West End Residents Association

Notice of rezoning/development permit application and open house-1401 Comox St.

Tuesday April 20, 2010
4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Coast Plaza Hotel, Nelson Room
1763 Comox Street

Henriquez Partners Architects has submitted a revised rezoning and development permit application to rezone 14o1 Comox Street from RM-5 (Multiple Residential) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development District. The proposal includes:

-22-storey market rental residential tower with townhouses at street level;
-3, 500 sq. ft. community facility (for use by Q-umunity and Gordon Neighbourhood House);
-6 subsidized housing units (for 5 years) for seniors;
-Maximum floor space ratio (FSR) of 7.4 (RM-5 allows up to 1.5 FSR);
-Maximum heeight of 216 ft. (RM-5 allows up to 190 ft.);

The proposed increase in density and height are to secure the provision of rental housing under the Short Term Incentives for Rental (STIR)

The applicant team and City staff will be available to answer your questions and receive your comments. For more information regarding this proposal, please visit the City of Vancouver website. If you do not have web access, please contact Karen Hoese, Rezoning Planner at 604 871 6403. Written comments may also be sent to City Hall, 453 W 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4, by fax to 604 873 7060, or by email to karen.hoese@vanver.ca.

On January 31, 2010 WERA hosted a community forum called “Your Story. Our Future.”

This forum was held as part of a campaign for community-based planning and a comprehensive community vision for the West End. The forum included a visioning workshop, a Q&A with the City of Vancouver, and a case study discussion of a future redevelopment in the West End.

WERA hired facilitator, Dara Parker, to produce a report from this forum: WERA Community Visioning Report

WERA director Christine Ackermann is quoted in this story in this week’s WE newspaper. Posted here with the permission of the author.

NEWS: Community unites to “vision” a better West End

Posted By: Jackie Wong

03/17/2010 12:00 AM

A group of West End residents gathered in front of the Beach Towers apartment building at Harwood and Cardero streets Sunday afternoon (March 14) to voice their opposition to a rezoning and development application for the site that will soon be submitted to the City of Vancouver. The proposed rezoning for Beach Towers — which consists of four towers clustered along Beach Avenue between Cardero and Bidwell — is the most recent in a series of rezoning applications that has drawn criticism from neighbourhood residents.

A rezoning application for a 21-storey tower at 1215 Bidwell, as well as an application for a 22-storey tower at 1401 Comox Street (currently the site of St. John’s United Church), have raised neighbourhood concerns about a perceived lack of public consultation. They are part of the City’s Short Term Incentives for Rental (STIR) program, a two-and-a-half-year initiative approved by city council in June 2009 that provides incentives for developers to build new market rental housing. Incentives include parking requirement reductions and expedited permit processing.

“What’s happening in the West End is that there’s been a number of rezoning applications because of the STIR program,” says West End Residents Association (WERA) director Christine Ackermann. “[But] the projects themselves aren’t really addressing the number-one concern of westenders, which is affordability.”

continue reading…

The deadline to offer comments on the proposed rezoning of St. John Church is to today. There is an online feedback forum atfeedback forum

or

-By regular mail: City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4
-By fax: 604-873-7060

For more info on the proposed rezoning:1401 Comox St.

Action Plan From WERA Community Forum

1. Attend open house on Nov. 24 for rezoning application of 1401 Comox St.:
Coast Plaza Hotel, Nelson Room, 1763 Comox St., 4 to 7 pm
Jackie Wong article
open house notification letter

For more info:

Rezoning application

2. Sign up to speak at public hearing on Tuesday Dec 1. On the rezoning application of 1215 Bidwell. St., Council Chamber City Hall call 604 871 6355 to put on the speakers list.

3. Email Mayor and Council and let them know what your views of the proposed rezoning application

mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca
or
Vancouver City Hall
453 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Y1V4

or call

311

More info available at:

1401 comox.ca

CoV rezoning applications

A new website has been created for information and discussion about the proposed rezoning of 1401 Comox Street. The site can be found at: www.1401comox.ca