type of system can attract ridership and gain public acceptance
· the corridor is a unique public resource with significant public value, and will eventually play a role in the region's transportation network
· support retention of the corridor as a link for local and regional transportation and recreational uses, including continuation of low impact uses such as cycling, etc.
· move forward and get a rapid transit system in place, with sufficient public consultation
· the corridor is unparalleled as a potential north south cycling route between south Vancouver and the Downtown core, however bikes are not for all -- the corridor should also be preserved in its entirety for the City's future transit needs
· expropriate land from CPR and use it right away to run weekend shuttle's to Granville Island
· CP Rail should receive fair and reasonable compensation
· at-grade transit attracts more riders, underground is too expensive; safety can be assured by fencing a buffer zone

Colin Stark, Canadians for Direct Democracy (brief filed), suggested any proposal to run rapid transit down the Arbutus Corridor be put to the people in a referendum.

The Mayor called for further speakers and none came forward.

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bass,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,
SECONDED by Cllr. Dan Lee,

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted, and the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare and bring forward the necessary by-law amendments.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

The Special Council recessed at 10:15 p.m. on Monday, July 10, 2000, 10:02 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12, 2000, 10:00 p.m. on Monday, July 17, 2000.

The Hearing adjourned at 11:40 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18, 2000.

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NOTE FROM CLERK: Council postponed discussion and decision on this matter to the Regular Council meeting of July 25, 2000, under Unfinished Business.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver