ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date:December 7, 1995
Dept. File No. 000 526
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT: Proposed Closure of the Lane West of Yew Street, between 10
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RECOMMENDATION
THAT all that portion of lane shown within the bold outline on the
plan attached as Appendix "A" be closed stopped up subdivided with
the abutting westerly lands subject to the following conditions:
a) The closed lane is to be consolidated with the abutting
westerly lot to the satisfaction of the Director of Legal
Services.
b) The abutting owner to be responsible for any necessary plans,
documents and Land Title Office fees.
c) Arrangements are to be made to the satisfaction of the
Director of Legal Services and General Manager of Engineering
Services for modification of the Statutory Right of Way
registered against the titles of Lots 1,2 & 3, Block 363,
District Lot 526, Plan LMP24360 under charge number R87921.
d) Any agreements are to be to the satisfaction of the Director
of Legal Services.
e) No legal right or obligation shall be created and none shall
arise hereafter, until the documents are executed.
COUNCIL POLICY
The procedure for closing and disposing of streets and lanes is set out
in the Vancouver Charter.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek Council authority to close and
stop-up the portion of lane west of Yew Street, between 10th Avenue and
the lane South of 10th Avenue.
BACKGROUND
The site at the southeast corner of Vine Street and 10th Avenue contains
the former Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) office building. At
the time this site was sold by the GVWD, Carling O'Keefe Breweries of
Canada Limited (Carling), the purchaser of the site, requested that the
City close the lane at the rear of this site. Council agreed subject to
a number of conditions, including the requirement that a new lane outlet
be dedicated to 10th Avenue at the eastern end of the proposed lane
closure and that Carling pay for the construction of the new lane
outlet. As Carling did not wish to proceed with the physical closure of
the lane until some future date, public access and utilities were
accommodated on the old lane alignment by means of a Statutory Right of
Way. This agreement also obligated the City to open the new lane and
Carling to pay for the construction of the new lane when it was
required.
Since the time of the Council decision to close the lane a great deal
has transpired. The Carling site has been the subject of the Arbutus
Lands CD-1 rezoning and plans for the expansion of the brewery have been
dropped. Consequently, there is no longer a need to build the new lane
outlet to 10th Avenue. The existing lane south of 10th Avenue can
continue to function on the Statutory Right of Way registered against
the Carling property. Subject to the City being released from the
obligation to construct the new lane outlet to 10th Avenue if requested
to do so by Carling, Council could dispose of that lane.
DISCUSSION
The site of the old GVWD office building has now been subdivided into
two parcels. The City owns the westerly parcel (Lot 2) which contains
the office building and holds a Right to Purchase to the vacant easterly
parcel (Lot 1). On the easterly site it is a proposed to construct
social housing, for which a unit allocation has been received from the
Province. In order to accommodate the development it is proposed to
include the unopened lane outlet which was dedicated by Carling.
CONCLUSION
There is no longer a need to construct a lane outlet to 10th Avenue
because the existing lane south of 10th Avenue can remain, secured by a
Statutory Right of Way. We are prepared to recommend to Council that
the lane outlet to 10th Avenue be closed and consolidated with the
abutting westerly property, subject to conditions set out in this
report.
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