The FCRA held an All-Candidates meeting for candidates in the Vancouver-False Creek riding in the upcoming Provincial election last night on a sunny Wednesday evening at the Creekside Community Centre.

The April 24 debate featured Sam Sullivan (BC Liberals), Matt Toner (NDP), Ian Tootill (Ind), James Filippelli (Your Political Party) and Salvatore J. Vetro (BC First Party).

The auditorium was packed with more than 100 people, and candidates answered questions about schools, hospitals, the environment, the giant neon billboards at BC Place, daycare, mental health services, voter participation and other issues during a lively but respectful 2 hour session.

Democracy in action
And the view outside the hall was a beautiful sight too!

CRA Meeting Notice – 2013-04-13

Here’s an important piece of research conducted by one of the residents living in City Gate regarding night-time use of sirens.  Let us know what you think:

February 25, 13

To the Attention of: The False Creek Residents Association

Re: Impact of Sirens on Safety and Community Livability

Below is information I think essential to our efforts to reduce the impact sirens are having on the livability of our community. As can be seen from the research, rather than increase the health and safety of citizens, the use of sirens appears to increase the risk to health and safety. There is evidence in the research literature that the use of sirens by emergency service providers actually causes more deaths than it prevents. This is a serious matter.

Additionally, the unintended effect of siren use, especially at night, is having a negative impact upon the health and livability of our communities. It is important that this matter receive some investigation and oversight to determine whether the use of sirens is actually creating the kind of outcomes intended.

I want to acknowledge that a significant reduction has occurred in the use of sirens by emergency responders at night since Fall 2012. For this I am grateful. Prior to September 2012 I was documenting approximately 100 – 130 sleep interruptions per month from the extensive use of sirens in my neighbourhood. Currently the number of sleep interruptions from sirens is approximately 50 – 60 times per month. This number is still excessive and unnecessary.

During the past four years I have conducted my own research to better understand the challenges inherent in the extensive use of audible sirens by emergency responders and to identify possible solutions. What is apparent from my research is the following:

1. Increasing Concern – The unintended impact of the use of emergency vehicle sirens is of increasing concern in urban areas across North America. The City of New York has identified ‘noise pollution’ as their number one concern. The Fire Departments with the City of San Francisco as well as Anchorage, Alaska have conducted extensive research in an effort to minimize the negative effects of sirens on their community.
2. Emergency Vehicle Wake Effect – There is growing recognition that the use of sirens causes what is being described in the research literature as “emergency vehicle wake-effect collisions”. These are vehicle collisions occurring around the emergency vehicle using a siren. Research on the use of sirens has identified five times as many collisions are caused by emergency vehicle sirens vs. the number of collisions actually involving emergency vehicles. (The Wake Effect: Emergency Vehicle-Related Collisions. Pre-hospital and Disaster Medicine; Vol. 12, No. 4; October-December 1997)
3. Sirens Increase Motor Vehicle Accidents – Research by the Province of Saskatchewan confirmed that the use of sirens actually increases the incidence of motor vehicle accidents with resultant injuries and deaths. Saskatchewan Health concluded: “The small amount of time saved by the use of lights and sirens may be offset by the increased risk of injury and death due to motor vehicle accidents.” (Saskatchewan Health EMS Protocols 1998)
4. Sirens Do Not Alter Medical Outcomes – There is an increasing amount of research confirming that the use of sirens do not significantly reduce travel times to alter medical outcomes in all but rare circumstances. In some situations the use of sirens has been shown to even increase the length of travel time of emergency responders. In general, the time saving achieved by the use of a siren in an urban setting is documented to be less than 60 seconds. Thus it appears our use of sirens has more to do with traditionally accepted practices than demonstrated need or effectiveness. (Do Warning Lights and Sirens Reduce Ambulance Response Times? Prehospital Emergency Care, Volume 4, Issue 1, January 2000)
5. Sirens Increase Risk to EMS Workers – The use of sirens has also been demonstrated to actually increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents involving EMS vehicles with a resulting risk of injury or death to both emergency service providers and citizens. Bledsoe (2003) noted that the occupational fatality rate for EMS workers was estimated to be twice that of the general population, that most fatalities were due to ambulance crashes, and that many of these collisions were attributed to the use of lights and sirens.
6. Fear of Liability – The ability to consider alternatives to the current emergency vehicle driving regulations appears constrained by a driver’s (and government’s) fear of liability should the driver not employ full emergency lights and sirens at all times. However, the effectiveness of sirens in both health benefit and preventing accidents appears to be more perceived than real.
7. Sirens Impact Health – Medical studies recognize the unintended health impact of sirens on citizens. Sleep research confirms that chronically interrupted sleep is as significant an impairment to judgment as is alcohol. As a consequence an increasing number of citizens are experiencing chronically impaired judgment and ill health due to the regular sleep disturbance caused by the use of sirens at night.
8. Urban Development Along Transit Corridors – In our efforts to build communities of higher density and to position these communities along transit routes to lessen our dependence upon the automobile, increasingly more individuals will have their health negatively impacted by the extensive use of sirens. The significant construction of high density complexes – Olympic Village, Opsal, Central, Pinnacle, Maynard, Lido, Mechanica, Concord Pacific and others adjacent to ambulance corridors (Quebec Street and Second Ave.) means we can reasonably expect this negative impact will become even more severe in the future unless solutions are found.
9. Reducing Urban Sprawl – The extensive use of sirens is one of the most commonly reported reasons given by people for moving out of high-density dwellings and returning to suburban neighborhoods. If we are serious about reducing suburban sprawl and increasing urban density, this matter needs to be addressed.
10. Associations to the Sound of Sirens – In a talk given by Mr. Don McPherson, Superintendent, BC Ambulance Services, to a gathering hosted by Mr. Sam Sullivan on issues affecting urban density, Mr. McPherson invited the audience to think of the sound of sirens as “the sound of life”. While I appreciate that in some situations this may be the association, I also want to bring awareness to the fact that for a significant number of citizens the sound of a siren is associated with the injury, death, or disabling of a loved one. Unfortunately the sound of a siren has the potential to regularly remind a person of a significant health crisis or death and trigger a trauma response. As a health professional I regularly work with patients who are triggered in just this way.
11. Alternatives Are Available – Alternatives to the extensive use of sirens are readily available. The Vancouver Police routinely operate with substantially less persistent use of sirens during emergencies than do either the Vancouver Fire or BC Ambulance Service. Ambulance drivers in Montreal, Quebec also employ substantially less use of sirens than do our provincial counterparts even though Montreal is as congested or more congested than Vancouver. We can also benefit from the research completed by EMS providers in San Francisco, Anchorage, Alaska, and elsewhere.
12. Documenting Impact – It would appear the first step in this process is to formally evaluate the magnitude of the problem, both in terms of noise impact and emergency vehicle related accidents. Locating sound recording devices through out the city to document both decibel levels and frequency of exposure would help to inform decision makers of the level of exposure citizens are experiencing. I assume ICBC can provide the relevant data pertaining to emergency vehicle related accidents and fatalities. It is my belief that if the magnitude of this problem were fully acknowledged that more would be done more urgently to rectify this situation.

Recommendations for Siren Use:

Given the above information it would seem prudent to restrict siren use to only when an ambulance or fire vehicle is:

• Traveling in excess of the posted speed limit
• Traveling through a stop signal
• Impeded by vehicle traffic such that a siren will help disburse traffic
• The circumstance is such that the potentially reduced travel time will alter the medical outcome

I would suggest in an urban setting, especially at night, the number of occasions when these conditions are met are infrequent, thus negating the chronic use of sirens by emergency responders. This would be in sharp contrast to the current practise that has emergency responders turning on their sirens upon leaving their station and maintaining the use of sirens through out their travel regardless of whether they are experiencing the above conditions. This is both unnecessary and detrimental to the health and livability of the community.

I understand emergency service providers in British Columbia already have the discretion to turn off their sirens at night. It is my understanding that Section 122 (3) of the Provincial Motor Vehicle Act was repealed sometime in 2009 or 2010. This is the section of the Act that requires the sounding of an audible alarm by emergency response agencies. I also understand that on January 18, 2010 the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services issued a Departmental Directive stating –

“Recently all emergency response agencies received an amendment to the Provincial Motor Vehicle Act permitting discretionary use of Emergency Vehicle sirens while responding to emergency events”.

The directive further stated: “The amendment gives vehicles such as police cars, ambulances and fire trucks discretion to turn off their sirens late at night in high-density residential areas while responding to emergency events.”  

On January 26, 2011 and again on July 25, 2011 I wrote Ms. Wanamaker, the Deputy Solicitor General, to ask for confirmation on the above change to the Provincial Motor Vehicle Act. To date I have not received a response from the Deputy Solicitor General. I am having difficulty getting the government to confirm this change in the Act has in fact taken place, and if so, identify what is preventing emergency service providers from exercising the discretion available through this change.

It is my hope there is a willingness to recognize that the use of sirens by emergency responders is of increasing significance to the livability of our communities. It is also my hope that the commitment and the courage exist to find solutions that will serve as a model for other urban communities in the world.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Ted Kuntz

Noise, Sirens, and Health

Presented by SFDPH to the

Lower Polk Street Neighbors,

October 7, 2008

Health Impacts of Noise – USEPA and WHO

• Hearing Loss
• Decreased communication and reduced academic performance
• Annoyance and Stress
• Colitis and Ulcers
• Hypertension
• Contribution to heart disease
• Increase in mental illness

Possible Improvements

• Reduce code level of 911 calls by improving quality of information provided.
• Understand emergency vehicle routing and discuss options with community input.
• Provide emergency response vehicles with signalization control to prevent intersection backup.
• Continue training vehicle drivers in effective siren usage.
• Include SFFD in Noise Task Force.

Noise Complaints are the “No.1 quality-of-life issue for New York residents” Michael Bloomberg, Mayor

Dear Residents and Merchants of the Village on False Creek, International Village, Citygate, and North and South False Creek

The Dragon Zone Paddling Club is pleased to announce our second annual Dragon Zone Paddler’s Expo on Saturday March 9th from noon to 4:30PM at the Creekside Community Centre, home of the Dragon Zone Paddling Club – please join us!

The Dragon Zone Paddling Club Expo is a great place to try out dragon boating, meet teams, paddlers and visit vendors including fitness professionals and therapists. It’s a place for teams to recruit new paddlers, paddlers to find a new team and to attend skill workshops.

Continue reading →

Village at False Creek Committee of Strata Presidents
OFFICERS:
Chairperson: Perry Leslie, Canada House
Vice-chairperson: Mary Fines, Kayak

PURPOSE:
1. To enhance communications on shared Village strata operations – for example, the Neighbourhood Energy Utility, heating/cooling systems and billing (Enerpro).
2. To enhance communications and create efficiencies on common strata issues – for example, security, management and janitorial services.
3. To raise, discuss, or act on matters of common concern or interest – for example, the South East False Creek Development Plan and development applications as they relate to living in the Village at False Creek.
4. To support the False Creek Residents Association.

Dear Mayor Robertson,

Regarding: City Proposal for Viaduct Removal

Strathcona and adjacent neighbourhoods are excited about the City’s proposal to remove the Viaducts in order to utilize the lands underneath to bring opportunity for new, beneficial developments for Vancouver. We are especially supportive of the removal of the 40 year traffic affliction on Prior / Venables brought on by the Viaducts and the subsequent returning of Prior Street to the neighbourhood street it was designed to be. We were thus disappointed that the City’s proposal to remove the Viaducts does not include important planning east of Gore Avenue; makes no overture to correct the injustice of traffic on Prior / Venables; and does not include the Mayor’s directives to provide traffic relief to Strathcona and adjacent neighbourhoods.

The community’s concern over the proposal resulted in a number of grass-roots protests over the summer, and culminated in the Mayor’s very specific recommendations that staff come back with a plan that addressed our concerns.

You can imagine our surprise, when at a well-attended community meeting on February 6th, some six months after the Mayor’s directives were given, that staff presented the exact same plan for removing the Viaducts and maintaining Prior / Venables as the major east west connector. To add fuel to the fire, within 48 hours of staff’s presentation, Prior / Venables saw three separate and serious accidents including a pedestrian struck, a car plow into the side of a house, and a street racing fatality. We now have a very angry community who are urging us to step up protest efforts in advance of staff’s presentation to Council in March. It is felt that the City clearly does not take our concern seriously.

While we appreciate the return of limited-hours parking on Prior Street and the extension of some of the pedestrian crossing times, these were understood as only first steps, and in light of recent events, these measures are clearly inadequate. We feel the disappointingly unrevised Viaducts removal proposal falls short of the Mayor’s directives regarding Prior Street, specifically: “immediate improvements are warranted, reinstating the parking being one of them, looking at traffic calming options like speed bumps is another”.

To be blunt: staff’s promise of theoretical reductions in traffic volumes once Prior / Venables is aligned with a new six-lane Pacific is not acceptable, and proceeding with the removal of the Viaducts without an Eastern Core Strategy is reckless. We need a guaranteed strategy for traffic calming Prior Street to be formally added to the Viaducts removal plan in order for us to support it.

Specifically, our support for Viaducts removal is conditional upon:

1. Establish a 30 kilometre zone on Prior through residential Strathcona.
2. Reduce Prior to two lanes of traffic flow, through either full time parking or a separated bike lane
3. Move truck traffic to Malkin / National; facilitate additional flow by moving one of Malkin’s two lanes of 24 hour dedicated parking to Prior.
4. Physically limit the six lanes of Pacific and/or Prior east of Quebec, until such a time as an Eastern Core strategy is developed.
5. Dedicate immediate resources to the development of an Eastern Core Strategy; monitor and consult with affected communities before, during and after Viaducts removal.

A community meeting is scheduled for March 6th to discuss a major protest and further action before Council’s vote on the Viaducts. A response to this letter from the Mayor would be crucial to present at this meeting in order to determine whether community action is required.

We very much appreciate your support and prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Strathcona Residents’ Association Executive Council

Families still suffering due to flashing outdoor digital billboards at BC Place Stadium

Director, BC Pavilion Corp

Vancouver, Monday, February 4, 2013

Please accept our congratulations on your appointment to the Board of Directors of BC Pavilion Corp (PavCo).  There is great hope that with your appointment and with that of your new colleagues to the PavCo Board, that our community will receive a more considerate response to our concerns.  Unfortunately for those of us living near BC Place, the previous Podmore-Buckley leadership chose to ignore repeated and very public appeals from our community concerning liveability issues, electing instead to pursue a campaign of stonewalling and misinformation.

As residents living near BC Place Stadium, our homes and our lives have been greatly affected by the three giant video billboards outside the stadium since they were erected without community or city consultation in September of 2011.  When PavCo installed the video billboards outside BC Place directly facing Vancouver’s densest group of glass residential buildings, they gravely afflicted hundreds of families who had previously lived peacefully in their homes.  Despite repeated demands from neighbours that the three flashing screens be removed, PavCo has done little to address this on-going assault on the well-being of these downtown Vancouver residents.

In the face of media pressure, PavCo pointed to minor adjustments which were made to one of the three giant billboards.  These minor modifications to the brightness and operating hours (again, to one of the screens) have done nothing to address residents’ primary concern, and that is:

It is unacceptable that large groups of residents on all sides of BC Place Stadium be made to suffer in their homes – held captive under the blight of giant flashing screens – where some raise their children and others simply seek needed rest.  Surely there is a more responsible way for an otherwise honourable Crown Corporation to achieve its goals?

Following the minor operational changes, Mayor Gregor Robertson and all ten City Councillors demonstrated their on-going concerns for residents’ well-being by unanimously passing a council motion aimed at bringing PavCo’s billboards at BC Place into compliance with Vancouver bylaws. Recall that the screens in question are ten times the maximum size allowable under the city bylaw, the applicable standard for determining acceptable conditions of residential liveability within this community.

Many other concerned community leaders and officials who to this day remain alarmed by PavCo’s actions have vocally supported residents and insisted that these screens be taken down.  Vancouver West-End MLA Spencer Chandra-Herbert has demanded in the BC Legislative Assembly that the screens be removed; Park Board Commissioner Constance Barnes has repeatedly stated that the screens must be taken down; and the Board of the False Creek Residents Association has identified the removal of the three giant screens among the association’s most pressing objectives in 2013.

Residents have mounted a letter writing campaign and have sent collectively over a hundred emails to the offices of Warren Buckley, Councillor Meggs, MLA Chandra-Herbert and Minister Pat Bell.  So intense was this campaign that Minister Bell was ultimately compelled to address the negative press that the billboard issue was creating for his office.  By this time it had become obvious to Vancouverites that erecting rapidly flashing high-intensity three-story-tall digital billboards directly facing a dense residential glass structured neighbourhood is pure absurdity…but the PavCo leadership remained unmoved.

This situation remains shamefully unresolved.  Residents on all three sides of the stadium continue to suffer in their homes, captive under the oppressive daily glare of giant video screens which they are powerless to turn off.  The flashing light invades their living rooms, extends across their dinner tables, and penetrates into their children’s bedrooms.  We implore you to reconsider the mistakes of the previous PavCo leadership and begin the responsible action of removing these intolerable screens. Vancouver residents must not be made to bear the continued assault of these giant flashing billboards any longer.

Sincerely,

David Cookson, Primary Spokesperson, Take the Giant Screens Down Now organisation

Patricia Graca, Board Member, False Creek Residents Association

Kate Glassford, Chair, Stadium Neighbourhood Association

———————

Cc:  Dana Hayden, President and CEO, BC Pavilion Corp.

Cc:  Howard Crosley, BC Place Stadium General Manager

Cc:  Adrian Dix, Provincial Opposition Leader

Cc:  Spencer Chandra-Herbert, Provincial PavCo Critic

Cc:  Geoff Meggs, Vancouver City Councillor

Attachment 1:  History of events – questions left unanswered

When questioned by media reporters in 2011 about PavCo’s apparent disregard for the well-being of the adjacent residential community, Howard Crosley, General Manager at BC Place stadium responded on camera that PavCo’s provincial status effectively creates an exemption from city signage bylaws, suggesting that PavCo need not be concerned with the litany of complaints received by dozens of civic and provincial offices nor by those complaints received by PavCo itself.  Since there was no law to forbid PavCo’s actions, PavCo could do as it pleased.  Residents were left not knowing where to turn – the city hotline and other city offices were refusing to log complaints and were instead referring complainants to provincial authorities – PavCo continued to claim immunity from bylaws and pursued a complaint rebuttal policy of ‘Too-bad-for-you’.  What were residents to do?

Left largely neutered by PavCo’s hard-line legal stance on the non-enforceability of city bylaws, City Manager Penny Ballem was required to issue a memo to City Council outlining her staff’s cursory understanding of the situation.  That was, as misinformed by Warren Buckley, that PavCo had met with residents about the situation (not one single resident has yet been found which ever met with PavCo on this issue) and that PavCo had only received a single complaint (which is categorically disproven by the copies of dozens of emails received by Councillor Meggs and MLA Chandra-Herbert).  Nevertheless, in the face of an uncooperative PavCo leadership, Dr Ballem described in her memo about the city’s inability to force PavCo to comply with basic standards of liveability, and concluded that the situation, from the perspective of her office’s inability to enforce city bylaws, was therefore ‘resolved’.  To date, City Councillors have not yet addressed PavCo’s indifference towards the Mayor and Council’s unanimous motion, and PavCo continues to operate the billboards in direct violation of several sections of the Sign bylaw #6510.

One confused PavCo staff member recently tried suggesting that BC Place has not crossed the threshold of acceptable impacts on the surrounding neighbourhood by using the argument that video billboards have existed at BC Place for many years.  Such a claim is irrational in its premise since it suggests that tiny and benign analogue filament-screw-bulb technology boards from 1986 produced the same environmental impact on the adjacent glass residential community as today’s oversized hi-intensity high-definition LED video jumbotrons selected and installed by BC Place in 2011.  Such an argument baffles the mind and is not appropriate coming from senior staff managing one of our major Crown Corporations.

A second equally baffling comment recently received from PavCo senior staff calls out authorities’ inability to prove the health hazards of video billboards. The person intimates that since the video billboards have not yet been conclusively proven to be hazardous to people’s physical health – that is, to cause debilitating illness and disease – that PavCo is correct in its assertion that the screens are acceptable.  This statement typifies the gross irrationality which has characterised PavCo’s response on this issue, and we residents expect that the new PavCo Board will use a criteria more reasonable than disease and illness in their determination that these billboards easily breach unacceptable levels of liveability for residents.

This begs the question, if PavCo did not follow any city bylaws or standards of liveability when designing and building this intrusive infrastructure within a dense residential community, then what standards did it follow?  Surely a reasonable PavCo leadership would have to agree that some sort of standards of practice, some guidelines or some best practices must be employed when erecting three giant screens with the capacity to vastly aggress residents in all directions surrounding BC Place.  Surprisingly, this question has not yet been answered by the PavCo management.  Simply put, it has not yet been demonstrated that any measures or standards of liveability were employed when planning for the erection of these billboards. With PavCo’s claimed exemption from city bylaws, and with no existing provincial guidelines to employ, the previous PavCo leadership effectively rode roughshod over this community.

COMMUNITY PLANNING

Plaza of Nations and Rogers Arena

We have supported the collaboration between Aquilini Developments, owners of the Arena, and Canadian Metropolitan Properties, owners of the Plaza of Nations.  These developers have worked with our association to prepare their proposals which will include both residential and commercial uses.  The big ’win’ for residents is the Ice Rink and Community Centre which will be open for the community, with the exception of mornings during Hockey season when the rink will be used for Canucks’ practice.  A 69 space child care centre is also planned as part of this development.

The first phase of the collaboration at the Arena  was approved by Council before it recessed for the summer.  The second phase, at the Plaza, is expected to be scheduled for a public hearing hopefully in early 2013.  We are planning for a significant turnout of residents to express support for this significant amenity.

International Village Elementary School

Debra Barker represents our Board on the consultation committee working with the School Board and City Planning staff on the new elementary school which will be opened by 2014.  In addition, Sonja Winks participates on behalf of the City Gate Inter Tower Group.  After years of lobbying for funding for this, we are pleased that the north shore of our community will at last have another much needed facility.

Creekside Park

Although promised in 1999, we must report that we are no further ahead in achieving this much needed community amenity.  Although there is a design for a re-configured park, approved in principle by council , that would enable the park to go ahead without waiting until the soils from the neighbouring lot 6C can be buried under the park site, Lot 9,  we cannot perceive any action by either the city or Concord Pacific to move this ahead.

Rather than using the park site to host SoleFoods urban farm, Concord opened their lots across from the Carrall Street Greenway for SoleFoods.  Stretching over a number of their properties along Pacific Boulevard, this move will yield a significant reduction in property taxes, while doing nothing toward greening the park site.

The Viaducts

The City is considering the removal of the viaducts along Dunsmuir and Georgia.  Our Association has organized and participated in a number of consultations on this issue.  The City sponsored an ideas competition, inviting proposals that envision a community without these raised roadways.  We were involved in further consultations with the Peoples’ Choice in that competition, a consortium consisting of Jim Green Consulting, Larry Beasley, Norm Hotson and Margot Long.  In partnership with our member organization,  the Crosstown Residents Association, in May 2012, we invited Larry Beasley to present his proposal to the community and seek their direct input and feedback.

The City’s proposal to City Council was not as appealing to us as was the Beasley/Green/Hotson/Long proposal.  Our submission to Council urging them not to accept the staff recommendation without further input and consultation, can be found on our web site:  falsecreekresidents.org.

Our efforts were matched by other community organizations, including residents along the 100 Block of Prior Street and the Strathcona Residents Association.  We were successful in convincing City Council to defer their decision.  We anticipate this issue coming forward again in January 2013 and we will once again measure the proposal’s pros and cons and be a strong voice for our community at Council.

ADVOCACY

Off Leash Dog Park

Our advocacy has paid off — the off leash dog park will open soon.  In March, 2012, we held a special community meeting on this issue, in partnership with the Crosstown Residents Association.   Parks Board Commissioners Niki Sharma, Aaron Jasper and then Chair of the Board, Constance Barnes attended.   A portion of Andy Livingston park that was under-utilized was identified and construction is underway so that neighbourhood dog owners will have a good option to using the main portion of the park as a dog run.  Thanks to Parks Board Commissioner Constance Barnes for championing our cause.

Special Events

Again at this year’s Run for the Cure, local residents were blocked from using their vehicles and accessing their parking spots.  We are working with City staff to ensure that we are not penned in when major events are hosted in our neighbourhood.  Again, we have been in communication with the run organizers, the city staff person who organizes the route, and the special event organizer for the city.  We hope they can improve next year.

We have also been in touch with the Site Analyst for Cirque du Soleil to ameliorate any impacts that this event might have on the community.  Cirque will be here for two months from November 2012 – January 2013

ACCOUNTABILITY

The Seawall

For years, the seawall from Science World to the Plaza of Nations has been a dangerously congested area.  There are no lane demarcations – cyclists, skate boarders, pedestrians, rollerbladers, and babies in buggies all share the pathway.  The FCRA was adamant with the city in May of 2011 that any renewal of the development permit for Concord Pacific’s marketing buildings be contingent upon adequate steps to improve safety on the seawall.  Although some dotted lines south of the park site were painted in October, 2012, we are still waiting and lobbying for our segment of the seawall to be safe.

Assessment Appeal

For years,  12 acres of undeveloped property owned by Concord Pacific around False Creek was assessed at $192,000.  Taxes paid on that property were less than $4400.   In 2010 the property was re-profiled and the Assessment Authority valued the 9.06 acres park site at $400,000, even though a smaller park site in Strathcona, Trillium Park,  was valued at $18,569,000 before it was developed.  The FCRA launched a third-party appeal. This appeal is slowly wending its way through the appeal process.  We have been fortunate to receive the ‘pro bono’ support of lawyer Tim Louis who is assisting us to take this matter to a hearing.

We have now learned that Concord Pacific has appealed its 2011 assessment, receiving a reduction of over $30,000,000 in assessed value.  Interesting that none of us have had a similar reduction in the value of our neighbouring properties.  We will again be appealing this recent assessment in the hope of achieving some parity with other park site and assuring residents that there is fairness and equality in the assessment system.

Vancouver Municipal Election

The FCRA sponsored an all candidates meeting at Elsie Roy School.  This was the first of many such meetings.  Twenty-six of the candidates for Council and Parks Board  participated.  Residents were able to get many of their questions answered by candidates.  We will continue to sponsor such events for future elections at all levels as the Board believes this is an important aspect of promoting good quality of life around the Creek.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

Olympic Village

Welcome neighbours!  We are pleased that so many of our new neighbours in the Olympic Village have expressed an interest in the FCRA.  We hope for good representation at the AGM and on our 2012-2013 Board of Directors

The Crosstown Residents Association

Another of the original founders of the FCRA, the  CRA continues to grow and address issues of concern.  The Chair of the CRA participates in discussions on the Local Area Planning Process currently underway in the Downtown Eastside.  Residents in Gastown have joined the CRA and we are looking forward to welcoming more folks from that part of our community.  We had a successful AGM in the Spring at W2 and the new Board of the CRA is looking forward to a productive year.

City Gate Inter-tower Community Group

The CGIT  is also a founding member of the FCRA and continues to be both a supportive member group.  They  also focus on their own local interests and concerns. Every market condominium building in the CGIT are now  official strata corporation members of the FCRA along with  individual members who live in the social housing component of the neighbourhood.   We are a diverse and extremely supportive community. We have participated with Science World in their outdoor science park; the design of the new Trillium Park; the re-design of the Main and Terminal skytrain station; the ongoing struggles with the Cobalt; Blockwatch; the Farmerʼs Market at Thornton Park; the Irish Canadian Memorial soon to be erected at Thornton Park; the  Prior Street  residents’ concerns with removal of the viaducts; and participation in the BCAA survey to identify the worst streets in the city.  We’re “proud” to say that our local nominee, Station Street, came in 6th and it has now been repaved!  Good work !

False Creek South Neighbourhood Association

Although one of the founding members of the FCRA, the FCSNA  has decided to focus its efforts on renegotiation of the land lease with the City of Vancouver and has withdrawn from the FCRA.  However, individual members and buildings on the south shore of the Creek continue to participate with us.

The FCRA Board of Directors

During last year’s term, Sean Bickerton stepped down to avoid any conflict of interest during the civic election.  Sean has now re-joined the board.

One of our founding members, Arthur Brock has stepped down from the Board as he and his wife are taking up new challenges south of the border.  Good Luck Arthur!

Mary Brusse from City Gate has relocated to the Okanagan.

Your remaining Board members will stand for another term.

Join us in making our community a better place to live.  To keep in touch,please remember our web site:  falsecreekresidents.org.  Find us on Facebook and keep us posted about your  ideas, issues, and concerns.

Fern Jeffries and Patsy McMillan, Co-chairs

October, 2012