Notice of rezoning/development Permit application
(DE413347) and community open house for 1401 Comox Street
More info about the project at the City’s Rezoning Centre

Henriquez Partners Architects has submitted a revised rezoning and development permit application to rezone 1401 Comox Street From RM-5 (Multiple Dwelling) District to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District. The proposal is for a 22-storey market rental residential tower, with townhouses at grade. The proposal includes a floor space ratio (FSR) of 7.14 and a height of 61m 9200 Ft.). Changes from the previous revised submission (March 2010) include:

• sculping of the tower to reduce shadow impacts
• reduced height
• larger setbacks and more green space
• removal of the community facility

The proposed increase in density is to secure the provision of the rental housing.

The Open House will be a “drop-in” event where you can view the proposal. City staff and the applicant team will be available to answer your questions and receive your comments.

Community Open House
Date: Thursday, February 9, 2012
Time: 5-8 pm
Place: Coast Plaza Hotel, nelson Room,
1763 Comox Street

For more information regarding this proposal and/or to send a written comment, please visit our website or contact the Rezoning Planner:

• Website: vancouver.ca/rezapps
• Contact: Karen Hoese, Rezoning Planner
• e-mail: karen.hoese@vancouver.ca
• tel: 604.871.6403 fax: 604.873.7060

This warning was issued to the public almost 2 weeks ago, it is still in effect. Please share this information widely, remembering that most people who use heroin do not live in the DTES. Most hold jobs, pay mortgages, and no one knows… .

Judy Graves, Homeless Advocate for the City of Vancouver

January 17, 2011

The Vancouver Police Department is issuing a public warning to local drug users.

Two people have already died from what police fear is potentially fatal heroin in circulation. Two women, one 19 years old and one 26 years old, both died of possible heroin overdoses. In a third case, a man had injected heroin, but it was cut with an unknown substance and caused very serious side-effects.

The Vancouver Police are warning drug users to be extremely cautious and utilize the services of INSITE. INSITE has medical personnel on hand that can help if there are problems.

In response to these recent incidents, the VPD has advised a number of local agencies, including INSITE, Vancouver Coastal Health, local police agencies, the B.C. Ambulance Service, and other community partners.

Anyone seeing someone appearing to be in medical distress is urged to immediately call 9-1-1 and if you are a drug user who has used and don’t feel well, seek medical attention or help immediately.

WERA president Christine Ackermann was quoted in a Vancouver Courier story about the City’s plans to create an online rental database. Ackermann was also interviewed by other media outlets, including CKNW. According to the Courier story:

COPE, which lacks a representative on council, and the West End Residents Association want the database to include licensed secondary suites so tenants know whether their suites are legal and fire safe. Christine Ackermann, president of WERA, noted the B.C. Apartment Owners and Managers Association support a database that includes secondary suites. WERA wants tenants to be able to see if their landlords have applied for any development or work permits. “Because those are the tools that landlords use to evict tenants,” Ackermann said.

SFU’s Philosophers’ Cafe is back for another season at Barclay Manor. The talks take place the third Thursday of each month and the focus this time is on technology and health care. The first talk takes place Thursday, January 19 at 7 p.m. at Barclay Manor, 1447 Barclay Street (between Nicola and Broughton). Admission is free.

This month’s talk is about Technology and the elderly: privacy vs. independence. Proponents of health monitoring technologies claim their devices allow the elderly to live independently, but are they an invasion of privacy?

The talk will be moderated by SFU doctoral candidate Terry Lavender, who is researching the use of technology for chronic pain and aging. Lavender is a long-time West End resident, a former director of the West End Residents Association and former chair of the Mole Hill Community Housing Society.

Further talks in the series are:

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 7:00 p.m.: Medicine in the cloud

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 7:00 p.m. Pulling the plug

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 7:00 p.m. Health technology: Is it worth the cost?

For more information about the Philosophers’ Cafes, click here.

• Ana Maria Bustamente (Multicultural  & Community Development Coordinator, Gordon Neighbourhood House, and also steering group of WENFN)  will speak about food security programs at the Gordon House.
• We may also hear from another speaker from Recycling Alternative (www.recyclingalternative.com) with a report about their composting “Drop Spot” pilot project (now at Gordon House, 10 am to 1 pm every Saturday) http://foodscrapsdropspot.tumblr.com/.

• A speaker might come from the YMCA Intercultultural Community Gardens Project (on the roof of St. Paul’s Hospital). Here’s a good article on it: http://www.granvilleonline.ca/community/st-paul%E2%80%99s-rooftop-garden-grows-community-health-and-understanding 

The Vancouver School Board has posted an article on its blog about Bikes.Community, the partnership between the YMCA, WERA, Gordon Neighbourhood House, PEDAL and three West End VSB schools: King George Secondary, and  Lord Roberts and Elsie Roy Elementary.

The program gave students, both Canadian born and newcomers, the opportunity to build intercultural communication skills and gain leadership experience through working together to repair recycled bikes. Each participant was assigned a bike, which they will be able to keep.

For more about Bikes.Community, click here.

Happy New Year 2012! 

Maybe you’ve resolved to get more involved in civic life?

If so, consider applying to volunteer on a city committee. The City opened the application process today.

A new committee this year is the Active Transportation Advisory Committee. This committee used to be called the Bicycle Advisory Committee, and will now have a greater focus on all active modes: walking, cycling, etc.  Council asked staff to report back in 2012 on pedestrian safety & accessibility, so that makes this a great time to volunteer on this committee (if that’s your interest).

The deadline for applications is January 22nd. 

The City of Vancouver is planning a pilot scramble crosswalk program, according to the CBC.

Scramble crosswalks allow for the stoppage of all vehicular traffic, including vehicles making right turns, while pedestrians can cross in all directions. They are in use in many cities, including Toronto and now Richmond, B.C. Vancouver is looking at a dozen intersections, including Cambie Street at West Broadway and Hastings Street at Main Street (no word in the CBC article on whether any West End intersections are being considered).

It’s expected the first scramble intersection could be operational by summer 2012.

Simon Fraser University’s popular Philosophers’ Cafe program has returned to the West End this fall with a series of discussions devoted to West End/downtown issues.

Cosponsored by the West End Community Centre, the discussions take place at Barclay Manor on the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m.

The fourth talk in the Fall series takes place December 15, and the subject is “Noise and the city”.

Here’s the blurb from the Philosophers’ Cafe website:

Souped-up motorcycles, late-night revelers, car alarms and sirens: Is noise the price of urban living, or do downtown residents have the same rights to peace and quiet as suburbanites?

There have been previous talks on private uses of public parks, the inevitability of change and food security. The talks are moderated by long-time West End resident and former WERA director Terry Lavender, who is a PhD student at Simon Fraser University.

The cafe will return in 2012 with a series of talks on medical technology:

For more information, see the Cafe website at www.sfu.ca/cstudies/arts/philosopherscafe/barclay.htm