Volunteers meeting to work on the implementation of the Mount Pleasant Community Plan
We received the following analysis regarding the Broadway Plan from a Mount Pleasant resident. We have bolded and slighted clarified a few spots. A key point is that what Vancouver’s chief planner is telling the public regarding this area does not match the reality of what is being proposed in the Broadway Plan.
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At a GWAC community meeting with Manager of Planning Ms. Theresa O’Donnell regarding the Broadway Plan, I asked her about the Mount Pleasant Community Plan. Her answer was there would not be many changes in Mount Pleasant through the Broadway Plan.
By way of background, I was on the CLG (Community Liaison Group), MPIC (Mount Pleasant Implementation Committee) and attended the City-sponsored community meetings in the creation of the Mount Pleasant Community Plan.
To understand what was being proposed with the Broadway Plan, I went through the Shape Your City Boards as presented to the public for The Broadway Plan from pages 31 to 38 covering Mount Pleasant. Following is a link to download a pdf showing those boards: https://shapeyourcity.ca/14107/widgets/58582/documents/76101 (30 MB)
In contrast to the statement by Ms. O’Donnell, I found that there were major changes in heights and density compared to the Mount Pleasant Plans. Following are the links to the Mount Pleasant Plan and the Mount Pleasant Community Plan Implementation Plan:
https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/MP-community-plan.pdf
https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/mount-pleasant-community-plan-implementation-package.pdf
Below I’ve listed the changes. The page numbers referred to in the list are the pages on the Shape Your City Boards for Mount Pleasant.
I’ve shown the maximum heights and densities in the proposed Broadway Plan, and these are higher than what is in the Mount Pleasant Plan:
Kingsgate Mall is site-specific, and the rest (a to m) are area changes.
- Kingsgate Mall
“MCEA” on page 35 of the Broadway Plan boards. Height: 20 to 30 storeys with 9.0-10.5 FSR
BUT The Mount Pleasant Plan on page 23 shows Kingsgate Mall as 17, 13 and 9 storey buildings
https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/mount-pleasant-community-plan-implementation-package.pdf
Area Changes (a to m) under the proposed Broadway Plan:
- North side Great Northern Way at Glen Dr Page 38 MCDF Height 25–35 storeys Density: 8.0–10.0 FSR
- North and West sides Broadway from Yukon to Quebec Page 33 MBSB Height: Up to 25-30 storeys (or up to the underside of Queen Elizabeth View sections 3.2.3-3.2.4 if more restrictive). Density: 9.0-10.0 FSR
- between Scotia and Brunswick on the north side of Broadway across from the Kingsgate Mall Page 35 MCEA Height: Up to 20-30 storeys Density: 9.0-10.5 FSR (THE CHANGE: The Mount Pleasant Plan Page 23 of 164 https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/mount-pleasant-community-plan-implementation-package.pdf shows the heights of 6 storeys on the north side of Broadway across from Kingsgate mall and between Scotia and Brunswick.)
- North and south side of East 11th between Main and Sophia Page 35 MCEB Height: Up to 20-25 storeys Density: 7.5-8.5 FSR
- East and West side of Main Street from E 7th to E 2nd Page 36 MCEG Height: Up to 20-25 storeys Density: 8.0-8.5 FSR
- within the area from Scotia to Glen and East 10th to Great Northern Way Page 36 MNAA and Page 37 MNAB Height: 15-20 storeys Density: 5.5-6.5 FSR
- L shaped area, North and South side of W 10th from Yukon to Quebec and from W 10th to W 13th and Ontario to west lane Main Page 34 MSAA Height: 15-20 storeys Density: 5.5-6.5
- East and West sides of Fraser Street from E 15 to Broadway Page 34 MRTC Height: 15-18 storeys Density: 5.5 FSR
There is a Vancouver View Study View corridor down Fraser and it is mentioned in the Riley Park/South Cambie Community Vision at 32.10 Preserve Views on page 73. This fact is not mentioned in the May 18, 2022 Council Report.
- East lane of Main to Scotia and from East 2nd to East 7th Page 36 MCEH Height: 15-18 storeys Density: 5.5 FSR —– CURRENTY allows 6 storeys AND now changed in the May 18 2022 Council report to 20 storeys and 7.0 FSR
- North side of East 10th between Windsor and Clark Page 34 MRTB Height: 15-18 storeys Density: 5.5 FSR
- Northwest corner of Broadway at Clark Page 34 MNAC Height: 15-18 storeys Density: 5.5 FSR
- Clark Drive at Great Northern Way Page 38 MCDH 120 – 150 ft Density: 5.0 – 6.0 FSR
m. North and south west corners of East 12th and Clark Page 34 MRTD Height: 12-15 storeys Density: 4.5 FSR
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I feel a massive sense of futility in becoming involved in any way in the feedback process. No one at city hall/planning department is listening, even to reasonable people like myself who understand the need to densify but object to pandering so completely to the development industries needs. Futile.
In over 15 years of looking at oversize development in communities across the City starting with Vision Vancouver and now with most of the current Council, there has only been one huge development proposal that the City Council did not approve. Yes, you are correct it sure seems futile to even try to give ideas about and oppose the over development proposals that go to City Council.They are back-room done deals before they hit the Public Hearing. And the questions asked at Public Hearing by some Councillors seem to try to discredit the input from the ordinary citizen who is in opposition of a proposal. I received the following link from a friend in my neighborhood association, it shows that Mayor Kennedy Stewart receives much of his political funding from developers. https://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/LESearch.aspx
So why is he allowed to vote at Council on all these huge developments that his political funding development friends put forward. It isn’t a fair system.
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