CITYGATE COMMUNITY

1088 Quebec Street * 1128 Quebec Street * 1188 Quebec Street * 1218-1288 Quebec Street
1182 Quebec Street * 1129 Main Street * 1159 Main Street
1189 Main Street * 1255 Main Street
Vancouver * BC

Citygate Intertower Committee Meeting, Monday August 19, 2002

Place: Tower 3 Meeting Room
Present: Charlene Donaghey Viceroy
Jan Lucas Tower 3
Ann Merrick Tower 1
Sandra Routledge Tower 3
Kris Stone Tower1/Viceroy

Agenda Items 

Creekside Park
The condition of Creekside Park following the Molson Indy has deteriorated. Ted McGrath of Tower 1 has communicated with City /Park authorities regarding the condition of the park. We await his report of any remedies to correct this.

Molson Indy

• It was noted that the set up and take down around the July race was significantly longer this year. The set up began 3 months ahead of time and take down in other years that took days this year is taking weeks inconveniencing public access to roads and seawall.

• The noise on Race weekend has also increased. Blowers to clean the track began earlier (6-6:30 am) and were very disturbing to the residents. 

• The shift workers who were accommodated at the Airport Delta Hotel traded race noise for airplane noise, disturbing their sleep. It was suggested that a quieter hotel be used for accommodation in the future.

• Quebec Street between 1st and 2nd was closed down northbound for 2-3 days prior to the race. The northbound lane is never part of the Indy track. The question arose as to why the residents of Citygate had to put up with the disruption of their usual traffic patterns for days prior to the race and indeed why was it closed to them at all? This matter will be referred to the Indy and City staff.

Neighbourhood Developments

• Co-op Housing on Main Street have moved in since July. There will be another Daycare as part of the development.

• Bus Depot will be demolished in October and the space will be made into a Presentation Centre to market the final tower, The Brighton. There will be 6 townhouses between the Viceroy and the Brighton.

Security
There are no security issues that anyone is aware of. The presence of a security guard between the Viceroy and Tower 3 at night seems to be helping. It was agreed by long term residents that the experience of the neighbourhood is improving.

Maintenance
There are no major issues. 
Tower 1 reports that someone in Tower 3 on the south facing 22-23 floor has a balcony piled with unsightly items viewable from Tower 1. Sandra agreed to bring this to the attention of Tower 3 Strata Council.

South False Creek Community Development
Sandra reported on the Transportation Workshop she attended at City Hall June 27, 2002 representing Citygate, along with Dick Bogue from Tower 3.

The workshop involved reviewing the 58 strategies developed by City staff with public input to create a sustainable community on the site. Sustainability involves implementing 1999 City policy to promote social equity, livability, ecological health and economic prosperity. By early next year the city will have a comprehensive development plan to submit to the public for review. There will be an estimated 13,000 people housed in the area. 20 % of the units will be non-market housing.

The site stretches from Main Street on the east to the Cambie Bridge on the west, from 2nd Ave south to the False Creek shore on the north. About 26 acres of waterfront will be park. The buildings will be high-rise on the east (Main/Terminal area) gradually sloping to low rise by the Cambie Bridge. The low rise development is the future Olympic Athletes Village for 2010. After the Olympics are over the plan is to convert all or part of these into non-market housing. The 1st Avenue passage will be the local collector with retail, amenities, banks, grocery etc.

The Transportation Plan has 4 major objectives

1. Minimize single vehicle travel

2. Increase transportation choices

3. Improve access to goods & services, recreation, transportation

4. Increase opportunities for reduced private auto ownership

Of the 58 strategies* that the City staff presented us with we had to prioritize them into the most important . We also brainstormed new strategies. We did this work in small groups representing a variety of interests.

The priority initiatives were:

Complete Community design of transit-oriented development, full service multi modal linking service, employment and amenities within walkable distances.

Integrated transportation systems into single convenient operating and payment system (eg Smart Cards)

Community Transit Pass - multimodal, possibly paid by developers in lieu of reduced parking requirements

Employee Pass Program -discount for firms of 25+ employees

Live/Work housing units

Improved False Creek ferry service linked to other transit.

Trip-linking, fares allowing stopovers

Personal safety improvements, pleasant pedestrian walkways

Bicycle network improvements, bicycle facilities

Ride matching services

Variable Insurance Costs linked to vehicle use.

Parking- high prices for vehicle parking, lower parking requirements for commercial/retail developments

Car-share Co-ops- hubs for easy access, car-share clubs, car-share vehicles in buildings

Some of the new ideas generated:

Land use trusts to preserve non-market housing inventory

Alternate parking for smaller vehicles

Priority locations to car-share coops

Shuttle bus between large employers (VGH, UBC)

Co-op Adult tricycles

Kayak hubs

The meeting was adjourned at 8:10pm. 

Next Intertower Meeting Monday Oct 7, 2002 in the Tower 3 Meeting Room. All are welcome. It would be great to have reps from all towers, co-op housing. Please contact Sandra Routledge or anyone else at the meeting for more information

*copies of strategies and a map are on file with the Intertower Committee

Previous Inter Tower Minutes

June 19, 2002

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