Category Archives: Posts

Why Isn’t City Council Prioritizing Public Participation in Civic Process?

February 28, 2014: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Why Isn’t City Council Prioritizing Public Participation in Civic Process? 

The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods has written to Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vancouver City Council asking them to reconsider the City’s recent decision to schedule vitally important public hearings during inconvenient daytime work hours.

These scheduled hearings include significant and controversial rezonings for the massive $1.5 billion Oakridge Centre Mall project, for Southland’s Casa Mia, as well as contested spot rezoning proposals in Kitsilano and other neighbourhoods.

The Coalition notes that public hearings held during traditional working hours severely limit the ability of most citizens to attend, imposing barriers to public access to City decision-making that are inconsistent with the recent publication of the Mayor’s Engaged City Task Force Report. In particular, these hearings fail to meet any of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2)’s core values that were included in the Task Force’s recommendations.

Mayor Robertson himself stated on January 30 this year that “I’ve heard the concerns people have raised over how City Hall engages with residents. There’s no question we can do better.” However, such ideals appear to have been ignored almost entirely by the actions of Council in scheduling these hearings. Public access, input, and influence are priorities officially accepted by Council. These should be honoured and fulfilled.

The Coalition understands that evening and weekend hearings are inconvenient for Councillors and City staff but notes that this is the people’s business and the people’s convenience too. We eagerly await the Mayor and City Councillors’ response to our letter.

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Download this release (154kb PDF)
https://coalitionvan.org/files/CVN-Release-7-Feb28_2014.pdf

On Public Participation and Hearing Schedules

February 27, 2014

Mayor Gregor Robertson
City Hall
Vancouver, BC

Mayor Robertson:

The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods is writing to ask that you urgently reconsider the City’s recent decision to schedule vitally important public hearings during inconvenient daytime work hours. These scheduled hearings include significant and controversial rezonings for the Oakridge Centre Mall project, for Casa Mia in Southlands, as well as contested spot rezoning proposals in Kitsilano and other neighbourhoods.

The Coalition notes that public hearings held during traditional working hours severely limit the ability of most citizens to attend, imposing barriers to public access to City decision-making that are inconsistent with the recent publication of the Mayor’s Engaged City Task Force Report. In particular, these hearings fail to meet any of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2)’s core values that were included in the Task Force’s recommendations.

The Core Values define the expectations and aspirations of the public participation process as follows:

1. Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.

2. Public participation includes the promise that the public’s contribution will influence the decision.

3. Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.

4. Public participation seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision.

5. Public participation seeks input from participants in designing how they participate.

6. Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way.

7. Public participation communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.

However, these ideals appear to have been ignored almost entirely by the actions of Council in scheduling these hearings. Public access, input, and influence are priorities officially accepted by Council. These should be honoured and fulfilled.

Mayor Robertson, you stated on January 30 this year that “I’ve heard the concerns people have raised over how City Hall engages with residents. There’s no question we can do better.” We ask you to confirm those fine words with concrete action.

The Coalition understands that evening and weekend hearings are inconvenient for Councillors and City staff but notes that this is the people’s business and the people’s convenience too.

For and on behalf of the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods

Jak King

cc:

Clr. Affleck
Clr. Ball
Clr. Carr
Clr. Deal
Clr. Jang
Clr. Louie
Clr. Meggs
Clr. Reimer
Clr. Stevenson
Clr. Tang
Dr. Penny Ballem
City Clerk Janice MacKenzie

West End Zoning Amendments – Public Hearing January 23, 2014

January 23, 2014  – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West End Zoning Amendments – Public Hearing January 23, 2014 

The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods today wrote to the Mayor and City Council stating that the Coalition “is opposed to the zoning amendments for the West End as currently proposed. We have major concerns that the zoning amendments have been brought forward for approval without acceptable community input based on the West End Community Plan which has been flawed in the same ways that City Council has recognized in three other current planning processes.”

West End Neighbours, one of our member residents associations, has provided many examples of problems with the current zoning amendments, including the following:

  • The West End Community Plan was not the product of a meaningful public engagement exercise.
  • Residents have not had a fair chance to digest the many and complex proposals – and the City has not done an adequate job of educating residents, or even of answering questions following the release of the Plan.
  • Insufficient rationale was provided for the West End needing to absorb 10,000 more residents.
  • The City failed to adequately explore or evaluate with our community the variety of options for housing these theoretical future residents.
  • The Plan is imposing what the vast majority of residents did NOT want. Most residents surveyed by the City indicated they did not want new buildings exceeding 11 storeys in height. But the Plan, and the proposed zoning changes, propose that almost all new dwelling units be provided in buildings exceeding 11 storeys.

The objective of the Coalition of Vancouver Communities is to create a new development and planning paradigm that will stress community involvement and local influence in land-use and zoning decisions. We have major concerns about the current planning processes and is observing with interest how the City addresses the concerns of the West End.

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Download this release (123kb PDF)
https://coalitionvan.org/files/CVN-Release-5-Jan23_2014.pdf

 

Pearson Dogwood Lands Report Rushed To Judgment

January 20th 2014 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pearson Dogwood Lands Report Rushed To Judgment 

Vancouver, B.C. – The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods expresses its serious concern that once again the City of Vancouver is short-changing the public by publishing a detailed 118-page policy document a mere six days before an important Council decision.

The future of the 25-acre Pearson Dogwood Lands, bounded by Cambie, 57th, Heather and 59th, will be debated by City Council on Wednesday January 22nd. This is a major development, with plans calling for more than three million square feet of gross floor space, including towers ranging in height up to 28-storeys (265 ft/ 81m). The cost of the development is likely to exceed $450 million.

An important development, yes; but the public have been given just six days to study the report by Assistant Planning Director Matt Shillito called the “Pearson Dogwood Policy Statement” which will “guide the future rezoning and development.”

The release of this report with so little time for the public to study it and its implications is in line with a series of such delayed publications. A few examples of many:

  • the zoning changes to the West End Community Plan have been issued just ten days before the relevant hearing;
  • the Mount Pleasant Community Plan Implementation Report was published with just 6 days notice;
  • the public was given only a week to study the Jackson Report on four Community Plans last September;
  • the massive Transportation 2040 policy was approved just three working days after being published.

In none of these cases was timing of such importance that the hearings could not have waited until after a reasonable period of study was allowed. The short notice given to the public to respond to such important reports makes a mockery of genuine consultation and citizen engagement.

The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods proposes to work with the City to co-create a framework for a meaningful consultation process, including minimum publication times, engagement, and reasonable discussion of options as part of a new approach to planning.

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Download this release (123kb PDF)
https://coalitionvan.org/files/CVN-Release-4-Jan20_2014.pdf

Letter: Neighbourhood coalitions working

Re: “City forms truce with Marpole residents,” Dec. 4,
Editorial and Letters, Vancouver Courier

To the editor:

Re: “City forms truce with Marpole residents,” Dec. 4.

We were interested to read this story about the new attitude city planners seem to have adopted regarding community engagement in Marpole.

As your readers will recall, this summer and fall witnessed unprecedented levels of discontent with the City of Vancouver’s planning process.

This was particularly evident in the neighbourhoods where the city is drawing up 30-year plans — the West End, Marpole, Downtown Eastside, and Grandview-Woodland — but also in many other districts where innumerable hours of residents’ participation has led to little but frustration.

The loudly expressed anger of thousands of residents gave rise to the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods, which is now  made up of 21 community associations from across the city.

The prime goal of the coalition is to redesign the planning process to ensure that residents are actively involved in development decisions and that their views are respected.

The coalition has engaged with the planning department and city council to argue for the greater involvement of residents in land use, development and zoning issues.

The apparently more respectful attitude by planners in Marpole is evidence that the efforts of the Coalition, along with those of the Marpole Residents who are part of our Coalition, are having a positive impact.

We will continue to work on behalf of residents across the city, especially where development and zoning projects are being pursued in opposition to the expressed wishes of residents’ representatives and we look forward to better results right across the city.

Jak King, spokesperson,
Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods

 

Originally published: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/editorial-and-letters/letter-neighbourhood-coalitions-working-1.724813#sthash.bw2L2x4d.dpuf

 

West End Community Plan Flawed

November 18, 2013 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Re: West End Community Plan – Council Committee November 20, 2013

Dear Mayor Robertson and Councillors:

The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods is opposed to the adoption of the West End Community Plan as currently proposed. The West End Community Plan has been flawed in the same ways that you recognized in three other current planning processes, and the West End deserves fairer treatment than immediate adoption will allow.

West End residents tell us that the most important final stage of consultation has been rushed, the community still has many unanswered questions and concerns, and important gaps remain in the content of the draft Plan. We are sure that Council will agree that everyone is seeking a thirty-year plan that West Enders can accept and that the entire city can be proud of. The current Plan does not meet that objective.

We request Council to not adopt the Plan at this time. Instead, we ask that it be referred back to staff and the community, utilizing an improved process, with innovation in engagement techniques to more fully address the community’s concerns. For example, we believe the City should provide visualizations of streetscapes so that the public can see the real impacts of proposed revisions in land use provisions. Knowing that extra work is still required, we also request an extended timeline for completion, and adequate additional funding.

The objective of the Coalition of Vancouver Communities is to create a new development and planning paradigm that will stress community involvement and local influence in land-use and zoning decisions. We have major concerns about the current planning processes. Please be assured that the Coalition is observing with interest how the City addresses the concerns of the West End. Continue reading →

What’s The Rush? Vancouver Communities Question Rapid Rate of Development

November 4, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

What’s The Rush? Vancouver Communities Question Rapid Rate of Development

Vancouver, B.C. – The City of Vancouver is accepting proposals and approving residential construction five times faster than their own projections demand.

According to the Regional Context Statement approved by Vancouver City Council in June this year, the planners anticipate that Vancouver will see an increase of 153,800 people in the thirty-five years from 2006 to 2041 – a rate of an additional 4,350 people per year.

It is this expected increase of 153,800 people that the City says demands the densification plans they have been pushing.

However, since 2011, the city has already proposed or approved sufficient new housing to accommodate 43,000 people. In just two years, this planned housing satisfies 28% of the growth the city projects being required over the next 35 years.

Continue reading →

Vancouver Communities Unite to Fix Planning Mess

October 23, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vancouver Communities Unite to Fix Planning Mess
Residents’ Associations Seek Better Consultation with the City of Vancouver

Vancouver, B.C. – Eighteen community residents’ associations, covering almost the entire City of Vancouver, have now joined together in a Coalition of Neighbourhoods with the specific purpose of demanding a more respectful relationship between the City and the communities. The Coalition is working on creating a new development/planning paradigm that will stress community involvement and local influence over land use and zoning decisions.

This coming together follows the summer of our discontent. Virtually every neighbourhood in Vancouver has suffered through the disaster that is development and “community engagement” under the present planning process.

Continue reading →