SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 1
P&E COMMITTEE AGENDA
JULY 27, 1995
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: July 28, 1995
File: 156-590
TO: Standing Committee on Planning and Environment
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services, in consultation with
Director of Planning, and Manager of Real Estate Services
SUBJECT: Hamilton Dock and Street Improvements
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council establish Lot K, except (A) part in Plan 4544 (B)
portions coloured yellow on Plan 4959 (C) part in Explanatory
Plan 17265, Block 76 District Lot 541 Plan 3469, comprising
three blocks of Hamilton Street loading docks, (1000 - 1200
blocks Hamilton), presently a portion of the HA-4 District, as
Road;
FURTHER, THAT Council instruct the General Manager of
Engineering Services to prohibit street vehicles from using
these Hamilton Street docks, and approve an expenditure of
$10,000 for the installation of bollards and signage, funds to
be provided from Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account
No. 13/32/9801/999.
FURTHER, THAT Council authorize the General Manager of
Engineering Services to enter into encroachment agreements
with the adjacent owners whereafter the Manager of Real Estate
Services shall cancel the existing leases of the Hamilton
Street docks;
B. THAT Council approve an expenditure of $25,000 (1995 $) to
permit the organization of the street area through revised
parking and loading adjacent to the docks using paint lines,
signage, and parking meters; funds to be provided from
increased parking meter revenue.
C. THAT Council approve an expenditure of $10,000 for the
installation of wheelchair ramps to provide barrier-free
access to the docks; funds to be provided from Streets Basic
Capital Unappropriated Account No. 13/32/9801/999.
COUNCIL POLICY
On February 18, 1993, Council resolved:
THAT Council instruct the Director of Housing and Properties to
dedicate two blocks of Mainland Street loading docks as road; and
FURTHER, THAT the City Engineer is to report back to Council when
appropriate to extend these provisions to the Hamilton Street
docks; and
THAT Council approve, and authorize the City Engineer, in
consultation with the Director of Planning, to administer the
"Yaletown Dock Guidelines";
On July 12, 1988, Council approved the purchase of the Yaletown
docks. This purchase was based on advice from staff that obtaining
ownership of the docks would lead to an investment of about
$500,000 in upgrading for safety reasons.
Further, on July 12, 1988, Council resolved:
THAT the subject docks be established as Road; and
Previously, in January and May, 1982, while establishing the
objectives for detailed policy development for Yaletown, Council
resolved:
THAT the future development of Yaletown should be in the context of
it being identified as an area having a special architectural and
historic character worth preserving; and
THAT accommodation for the additional traffic in and through the
Yaletown area should be designed to minimize the impact of traffic
on the area and retain, as far as possible, the present character
of the area.
A detailed list of Yaletown Policies, adopted by Council in 1982, is
included as Appendix A.
PURPOSE
This report asks Council to establish the Hamilton Street docks as road,
and to extend provisions for improvements and modifications to the
Yaletown dock and street area previously approved on Mainland Street to
the Hamilton Street docks.
BACKGROUND
The Yaletown area, as illustrated in Diagram 1, originated as a land
grant to the Canadian Pacific Railway, and developed into a compact
warehousing district. The area is characterized by tall brick
warehouses, with raised loading docks and large canopies. Although the
railway was removed in the early 1980's, the loading docks remained as
heritage structures and functioned to service truck loading.
Presently, land use in the area has been transforming from warehousing
to residential, office/retail, and restaurant uses. The resultant
increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic necessitated a review of
safety, traffic, and access requirements. Staff in Engineering and
Planning developed a short term and long term plan and guidelines in
consultation with local owners and merchants.
This process was initiated with the Yaletown Dock and Street
Improvements report, which began with improvements on Mainland and
Helmcken Street. The improvements were phased in recognition of the
lack of parking resources in the area, and the heavy reliance on the
docks to provide this parking. Since a large portion of the Mainland
Street docks at the time had been improved by the owners for pedestrian
use, it was appropriate to implement the changes to this area first.
Therefore, with the slower transition of development on Hamilton Street
area, parking was allowed to temporarily continue on the Hamilton Street
docks until a parking alternative was available.
With the success of the improvements on Mainland Street, and the opening
of the City's 1180 Mainland public parkade and plaza, it is now
appropriate to commence these improvements on Hamilton Street.
Diagram 1
DISCUSSION
Establishing the Docks as Road
This report is requesting Council's approval for the establishment as
road the remaining three blocks of the Hamilton Street docks in
Yaletown. As with the two blocks of the Mainland Street Docks, this
process allows the Manager of Real Estate Services to cancel the
existing lease agreements once the General Manager of Engineering
Services has entered into encroachment agreements with the owners
adjacent to the Hamilton Street docks.
After the establishment of the docks as road, the encroachment agreement
will obligate the owners to be responsible for repair, maintenance, and
use of the canopies and the dock surface. The cancellation of the lease
agreements will also allow the owners to save the monthly lease
payments. This arrangement is beneficial to both the City and the
owners in terms of savings in cost and administration of the docks, and
has proven to be successful on the Mainland Street docks.
Prohibiting Vehicles on the Docks
In 1982, Council identified the need to eliminate vehicles from the
docks due to the safety concerns arising from increased pedestrian
activity. However, elimination of the approximately 120 car spaces on
the docks was pursued gradually, in recognition of the very limited
parking resources of the area. This began with the elimination of
vehicles on the Mainland Street docks, offsetting the loss of parking
with the organization of street parking. In January 1994, the City
opened its new underground public parkade at 1180 Mainland Street,
providing 192 stalls to the adjacent area, thereby eliminating the need
for parking on the docks. With the added increase of pedestrian activity
on the Hamilton Street docks, it is now appropriate for the immediate
removal of vehicles from all docks as follows:
1000 Block Hamilton Docks
Parking: 25 Spaces
Vehicle Access: Nelson Street ramp
Proposed Closure: The corner lot at Hamilton and Nelson is a
warehousing operation which has access to a
loading notch in the dock to facilitate truck
loading. The ramp onto the docks is not
required and vehicle access will be eliminated
with the installation of bollards.
1100 Block Hamilton Docks
Parking: 20 Spaces
Vehicle Access: Helmcken Street dock
Proposed Closure: This access was eliminated as a part of the
Helmcken dock reconstruction project, which is
currently under construction. Upon completion,
access will be restricted by the installation
of bollards.
1200 Block Hamilton Docks
Parking: 10 Spaces
Vehicle Access: Through a vacant lot mid-block at 1260-1280
Hamilton Street
Proposed Closure: The current access to the docks will be
eliminated with the installation of concrete
barriers at the property line of the vacant
lots.
Vehicle access on the 1000 and 1100 blocks Hamilton Docks has already
been eliminated in early 1995 with the reconstruction of Helmcken
Street. Warning notices were issued for the closure, and the access was
closed off without many complaints, as a parking alternative was
available in the civic parkade.
Existing Warehousing Uses
On Hamilton Street, there is still a significant component of
warehousing use on the docks. Council has previously supported existing
warehousing operations not being prematurely displaced from this area.
In changing from the existing lease agreements to the encroachment
agreements, the owners lose the ability to have parked vehicles towed
from their frontage on the docks. Therefore, the elimination of street
vehicle access from all docks is required to ensure that loading
functions can be maintained without interruption. However, forklifts
would be allowed to operate on the docks during loading.
Loading zones on the street will be maintained adjacent to warehousing
operations in addition to the loading notches in the area to accommodate
commercial vehicle loading.
Safety and Usability Improvements
The docks have deteriorated over the years from vehicle traffic and
loading activities, and require improvements to increase their usability
and safety for pedestrians. This was addressed in the initial Yaletown
Dock and Street Improvements report, and discussed in subsequent
meetings with the Yaletown owners and merchants at that time. The
resulting plan that was developed for the area involved the City
undertaking the Helmcken Street reconstruction and the Yaletown street
organization, while the owners would be responsible for the portion of
the Yaletown dock improvements adjacent to their property through the
encroachment agreements.
The Mainland Street dock improvements have been very successful and the
Helmcken Street reconstruction is currently in progress. The Hamilton
Street improvements are expected to continue with the establishment of
the docks as road.
With the registration of the encroachment agreements, the liability for
the use and maintenance of the dock surface continues to reside with the
owners as it had with the lease agreements. Redevelopment should
trigger the safety improvements on the docks as required. For areas
where the uses are primarily warehousing, particularly the 1200 block
Hamilton docks where the owners have expressed the desire for the docks
to remain as is until there is a significant usage change, these
improvements are at the discretion of the owners and may not be
necessary at this time. The encroachment agreements obligates the owner
to make the area safe for pedestrian activity; therefore, in areas where
retail, office, or restaurant uses are developing, the heavier
pedestrian traffic will prompt the safety improvements. The need to
install railings will be motivated by the amount of pedestrian traffic,
and the more liability risk to the owner. As well, development permit
applications that contemplates more pedestrian oriented functions on the
docks will include dock improvements as a condition of approval. Most
of the improvements on the Mainland docks have been initiated by the
owners, as it is to their advantage to beautify the docks fronting their
development.
The improvements to be completed by the owners, when appropriate,
include the installation of railings at the dock edge, installation of
stairs where required, and repairs to the dock wall and surface, all to
be consistent with the Yaletown Dock Guidelines. Most of these
improvements will happen over time with the development of various
buildings and uses.
The 1100 blocks Hamilton and Mainland Streets require the provision of a
wheelchair ramping system at the Davie Street end of the docks to
provide for barrier-free access. It is also expected that a similar
request will be made for the 1200 block Hamilton Street docks in the
future when development of the area warrants such implementation.
Street Improvements and Parking
With the high congestion of traffic and the absence of lanes in the
area, staff recommend that the street area adjacent to the Hamilton
Street dock be formally organized for parking, loading, and garbage
container uses. This is necessary in order to effectively accommodate
the competing needs in the limited street space available. This plan
involves clearly defining street uses with signage and paint lines, as
well as the installation of parking meters, to encourage more short term
parking for retail customers.
Staff recommend that the street area be organized with angle parking
similar to that adopted for Mainland Street, following a detailed design
plan including the lining and design of the parking stalls to be
completed prior to implementation, and in consultation with Fire &
Rescue Services and Planning. The Vancouver Heritage Commission and
local owners and merchants have supported the angle parking as a unique
feature of Yaletown, and they have indicated that it should continue to
be a part of the area's present character.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
At the time of purchasing the docks, Council was advised that the docks
required about $500,000 of upgrading, involving safety and structural
improvements, infrastructure improvements, transportation upgrading,
beautification, and the provision of barrier-free access. After
discussions with local property owners, and exploring various methods of
funding these improvements, staff recommended that the local owners be
responsible for the loading docks and fund 100% of these improvements,
while the reconstruction of the Helmcken Street docks be funded by the
City. This approach was approved by Council on February 18, 1993 in the
Yaletown Dock and Street Improvements report.
Presently, the Mainland Street dock improvements have been very
successful, with approximately 75% of the Mainland Street docks improved
by local owners. The Helmcken Street dock and road reconstruction is
currently in progress by the City, with an expected completion date of
July 1995.
Staff recommend that the improvements to the Hamilton Street docks be
funded consistent with the overall plan for Yaletown, as outlined in the
following:
The local owners would be required to fund the improvements on the
Hamilton docks adjacent to their properties, as part of their
responsibility in the encroachment agreement for maintenance and
repair. Most of this work is expected to be completed as
properties redevelop.
The City would fund the installation of bollards and signage for
the elimination of vehicle use from the Hamilton docks, at an
estimated cost of $10,000, and also fund the installation of ramps
to provide barrier-free access to the docks, at an estimated cost
of $10,000. Funding of $20,000 can be provided from the Streets
Basic Capital Account for other improvements.
The total cost for the installation of parking meters, signage, and
line painting is estimated to be $25,000 (1995 $), and will be off-
set by approximately half a year of increased parking meter
revenues.
IMPLEMENTATION
Upon approval of the recommendations, lease agreements will be
superseded by encroachment agreements when signed by adjacent property
owners, and pedestrianisation of the docks will commence with the
installation of bollards, eliminating vehicle access to the docks.
CONCLUSION
This report is submitted following Council direction to report back when
appropriate to extend the improvements and modifications approved for
the Mainland Street area to the Hamilton Street docks. In the previous
process, staff conducted a thorough review and design process with the
Yaletown community, and developed a plan for the Yaletown area. This
resulted in the establishment of the Yaletown Dock Guidelines, which
will structure safety and usability improvements over several years as
the area develops.
The current report deals with the completion of that plan on the
Hamilton Street docks, and is supported by the Yaletown Business
Association. This report has also been forwarded to the owners adjacent
to the Hamilton docks for review.
With the increase of pedestrian activity on the Hamilton Street docks
and with the parking resources in place at the City's 1180 Mainland
parkade to allow for removal of parking on the docks, staff is now
requesting Council's instruction to proceed with following:
i) the Hamilton Street dock be established as Road;
ii) vehicles be prohibited from using the Hamilton Street docks;
iii) the street area adjacent the docks be reorganized for traffic,
loading and parking activities on Hamilton Street.
iv) wheelchair access ramp be installed by the City.
These improvements will increase pedestrian safety while maintaining the
heritage character of the docks.
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