21st Oct Cash is always better than anticipation

Bringing my laptop to meeting allows me post right away rather than the "I'll get around to it during the first part of the week." 

The saga of the Onni housing for My Own Spaces ended with no debate as they received a report which seemed to call all the bidders to submit further paperwork.   The motion with the Mayor and Councillors Keating and Buchanan voting against was:

6. Land Matter – File: 5040-03-01 

 Report: Manager, Lands and Business Services and Community 
Planner, Community Development, September 16, 2013 

PURSUANT to the report of the Manager, Lands and Business Services 
and Community Planner, Community Development, dated September 16, 
2013, entitled "1308 Lonsdale: Affordable Housing and Childcare 
Expression of Interest": 

THAT staff be directed to invite S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Hollyburn Family Services 
Society, the YMCA Metro Vancouver, and My Own Space Housing 
Society Connections, to respond to a Request for Proposal for the lease or 
ownership of the affordable housing amenity and report back to Council; 

THAT staff be directed to invite Lonsdale Creek Daycare Society and the 
North Shore Neighbourhood House to respond to a Request for Proposal 
for the lease or ownership of the childcare community amenity and report 
back to Council; 

AND THAT the report of the Manager, Lands and Business Services and 
Community Planner, dated September 16, 2013, with respect to a "Land 

Matter", remain in the Closed session.

Note. I have corrected this after reading the draft minutes. Without being in the secret meeting, I laid out what happened.
1.  Councillor Keating and the NDP councillors tried to assign two $5 million dollar facilities in the upcoming Onni building to two organisations, the North Shore Neighbourhood House and My Own Spaces.

2. Council forced the issue to an Expression of Interest, a process which would examine among other things, the qualifications to ensure the winner would best able to provide the services.

3. Obviously by the motion, the Lonsdale Creek Daycare Society put in an application, along with the NS Neighborhood House and S.U.C.C.E.S.S., the Holyburn Family Services, the YMCA Metro Vancouver and the My Own Spaces Housing Society Connections.

4. It is likely that under the requirements of the bidding the MOSHSC did not qualify as they had formed a lobby group which as Councillor Keating said "did the heavy lifting" lobbied hard during public meetings.  Not actually running a facility which was required. It was doubtful that a lobby group of mostly West Van parents would be given this facility where mostly their own children would get the housing during any formal process.

So this saga continues, out of public view.

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A couple of public hearings, one being the five story replacement for the old Nova Grocery on the corner of Lonsdale and 12th. It is a little too tall, 4 stories seemed right. Not a 12 to 24 monstrosity at least.

A portion of the bonus density was granted by the "Employment Generating" clause. During the 1308 Lonsdale public hearing I questioned this citing the example of the old North Shore News building which still sits mostly empty having generated no new employment.

The presentation site for selling condos  at the Prescott about to close, an office for Blueshore is temporarily there and a temp site for a TD office while they renovations at their main site is all that is there now.  When the last chance signs for the sale of Prescott condos come down soon and their temporary space use ends, it will probably be empty.

I have a feeling that trying extend the business district past 13th is what the problem is.  They are building but people who buy or even rent the space hoping the customers will come, are not even coming themselves.  If this is a factor it is time that Council and staff realize it rather than repeating the same mistake.

There was talk about medical clinic or dentist's office anticipated in that building and the developers are "anticipating" the same for this site.  It would be better if the civic amenity cash was increased for the bonus density  rather than it be based on something that may not happen.  Cash is always better than anticipation.

Councillor Bookham asked if staff has been approached concerning the sale of the Masonic temple site and found out there had been none.

Councillor Heywood asked whether there was an anchor tenant and they do not have one, just anticipation.   Developers who get to this point without an anchor tenant is playing a risky game.

Staff's opinion is that while offices are more vacant, you have to look at the ratio of retail to commercial   Since commercial units are harder to get rented, one should build more of them to give them the proper quota of the formula as that is more important to increase business tenants.  But ever let them talk to business people as I've never heard such nonsense in my life.  Hello, the law of supply and demand!

Councillor Clark pointed out the bonus density increased the size the OCP limits by 40% and when the Council discusses caps in the new bonus density policy, the point will have to be resolved.

The Mayor brings up the same old that so close to Lions Gate Hospital there should be some medical use quickly.  We have heard that many times over the past decade.

It passed with Councillors Bookham and Bell opposed.

Overall, the creation of the Lonsdale canyon is on its way.

A heartfelt statement about a single lot being turned into a duplex which will make a young woman homeless was up next.  Councillors talked more about affordable housing which is now officially an oxymoron, than they talked the project which they all saw as an individual standing in the way of inevitable progress and voted her out on the street. 

Kerry Morris made the Finance meeting snap, crackle and pop a bit which ended with the Chief Administrative Officer think Kerry was wrong and Kerry thinking he had been lied to.

I've got to do a long blog on the Lonsdale Energy Corporation which at least tries to clarify the situation.