LATE DISTRIBUTION

FOR COUNCIL - JULY 27, 1999

5

CITY OF VANCOUVER

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

JULY 20, 1999

A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, July 20, 1999, in the Gymnasium, Champlain Heights Recreation Centre, 3350 Maquinna Drive.

PRESENT:	Mayor Philip Owen* Councillor Don Bellamy Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Sick Leave)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Manager
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL:	Nancy Largent Laura Kazakoff (recorder)

*denotes presence during part of the meeting.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Chiavario,
SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Deputy Mayor Alan Herbert in the Chair, for the purpose of hearing delegations on the proposed Form of Development and Community Amenity Contribution package for Champlain Mall.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1. Form of Development - 3200 East 54th AvenueCC File: 2605/RTS: 748

2. Community Amenity Contribution for CC File: 2605/RTS: 769

3200 East 54th Avenue (Champlain Mall)

Council had before it an Administrative Report dated June 10, 1999, entitled "Form of Development - 3200 East 54th Avenue" in which the Director of Central Area Planning, on behalf of Land Use and Development, sought Council approval for the revised form of development for the above-noted CD-1 site. Also before Council was a Policy Report dated July 9, 1999, entitled "Community Amenity Contribution for 3200 East 54th Avenue (Champlain Mall)", in which the Director of Current Planning provided a recommendation on acceptance of a Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) package offered for the redevelopment of the above-noted site.

Larry Beasley, Director of Current Planning, reviewed the process to date, noting the proposed revised form of development has gone through a technical review process and is supported by staff. He introduced Planners Eric Fiss and Rob Whitlock, who were to provide overviews of the two reports before Council, Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Manager, and Paul Pinsker, Parking and Development Engineer, who were in attendance to provide any additional information that may be required.

- - - - -
Mayor Owen arrived during the above-noted discussion and assumed the Chair.
- - - - -

Eric Fiss, Planner, Development Planning Centre, reviewed the proposed redevelopment of Champlain Mall, and provided comments on use, density, form of development, parking and access, and the public notification process.

Rob Whitlock, Planner, Rezoning Centre, reviewed the community amenity package offered by the applicant in relation to this proposed redevelopment. The major components of the package include a library with the rent set at below market rate for 8 years, expansion of the Champlain Heights Community Centre to include seniors activity space and child daycare facility, and expansion of Cook School.

Chuck Brook, Brook Development Planning, spoke on behalf of the applicant and project team. He advised the intention in retaining a portion of Champlain Mall was to provide a neighbourhood shopping place with reduced operating costs and increased flexibility for merchants. An indoor food court which provides 30 seats and washroom facilities would be retained under this proposal and would be available for seniors to socialize. Mr. Brook noted the application has been reviewed by the Urban Design Panel and the Development Permit Board and he now requests approval of the project and amenity package.

The following delegations spoke in favour of having a seniors centre located at the Champlain Mall site, and their comments are summarized below:

Ingrid Brown
Leni Fong, South Vancouver Neighbourhood House
Marie Soong
Marjorie Moulton
Bert Massiah, Community Health Committee, Vancouver Richmond Health Board
Candy Scott
Gwyn Rowlands, South Vancouver Seniors Network (petition filed)
Clyde Feero

· many seniors who live near mall would be unable to get to community centre due to disabilities which make riding the bus or walking difficult;
· with increased density there is a need for a concrete plan to support community services in the area;
· southeast Vancouver, including area adjacent the mall, has the highest density of seniors in the city but no seniors centre, compared with the west side which has six seniors centres;
· seniors need a base for outreach and support - a place where they can feel a sense of ownership and pride - programs in a community centre are not enough;
· mall redevelopment provides an opportunity to provide a seniors centre in the area and is the appropriate location for such a facility;
· during community outreach by the Health Board, the Champlain Mall and surrounding area received universal support as the best place for a community health centre and a stand-alone seniors centre;
· as this is the "Year of the Older Person" it is the appropriate time to provide a seniors centre in the area.

The following delegations spoke in support of the proposed redevelopment of Champlain Mall and their comments are summarized below:

Jeannette Moore, tenant in mall
Bruce McLeod, tenant in mall
Greg King
Raymond Chan

· Champlain Mall is not commercially viable the way it is now. Merchants cannot subsidize mall in its present form;
· half of original mall tenants have had to relocate, resulting in demise of mall over the last few years;
· proposed redevelopment is a fair compromise: the services which are being maintained are adequate for the area;
· proposed residential component would provide a good option for some people;
· support expressed for proposed library;
· development will create many jobs;
· project provides attractive community benefits.

The following delegations provided comments on the community amenity package and their points are summarized below:

Rick Evans
Dr. Gabriel Yong, South Vancouver Community Policing Centre
Donna Tilley, Director, Champlain Heights Community Association
Margaret Manning
Keith Jacobsen
Tom Holmes
Irma Matheson
Greg Stump
Pat Goldmey, Champlain Heights Community Association
Ian Waddell, MLA, Vancouver-Fraserview

· the majority of the foregoing speakers spoke in favour of providing a seniors centre, not necessarily located at Champlain Mall;
· recreational and social activities are needed to build a strong community;
· schools are a Provincial responsibility - monies from community amenity contribution should not be earmarked for school expansion;
· original proposal was to turnkey with developer for community centre expansion -now it will be carried out by the City with a cash contribution from the developer. Can the City guarantee it will be built as designed, without running out of funds?
· money collected by Development Cost Levy (DCL) should be used to meet needs and address social concerns of this community;
· suggestion made that monies earmarked for school expansion should be reallocated for a crime prevention office, which could be located at the mall and could possibly be used for other social services and provide some space for seniors;
· some money should be allocated for youth oriented recreation facilities, e.g. a water park;
· suggestion made that Engineering address issue of safe and easy access to mall, specifically for seniors using canes, walkers and wheelchairs;
· request that the City provide a seniors centre with a qualified coordinator - it could be located in the Community Centre as long as they have their own space;
· money allocated to Cook School could be better used by Champlain Heights Community Association;
· $300,000 allocated to Cook School is needed for expansion to school - don't want to see it lost in a "black hole" at the School Board.

Ian MacDonald advised that he hoped contractors would be given the opportunity to bid on construction of the child daycare component of the amenity package.

In response to queries from Council, Henry Ahking, Manager of Planning and Facilities, Vancouver School Board, provided information on expansions and upgrades required by Cook School in order to deal with current student population and projected increases in population, noting the school currently has five portable classrooms on site. He advised that in previous dealings with the developer, an agreement had been made that four additional classrooms would be provided. He further noted $300,000 would pay for the construction of approximately 2.5 classrooms. Mr. Ahking advised of two options in this regard: funding from Ministry of Education on a joint venture basis; or use the $300,000 to upgrade the school's existing amenities.

Staff responded to questions from Council on the following:

· why the $300,000 earmarked for Cook School should be provided by Community Amenity Contributions when schools are a Provincial responsibility;
· DCL and CAC policies;
· cash contributions as opposed to a turnkey arrangement for additions to Community Centre and school;
· how much of the total amount of money collected from both the CAC and DCL will be spent in the local community.

MOVED by Councillor Puil,
THAT a decision on the Form of Development and Community Amenity Contribution for 3200 East 54th Avenue (Champlain Mall) be referred to the Vancouver City Council meeting of July 27, 1999; and

FURTHER THAT staff be requested to meet with the developer and report back with information on the feasibility of providing a seniors centre at Champlain Mall including options for its operation and maintenance.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Council also requested staff provide additional information on the following:

· where the proposed library fits in the Library Board's overall plan in terms of its priority for the Champlain Heights area;
· further clarification on the rationale behind the $300,000 cash contribution to the Vancouver School Board for improvements to Captain Cook School;
· clarification regarding the Park Board's plan for the Community Centre renovations and the seniors' centre issue, as well as costs associated with turnkey construction by the developer versus a cash contribution to the City for this purpose, including operating costs;
· a clear description of Development Cost Levies and what they are able to be spent on.

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. Chiavario,
SECONDED By Cllr. Price,

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

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 10:10 p.m.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver