A busy week is coming up for council. For convenience we’re compiled a the agenda for the meetings on Tuesday Oct 30th and Wednesday Oct 31st, 2012, below, along with our commentary:
Regular Council Meeting – Tuesday, October 30, 2012 9:30am
1. Transportation 2040 Jerry Dobrovolny, Director of Transportation, will provide a Report Reference regarding the Transportation 2040 draft plan.
Policy Report dated October 17, 2012 
Notes: this is a very significant document and deserves close scrutiny. Public transit funding, development around transit corridors, and other changes that will likely feed into the Regional Context Statement (for the Regional Growth Strategy) might have impacts for decades to come. Significant additions have suddenly appeared in the plan, and the first time the public was able to review them was just days ago. City Hall is doing it again. Stay tuned.
Unfinished Business: 1. CD-1 Rezoning: 955 East Hastings Street
Council will decide the outcome of the 6.15FSR 3 tower Development Proposal at 955 E. Hastings; speakers and presentations were heard at Public Hearing on Oct 16 & 18th. COPE held a press conference with the community in opposition to this rezoning at noon on Monday October 29 at 955 East Hastings Street, please see Global TV report here.
At the Public Hearing on October 16, 2012, which subsequently reconvened on October 18, 2012, Vancouver City Council concluded hearing from speakers on the above-noted application, and referred discussion and decision to the Regular Council meeting to be held October 30, 2012, as Unfinished Business.
Accordingly, the following previously distributed materials refer:
• Summary and Recommendation
• Policy Report dated September 11, 2012, entitled “CD-1 Rezoning: 955 East Hastings Street”
Minutes 2 of this agenda package also refer.
Administrative Reports
1. Engineering Services Superintendent Vehicles: Lease Conversions
2. Selection of Operator, Lease of City-owned Property, and Approval of Grants for the Child Development Facility at Woodward’s (111 West Hastings Street)
Requires eight affirmative votes
Note: New Policy reports are on the agenda. No new referrals to Public Hearing (such as rezonings). Are development pressures cooling off?
A raft of By-law amendments are on the agenda (for details see LINK TO BY-LAWS 1-13 ; BY-LAWS 14-33)
A. Administrative Motions
1. Approval of Form of Development: 7299 Granville Street (Shannon Mews)
MOVER: Councillor
SECONDER: Councillor
B. Motions on Notice
1. Request for Leave of Absence – Mayor Gregor Robertson
MOVER: Councillor
SECONDER: Councillor
2. Long Term Security for Community Gardens
MOVER: Councillor Adriane Carr
SECONDER: Councillor George Affleck
From the motion: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff report back on options to increase the long term security of Vancouver’s Community Gardens, especially older gardens such as Cottonwood Garden;
3. Update City Awards Program
MOVER: Councillor Heather Deal
SECONDER: Councillor Geoff Meggs
4. Request for Leave of Absence – Councillor Kerry Jang
MOVER: Councillor
SECONDER: Councillor
5. Establishing a Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee
MOVER: Councillor Andrea Reimer
SECONDER: Councillor
Standing Committee – City Finance and Service – Oct 30, 1:30 pm (agenda)
1. Transportation 2040
NOTE: Speakers will have a chance to address Council on the Policy report to be presented to council at 9:30am during this Committee Meeting.
Vancouver City Council, at its meeting on October 30, 2012, will hear a Report Reference on this matter, and refer the hearing of speakers and decision to this meeting.
2. Grants in Lieu of Taxes (Requires eight affirmative votes)
3. Annual Financial Authorities – 2013
Public Hearing – Tuesday, October 30, 2012 6PM (agenda)
Note the earlier 6pm start of the hearing. The third item (HRA) is requesting a FSR of 21.5 (more details further below).
1. TEXT AMENDMENT: 100 West 49th Avenue (Langara College)
Summary and Recommendation
Policy Report dated September 4, 2012
2. REZONING: 1041 Southwest Marine Drive/8866 Osler Street
Summary and Recommendation
Policy Report dated September 4, 2012
3. REZONING/HERITAGE DESIGNATION/HERITAGE REVITALIZATION AGREEMENT (HRA): 475 Howe Street and 819 West Pender Street
Summary and Recommendation
Policy Report dated September 4, 2012
From policy report: “Summary: To rezone 475 Howe Street and 819 West Pender Street from DD (Downtown) District to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District. The proposal is for a 30-storey office building with commercial/retail uses at grade, a floor space ratio of 21.5, a floor area of 37 367.7 square metres (402,222 square feet), an overall height of 423.2 feet (129 metres), and seven levels of underground parking with 158 parking stalls. The existing class “A” heritage building at 475 Howe Street would be designated as a protected heritage property and would be retained and restored with a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA).”
Standing Committee – Planning, Transportation and Environment – Wednesday Oct 31, 9:30 pm (agenda)
The most significant on the agenda is item #4, Grandview-Boundary Mixed Employment Area. This may again feed into the Regional Context Statement (for the RGS); it impacts a large land mass of industrial, mixed employment and CD-1 zoned big-box stores. For further information, please see the Vancouver Sun article: Vancouver considers funding options to support development in Grandview-Boundary – City expects a $35.8 million tab for new infrastructure
1. Amendments to the Community Care Facilities – Class B and Group Residence Guidelines
Kent Munro, Assistant Director, Current Planning, and a representative from Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, will provide a presentation on this item.
2. Report Back on Methadone Maintenance Therapy Working Group
Mary Clark Zak, Director, Social Policy, will provide a presentation on this item.
3. Rental Property Standards Initiative
Brenda Prosken, General Manager of Community Services, and Will Johnston, Director of Licences and Inspections/Chief Building Official, will provide a presentation on this item.
4. Grandview Boundary Mixed Employment Area: Update of Public Benefit Strategy (2012 – 2041)
Randy Pecarski, Senior Planner, City-Wide and Regional Planning, will provide a presentation on this item.
Where applicable, interested parties have been notified regarding the above noted items.
Please note:
A Regular Council meeting will be convened immediately following the Standing Committee meeting
1. Standing Committee of Council on Planning, Transportation and Environment
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Approval of recommendations and actions.
Note: Does Council intend to accept such a far-reaching document as policy? Or should further study be undertaken, and the document only received for information only?
