News got in the way of news last week.
I hate when that happens.
So, unfortunately, I didn’t get around to writing about news on the housing and cycling fronts.
It’s semi-interesting stuff.
I’ll get to what you need to know in a few sentences.
First, let me explain that I didn’t spend last week lollygagging, dawdling or goofing off on the company dime. No, ladies and gents, I did some hard time at city hall listening to pot smokers, owners of pot shops and lawyers who represent pot smokers and pot shops.
Even heard one guy break into a rap, and another guy speak in Chinook.
This is what democracy looks like, people.
Anyway, over two nights and one day, city council heard from 80 speakers on the city’s proposal to regulate the 90-plus illegal marijuana dispensaries. Another 30 or so people are on the list to speak when the hearings resume June 22 at 6 p.m.
I’ll probably be there.
Now to some housing news…
The city announced June 10 that its new “affordable housing agency” plans to build 800 units of housing on seven city properties. At least 45 per cent of the homes will be for families with children, 40 per cent for singles, couples and seniors on low or moderate incomes and 15 per cent for single-room-occupancy hotel tenants.
Like me, you probably want to know what “affordable” is.
The mayor’s office put it this way in a release: “Target affordability is to be 70 per cent below market [including 15 per cent at shelter rates] and 30 per cent at market rent.”
The city has set aside $62 million in its 2015 capital plan to invest in affordable housing and expects to leverage up to $300 million from “other partners.” That would be governments, foundations and any other agencies or people with deep pockets.
Five of the seven sites are in the River District (East Fraser Lands), with one in Kensington-Cedar Cottage and another in the Downtown Eastside. The plan builds on a steady stream of announcements from the city highlighting its efforts to build more three-bedroom units in Vancouver.
The city is considering a city-wide rezoning policy to allow for the development of family housing near parks, schools and community centres. City council also recently voted to continue with a program that waives developers’ fees for construction of rental projects. Amendments to the Rental 100 program are aimed at encouraging the construction of three-bedroom places.
And in cycling news…
As was foreshadowed in a story I wrote in February, the city finally severed its ties with Alta (now called Motivate) to set up a multi-million dollar bike rental system in Vancouver. The city issued a statement June 11 saying it is looking for another company to set up a bike share program.
Over the past couple of years, Alta’s preferred supplier of bikes for Vancouver, PBSC Solutions, filed a notice of intention to seek protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act related to its Montreal bike share system and growing debt.
The original agreement with the city was to have Alta own, finance and operate the system and provide customer service. Alta also had to secure corporate sponsorship and donation contracts, and create a system that adheres to B.C.’s mandatory helmet laws.
The city statement explained it this way: “Both Alta and their partner BIXI [operated by PBSC Solutions] have undergone major restructuring and corporate change. As a result of these issues, the city and Motivate [formerly Alta] have not reached agreement and no funds have flowed to the company.”
@Howellings
