(Note: this story has been updated since it was first posted July 25.)
City council will debate whether to extend consultation on the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan at a Sept. 24 meeting.
Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr presented a motion at Tuesdays council meeting asking that the Grandview-Woodland timeline be extended by at least six months and that staff conduct a collaborative public process that would enable local area residents to select preferred land use options for their community plan.
Council voted to refer Carrs motion to September. At a previous meeting, Vision Vancouver Coun. Andrea Reimer also asked staff to prepare a memo outlining the implications of extending community plans.
City Council understands that residents in the Grandview-Woodland community have concerns about the current planning timeline. On Tuesday, July 24 Council directed staff to review the schedule for the Community Plan process over the summer. Staff will look at progress to date and feedback gathered through the consultation process so far, in order to identify options for additional steps and a revised timeline, Brian Jackson, the citys manager of planning and development, said in a statement emailed to the Courier.On July 29 and 31, we are holding events to follow-up on the July 6 Broadway and Commercial sub-area workshop. We also expect to hold workshops on other sub-areas of the plan as part of the expanded process. Staff will provide a report back to Council on the overall process and timeline in September.
Carr told the Courier Thursday morning she supports timeline extensions for Grandview-Woodland and Marpole plans, as well as for the West End and the Downtown Eastside, if residents request it, to allow residents time to more fully discuss and influence the plans.
A group of Marpole residents submitted a request to the city earlier this month asking that its community plan timeline be extended.
The reason I think its so important is that we are getting to a position in Vancouver where citizens are completely cynical about the planning processes. They believe that theyre being rammed through and that the Vision majority on council is not listening to them nor willing to modify plans to incorporate their concerns, Carr said. Thats unbelievably tragic for democracy and it wont lead to good planning decisions. We need to give the community time to have the input, and not just the input, but the time to have their input incorporated into changed plans.
The city dropped a controversial proposal for high towers at the corner of Broadway and Commercial after residents protested and also withdrew a proposal for a thin street in Marpole. But both neighbourhoods are still concerned about other elements in the draft plans.
A coalition of Marpole residents was meeting Thursday, after the Couriers print deadline, to finalize the design for a lawn sign protesting forced rezoning. Spokesperson Mike Burdick said the coalition hopes to have a minimum of 2,000 signs posted on lawns throughout the community. A formal petition will also be circulated door-to-door.
It looks like were going to have a community event someplace in Marpole we havent quite decided yet on Aug. 17, which is a Saturday, Burdick said. Were going to do a barbecue and well be handing out signs, and getting signatures on petitions. Thats going to be the [campaign] kick-off and then well be going out door-to-door shortly after that with petitions and signs.
Burdick maintains there are still Marpole residents who arent aware the community plan is being updated.
The coalition has budgeted about $5,000 to produce the signs, the petition and to rent space for weekly meetings. A few people put the money up front and will be repaid through donations to the cause.
If not, then thats just their gift to the community, Burdick said.
Were going to ask for donations at the community event and if people can throw $5 in the bucket that would be great.
Marpole residents continue to meet and discuss concerns with other neighbourhood groups fighting city hall. Burdick said theyre considering creating an umbrella website.
I think what wed like to do in the fall is have one big rally with all of the groups, he added.
twitter.com/naoibh
