If everyone lived like we do in Vancouver, it would take four planets to sustain us. The city’s EcoDensity initiative may be the solution

Sun

Vancouverites can be proud that we’ve made some progress to contain our ecological footprint, while making Vancouver very livable. Vancouver has grown rapidly, but we’ve absorbed much of this growth by developing mixed income and inclusive communities where lots of people live close together within walking distance of schools, grocery stores, shops, services and transit. We’ve reclaimed much of the waterfront for public access, and have built new parks right downtown, with more to come.

Vancouver has long enjoyed the status as one of the world’s most livable cities. But despite this reputation, the fact is our city has a large ecological footprint. If everyone lived like we do in Vancouver, it would take four planets to sustain us.

Today our city faces three important challenges: how to continue to grow in a way that is sustainable and reduces the city’s ecological footprint; how to grow in a way that maintains our livability; and how to grow in a way that improves opportunities to create more affordable types of housing.

Part of the City of Vancouver‘s response to these challenges is an initiative called EcoDensity. The program is designed to create greater density throughout the city, and do it in a way that lowers our impact on the environment; ensures the necessary physical and social amenities; and supports new and different housing types as a way to promote more affordability.

Single-family dwellings still take up almost half the land area in Vancouver. In fact, only 11 per cent of the city’s land area is currently used for multiple-unit dwellings.

Consequently, EcoDensity will explore increasing density in a variety of contexts across the city (ie: in lower density areas; along transit routes and station areas; and in neighbourhood centres). The key will be to support density that is high quality, attractive, energy efficient, and respects neighbourhood character, while also lowering our footprint.

EcoDensity will mean altering some City policies, bylaws, incentives and zoning to reduce barriers and promote ideas that create sustainability.

EcoDensity will help ensure developments that are rare or difficult to achieve today, become commonplace in Vancouver in the years to come. It will build on the successes already achieved in some major developments and neighbourhood centres in Vancouver.

On Tuesday Mayor Sam Sullivan welcomed delegates from across the province to Vancouver for the annual Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention. The theme of this year’s convention is climate change.

“Through zoning and building regulations, municipal governments possess two of the most powerful tools in the battle to combat climate change,” said Mayor Sullivan. “I look forward to spending time with other BC Mayors and Councillors to share ideas and compare best practices.”

“Strengthening Vancouver‘s reputation as an international leader in sustainable development is one of the five goals we have established for our government,” said Mayor Sullivan. “Through the introduction of green building standards, completion of the Millennium Line and development of EcoDensity to fight sprawl we will help the Province of British Columbia achieve their greenhouse gas emission targets.”

To learn more about the EcoDensity initiative, share ideas and solutions and get involved, visit the web site at Vancouver.ca/ecodensity.

 

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

 

‘Manhattaning’ Vancouver

Ashley Ford
Province

You could call it the “Manhattaning” of West Georgia Street.

Construction has begun on the 60-storey Vancouver Turn, which includes the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and private residences in the same tower at 1153 West Georgia St.

Within spitting distance, the city’s tallest-tower-to-be, the Living Shangri-La, now halfway on its way to 62 storeys, giving downtown Vancouver a bit of a New York look that few would have predicted several years ago.

The two spectacular buildings will dominate the city skyline. Pedestrians are already craning their necks as they walk by and gawk at the Shangri-La. They could get whiplash when The Residences is completed in 2011.

Marketing both projects is Bob Rennie, of Rennie Marketing Systems, who says the towers are architectural signatures that will emphasize Vancouver‘s arrival as a world-class city. “When you attract two international luxury brands like this, you realize the city, our little baby, has finally grown up,” he said.

“Luxury brands are always in limited supply and there may be few other opportunities for projects like these in the central business district in the future.”

The city is already in a protective stance to keep more office space downtown.

The Ritz-Carlton, an icon in the global luxury hotel world, is being developed by Holborn Developments, a private Vancouver-based company. Ritz-Carlton’s operating creed is that it will provide any service for its clients, as long as it is legal, moral and ethical.

The project will fill in the last blighted spot along West Georgia. The shell of a previous building that stood empty for years has been demolished.

The 180-metre twisting glass tower atop a glass podium will feature 123 luxurious private residents on floors 27 to 60 with the hotel taking up 130 rooms on the lower floors.

The tower has been designed by Arthur Erickson in collaboration with Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership and DYSarchitecture.

The majority of residences are roomy, ranging from 926 square feet up to 4,145 square feet for a penthouse and carry equally impressive price tags starting at $1.4 million up to $12.8 million.

Rennie said there is already considerable interest from potential buyers. “We are getting attention from owners of significant properties in Vancouver who value service that goes along with the Ritz-Carlton brand,” he said.

“When you are building a quality project such as this you have to think three years ahead of where design and function will be when it is completed in 2011.

“For instance, the developers flew me to New York just to look at various kitchen designs,” Rennie said.

“That is the sort of stringent planning and design that is going into this building.”

© The Vancouver Province 2007

Benjamin Tal
Other

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COMPOUND INTEREST MOUNTS UP:

HUGH ANDERSON
Province

You are a retired senior age 60 or over who is receiving sufficient income to get by. You own a home that you bought with a mortgage that has been paid off.

The market value of the house has risen a lot over the years, which is good. But how are you going to pay for that new roof, and those darned property taxes that keep going up?

Suppose you could make a deal in which you remortgage the house for a part of the value, but don’t have to make any payments either of interest or on the loan itself if you choose. Now that’s the kind of mortgage you could have used when you first bought your house in those struggling years long ago.

What’s the catch, you ask sensibly? The trade-off for the deal is that the interest on the loan is tallied up and added to the amount you borrowed. This could mean that the value in your house is eventually wiped out.

This won’t matter to you directly, because you or your spouse or partner can stay in your house as long as the two of you live, although it may matter to your children or grandchildren because the entire amount of the loan, principal and interest, will have to be paid from your estate. You also have to be prepared to stay in the house. The money comes due if you sell the house, perhaps to move into a smaller residence. That goes for your spouse, too.

You are going to hear a lot more about this sort of deal. A new competitor is entering the Canadian market, challenging the long-established provider of reverse mortgages.

CHIP, short for Canadian Home Income Plan, set up shop in Vancouver 21 years ago. The new kid on the block is Seniors Money Canada, an arm of Seniors Money International. The parent set up shop in New Zealand about three years ago.

It’s added Australia, Ireland>, Israel, South Africa and Spain since. Now it’s trying its hand in Canada, starting with Ontario and planning to go national next year.

You can take the loan as a lump sum or in periodic income payments, and the money is not taxable.

Both organizations insist potential borrowers get independent legal advice before signing up, and pay for it themselves so that it really is independent. This is a good thing, because you do have to give up a lot to get the money. It’s also a difficult arrangement to get your head around when first encountered.

In particular, you have to realize that compound interest can mount up dramatically, especially when it’s not as visible as when you are actually paying it.

So is this arrangement worth considering? Only if you are not able to take on a regular bank loan or line of credit secured by the value of your house and make the regular loan payments.

Think of a reverse mortgage as a last option when you have value tied up in your house but not enough cash flow for your needs.

Tony Gioventu
Province

Dear Condo Smarts:

Our strata council has been dealing with an owner who, we suspect over the years, has never thrown out a thing, including the garbage.

We suspected there were problems because (the owner has) always been a shut-in, but no one ever complained until a medical emergency a few weeks ago where a neighbour was required to get 911 assistance and access the strata lot.

The conditions are unbelievable, to say the least.

The papers are piled higher than the windows, there is garbage everywhere, and feces from rats and pests in every corner.

The owner is refusing access to clean it up. We contacted the local health board and they won’t intervene and the family members have told us to mind our own business.

We’re very frustrated because, over the years, we’ve found enforcing bylaws is just a waste of time, so what do we do?

— Mrs. C.M. Findlay

Dear Mrs. Findlay:

Many strata councils have a misconception that they need a written or verbal complaint from someone before they enforce a bylaw.

Not so. If a strata prohibits pets and a council member sees a cat in a residence window, or a bylaw prohibits barbecues and there’s a barbecue on a deck, the council member can file the complaint.

Don’t wait for things to get out of hand. Act when you’re made aware of the problems.

Annual suite inspections are also incredibly valuable.

The strata can inspect plumbing and window systems for maintenance requirements, and, at the same time, you may become aware of conditions that place your building at risk, other bylaw violations, grow-ops or unauthorized alterations to the building structure.

If an owner has created a disaster in their suite you can start the process before it gets out of hand.

Bylaw enforcement takes time and organization. The strata can enforce bylaws, including work on a strata lot, and require the owner be responsible for the costs.

Enforcing bylaws is not only about fining people but ending the violations.

A province-wide pilot mediation program for strata bylaws is now available through the B.C. Arbitration and Mediation Institute.

For a fixed fee of $350, plus travel costs and taxes, if any, the parties get a two-hour mediation to mediate a bylaw dispute.

A mediated settlement often economically and quickly solves the problems, and maintains good will between the parties who still have to live there when the dust settles.

For more information on the program, check at bcami.com.

Tony Gioventu is the executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association (CHOA). Contact CHOA at 604-584-2462 or toll-free 1-877-353-2462, or go to www.choa.bc.ca, fax 604-515-9643, or email [email protected]

© The Vancouver Province 2007