SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

DECEMBER 8 & 10, 1998

A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, December 8, 1998 at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall for the purpose of considering a Comprehensive Development Agreement Application relating to the expansion of the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. Subsequently, the meeting reconvened at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 1998, in the Council Chamber, third floor, City Hall, with the same members present:

PRESENT: Deputy Mayor George Puil

Councillor Don Bellamy
Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario
Councillor Jennifer Clarke
Councillor Alan Herbert
Councillor Lynne Kennedy
Councillor Don Lee
Councillor Gordon Price
Councillor Sam Sullivan

ABSENT: Mayor Philip Owen (Leave of Absence)

Councillor Daniel Lee (Leave of Absence)

CLERK TO THE
COUNCIL:

Nancy Largent (December 8)

Gail Johnson (December 10)

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

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

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Deputy Mayor Puil in the Chair.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1. Comprehensive Development Agreement Application:

500-800 and 999 Canada Place Way

An application by Greystone Properties Ltd. was considered as follows:

Summary: The Comprehensive Development Agreement would allow for the development of the convention centre expansion, a convention hotel, a third cruise ship berth, and supportive retail, commercial and transportation facilities.

The Director of Central Area Planning (City Project Manager for the Planning Work on the Trade and Convention Centre Expansion Program) and the Deputy City Engineer, recommended approval of the application, subject to the following conditions as proposed for adoption by resolution of Council:

(a) THAT the draft Comprehensive Development Agreement (attached as Appendix A to the Administrative Report dated November 5, 1998 and revised as of November 30, 1998) be approved by Council specifying, among other things, the land uses, development allowances, design parameters, and public benefit requirements for the expansion of the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre including:

(i) associated hotel and commercial development and other ancillary uses (sub-areas 1 (a) and 2);
(ii) the extension of the Canada Place cruise ship pier (sub-area 1 (b) ); and
(iii) the potential development of the Eastlands (sub-area 3);

(b) THAT the proposed form of development be approved by Council in principle, generally as prepared by Greystone Properties Ltd., and stamped “Received City Planning Department, December 8, 1998, provided that the Director of Planning may allow minor alterations to this form of development when approving the detailed scheme of development, subject to the Design Development conditions as outlined in revised Appendix C dated December 7, 1998 of the referral report;

(c) AND THAT the Comprehensive Development Agreement be submitted to the Vancouver Port Corporation and the developer for agreement generally in accordance with the draft attached.

It was noted that at the Vancouver City Council meeting of November 17, 1998, the following recommendations were approved by Council, upon consideration of the Policy Report dated November 5, 1998:

“A. THAT the draft Comprehensive Development Agreement (attached as Appendix A) specifying, among other things, the land uses, development allowances, design parameters, and public benefit requirements for the expansion of the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre including:

(i) associated hotel and commercial development and other ancillary uses (sub-areas 1 [a] and 2);
(ii) the extension of the Canada Place cruise ship pier (sub-area 1 [b]); and
(iii) the potential development of the Eastlands (sub-area 3);

be referred to a Public Review Meeting, together with:

(a) plans received from Greystone Properties Ltd., dated September 15, 1998, (attached as Appendix B) noting that revised drawings shall be submitted prior to the Public Review Meeting and that these will form part of the Comprehensive Development Agreement;
(b) design development conditions (attached as Appendix C);
(c) the recommendation of the Director of Central Area Planning (City Project Manager for the Planning Work on the Trade and Convention Centre Expansion Program) and the Deputy City Engineer that Council approve the draft Comprehensive Development Agreement and submit it to the Vancouver Port Corporation and the developer for agreement generally in accordance with the draft attached hereto.

B. THAT Council adopt Recommendation A on the following conditions:

(i) THAT the passage of the above resolution creates no legal rights for the applicant or any other person, or obligation on the part of the City; any expenditure of funds or incurring of costs is at the risk of the person making the expenditure or incurring the cost and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any development of the subject lands in anticipation of the execution of the Comprehensive Development Agreement shall be at the developer’s own risk and shall not be to the account of the City;

(ii) THAT the City and all its officials, including the Approving Officer, shall not, in any way, be limited or directed in the exercise of their authority or discretion, regardless of when they are called upon to exercise such authority or discretion.

C. THAT the Director of Central Area Planning and Deputy City Engineer work with Greystone Properties Ltd. and Ontrea Inc., the owner of Granville Square, to develop a solution to achieve closure of the Canada Place Way viaduct gap.

D. THAT the City Manager and the Director of Legal Services be authorized to negotiate the final wording and execute a Comprehensive DevelopmentAgreement on behalf of the City, provided that the Director of Legal Services is of the opinion that it is substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Appendix A, and further that the Director of Legal Services be authorized to sign all necessary ancillary agreements including those for subdivision.”

Staff Comments

Larry Beasley, Director of Central Area Planning, introduced Chris Nelson, Ministry of Employment and Investment, and Pat McLaughlin, Vancouver Port Corporation.. Mr. Beasley also reviewed the purpose of this application, enumerated future planning to be carried out, and responded to questions on the following which were raised by City Council on December 1, 1998:

· casino use (not permitted);
· retail impact assessment;
· water coverage;
· pedestrian linkages;
· public benefits;
· training and employment opportunities;
· housing impact assessment;
· movement of dangerous goods;
· liquor licensing;
· funding sources for the development.

Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Engineer, also responded to questions which were raised by City Council on December 1, 1998, dealing with the following:

· structure of the viaduct;
· application to be made to the Burrard Environmental Review Committee;
· ownership of CRAB Park;
· seabus connection and linkages;
· transit connections and routes;
· parking;
· pedestrian connections;
· traffic impacts;
· new Cordova intersection;
· Port roadway;
· provision for taxis and buses.

Robert Jenkins, Planner, reviewed the application with particular reference to the following:

· convention centre expansion;
· cruise ship expansion including a third berth;
· new Marriott hotel with reference to tower height, shape, and impact on views;
· other commercial components;
· child daycare facility;
· public transit and pedestrian connections;
· seabus access;
· points of access suitable for persons with disabilities;
· cyclist access and bypass route.

Mr. Jenkins pointed out the application does not deal with the lands to the east, which will be the subject of a future application and related public process.

Applicant Comments

David Podmore, President, Greystone Properties Ltd., reviewed project benefits including the following:

· stimulus to the local and provincial economy including 11,000 jobs during construction and 4,100 jobs in operations;
· job training and entry level positions in the service sector;
· approximately $51 million in payments-in-lieu of property taxes;
· increased cruise ship revenues;
· the hotel capacity required for large conventions;
· assurance that Vancouver can meet the cruise industry's needs for expansion;
· a high level of excellence in design and construction.

Mr. Podmore also reviewed the partnerships in the development, funding, and the public process. Letters of support for the project were cited. It was noted that the 99-year lease between Greystone and the Port Corporation specifically prohibits a casino.

Bob MacKay, Vice-President, Greystone Properties Ltd., reviewed target dates and major areas of change in the application since its original submission, including:

· hotel tower location and shape;
· shape of the Phase 2 tower;
· shape of the plaza;
· pedestrian linkages.

Chris Nelson, Ministry of Employment and Investment, responded to questions regarding job training, including public consultation which has been carried out in thecommunity.

Summary of Correspondence

The following correspondence was received by Council:

- 32 letters of support
- 1 letter in opposition
- 8 form letters in opposition
- Compendium of Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee (GHAPC) minutes of July 15, 1998, and attachments.

Speakers

The following speakers supported the application:

Rick Antonson, Tourism Vancouver
Cam Campbell, Downtown South Association
Robin Willies
Jim Lehto, GHAPC (brief previously filed)
Don Pottie
Ray Spaxman and Leanore Sali, Gastown Business Improvement Society

(brief filed)

Brian Young, Vancouver Hotel Association and Metro Hotel
Dionne Pellan, Pride Centre
Delhia Nahanee, United Native Nations
Kathy Fournier.

Following are some of the comments made in support of the application:

· the proposed development addresses the issue of loss of convention business due to the existing facility being outgrown;
· Vancouver's ability to accommodate the expanding convention business is being strained;
· the tourism industry offers diverse employment opportunities and has a good history of accommodating new employees;
· it was hoped the project will have positive social impacts, and that any housing impacts created can be dealt with through creation of better, alternative housing;
· the project should not be stalled any longer;
· the project would provide a golden opportunity for vertical display of the Challenger Map, to the benefit of tourists, the city, and the province;
· it was hoped the project would serve as an amenity for Gastown and improve access to it;
· the GHAPC representative gave a point-by-point comparison of the current proposal to the concerns expressed by GHAPC at its meeting of July 15, 1998, and observed that the majority have been dealt with satisfactorily or are in the process of being dealt with;
· the project is supportable as long as access is controlled and issues such as loss of SRO housing are dealt with;
· representatives of the GBIS expressed enthusiasm for the convention centre, and hoped it will happen quickly, but expressed alarm about the lack of attention given to pedestrians at the complicated Cordova intersection, and hoped Council would ensure that there are good pedestrian linkages to Gastown, and no undue retail impacts on the heritage area;
· Gastown would be interested in having the maritime centre located at the foot of Carrall Street;
· the economic benefits and stability from this project strongly merit its approval;
· the convention centre will provide job opportunities for lower-income area residents and First Nations people;
· stakeholder groups in the community have been consulted on the issue of employment and the training will meet their needs;
· Mariott Hotels have a good history of employee training.

The following speakers did not support the application or some portion thereof:

Vince Miele, Special Advisory Committee on Disability Issues
Tom MacGregor, BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (brief filed)
Bill Conway (accompanied by guide dog "King")
Don Larson, CRAB Water for Life Society
Isobel Minty, Citizens Against Gambling Expansion (CAGE)
Gaching Kong, Urban Youth Alliance (brief filed)
Ian McCrae
Connie Fogal, CAGE
Harry Rankin
Robert Clark (brief filed)
Tom Laviolette, CAB (project of Carnegie Community Association)
Paul Tubbe, BC Paraplegic Association
Andrew Gruft, UBC School of Architecture
Dan Thomas
James Graham.

Following are some of the cautions expressed by the foregoing speakers:

· various features of the project are not fully accessible to persons with disabilities;
· the walkway to the seabus will be almost doubled in length;
· "golf carts" and moving sidewalks, which have been proposed for the SeaBus connection, have not worked well in providing disabled access, and the latter cannot be used by guide dogs;
· there will need to be enough space between the moving sidewalks for wheelchairs as well as pedestrians or cart traffic;
· a development of this nature should not be permitted near the railyards, an area from which hazardous goods are shipped, nor should the City play down the issue;
· CRAB Park should be protected and transferred to the City under fee-simple ownership, not just by a 99-year lease;
· Council should refuse to approve this application unless a binding legal covenant is placed on both the land and water, prohibiting any casino use forever;
· Marriott Hotels are currently in partnership with the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas;
· this application should not be approved until details are available on proposed development of the east lands;
· not nearly enough public amenities are being gained from this enormous development;
· SRO housing will be lost because land values in surrounding areas will go up as a result of this development; Council should refuse the application until funds are made available to fully replace all housing lost;
· too much housing has already been lost in the Downtown Eastside due to gentrification; more should not be lost to tourism;

·Council should ensure that Downtown Eastside housing is protected through passage of an anti-conversion by-law;
· the poor will suffer from this megaproject as they did from Expo 86 and subsequent development of the Expo lands, which resulted in considerable loss of housing;
· rather than plead lack of jurisdiction, Council should remember that the Port of Vancouver could not operate without the City's cooperation; for example, the Port needs water and roadways;
· it is disturbing that there has been almost no discussion of the design of a project of this size and importance; the design of the project has changed six times in the last six months, and there are not sufficient details available for intelligent comment;
· the project lacks public open spaces;
· pedestrian linkages are inadequate;
· an urban design study is needed in order to review the merits of the project in the proper context; Council should not approve it, or at most; should only give approval in principle subject to detailed urban design study;
· provision for loading and unloading buses and taxis is inadequate; it will take a great deal of time to move large groups away from the convention centre;
· weather protection is insufficient;
· this large development will be located on the waterfront in front of a low-rise historic community, and will block the significant Canada Place building;
· the views of many area residents will be blocked, leaving them unable to see Canada Place, Stanley Park or the North Shore mountains;
· the project should be tiered down to prevent blocking views;
· a precedent will be established, and the HA-2 District will all be built up in height.

Mr. Beasley and Mr. MacGregor responded to questions regarding replacement of lost SRO housing by bona fide social housing, ceiling trusses for the seabus walkway, bus parking, pedestrian linkages; use of CPTED design principles, public amenities provided by this project; and the Cordova intersection.

The Mayor ascertained that there were no further speakers present.

MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy,

THAT Council, having concluded the hearing of speakers, reconvene immediately following the Public Hearing scheduled to reconvene at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 1998, to consider its decision on this matter.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillor Bellamy not present for the vote)

The Special Council recessed at 11:05 p.m., and reconvened
at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 1998, in the
Council Chamber, with the same members present.

* * *

Applicant’s Closing Comments

Mr. Podmore and Mr. MacKay responded to various comments made by speakers with respect to the Cordova Connector, pedestrian impact studies, the office/retail/entertainment content, and the design of the hotel. It was also clarified that Marriott Hotels are not involved in gaming. Consultants have been retained to address issues related to tour buses and accessibility to the project. With respect to the issue of jobs and job training, Greystone has committed to on- the-job training, and by the end of construction, it is anticipated that 100 individuals will be eligible to enter the work force in their chosen trade. Another 110 people will be placed in permanent employment positions in the hotel component of the project.

Staff Closing Comments

Larry Beasley, Director, Central Area Planning, responded to issues raised by speakers, noting that the project was supported in principle even though the speakers had some concerns. He briefly addressed the following issues:

- accessibility into the site, including pedestrian access from Gastown
- the intersection of Cordova and Water Streets
- the Urban Design Analysis
- the Plaza principle
- weather protection
- water links
- the view corridors
- the CPR tracks
- the amenity contribution
- housing impact assessment
- Crab park
- casinos
- the bus management plan, which will be reported back to Council.

Council Decision

Larry Beasley and Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Engineer, responded to questions from Council members related to Crab Park and the 99-year lease; the public benefits package; gaming; the shell zoning and the CDA; and accessibility to the site.

MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,

A. THAT the draft Comprehensive Development Agreement (attached as Appendix A to the Administrative Report dated November 5, 1998 and revised as of November 30, 1998) be approved by Council specifying, among other things, the land uses, development allowances, design parameters, and public benefit requirements for the expansion of the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre including:

(i) associated hotel and commercial development and other ancillary uses (sub-areas 1 (a) and 2);

(ii) the extension of the Canada Place cruise ship pier (sub-area 1 (b) ); and
(iii) the potential development of the Eastlands (sub-area 3);

B. THAT the proposed form of development be approved by Council in principle, generally as prepared by Greystone Properties Ltd., and stamped “Received City Planning Department, December 8, 1998, provided that the Director of Planning may allow minor alterations to this form of development when approving the detailed scheme of development, subject to the Design Development conditions as outlined in revised Appendix C dated December 7, 1998 of the referral report;

C. AND THAT the Comprehensive Development Agreement be submitted to the Vancouver Port Corporation and the developer for agreement generally in accordance with the draft attached.

D. THAT the Deputy City Engineer and the Director of Central Area Planning report back on the Viaduct Road and the Cordova/Water/Richards intersection design details, after consultation with the Gastown BIA, and other interested parties, and after confirmation of the Cordova Connector location;

AND FURTHER, THAT Council re-affirms that the design give priority to the pedestrian environment and linkage to Gastown.

E. THAT staff evaluate and report back on the feasibility, desirability and options for funding a public walkway or passage extending eastward from the Cordova Connector along the north face of the Water Street buildings in Gastown.

This report should be ready prior to completion of planning for the East Lands.

F. THAT, in order to strengthen the assurance of Greystone’s commitment to provide on-site job training and skills development and on-going job placement, both during construction and once facilities are in operation, Greystone develop its community process by working directly with all the groups within Network 2 (Vancouver/Richmond Health Board) which have education, training and employment as part of their mandate (the Vancouver East Community Skills Connection), along with the appropriate Provincial Ministries;

AND FURTHER, THAT City staff monitor the training and jobs programs, keeping Council aware of the progress and on-going results.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

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. Price ,

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 4:20 p.m.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver