OUR VIEW: Re-vision Open Government

You can add Norquay to the list of neighbourhoods who have concerns over public consultation re: densification. It's not STIR and this has been going on since the previous Council, but I get e-mails regularly from these folks, who feel that the public consultation was a sham, that their own suggestions were dismissed, and the city is proceding with what it wanted all along. They also got the "not representative of the whole neighbourhood" response, despite the fact that the group of people who participated in the workshops, public meetings, etc., had good ethnic representation, both people of European and South-east Asian (Chinese, Vietnamese) descent. Hmph.

On 23 June 2009, I awoke to the news that the rebuilding of the BC Place roof would necessitate the BC Lions and the Vancouver Whitecaps vacating the building. The touted relocation was Empire Bowl, formerly the home of the Lions and Whitecaps, but abandoned by them over a decade ago. Since then, the derelict Empire Stadium was demolished and public funds were used to revitalize the area. New playing fields and softball diamonds were added, along with a new fieldhouse, paid for, maintained, and programmed by Vancouver Park Board. Included in the tally of hundreds of recreation hours yearly was our very-successful Moresports program, which gives priority opportunity to local inner-city youngsters to play where they live. That very evening, I asked Liane McKenna, the Park Board Director of Vancouver East if she knew anything about the 'rumour' I'd heard. She said she hadn't and assured me that she would tell me as soon as there was any word. On July 1st, I had occasion to welcome Councillors and Park Board Commissioners to the Canada Day festivities at Hastings Community Centre. Among the Councillors I personally spoke with were Ellen Woodsworth, Suzanne Anton, and (significantly) Raymond Louie. Each of these representatives heard my concern about accommodating the onsite stakeholder programs, should the rumour prove to be true. My conversation with Cllr. Louie was extensive and I made a point of pledging my good offices and best efforts to insuring a satisfactory outcome for all parties, should the move of the professional teams come to pass. I stressed the urgency, given the limited timeline and underlined my concern to him as both a member of the ruling caucus at City Hall and, more importantly, as the newly-appointed Chair of the PNE Board. His response was that nothing had been decided. I continued to raise my concerns, and was finally rewarded by our Park Board liaison, Loretta Woodcock, who forwarded (on the 18th of November) a segment from Hansard, where, at committee, rookie MLA Spencer Herbert was able to wrest an admission from Kevin Krueger that Empire Bowl was indeed the preferred site. I had heard nothing from Raymond Louie. At a mid-December Park Board meeting, a member of staff admitted that Empire Bowl would likely be the site of a 'temporary' stadium (cost estimated at 14-40 million) that would displace the current users for the 2010 and 2011 summer seasons. This news was confirmed later in the month when the Deputy City Manager said that a tentative deal had been struck between PAVCo and the PNE for use of the site. Raymond Louie was not seen to blush. At all. Finally, last Thursday, the 21st of January, a hastily-worded motion, put forward by (surprise!) Cllr. Louie, tied a big bow on the whole sorry episode. Hizzoner, Mayor Gregor, in seconding the motion, was heard to regret the lack of consultation, but noted that it was necessary, citing time constraints! As if they'd only just heard of the plan. PAVCo and the Lions (and, one assumes, the city) will now begin to consult with the groups who have made these fields home for the past six years in an effort to accommodate them. And tough luck for the softball players. They've held the hanging, and now are considering the trial. Sorry, Neil. This is a dog's breakfast that transcends the idea of 'rocky'. This is a case of 'circle the wagons' and, in the process they've squandered the good will and willingness of this citizen. As you say, they have some time to turn it around, but I remain to be convinced.

The Short Term Incentives for Rental (STIR) housing program was adopted by council in June 2009, with very little discussion at council, and with virtually no public consultation. More rentals in Vancouver are a good thing, sure. But did any Councillor who initially supported STIR realize then that it would be used as a Trojan Horse specifically targetting the West End, increase building density (FSR) by a factor of seven, ignore the current community plan, and permit a domino-effect of multiple rezoning applications for highly-subsidized 20-plus storey towers that will be rented near the top end of what the market will bear, without adequate consideration of the cumulative extra demands on infrastructure (electrical supply, etc.), while radically altering the character of the community? All this without a comprehensive, transparent with the community? This is going to be a HOT topic in 2010 and 2011, as more STIR proposals come to light.