Opinion: Dirty streets column attracts mixed reaction Vancouver Courier May 20, 2015

When I wrote last week’s column after seeing garbage piled up on the pavement along East Hastings Street, I expected a good number of responses. But I was still astonished by what many of you had to say.

Some online comments were included in Friday’s Courier, including a note from Joji Kumagai of the Strathcona BIA clarifying that the Hastings Crossing BIA is responsible for daytime cleaning of this portion of East Hastings Street, not his organization.

Sarah P. was more critical: “Michael Geller, your pearl clutching is embarrassing. And if you’re this hard up for column ideas, you might consider just not submitting something, rather than turning in this kind of ideological dreck.”

I did hear from Wes Regan, executive director of the Hastings Crossing BIA. He initially was of the view shared by many others; namely that my concern for weeds and garbage outweighed any concern I might have for the people on the street.

I subsequently spoke with him. He questioned how a BIA with the smallest budget in the city could reasonably be expected to keep the 100-block of East Hastings Street tidy, noting their entire budget could be blown through in a couple of months.

He referred me to the city’s street cleaning and sanitation departments since he has often asked for more garbage cans but they never seem to arrive. I promised to mention this with the hope that my column might result in more garbage cans along the street.

He also pointed out that it is important to distinguish between the regular sidewalk street vending along 100-block and the Pigeon Park Street Market, which is relocating to a new site on Powell Street, adding: “If we want to see cleaner, nicer, safer looking streets, we should eliminate poverty and work with street vendors.”

While I hope we do not have to end poverty before we can have cleaner streets, I do acknowledge another of Regan’s concerns, also indirectly expressed in Jordon Shaw’s Facebook comment:

“This isn’t clutter, this is their living room. How would you like it if someone took a picture of your living room?”

Low-income neighbourhood residents have steadily lost indoor spaces to socialize in over the past 15 years. The 24-hour diners have disappeared and mom and pop restaurants are being priced out of the neighbourhood. As a result, a lot more people are looking for places to hang out.

However, last week’s column and the accompanying photograph were not about the street vendors or people standing around on the street. My concern was the garbage being allowed to pile up on the road. While many defended the mess since the people are poor, a local resident named Deirdre shared my view of the situation. Poverty has nothing to do with being dirty; it’s stereotypical to believe they go together.

 

Last week’s column also elicited concerns about other parts of the city. Jacqueline wrote: “Our streets downtown are dirty as well! Have you ever looked around the Bay and seen and smelt the urine? Granville Street is awful!”

While I heard similar concerns about other neighbourhoods, I received encouraging words from the City of Vancouver. It seems Vancouver does have an adopt-a-block program as part of the Keep Vancouver Spectacular (KVS) initiative and 76 blocks are being looked after.

 

The program is in its 20th year, with 18,739 participants, and as part of this year’s kickoff and Tourism Vancouver’s annual cleanup, volunteers do cover part of the Downtown Eastside. In addition, the Chinatown BIA is doing a cleanup on May 24 and the Carnegie Centre organizes cleanups throughout the year. There is also one volunteer that who lives in the neighbourhood who cleans up each Sunday after the Pigeon Park Market.

 

So there you have it. Yes, the 100-block East Hastings Street is a serious problem that needs attention, but the city-wide situation is not as grim as I may have portrayed.

Now, if we could get more garbage cans and additional funding for street cleaning along Hastings Street, hopefully I won’t have to write on this topic next year.

This will no doubt please Sarah P.

From REW.ca Opinion: Basement Suites in Duplexes and Townhouses, and For Sale? by Michael Geller

I grew up in a modest three-bedroom post-war bungalow in North Toronto in the 1960’s. Many of my classmates lived in similar homes, although some were quite reticent about sharing this fact. That is because they did not live in the house. They lived in an illegal basement suite and constantly worried their family might one day be evicted.

 

Years later, after joining CMHC in the Architecture and Planning Division, my colleagues and I often discussed how basement suites could be better designed and legalized, noting they were an effective way of providing affordable housing.

It is therefore with considerable pleasure that over the past decade, I have watched municipalities across Canada legalizing basement suites. In Vancouver, the City Council has relaxed a number of building code regulations to make the approval of basement suites easier. The city now allows a reduced ceiling height and relaxed sprinkler system requirements. Other municipalities from Abbotsford to West Vancouver have also revised regulations to permit legal basement suites.

Vancouver now permits suites in every detached single-family home in Vancouver within the RS, RM and RT zones, noting they are an excellent way to reduce our carbon footprint and expand affordable housing choices. While I applaud Vancouver and other Metro municipalities for these changes, I would urge them to go a few steps further.

 

Firstly, I would like them to permit more basement suites in new duplex and townhouse developments. While lower-level suites are sometimes permitted in heritage conservation projects, especially around Kitsilano, I see no reason why they should not be allowed in most new duplex and townhouse projects as long as fire-safety provisions are taken into account, along with parking requirements.

 

In some cases, where housing is not close to transit, additional off-street parking should be required. However, where there is good transit and car-sharing programs available, parking standards should be relaxed.

While some might wonder how you can have basement suites in townhouses, I would invite you to think about the many terraced housing developments you have walked by in London where lower level suites, often accessed directly from the street, are quite common. These were once the servants’ quarters. However, today, they provide well located and oftentimes surprisingly high-priced accommodation.

 

Basement or “lock-off” suites are starting to be permitted in some new Vancouver townhouse developments such as those along Oak Street. These suites generally have their own separate entrance from the street, and a second locked entrance from within the unit. The resulting design is very flexible.

Similar units can also found in Toronto, Calgary and at SFU’s UniverCity where some apartments even feature secondary lock-off suites. A newspaper journalist once referred to them as “mortgage helpers in the sky.”

To date, most basement suites are rental only. However, in some instances it would be both desirable and feasible for new suites to be offered for sale. Examples of basement suites for sale can be found in new developments in Kitsilano and other Vancouver neighbourhoods. While some might question why anyone would purchase a basement suite, these are not sold as basement suites; they are sold as “garden-level” suites.

In most cases, they feature large windows and a walk-0ut to a private outdoor space, making them a very attractive and more affordable housing option. Fire and sound separation can be achieved in the same way as in conventional apartment buildings. These units are a far cry from the damp basements many of us have experienced in older single-family houses.

 

At a time when we are seeking more affordable forms of housing, I can envision basement suites contributing to the “gentle densification” of existing single-family properties. By combining a new duplex with garden suites on each side and a laneway house, it would be possible to replace a single house on a 50-foot lot with five new dwellings; some for sale, some for rent, or all for sale.

The overall density and site coverage need not be significantly greater than what is currently permitted. Moreover, the result would be smaller, more affordable homes appealing to both first-time and move-up buyers, as well as empty-nesters ready to downsize.

- See more at: http://www.rew.ca/news/opinion-basement-suites-in-duplexes-and-townhouses-and-for-sale-1.1931404#sthash.YpSrJIcC.dpuf

I grew up in a modest three-bedroom post-war bungalow in North Toronto in the 1960’s. Many of my classmates lived in similar homes, although some were quite reticent about sharing this fact.
That is because they did not live in the house. They lived in an illegal basement suite and constantly worried their family might one day be evicted.
Years later, after joining CMHC in the Architecture and Planning Division, my colleagues and I often discussed how basement suites could be better designed and legalized, noting they were an effective way of providing affordable housing.
It is therefore with considerable pleasure that over the past decade, I have watched municipalities across Canada legalizing basement suites.
In Vancouver, the City Council has relaxed a number of building code regulations to make the approval of basement suites easier. The city now allows a reduced ceiling height and relaxed sprinkler system requirements. Other municipalities from Abbotsford to West Vancouver have also revised regulations to permit legal basement suites.
Vancouver now permits suites in every detached single-family home in Vancouver within the RS, RM and RT zones, noting they are an excellent way to reduce our carbon footprint and expand affordable housing choices.
While I applaud Vancouver and other Metro municipalities for these changes, I would urge them to go a few steps further.
Firstly, I would like them to permit more basement suites in new duplex and townhouse developments.
While lower-level suites are sometimes permitted in heritage conservation projects, especially around Kitsilano, I see no reason why they should not be allowed in most new duplex and townhouse projects as long as fire-safety provisions are taken into account, along with parking requirements.
In some cases, where housing is not close to transit, additional off-street parking should be required. However, where there is good transit and car-sharing programs available, parking standards should be relaxed.
While some might wonder how you can have basement suites in townhouses, I would invite you to think about the many terraced housing developments you have walked by in London where lower level suites, often accessed directly from the street, are quite common.
These were once the servants’ quarters. However, today, they provide well located and oftentimes surprisingly high-priced accommodation.
Basement or “lock-off” suites are starting to be permitted in some new Vancouver townhouse developments such as those along Oak Street. These suites generally have their own separate entrance from the street, and a second locked entrance from within the unit. The resulting design is very flexible.
Similar units can also found in Toronto, Calgary and at SFU’s UniverCity where some apartments even feature secondary lock-off suites. A newspaper journalist once referred to them as “mortgage helpers in the sky.”
To date, most basement suites are rental only. However, in some instances it would be both desirable and feasible for new suites to be offered for sale.
Examples of basement suites for sale can be found in new developments in Kitsilano and other Vancouver neighbourhoods.
While some might question why anyone would purchase a basement suite, these are not sold as basement suites; they are sold as “garden-level” suites.
In most cases, they feature large windows and a walk-0ut to a private outdoor space, making them a very attractive and more affordable housing option. Fire and sound separation can be achieved in the same way as in conventional apartment buildings.
These units are a far cry from the damp basements many of us have experienced in older single-family houses.
At a time when we are seeking more affordable forms of housing, I can envision basement suites contributing to the “gentle densification” of existing single-family properties. By combining a new duplex with garden suites on each side and a laneway house, it would be possible to replace a single house on a 50-foot lot with five new dwellings; some for sale, some for rent, or all for sale.
The overall density and site coverage need not be significantly greater than what is currently permitted. Moreover, the result would be smaller, more affordable homes appealing to both first-time and move-up buyers, as well as empty-nesters ready to downsize.
- See more at: http://www.rew.ca/news/opinion-basement-suites-in-duplexes-and-townhouses-and-for-sale-1.1931404#sthash.YpSrJIcC.dpuf

I grew up in a modest three-bedroom post-war bungalow in North Toronto in the 1960’s. Many of my classmates lived in similar homes, although some were quite reticent about sharing this fact.
That is because they did not live in the house. They lived in an illegal basement suite and constantly worried their family might one day be evicted.
Years later, after joining CMHC in the Architecture and Planning Division, my colleagues and I often discussed how basement suites could be better designed and legalized, noting they were an effective way of providing affordable housing.
It is therefore with considerable pleasure that over the past decade, I have watched municipalities across Canada legalizing basement suites.
In Vancouver, the City Council has relaxed a number of building code regulations to make the approval of basement suites easier. The city now allows a reduced ceiling height and relaxed sprinkler system requirements. Other municipalities from Abbotsford to West Vancouver have also revised regulations to permit legal basement suites.
Vancouver now permits suites in every detached single-family home in Vancouver within the RS, RM and RT zones, noting they are an excellent way to reduce our carbon footprint and expand affordable housing choices.
While I applaud Vancouver and other Metro municipalities for these changes, I would urge them to go a few steps further.
Firstly, I would like them to permit more basement suites in new duplex and townhouse developments.
While lower-level suites are sometimes permitted in heritage conservation projects, especially around Kitsilano, I see no reason why they should not be allowed in most new duplex and townhouse projects as long as fire-safety provisions are taken into account, along with parking requirements.
In some cases, where housing is not close to transit, additional off-street parking should be required. However, where there is good transit and car-sharing programs available, parking standards should be relaxed.
While some might wonder how you can have basement suites in townhouses, I would invite you to think about the many terraced housing developments you have walked by in London where lower level suites, often accessed directly from the street, are quite common.
These were once the servants’ quarters. However, today, they provide well located and oftentimes surprisingly high-priced accommodation.
Basement or “lock-off” suites are starting to be permitted in some new Vancouver townhouse developments such as those along Oak Street. These suites generally have their own separate entrance from the street, and a second locked entrance from within the unit. The resulting design is very flexible.
Similar units can also found in Toronto, Calgary and at SFU’s UniverCity where some apartments even feature secondary lock-off suites. A newspaper journalist once referred to them as “mortgage helpers in the sky.”
To date, most basement suites are rental only. However, in some instances it would be both desirable and feasible for new suites to be offered for sale.
Examples of basement suites for sale can be found in new developments in Kitsilano and other Vancouver neighbourhoods.
While some might question why anyone would purchase a basement suite, these are not sold as basement suites; they are sold as “garden-level” suites.
In most cases, they feature large windows and a walk-0ut to a private outdoor space, making them a very attractive and more affordable housing option. Fire and sound separation can be achieved in the same way as in conventional apartment buildings.
These units are a far cry from the damp basements many of us have experienced in older single-family houses.
At a time when we are seeking more affordable forms of housing, I can envision basement suites contributing to the “gentle densification” of existing single-family properties. By combining a new duplex with garden suites on each side and a laneway house, it would be possible to replace a single house on a 50-foot lot with five new dwellings; some for sale, some for rent, or all for sale.
The overall density and site coverage need not be significantly greater than what is currently permitted. Moreover, the result would be smaller, more affordable homes appealing to both first-time and move-up buyers, as well as empty-nesters ready to downsize.
- See more at: http://www.rew.ca/news/opinion-basement-suites-in-duplexes-and-townhouses-and-for-sale-1.1931404#sthash.YpSrJIcC.dpuf

From REW.ca It's Time to Increase Supply of Fee-Simple Row Houses by Michael Geller

I was born in England where the terraced row house is one of the most generic forms of housing. There are row houses, or townhouses, throughout Metro Vancouver but there is a significant difference between UK row houses and what you find here.

In Vancouver, unless they are rental, row houses are generally owned as part of a larger development. They are strata-titled, and purchasers are members of a condominium association. While they own their unit outright, the exterior walls, landscaping, parking and driveways are generally owned in common.

In UK, the row houses are usually “fee-simple” ownership. In other words, they are owned outright, just like a single-family house, with a party wall agreement in place.

There are a few reasons why we have not seen more fee-simple row house developments in and around Vancouver. Firstly, they can cost more than a conventional row housing complex. Instead of one sewer and water hook-up for the entire development, there may be individual connections to every unit. I say there “may be” since it is legally possible to reduce the number of connections with cross-easement agreements.

There may also additional costs associated with the party wall construction. For many years, the Vancouver Law Department questioned whether the legal agreements covering the party walls between individual units were binding in perpetuity.
 
An early fee-simple development on Cambie Street at West 33 Avenue, undertaken by the late planner and politician Art Cowie, a longstanding proponent of fee-simple row houses, had to have two walls separated by an air space.
A few years ago, the province changed legislation so that the city lawyers could sleep at night and not have to worry about this legal complexity. However, changes often come slowly in the development community.
Forty years ago, a number of fee-simple row house developments were built in Burnaby and Coquitlam, which are still around.

More recently, Parklane Homes built a fee-simple row house development in Langley as part of Bedford Landing. A party wall agreement is in place and a services easement agreement allows water supply and sewer pipes to cross over different properties.

To prevent someone from painting their row house bright yellow, design guidelines are registered on title.
Aragon Homes, another innovative development company, built a fee-simple row house development as part of its Port Royal development in Queensborough, New Westminster.

As noted, there are pros and cons of a fee-simple row house compared to a condominium unit.
The first pro is there are no common area assessments. You are not paying someone to cut the grass or maintain your home. You pay the maintenance costs as if you were living in a single-family house.

Another advantage is that you decide when to undertake maintenance or carry out major repairs. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the depreciation reports that condominiums now have to prepare, many strata councils put off necessary repairs in order to keep monthly fees low.

There is also a sense of independence that may be lost in a condominium. Fee-simple owners can paint their front door red if they want without having to seek approval from the strata council. They can also landscape their patio or garden as they see fit. This is generally not possible in a condominium development.

The cons are the other side of the same coin. Firstly, there is no strata council to arrange for maintenance or repairs. You have to do it yourself, and the costs could be higher. You may not have the same degree of control over your immediate neighbours. Unless there are design guidelines in place, if your next-door neighbour decides to paint their house black with orange accents, there may not be anything you can do. Similarly, if they decide to dig up their bit of grass and replace it with a play area for their kids, you will have little say.

However, as more and more baby-boomers chose to move out of single-family houses, I expect there will be an increased demand for individually owned fee-simple row houses. Furthermore, many young couples who cannot afford a house but are prepared to undertake their own maintenance may prefer this housing form and tenure.
I therefore expect forward-looking developers and homebuilders to build more of this type of housing, especially if municipalities increase the amount of land zoned for townhouses.




But that is another story for another day.

Opinion: Vancouver needs a good spring cleaning Vancouver Courier May 13, 2015

Driving along the 100 Block East Hastings last Tuesday, I was so disgusted with what I saw I had to park my car and take a photo. Outside a graffiti covered, boarded up storefront, a pile of garbage was strewn along the curb lane of the road.

Just as I was taking the photo, a man yelling and swearing came towards me, threatening to break my camera. Somewhat frightened, I ran back to my car and drove away without looking back.

Why did I take the picture? Why should I care what the street looks like?

I took the photo to post on Twitter and Facebook so others could see what is happening to a part of our beautiful city.

After tweeting the photo to the City of Vancouver I was promised someone would follow up. The next day I received a telephone call from a very polite person in sanitation. He advised that since city crews found it too dangerous to clean up that portion of Hasting Street during the daytime, the city had contracted with the Strathcona BIA who in turn was hiring local people to carry out the work.

I was shocked to be told there is now an area in our city which the sanitation department deems too dangerous to keep clean during the daytime.

I decided to seek a comment from city councillors Geoff Meggs and Andrea Reimer via Twitter. Neither replied, which surprised me since in the past, Coun. Reimer has often responded to my tweets. I also requested a comment from the Strathcona BIA. No response.

I realize many will question whether this is really something I should get too worked up about. After all, given the rising cost of housing, gang violence in Surrey, and Vancouver kids going to school hungry, is it really that important to worry about our city’s cleanliness?

I think it is, since a city’s cleanliness says something about its sense of pride. Furthermore, it is an aspect of urban life that we can easily do something about.

 
By international standards, Vancouver is a relatively clean city. We particularly excel in the management of unwanted graffiti that is plaguing so many cities around the world. However, I think we are failing when it comes to smaller things like controlling weeds and litter, chewing gum, and cigarette butts, and streetscapes in the Downtown Eastside.

We also need to do a better job of weeding along streets and once-prized public walkways. Just take a look at the False Creek walkway at the foot of Howe Street, or the now barren, but recently weed-covered median at the south end of the Burrard Bridge.

We might take a lead from Galway, Ireland which imposes fines for those throwing chewing gum on the sidewalk and dissuades people from throwing cigarette butts on the ground since they not only make a mess, they are bad for the environment. They are not biodegradable; they harm marine and animal life.

Other world cities have come up with creative solutions to deal with uncleanliness. In Dublin, the city administration placed provocative posters on buses and around town proclaiming: “If you behave like a piece of filth, that’s how the world sees you. Litter is disgusting. So are those responsible. Elsewhere throughout the country, towns and cities compete to win a “Tidy Town” award. Participating shopkeepers carry out litter patrol duties at the end of each day as they close up their businesses.

In Singapore, public housing residents compete annually to maintain the cleanest project. The cost of prize monies is more than offset by savings in maintenance, not to mention enhanced civic pride.

Over the next month, I would like to see businesses and residents throughout our city, and especially the Downtown Eastside, embark on a community “Spring Cleaning.” To maintain neighbourhood cleanliness over the longer term, we might set up an Adopt a Block program, similar to Seattle and other American cities.

As the “broken windows theory” has demonstrated, maintaining the physical environment helps to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes from happening. A good spring cleaning throughout our city might be a good way to get started.

- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/vancouver-needs-a-good-spring-cleaning-1.1931039#sthash.OSwYp583.dpuf