ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: December 18, 1998
Author/Local: P. Vaisbord/6304
RTS No. 00348
CC File No. 8301

TO:	Standing Committee on Planning and Environment
FROM:	Director of City Plans
SUBJECT:	Approval of Council Initiative - Proposed Davie Village BIA

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT Council approve the Davie Village Business Association as sponsor for the proposed Davie Village BIA.

B. THAT Council approve the commencement of a Council Initiative to establish the proposed Davie Village BIA; and

THAT Council forward the application of the Davie Village Business Association to a hearing of the Court of Revision.

C. THAT the City notify the property owners and tenants in the area (outlined in Appendix A) of the proposed BIA and BIA levy.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services recommends APPROVAL of A, B and C.

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 policies with respect to the establishment of a BIA include:

· October 14, 1997: 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 tenants or owners, counted separately, are in opposition.

PURPOSE

The Davie Village Business Association (DVBA) has completed the first step in the process of establishing a new Business Improvement Area (BIA). The purpose of this report is to approve the DVBA as sponsor of, and to commence a Council Initiative for, the proposed Davie Village BIA.

BACKGROUND

The Davie Village Business Association (DVBA) has its origins as a steering committee of local businesses organised by members of the Gay and Lesbian Business Association of Greater Vancouver (GLBA) to address a shared perception of general decline on Davie Street.

In October 1997, Davie Street business tenant and GLBA member Vince Connors made representations to Council in support of a streamlined process for BIA approval. Council approved the new process, which eliminates the Petition requirement, and proceeds entirely by way of Council Initiative. A Council Initiative will not succeed if one-third of the property owners or tenants (counted separately) are in opposition.

The Davie Village BIA steering committee was formed in November 1997 to begin the BIA process. The present BIA application is one of several to attempt to establish a BIA under the revised process.

DISCUSSION

Outreach Activities

Since May of this year, the DVBA has been actively canvassing property owners and businesses within the proposed BIA, which comprises the four blocks of Davie Street, and the north side of Burnaby Street, between Burrard and Broughton Streets (see boundary map attached as Appendix A). The DVBA proposes a Year 1 budget of $78,766.00, representinga levy rate of 84c per $1,000 of assessed property value. A copy of the proposed budget is attached as Appendix B.

The Association has conducted its outreach activities through two issues of the Village Express newsletter, hand-delivery and mail-out of meeting notices and survey forms, a press release and newspaper articles, two public information meetings, and direct contact. The second survey form, distributed to property owners and businesses in the four blocks between Burrard and Broughton, requested recipients to indicate whether or not they supported the proposed BIA. Forty-five surveys were returned, representing 5 property-owners and 40 tenants. Overall, 35 responses (or 78%) indicated support, with 9 (20%) opposed. None of the property-owner responses indicated opposition. Based on these responses and their general outreach, the DVBA believes the BIA proposal is generally supported.

The DVBA formally applied to the City for consideration of a BIA on November 13. A copy of their application letter and documentation of their outreach activities is attached as Appendix C (distributed to Council members; on file in the City Clerk's Office).

The DVBA is presently incorporating as a non-profit society under the Societies Act, for the purpose of administering the BIA.

Staff Comments

Staff are satisfied that the DVBA has notified all property owners and tenants within the proposed BIA boundaries. Staff attended two public information meetings held at the Parkhill Hotel at which approximately 75 people were in attendance (in total). Participants seemed generally supportive, although there were concerns raised regarding costs and benefits.

As there are approximately 40 properties and 130 (street level) businesses within the survey area (response rate of 12% and 31% respectively) the survey is a fairly good indication of level of support/opposition. In addition to the survey responses, the Davie Express newsletter contained the name and telephone number of the City's BIA Coordinator, who received one call from a business owner opposing the BIA. This brings to 10 the total number of declared opponents, all of which are business tenants. This alone would not be sufficient to defeat the Initiative at the Court of Revision.

CONCLUSION

The Davie Village Business Association is requesting that Council consider approval of the proposed Davie Village BIA, and has asked that their application be forwarded by way of Council Initiative, to a Court of Revision. The DVBA's intention is that the BIA commence operations in April, 1999. The results of DVBA outreach activities indicate some opposition at this stage in the process, but probably not sufficient to defeat the proposed BIA.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver