Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Standing Committee on Planning and Environment

FROM:

Director of City Plans

SUBJECT:

Approval of Council Initiative - Proposed Collingwood BIA

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

Section 456 of the Vancouver Charter gives Council the authority to create a Business Improvement Area (BIA). Council may grant money to a BIA for planning and implementation of business promotion schemes provided that the money is recovered through a special property tax.

Council policy with respect to the establishment of a BIA was approved on October 14, 1997 as follows:

A BIA may be established by Council Initiative; property owners and commercial tenants receive notification of the Initiative, and the BIA will not proceed if one-third or more of the owners representing one-third of the assessed property value, or one-third of the tenants, counted separately, are in opposition.

PURPOSE

The Collingwood Business Association (CBA) has completed the first step in the process of establishing a new Business Improvement Area (BIA). The purpose of this report is to commence the second step, which is to approve the CBA as sponsor of, and to commence a Council Initiative for, the proposed Collingwood BIA, and to forward the BIA application to the Court of Revision.

BACKGROUND

Collingwood is the neighbourhood centred around Kingsway and Joyce. The Collingwood Business Association (CBA) was founded in 1989 by a group of 26 merchants hoping to address the area's declining business vitality, stem the loss of customers to Metrotown and suburban malls, and reverse overall physical deterioration. The CBA embarked on an ambitious revitalization plan, including the initiation of public realm improvements such as sidewalk upgrades, pedestrian lighting, litter receptacles, benches, bicycle racks, banners, and a clock tower / interpretive plaza at Kingsway and Joyce.

The CBA currently has about 50 members. It defines its mandate as working for the benefit of Collingwood businesses and the broader Collingwood community. Geographically, this mandate is bounded by Rupert , on the west, Boundary on the east, Wellington, on the north, and School Avenue on the south.

In October 1999, the CBA informed the City of its intention to sponsor a BIA application for the Collingwood area. The CBA sees a BIA as helping to maintain and enhance Collingwood's `village' character and sense of community, and as a means of addressing specific issues such as graffiti, litter, safety and security, sex shops, and the impacts of street sex trade activities and illegal drug transactions.

The CBA was incorporated as a non-profit society under the Societies Act on May 30, 1989.

DISCUSSION

The proposed Collingwood BIA covers the neighbourhood's two commercial arterials, including the 12 blocks of Kingsway between Rupert and Boundary, and the 8 blocks of Joyce Street between Wellington and School Avenues. A map of the proposed boundary is attached as Appendix A.

The CBA proposes a Year 1 budget of $100,000.00, representing an annual levy rate of $1.18 per $1,000.00 of assessed property value. A copy of the proposed budget is attached for information as Appendix B.

Outreach Activities

Since February 2000, the Collingwood Business Association has been actively working toward the present BIA application. In March of this year, the CBA began conducting outreach activities to commercial tenants and property owners, publicizing the BIA proposal through letters, notices, public information meetings, and a survey regarding priorities. Most of the written material was translated into Chinese, Punjabi, and Korean. The proposed BIA was also the subject of an article in the inaugural edition of the Collingwood Community Policing Centre Newsletter, and in the Summer 2000 issue of the Killarney Times. In June, as part of their outreach, the CBA distributed to each property owner an individualized City-generated statement showing their contribution under the proposed budget. Based on their general outreach, the CBA believes the BIA proposal is generally supported.

The Collingwood Business Association formally applied to the City for consideration of a BIA on December 1, 2000. A copy of their application letter and documentation of their outreach activities is attached as Appendix C (limited distribution - on file in the Office of the City Clerk).

Staff Comments - Outreach and Support

Staff are satisfied that the Collingwood Business Association has notified all property owners and tenants within the proposed BIA boundaries. Staff attended 6 public information meetings held in April, June and September 2000, at the Best Western Motor Inn, at whichapproximately 70 people were in attendance (in total). Accounting for CBA members, some of whom attended several meetings, around 30 non-members attended. None of the meetings attracted large numbers of new faces, but over the course of six meetings the CBA was able to bring a range of people to the BIA discussions. Participants at the meetings seemed generally supportive. In a show of hands at the end of each meeting, there were no indications of opposition.

The CBA is one of three BIA applicants who have voluntarily distributed personalized City-generated statements informing property owners of their likely BIA contribution. The result is that the commercial landlords and their tenants knew the exact individual cost of the BIA proposal much earlier than in previous years and would therefore be more likely to respond negatively. As of the date of this report, the CBA has received one opposition letter, from a property owner.

As the CBA survey did not ask recipients whether or not they were in favour of a BIA, staff have no data to estimate the relative numbers of support for, or opposition to, the BIA proposal. At the instruction of staff, the CBA notices contained the name and telephone number of the City's BIA Coordinator. As of the date of this report, the Coordinator has received three letters of opposition and two telephone calls indicating opposition to the BIA. All of these are property owners.

One of the telephone callers indicated that an opposition petition might be circulated if concerns regarding representation, administration costs, and other issues, were not addressed. The BIA Coordinator facilitated a meeting between the CBA and the concerned parties which resulted in the concerned parties agreeing to join the CBA as Directors.

Three non-profit groups co-owning a sizable office building representing 6% of the assessed value are likely to oppose the BIA. Their building would be subject to the BIA levy, and feel that the benefits will accrue mainly to commercial owners and their business tenants.

CONCLUSION

The Collingwood Business Association is requesting that Council consider approval of the proposed Collingwood BIA, and has asked that their application be forwarded by way of Council Initiative, to a Court of Revision, in order that the BIA may commence operations in April 2001. The results of the CBA's outreach activities indicate minimal opposition at this stage in the process.

ATTACHMENTS THAT DO NOT HAVE ELECTRONIC COPY ARE AVAILABLE ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

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