Over the years, I have often been critical of neighbourhood associations opposing what I thought were thoughtful and appropriate rezoning proposals. For example, in the 1980s, the Oakridge-Langara Residents Association (OLRA) opposed a proposal for a fourth rental tower at Langara Gardens. It was eventually approved, but towers 5,6 and 7 were rejected.
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| Oak Gardens. Local residents were concerned with the building height and lack of adequate parking. Today there are dozens of empty spaces in the garage. NSDA Architects. |
OLRA also opposed a four storey seniors-oriented condominium on Oak Street between West 42nd and West 43rd. It eventually was approved as a three-storey building today known as Oak Gardens. You can barely see it behind the double row of trees I planted.
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| The Lanesborough. Not quite the large blank wall feared by then Alderman George Puil. NSDA Architects. |
The Dunbar Southlands Residents Association opposed my proposal for a three storey seniors condominium on West 41st between Balaclava and Carnarvon. Then Alderman George Puil amplified their concerns, arguing the building would end up looking like the white blank wall of the downtown Eatons. Really. After it was approved, Polygon Homes finished the project and today it is known as The Lanesborough.
Over on the North Shore, the Ambleside Dundarave Residents Association (ADRA) aggressively opposed my proposal for Hollyburn Mews, a nine-unit infill project comprising six duplexes and three coach houses replacing three older single-family houses. It was located across from West Vancouver United Church and next to the Recreation and Seniors Centres. Over 100 people wrote letters or spoke in opposition at the Public Hearing. Eventually, it was approved by a 4-3 vote.
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| Hollyburn Mews in Ambleside. Today it has become a 'poster child' for the type of development many residents want more of. Formwerks Architectural |
It was against this background that I was both surprised and delighted to receive an invitation to speak at the 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Dunbar-Southlands Residents Association. Anticipating much opposition to my ideas, I carefully prepared a slide presentation that I hoped would not upset or anger too many people. As it turned out, the evening went quite well.
Below is a link to the presentation. I invite you to view it, if only to see how many of the ideas I was promoting a decade ago are now becoming planning policy.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1crvsII9PkBIqkQ7pkxPHo8eHCBjtheqaQpj/view?usp=sharing
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