1998 Annual Report and Draft 1999 Work Plan

I

REPORT TO COUNCIL

VANCOUVER CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

April 7, 1999

1. 1998 Annual Report and Draft 1999 Work Plan File: 3107-2

RTS: 667

Council: April 27, 1999

RECOMMENDED

THAT Council receive for information the attached Vancouver City Planning Commission 1998 Annual Report and draft 1999 Work Plan.

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS:

The City Manager submits the 1998 Annual Report and Draft 1999 Work Plan for Council's CONSIDERATION.

Vancouver City Planning Commission: 1999 Workplan to Fulfill Mandate

To submit annually to Council a suggested work programme and budget.

This is the work programme for 1999. The Commission's 1999 budget request will be forwarded to Council by the Finance Department in May or June of 1999.

To represent ideas and opinions about the future of the city, as citizens of the City of Vancouver.

The Commission believes that it can be of most value to Council by focusing on issues which raise questions of broad principle that affect the City's long-term development. The following themes will be considered when selecting the issues to be examined by the Commission and will be emphasized and referenced in our discussions and reports:

· Livability

The Commission will encourage planning and development that considers its residents first and which improves the City's viability as a place to live and to work.

· Public Realm

The Commission will be an advocate for the public realm and its important role in the livability of the community.

· Sustainability

The Commission will encourage the City to pursue initiatives that strive toward environmental, economic and social sustainability. A feature of sustainability is that true cost accounting should be used.

· Civic Leadership/Public Participation

The Commission will promote strong civic leadership and meaningful public participation in decision making. Neither can occur without the other.

· Civic/Regional Goals

The Commission recognizes that the City has obligations and responsibilities to the province, the GVRD and the GVTA, and we will encourage seeking a reasonable balance between civic and regional goals.

To consider and report to Council on any proposal likely to have a significant effect on the future of the City.

The Commission organizes itself into subcommittees to respond to issues that the Commission has identified as being important to the City over the long term. These
subcommittees also respond to issues as they arise.

For 1999, the subcommittees will be as follows:
- Transportation
- Downtown
- Neighbourhoods
- South East False Creek

The work of the subcommittees will provide the structure for the Commission's meetings in 1999. The Commission will strive to enhance communication with Council and staff in three ways:

1. The executive will invite speakers in response to the needs of the subcommittees in their preparation of reports and other communications with Council. The schedule of speakers will be distributed as early as possible to Council and staff so that they may be able to attend meetings of interest to them.
2. The subcommittees may continue to prepare and submit reports to Council. Drafts of these reports may be shared with staff. The reports may include information presented by outside speakers. Reports presented to Council will also be posted on the City of Vancouver Internet Web site.

In addition, the Commission undertakes tours and field trips that relate to the work of the subcommittees.

Report to Council

Vancouver City Planning Commission

April 7, 1999

1. 1998 - Annual Report

Executive Summary

This report describes the activities of the Vancouver City Planning Commission in 1998. It includes the following sections:

- Introduction
- Issues examined in 1998
- Special Event on Broadway Corridor Transportation
- City staff speakers
- Outside guest speakers
- Members' additional planning responsibilities

Introduction

The Vancouver City Planning Commission is pleased to submit its report to Council on its work in 1998. The Commission continued to use CityPlan as its frame of reference against which specific issues were evaluated.

As a volunteer body, the Commission cannot involve itself in all issues important to the City. The Commission believes it can be of most value to Council by focusing on issues which raise questions of broad principle that affect the City's long-term development. In this manner the Commission is able to concentrate on areas where it can add value - for example by focusing attention on an opportunity or problem not yet identified as significant (e.g. South East False Creek and Broadway Corridor).

This report describes:
- the substantive areas that we have examined in 1998;
- the output that we have produced in 1998

Issues Examined in 1998

In 1998 the major focus of the Commission was transportation planning and rapid transit in the Broadway Corridor. As part of this focus the VCPC hosted a special event on planning and designing rapid transit for the Broadway Corridor. In addition, through itssub-committees and at its bi-weekly meetings, the Commission examined other significant issues affecting long range planning for the City.

In 1998 the Commission had discussions or presentations (by our subcommittees or outside speakers) on the following topics. City Councillors, staff and other interested parties were invited to attend.

Transportation in the Broadway Corridor

Greater Vancouver Transit Authority

Neighbourhood Visions
South East False Creek
Granville Rapid Bus
Downtown Streetcar
Public Realm and Large Scale Development Proposals
Public Involvement
Major Road Network

In 1998 the Commission had 5 active subcommittees: Transportation, Public Realm, South East False Creek, Neighbourhoods and Broadway Corridor Event.

To better fulfill its mandate, the Commission tours areas of the City significant for past or upcoming planning decisions. Councillors and City staff were invited to join us on these tours. In 1998 our tours were as follows:
SkyTrain, September 13
SkyTrain, September 30

Special Event: Rapid Transit in the Broadway Corridor

On September 30, 1998 the Planning Commission together with the City Program of Simon Fraser University sponsored a free public lecture on "Choice and Consequences: Rapid Transit in the Broadway Corridor" featuring two international transit experts, Kelvin Campbell from London, England and Gerald Fox from Portland, Oregon. This illustrated lecture focused on how North American and European cities have approached rapid transit in mature urban environments similar to Vancouver's. Over 300 people attended at
Robson Square Conference Centre.

On October 1, the Commission sponsored a half day panel discussion and workshop "Planning and Designing Rapid Transit for the Broadway Corridor" featuring engineering and urban designers from the UK, the US and Canada. Over 100 people attended; a cross-section of the academic, development and citizen communities.

Speakers included: Kelvin Campbell with Urban Initiatives, a UK based urban design andtransit planning consultant; Gerald Fox, Team Leader, Engineering Design Development for the Tri-Met light rail system in Portland, Oregon; Gary Carr, Chief Engineer, Operations Planning at the Toronto Transit Commission; Gary Andrishak, Urban Designer and Consultant for the SkyTrain Project; and Mary Jo Porter, Technical Consultant for Sound Transit, Seattle.

A report with recommendations arising from the special event was submitted
to City Councillors in October 1998. This event was supported by a grant
from City Council.

City Staff Speakers

The Commission was kept abreast of City issues and developments by presentations from City staff. In 1998, we had reports from the following City staff:

Ian Adam, Asst. City Engineer
Anne Bancroft-Jones, Real Estate Services
Larry Beasley, Director, Central Area Planning
Jill Davidson, Housing
Chris DeMarco, Planning
Frank Ducote, Neighbourhood Planning Program
Nathan Edelson, Planning
Jacquie Forbes-Roberts, Director, Community Planning
Don Henderson, Engineering
Rod Hodgins, Engineering
Karen Hoese, Planning
Mark Holland, Planning
Ronda Howard, Planning
Sandy James, Planning
Richard Johnson, Planning
Ann McAfee, Director, CityPlans
Wayne Pledger, Engineering
Brian Riera, Planning
Dave Rudberg, GM, Engineering Services
Ted Sebastian, Planning
Ian Smith, Planning
Michael White, Planning
Outside Guest Speakers

The Commission was very fortunate to be able to hear from many people with significant expertise in the areas we examined. In 1998, we had the privilege of hearing from the following outside speakers:

Mark Betteridge, VGH
Jim Diers, Director, Dept. of Neighbourhood, City of Seattle
Dr. Michael Goldberg, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, UBC
Brian Johnston, Context Research
Stanley Kwok, Stanley Kwok Consultants
Glen Leicester, BC Transit
Gordon Lovegrove, UBC Transportation
Deborah Markle, Public Consultation Communications
Murray Martin, VGH
Dennis Meier, City of Seattle
Sebastian Moffatt, Sheltair Scientific
Lecia Stewart, LRT Project Manager
Larry Waddell, VCC
Teresa Watts, LRT Project
Trish Web, LRT Project
Thomas C. Whittemore, Ballard District Council

Members' Additional Planning Responsibilities

In addition to regular activities involving our bi-weekly and executive meetings as well as subcommittee participation, our members are active on other City task forces and committees. In 1998, our members participated in the following:

Citizens Advisory Group on Property Taxation
South East False Creek Charette and Advisory Group
Urban Design Panel

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