tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40882264220728667882024-03-19T03:06:42.387-07:00Michael Geller's Blogmichael gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988502321448301128noreply@blogger.comBlogger1282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-30541951110417931472024-03-09T12:20:00.000-08:002024-03-09T12:30:03.193-08:00March 9. A memorable date - Narod goes into receivership<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmKoOoqDi_lmCdXRVvAoCipJ1jWEIHZsvmYjxgPk-hAuUcJEJdscKE0CCtS6YfK_gq9qvpQUOW-EQYM6-1EqHXjYngOtdKRwAn36zu6bKHOgJCxlMHr0_sxKTlcVTF5BGFLBosBBQCmA5YAoCPx9N6K2zFGKYWLsKlA9XB9qFVZ0lDghwuS0lVNnIzI8/s1277/20240309_114624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmKoOoqDi_lmCdXRVvAoCipJ1jWEIHZsvmYjxgPk-hAuUcJEJdscKE0CCtS6YfK_gq9qvpQUOW-EQYM6-1EqHXjYngOtdKRwAn36zu6bKHOgJCxlMHr0_sxKTlcVTF5BGFLBosBBQCmA5YAoCPx9N6K2zFGKYWLsKlA9XB9qFVZ0lDghwuS0lVNnIzI8/s320/20240309_114624.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">In March 1981, I left CMHC after working ten years in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Toronto and joined Narod Developments. Before taking the position, I had been talking to a headhunter conducting a search for a Vice President-Development at</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">BC Place </span><span style="text-align: left;">to work under Alvin Narod. (Alvin had sold Narod to David Mooney in 1978 and retired before becoming BC Place Board Chair.) </span></div></div><p></p><p>David Podmore got that job and started work on the 21st floor of Scotia Tower at 650 West Georgia. I started work in Narod's offices on the 22nd floor of the same building, directly above Dave. We have stayed friends ever since.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtWlK4mepm9FGwF1g8AZ5-7M0kbZfU8Q8ZUFM1_EXCmtpoYM9wMiIOqqUW_lZgyL5FI3emiqCSkcEEA2mR1P3nETY9cDMI4LpPLPgcrJzDhDcQfnJMN1TT8cqJK7LT6h53VugrIcS8zKqO0yXWiUFBr7Co-CKCFYc7jiuNDiQ0EGj0dTVtPuSI9luuik/s1675/20240309_094152.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1675" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtWlK4mepm9FGwF1g8AZ5-7M0kbZfU8Q8ZUFM1_EXCmtpoYM9wMiIOqqUW_lZgyL5FI3emiqCSkcEEA2mR1P3nETY9cDMI4LpPLPgcrJzDhDcQfnJMN1TT8cqJK7LT6h53VugrIcS8zKqO0yXWiUFBr7Co-CKCFYc7jiuNDiQ0EGj0dTVtPuSI9luuik/w378-h240/20240309_094152.jpg" width="378" /></a>At Narod, my primary responsibility was managing the planning, approvals and future redevelopment of a master-planned community on lands owned by BC Packers along the Steveston Waterfront. The lands extended from Number Two Road westward. I hired my former classmate Norm Hotson, who had designed Granville Island and together we prepared a plan for 1700 homes, a school, restored heritage buildings and new public access to the waterfront, while maintaining some fishing related activities. </p><p>At the time, Narod, along with Daon Developments, was one of the major development companies in Vancouver. We built MURBs at Arbutus Village, Fairview Slopes, and South Shore False Creek. We also developed several office buildings including Fairview Point and The Atrium at 808 West Hastings to which we relocated our head office on the top two floors. We had an operation in Seattle for which I was responsible, and Portland. I was also looking after a proposed head office for Price Waterhouse.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWiRlxHiAXC0122kZumZlZYxguwwhA43nhafu7K51nG5UtkjdgvYpxe_ujYBBnFo3_ttueNM8ZmA7t-fEN3D1EMC5I4JLVak8S1E_5Fvs7hB0FrQrT7CcJbX7uukw2_n_XWtkdBrFs8-ecMLPGv5z_JB8eAuiSqxAHVmd9W3eoisfgwZbNIsgxDcoows/s1421/20240309_114419.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1421" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWiRlxHiAXC0122kZumZlZYxguwwhA43nhafu7K51nG5UtkjdgvYpxe_ujYBBnFo3_ttueNM8ZmA7t-fEN3D1EMC5I4JLVak8S1E_5Fvs7hB0FrQrT7CcJbX7uukw2_n_XWtkdBrFs8-ecMLPGv5z_JB8eAuiSqxAHVmd9W3eoisfgwZbNIsgxDcoows/w400-h279/20240309_114419.jpg" width="400" /></a>While I often drove down to Seattle early in the morning and returned in the evening, occasionally I stayed with Sally and a very young Claire in the company apartment in Kirkland overlooking Lake Washington. It was always stocked with expensive champagne and fine wines.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTe4JYD6_O4E6wu8P3Uo-ICcHdkm6nrBKThwaXDcylTpn3vzj4W-5Smay_-UCPUIAKQhlV4tKyY9Ue1lHRVK9i1blbPcQbta8bZLz-i_74w3AqNNySRM1bERDsgpAAu-2ogUZ1v2WvYg8K2iWoKKxMgWj8Uh0YC92GmbV-zVXkMQQa9N0cwn1goTar4pM/s1312/20240309_114500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="979" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTe4JYD6_O4E6wu8P3Uo-ICcHdkm6nrBKThwaXDcylTpn3vzj4W-5Smay_-UCPUIAKQhlV4tKyY9Ue1lHRVK9i1blbPcQbta8bZLz-i_74w3AqNNySRM1bERDsgpAAu-2ogUZ1v2WvYg8K2iWoKKxMgWj8Uh0YC92GmbV-zVXkMQQa9N0cwn1goTar4pM/w238-h319/20240309_114500.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narod staff set up the volleyball net at a management meeting</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQMtPNQjKnnk2Ay5Hlrjl8I1AsgsGKU11I2rlVox2JxjJ6u8OTf09gpNVdJI4da4zzdFhDJ20EWTfn_VzecFPm3endZ3fYo1ov6lUpZF5F0n4FnXkhpgCl87Rc6KYQjuJgitnwkTeK_oceAbKSzb98dcNAzZd0pqQrD13ogMwkvlTn3cb80dYq2J82FM/s1571/20240309_114430.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1571" data-original-width="882" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQMtPNQjKnnk2Ay5Hlrjl8I1AsgsGKU11I2rlVox2JxjJ6u8OTf09gpNVdJI4da4zzdFhDJ20EWTfn_VzecFPm3endZ3fYo1ov6lUpZF5F0n4FnXkhpgCl87Rc6KYQjuJgitnwkTeK_oceAbKSzb98dcNAzZd0pqQrD13ogMwkvlTn3cb80dYq2J82FM/s320/20240309_114430.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coralie Waddell, the president's wife at a management session</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGQ_kWM7QE_PuEzAljSNiCb1vS4ttlPRAafL1YS1xFzty0NayjMm3EY90oBbMTGVFyhguF-skZfEaBCNumQNAzDyXav7JGlynJL0hqABZ2iUQH78tW3tEBxaoRT44tQbpe6l9DljiCvubyPTregjDeijXBUDV1n9iFUoupUTeKhZ-5plTKJy9sde_qig/s1318/20240309_114353.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="1318" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGQ_kWM7QE_PuEzAljSNiCb1vS4ttlPRAafL1YS1xFzty0NayjMm3EY90oBbMTGVFyhguF-skZfEaBCNumQNAzDyXav7JGlynJL0hqABZ2iUQH78tW3tEBxaoRT44tQbpe6l9DljiCvubyPTregjDeijXBUDV1n9iFUoupUTeKhZ-5plTKJy9sde_qig/s320/20240309_114353.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Horwood, Craig Waddell, and David Mooney discuss why the company refuses to undertake industrial developments. They're too boring.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JbxuGjJYSAyxSzAiLue6xZ5ZWoxfqXs2_WLuUAfnBtzLx1514GDI6bKvd-OqY4FoIJC4J5KLDIhwNZ4H7ZjPeTDZU6P8COq83UUVfizdckTuijb3NMBHreTwPK-xnWN8xgNnmipO3l_2amYWKUpfKd9Ox53o1LoUFHcVqEAlVdv2Pu7HCpZuRBHhAG4/s1308/20240309_114411.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1308" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JbxuGjJYSAyxSzAiLue6xZ5ZWoxfqXs2_WLuUAfnBtzLx1514GDI6bKvd-OqY4FoIJC4J5KLDIhwNZ4H7ZjPeTDZU6P8COq83UUVfizdckTuijb3NMBHreTwPK-xnWN8xgNnmipO3l_2amYWKUpfKd9Ox53o1LoUFHcVqEAlVdv2Pu7HCpZuRBHhAG4/s320/20240309_114411.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The marketing division's Mel Grebinsky and Michael Tham, joined by Ruth Tham and Holly Horwood</td></tr></tbody></table>On the way home we would stop off at the Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive, which along with the Four Seasons was regarded as a company dining room. There were extravagant company golf tournaments, management sessions on the beach, and Christmas parties at David's West Vancouver waterfront home and the Four Seasons Hotel, our home away from home.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpnSwEOmLyuN0hd1w_-DsRfF7edpE-A-JogskcFKnDlSEJYOLQtXR2lYaDiSzZCw_ZEGXF4gX8Zg-CIXHBVJYWk-xA_cXH8BQRf5R_qyCXZyGwUmoP5YuK7ldou-ro2TVejuoCkB19tBjti3lg3fyjOkirgxe135B3GZBG5eq9dqL0xTCJG7p8Lx-l8E/s1066/20240309_094056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="1066" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpnSwEOmLyuN0hd1w_-DsRfF7edpE-A-JogskcFKnDlSEJYOLQtXR2lYaDiSzZCw_ZEGXF4gX8Zg-CIXHBVJYWk-xA_cXH8BQRf5R_qyCXZyGwUmoP5YuK7ldou-ro2TVejuoCkB19tBjti3lg3fyjOkirgxe135B3GZBG5eq9dqL0xTCJG7p8Lx-l8E/w378-h363/20240309_094056.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Queen's Royal Yacht Britannia arrives in Vancouver on March 9, 1983</td></tr></tbody></table>Unfortunately, this all came to an end on <b>March 9th, 1983, </b>the day Queen Elizabeth arrived in Vancouver to formally open BC Place Stadium.<p>While she was in the stadium, and David was golfing with president Craig Waddell in Maui, some receivers came into Narod's new offices at 808 West Hastings and put us into receivership. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oOzIMI6kHq0jZPsOPKCSdqepGYGt1U4p4LDb1fVxa2V8012fLI2wxZ0akfJsGEepHuc-YTXzNmKPaPvUFacWm8xDTkXMj5EJ-SiNPKGBNqmFr0_a6gGpOD0McMzBj6OiwAhS7WUPRgYnIQmA1C8qSo9c2JacmfkJrC9oq9MDSi0Pl08UqjMNSjRUgLo/s2199/20240309_094042.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="2199" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oOzIMI6kHq0jZPsOPKCSdqepGYGt1U4p4LDb1fVxa2V8012fLI2wxZ0akfJsGEepHuc-YTXzNmKPaPvUFacWm8xDTkXMj5EJ-SiNPKGBNqmFr0_a6gGpOD0McMzBj6OiwAhS7WUPRgYnIQmA1C8qSo9c2JacmfkJrC9oq9MDSi0Pl08UqjMNSjRUgLo/w433-h95/20240309_094042.jpg" width="433" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">$100 million is about $300 million today. While it may not seem like much, it was a lot of money at the time.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeYTSZ5O2G25qqTaGTM7WfywbmCrmOwah8bimIT0UNwu9ie3qZSYHVOiaVH8YROdFDEYlLoUOOb5XGwwIidTCQu5uwA4O3Z8OMhtlUoChlaAo1OiugUqDAWxf277tmGn6WLxM3ZFLjQrvHHVP3qBYImQQRnKfd7mPdts1VcJCn9thcObSUvVEDxck_MU/s1552/20240309_094106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1552" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeYTSZ5O2G25qqTaGTM7WfywbmCrmOwah8bimIT0UNwu9ie3qZSYHVOiaVH8YROdFDEYlLoUOOb5XGwwIidTCQu5uwA4O3Z8OMhtlUoChlaAo1OiugUqDAWxf277tmGn6WLxM3ZFLjQrvHHVP3qBYImQQRnKfd7mPdts1VcJCn9thcObSUvVEDxck_MU/w408-h222/20240309_094106.jpg" width="408" /></a>I have jokingly blamed Kelly Heed at Colliers for our receivership since we went under, as he put it, about three minutes after we closed on the $22-million Wright Engineering property he had sold us on Pender Street. In fact the 22% plus interest rates might have also had something to do with it.</p><p>Last year was the 40th anniversary of Narod's receivership. I had planned to organize a reunion, but something came up. So this year, I decided to try again and thanks to a good suggestion from former VP-Marketing Roger Moors, yesterday eight of us joined David Mooney in the clubhouse at the Point Grey Golf Club. It seemed only appropriate since golf was such an important part of Narod's corporate culture. Our management meetings often took place at Salishan, La Costa, Pebble Beach and Sudden Valley, and before joining the company, I had to commit to taking up the game!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVPH8PbQyxhkXBzx1fF2QTzrEuvyq17ZZETI_4YmDaTG3CEQAmoagEf_FpcrX6ae5ssLpcP556AesSAsKg9vfRe4bdvV-VeEsj_MXi_ALdEO8BL1erPKdSghcoevyPVe8J3jkyCNk2maUw6EXzibQakpVqgJVz8h64VQgn26aLijksD0UHWwS2j2HP6E/s4032/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVPH8PbQyxhkXBzx1fF2QTzrEuvyq17ZZETI_4YmDaTG3CEQAmoagEf_FpcrX6ae5ssLpcP556AesSAsKg9vfRe4bdvV-VeEsj_MXi_ALdEO8BL1erPKdSghcoevyPVe8J3jkyCNk2maUw6EXzibQakpVqgJVz8h64VQgn26aLijksD0UHWwS2j2HP6E/w367-h276/unnamed.jpg" width="367" /></a></div>In attendance, along with David, Roger, (Roger's wife Sandy who belly-danced at many Narod functions) were Vera Hromada, David's long time executive assistant, Peter Horwood, who managed the Portland Office, Michael Tham, part of the marketing team, Gordon Chow, financial officer, Michael Sung from our construction division, Lee Barter, who did a bit of everything, and me. <p></p><p>Sadly, some former colleagues were missing since they are no longer alive. They included George Millward, John Brown, Heinz Stuhlmuller, Mel Grebinsky, and Peter Rezonsoff (who along with Tony McGill co-founded ITC Construction). Former President Craig Waddell now living in Scottsdale was unable to attend. Sadly, we were unable to track down many others who we would have liked to have been there.</p><p>It is no coincidence that everyone in attendance went on to have a successful career after Narod's demise. David built projects in the States and Vancouver. Roger, often considered the best joke teller in Vancouver's development community, enjoyed success at United Properties, UBC Theological Precinct and Ledingham McAllister amongst other places. Craig became a successful developer in Arizona. Vera enjoyed careers at Four Seasons and Fairmont Hotels. Peter Horwood left real estate to manage Bridges Restaurant. Michael Sung built pulp mills around the world, Lee Barter did well enough to spend most of his time playing golf at Capilano. Michael Tham has enjoyed considerable success in real estate marketing and development, and kept alive the Narod tradition of enjoying fine wines. We know this since he brought along a very special vintage champagne to the reunion.</p><p>One Friday afternoon in 1981 while I was working at Narod, David came into my office to congratulate me. Why? I asked. You've just been elected to the Board of Directors of the Urban Development Institute. How did that happen? I asked. "I just paid them all the outstanding fees we owed."</p><p>Through UDI I met Phil Boname, Joe Hossein, John Evans, Lyall Armstong, Ted McLean, Olga Ilich, Jon Wener, and many others. Eventually, I became president of UDI Pacific, and much to the surprise, and disappointment of many, UDI Canada. These were experiences that changed my life, just like my two short, but wonderful years at Narod. That's why I was so pleased to arrange yesterday's reunion for some former colleagues and David Mooney, who gave each of us one hell of an education. All being well, we'll meet up again on March 9, 2028 for the 45th Anniversary of Narod's receivership.</p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-91898714798268247712024-03-09T08:42:00.000-08:002024-03-09T13:15:40.954-08:00Letter to Vancouver is Awesome re: need for changes to the Broadway Plan March 8, 2024.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsILmjqNVebSshdGJqquRaDKCd4CtFrPfu8uU75noCu48mhRpktvvXntg6ayt00cItPyWu6qEU6EuDwdBca2HSc49-E8kulzyl7-6hPx7dHsNV2eib5Lfrl8M8WU7WAIZPAOd_V8Gn7JHhjifxa3WDoEQPIszuHm-GfU4JkIrRHRtrDSla6oZfBQ8lUI0/s729/Picture1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="624" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsILmjqNVebSshdGJqquRaDKCd4CtFrPfu8uU75noCu48mhRpktvvXntg6ayt00cItPyWu6qEU6EuDwdBca2HSc49-E8kulzyl7-6hPx7dHsNV2eib5Lfrl8M8WU7WAIZPAOd_V8Gn7JHhjifxa3WDoEQPIszuHm-GfU4JkIrRHRtrDSla6oZfBQ8lUI0/w358-h417/Picture1.png" width="358" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16.1px; text-align: left;">Behin</span><span face="Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16.1px; text-align: left;">d every story there's a story. </span><span face="Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16.1px; text-align: left;">A few weeks ago, several people living around West 14th Avenue near Yew Street wrote to me to ask if I had seen what they considered to be an atrocious new 18-storey apartment building proposal in the middle of their block, surrounded by 2 and 3 storey duplexes. I took a look at the plans and agreed. </span></span></div><p><img alt="A high rise building with trees and a street in the background
Description automatically generated" height="448" id="" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/BHo3DwwsHbp8G20SDkWA-IeremLg1iOzKGevizz8NCu_2u5vhZ-FMw7YUNorXVeLWAPQD3GlSMcqI2rzlc9ekoueAnhxw82D07mbmIihodaw970almKI5lrRTlqsFs0_TR3o8cwt3fpKQ3D1NUn_cU2EQY20PuQr=w549-h448" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="549" /></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16.1px;">As a retired architect I should not really criticize another architect or his work. But in this case I had to agree that not only was the building form wrong as a result of a flaw in the City's Broadway Plan, but the design was totally inappropriate. Moreover, the drawing was misleading. The adjacent properties were not stubby blocks as drawn, but lovely duplex homes (see below). </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6uRG7vH5Mho48fTnKxibu-99SJNjaV1L__IMnIeD4OK8IenjWrZXfi_Q18httM1eY4Dab6A2edW6kdj7tzJpTyV34rfjxQrqedATjHrMmug3n7tr1kNOBv0_joR89GPXWDMJkph0awr4y1AT1j5biEjHAOvwwnbdgdJTiBKcTpe8WB2FgoENlRMWqWw/s2547/homes%20across%20the%20street.jpg" style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="2547" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6uRG7vH5Mho48fTnKxibu-99SJNjaV1L__IMnIeD4OK8IenjWrZXfi_Q18httM1eY4Dab6A2edW6kdj7tzJpTyV34rfjxQrqedATjHrMmug3n7tr1kNOBv0_joR89GPXWDMJkph0awr4y1AT1j5biEjHAOvwwnbdgdJTiBKcTpe8WB2FgoENlRMWqWw/w459-h199/homes%20across%20the%20street.jpg" width="459" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5s1Y0sInxW1-L9He6QJ690NfEM2qVNE8849sXqfPnmou3KYkYPCatD6a5LGtMnluSKGfTuY_V5t5sJDH8rtEPmszCnngz5F-5-JZ6j7h-v5C18WhNezsDjX5aeQ6bdnzhfITeOTr1Kgs6VHPcCIL8APMeuB-4yvJo5wm6bqm1Db4OYS4_rYQIjTlP2Q/s2407/homes%20next%20to%20proposed%20W14th%20development.jpg" style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="2407" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5s1Y0sInxW1-L9He6QJ690NfEM2qVNE8849sXqfPnmou3KYkYPCatD6a5LGtMnluSKGfTuY_V5t5sJDH8rtEPmszCnngz5F-5-JZ6j7h-v5C18WhNezsDjX5aeQ6bdnzhfITeOTr1Kgs6VHPcCIL8APMeuB-4yvJo5wm6bqm1Db4OYS4_rYQIjTlP2Q/w458-h225/homes%20next%20to%20proposed%20W14th%20development.jpg" width="458" /></a></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16.1px;">Furthermore, this building would not cast gentle shadows as shown in the drawing, since in Vancouver the sun is in the south, not the north. In reality, the shadows would be much more significant, as illustrated in one of the many shadow drawings included in the architect's submission (below).</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewjy-bV9swJJkF5MJC7t47Ay0fvMWxgmnZMAW4BGzalp4kw0E4uY4C8CgBNYxF07Cd8_0Np8tRtZhELwkrNk9im2WxHr-E0PiKxh_x10CS9H73SeEUYinfSaCRgG5ljqN6ot_jpDjk7alBYdJBOqkUDn__2HkmFLB4gb-Y-deKvCJwAFQpAmmv64cZ7g/s468/11.png" style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="468" height="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewjy-bV9swJJkF5MJC7t47Ay0fvMWxgmnZMAW4BGzalp4kw0E4uY4C8CgBNYxF07Cd8_0Np8tRtZhELwkrNk9im2WxHr-E0PiKxh_x10CS9H73SeEUYinfSaCRgG5ljqN6ot_jpDjk7alBYdJBOqkUDn__2HkmFLB4gb-Y-deKvCJwAFQpAmmv64cZ7g/w460-h443/11.png" width="460" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.1px;">When the Broadway Plan first came out I had many serious reservations that </span></span>I shared in a blogpost that was subsequently reprinted
in the Georgia Straight. <a href="https://www.straight.com/news/michael-geller-some-personal-musings-on-broadway-plan">https://www.straight.com/news/michael-geller-some-personal-musings-on-broadway-plan</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I did not oppose the Broadway Plan two years ago as ardently
as I should have since I had previously been lambasted for speaking out against
a rental housing proposal at Broadway and Birch. At 28 storeys and a 10.52 FSR,
I thought it was out of scale with the surrounding neighbourhood.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many questioned why anyone should listen to someone as
affluent and old as me, with such old-fashioned ideas about planning. Younger
people suggested it was time for them to make planning decisions for the
Broadway Corridor. After all, I would be dead while this plan was being
implemented. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, today, the first Broadway Plan proposals are coming forward
and fortunately I am still here. I have therefore decided to share my concerns in a Letter to the Editor of <i>Vancouver is Awesome</i>, published by Glacier Media. Below is the letter which, as expected, is generating much criticism on Twitter. However, I do hope that all city councillors will take a careful look at what I have written, and reconsider this flawed aspect of the Broadway Plan. As we are starting to see, there are literally dozens of new highrise rental apartment buildings being proposed, and many areas, including portions of the light industrial lands, where they should be proposed. They just shouldn't be happening, at least at this time, along West 14th near Yew, and along other low scale, low density residential streets. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span face="Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16.1px;">Dear Editor</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">On June 22, 2022, Vancouver city council approved the Broadway Plan. According to a press release at the time “the plan is intended to guide growth and positive change in the neighbourhoods surrounding the Broadway Subway over the next 30 years.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">As an architect, planner, real estate consultant, and property developer, I have spent my career seeking zoning approvals for higher density forms of housing. However, at the time, I had serious reservations about proposals contained within the 500-page planning document. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">They included the unfavourable impacts of high density, highrise buildings on established low-density neighbourhoods four to six blocks away from Broadway. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">The two- and three-storey homes in these neighbourhoods have a Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of 0.6. This is the ratio of the size of the building to the size of the lot. However, the plan proposed buildings at a 5.5 FSR, a tenfold density increase, with heights up to 18 storeys. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">A few former Vancouver city planners expressed concerns about these proposals. However, they were criticized by economists and others for worrying about the protection of neighbourhood character when we should be addressing the housing crisis.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Theresa O'Donnell, the city’s chief planner at the time, agreed. She repeatedly told the public and politicians that while these densities were high, they were necessary to achieve the desired level of housing affordability. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">While some neighbourhood groups also criticized the plan for its negative effects on established residential neighbourhoods, most of the public attention was on the plan’s impacts on low-income tenants in older rental buildings. At the 11th hour, Vancouver city council imposed additional rental protection policies.</p><div class="widget widget-wysiwyg theme-blue widget-inject widget-inject-centre widget-injected" data-id="836315" data-min="" data-per="30" data-widget="6" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;"><div class="section-items section-wysiwyg clearfix" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div id="outstream" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px;"></div></div></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Unfortunately, the underlying rationale for such excessive densities was flawed. After five decades trying to create affordable housing in the public and private sectors, I have learned that while it is difficult to create affordable housing without density, higher densities do not always equate to affordable housing. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Notwithstanding their tenfold increase in density, these highrise buildings would not deliver the level of housing affordability we are all seeking.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Below is a proposed building at 2156 - 2172 West 14th Avenue — a lovely leafy street lined with attractive duplexes. Two similar buildings are proposed on Carolina Street and Manitoba Street.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09KNPx1K2q-0UpTj14ZCwaDDscFX9Yj42OqvicJKDe8zVdXXlfU4vaKImRqIrEFD61kn_utzwhUnPPtbnbQBHjIWFS-AAc8CynqwXTPFrnJu2Swxqm6i1dutftKGRNcW0kQQiqTZ5FVLhdm0APj-8hiIZUZbtvZhOuhNioHw2ZXch62W5y3rNheFtLMo/s2057/2166%20w14th%20application-booklet.jpg" style="font-size: 16.1px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1646" data-original-width="2057" height="439" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09KNPx1K2q-0UpTj14ZCwaDDscFX9Yj42OqvicJKDe8zVdXXlfU4vaKImRqIrEFD61kn_utzwhUnPPtbnbQBHjIWFS-AAc8CynqwXTPFrnJu2Swxqm6i1dutftKGRNcW0kQQiqTZ5FVLhdm0APj-8hiIZUZbtvZhOuhNioHw2ZXch62W5y3rNheFtLMo/w550-h439/2166%20w14th%20application-booklet.jpg" width="550" /></a></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">As Mayor Ken Sim is fond of saying, Vancouver does not have a shadowing crisis, we have an affordability crisis. However, if this building is approved, it will create a lot of shaddowing, but not much affordable housing.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">To obtain bank financing, 80% of the apartments will need to rent for $5 per square foot or more. One-bedroom rents will start at over $3000 and two- and three-bedroom suites will be $4,000 and $5000, and more. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">So why would this type of building even be considered? A few economists argue that given our housing crisis, creating supply is more important than protection of neighbourhood character. I disagree. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Rather than build highrises along leafy residential streets lined with duplexes, we should locate taller, high-density buildings along Broadway and other major arterial roads, in areas away from established low-density neighbourhoods. The recent provincial Transit Oriented Area (TOA) policy identifies many areas where higher density housing can and should be accommodated. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Neighbourhood character is important. Unfortunately, although the city prepared a comprehensive multiplex zoning policy for single-family properties, it has yet to prepare a policy for duplex areas. Now is the time. The allowable density should be greater than 1.0 FSR which is currently allowed on single-family zoned lots; but significantly less than the 5.5 FSR proposed by this building. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Finally, there is another significant opportunity the city planners should explore.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">When you fly over Vancouver you see a lot of green and blue. But there is also a lot of grey. The grey includes streets, rooftops, and large swaths of industrial zoned land.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Historically, zoning bylaws prohibited residential uses near noxious industrial activities for health reasons. However, today’s industry is not your grandfather’s industry. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Today, industrial zoned lands in Mt. Pleasant and False Creek Flats are developed with high-tech offices, warehousing, and <a href="https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/courier-archive/opinion/would-you-like-an-apartment-with-that-beer-3040385" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1d9deb;" target="_blank">craft breweries</a>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">Although industrial land is in short supply, many properties are so close to transit and other amenities they should be used for housing, mixed with industrial uses.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">In the past, city planners feared allowing residential uses in industrial zones would increase land value so that industrial use would no longer be viable. However, as long residential development is in addition to industrial development, not replacing it, does it really matter if land values rise because housing can be built above a high-tech office or mini-storage warehouse? </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">The Broadway Plan will offer many positive benefits. However, some aspects are flawed, especially allowing 5.5 FSR 18-storey towers immediately adjacent to and across from two-storey duplexes along leafy streets blocks away from Broadway. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">City council should therefore reject this 5.5 FSR 18-storey building and similar proposals on the east side of the city and impose a moratorium on other high-density, highrise buildings on low-density residential streets until a) staff have studied the opportunities afforded by the new provincial Transit Oriented Area policy; b) prepared a comprehensive densification policy for the RT-duplex zoned lands; and c) explored opportunities to mix housing and light industrial uses in Mt. Pleasant and other nearby industrial zoned lands.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;">As noted in the city’s 2022 press release, the Broadway Plan will guide growth and neighbourhood change surrounding the Broadway Subway over the next 30 years. Council should now ask city planners to make changes to ensure these neighbourhood changes are positive. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Michael Geller is principal at The Geller Group and an adjunct professor at SFU's Centre for Sustainable Development, School of Resource and Environmental Management.</em></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-60917530376387787672024-03-09T08:05:00.000-08:002024-03-09T09:06:08.653-08:00Vancouver high rises home to few children - Kerry Gold - Globe and Mail March 8, 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNZzePXv2nq3fs1E7QZpP2kwmhTeK8GZl1LwAeDm4uuOmugbrI2gLpq_EVUFULphoUJzk1h0ZSZr7e9kXOFBKhdcuqYJcL8FviTKr0e9yYy2OfXTeQvLt61JJxdOuBx_5OJBZwTJSNeD9QSn5AD2SD9bprm4daOQN5R2EYxYtRtMdESCz9aycORoMsuc/s779/Picture5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="624" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNZzePXv2nq3fs1E7QZpP2kwmhTeK8GZl1LwAeDm4uuOmugbrI2gLpq_EVUFULphoUJzk1h0ZSZr7e9kXOFBKhdcuqYJcL8FviTKr0e9yYy2OfXTeQvLt61JJxdOuBx_5OJBZwTJSNeD9QSn5AD2SD9bprm4daOQN5R2EYxYtRtMdESCz9aycORoMsuc/w339-h424/Picture5.png" width="339" /></a></div><br />Last week I had a call from Globe and Mail journalist Kerry Gold who asked whether I had any thoughts on the appropriateness of highrise apartments for families with children. Did I ever! For years I have been thinking about this since my days at CMHC when we generally designed highrises for seniors but tried to accommodate families with children in townhouses, or low and midrise apartments generally not highter than the sixth or seventh floor. That is because social planners reminded us that parents wanted to be able to see their children playing outside and call out to them when necessary.<p></p><p>At CMHC, I also learned about the importance of building and suite designs for families with younger children. Exterior corridors were often preferable to long, interior corridors where children would run up and down and disturb other residents. In addition to outdoor play areas that had to be located where the kids were visible to the maximum number of homes, there should be interior play areas as well, if at all possible. We also needed to think about places to store strollers, prams, etc.</p><p>The suite design also needed modifications. While many people might be happy eating on a stool around an island, younger children really benefitted from an eating area in the kitchen with table and chairs. This was particularly true in the days when carpeting was the most common flooring in the dining and living area. For more information about designing apartments for kids, I suggested that Kerry check out a 1992 City of Vancouver publication 'Housing families at higher densities' which we used when designing Bayshore. </p><p><a href="https://beasleyassociates.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/cityofvancouver.housingfamiliesat-highdensity.guidelines.1992.pdf">https://beasleyassociates.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/cityofvancouver.housingfamiliesat-highdensity.guidelines.1992.pdf</a></p><p>Although to be honest, we did not expect many kids to live at Bayshore since there was no nearby school. That's why we designed the play area as a 'sandbox' with a wooden boat replica, to look like a piece of art. You can find it in front of 1717 Bayshore Drive. </p><p>While some say we just need government to mandate a requirement for more two and three bedroom suites, that in itself is not the answer. Why do I say this? Well check out this new 3-bedroom apartment. Can you imagine a family with three kids living there? For that matter, can you imagine any household living there? Just look at the size of the kitchen!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem-w8zFTbRtNYP913OF6wFvYhP_A1H1QU8gNsNt_LdiBnhVsikBPw6HY7ndijYmeMbJyrTndjmCuj1DPX2qRK5L09kY1KeAZ20FrzKywxN_-X0Pb6Ah8YaKh1Nx8VkDOYlJLhEw6XrJknmBae4CWQpYk6F0Zq5v7MVcXvHZZe0eAqn8xiDaecvLEtuNc/s624/Picture3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="624" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem-w8zFTbRtNYP913OF6wFvYhP_A1H1QU8gNsNt_LdiBnhVsikBPw6HY7ndijYmeMbJyrTndjmCuj1DPX2qRK5L09kY1KeAZ20FrzKywxN_-X0Pb6Ah8YaKh1Nx8VkDOYlJLhEw6XrJknmBae4CWQpYk6F0Zq5v7MVcXvHZZe0eAqn8xiDaecvLEtuNc/w486-h268/Picture3.png" width="486" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Yesterday, Kerry's excellent article appeared and generated considerable discussion. I was pleased to do a short follow-up interview with CKNW's Jas Johal who was interested in better understanding some of the comments I made in the article which you will find below. I hope this conversation continues.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">With Metro Vancouver projected to add another one
million people in 17 years, it’s no wonder that the province has unrolled so
much legislation aimed at increasing density, particularly around transit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">If the projection is accurate, four million people
will live in the region, and many of them will have kids. That makes high-rise
living for families an essential part of the housing picture. However, we have
a long way to go, Simon Fraser University City Program director Andy Yan says.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He found that only 15 per cent of Vancouver
children under the age of 14 are living in multifamily buildings that are more
than five storeys, either owned or rented, according to census numbers for
2021. In Burnaby, home to a lot of skyscrapers, only 17 per cent of kids live
in these units. In Surrey, it’s 2 per cent. Region-wide, it’s 8 per cent of
kids. In Toronto, by contrast, 35 per cent of children live in multifamily
buildings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Part of the problem for the Vancouver region,
developer and real estate consultant Michael Geller says, is the drive for
developers to sell enough units to qualify for financing, and in B.C. they
typically only have a year to do so. With that kind of pressure, they cater to
the investor who’s looking for studios and one-bedrooms to rent out, which is
why two- and three-bedroom family units are often an afterthought unless there
is government policy in place requiring a certain percentage of family units.
He recalls recently arguing with a high-profile marketer who was pushing for
small investor apartments in a project that didn’t even need to qualify for
financing. But that is the Vancouver way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Other than government-funded projects and
non-profit projects, it’s very rare that a market developer would develop or
design a market condo or even rental project for families with children,” says
Mr. Geller, who recently spoke on a panel about the reasons family housing
doesn’t get built. “I know that most of the two-bedrooms we provide, we provide
them because it’s an obligation, but rarely do we design those suites thinking
there may be a toddler living in that unit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“One reason is because, if it’s a new building, so
much of the development program is based on what you can presell because if you
can’t presell enough units, you won’t get your financing. And you might ask,
why would the investors buy them? One reason is that the building might not be
finished for four years, and most families are not in a position to buy
something today that won’t be completed for four years.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mr. Geller started his career working for Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corp., and he did a lot of social housing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“In social housing projects, funded by CMHC, we
were really designing for families with children, or empty nesters, rather than
investors.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As well, developers of dense buildings generally
don’t put a lot of thought into family amenities, he adds. Play areas for
children are kept off to the side and out of sight if they exist at all. Eating
areas often involve sitting on stools at a kitchen counter, and there is little
storage area for strollers and toys. “In Vancouver, the development of housing
has always been about form following financing,” Mr. Yan says. “The needs of
children should take precedence over granite countertops and walk-in closets.
And it’s not just about affordability, but also size, design and amenities.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">There are signs, however, that developers are
properly stepping into the family-friendly space, especially rental. Because of
interest rates, the condo market isn’t as financially viable as it has been in
previous years, so many developers are pivoting to rental, which is in demand.
Government policies have helped, including the federal break on GST for rental
construction. He cites census data that show renter households grew by 21.5 per
cent by 2021, compared with owner households, which only grew by 8.4 per cent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniZzEsoEr5DxXCsO-atSTmuJxK29rss4qBsuVbr6uPGWFJp4wxO-sOibAwV4pzpIsBM4bTgTFj8dAqakOH7IXV34vMbFhamWNu9UsgrZr73HWijkDDbpnLbymWNbKtucTXjmHyblmo6t01oM7sebjCJyDVs3zxHkST6wQ0AwAcZM1QqOaEEpqDJ3zBOc/s1238/6.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="1238" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniZzEsoEr5DxXCsO-atSTmuJxK29rss4qBsuVbr6uPGWFJp4wxO-sOibAwV4pzpIsBM4bTgTFj8dAqakOH7IXV34vMbFhamWNu9UsgrZr73HWijkDDbpnLbymWNbKtucTXjmHyblmo6t01oM7sebjCJyDVs3zxHkST6wQ0AwAcZM1QqOaEEpqDJ3zBOc/w496-h394/6.jpg" width="496" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Developer Brent Sawchyn of PC Urban Properties says the project will include B.C.’s first 24-hour daycare.<span style="text-transform: uppercase;">PC URBAN PROPERTIES</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Developer Brent Sawchyn is proposing B.C.’s first
24-hour daycare for his site at West 13th Avenue and Willow Street, across from
Vancouver General Hospital. It will serve hospital staff who work the night
shift, and will be part of a two-tower, 354-unit purpose-built rental
development that will include large indoor and outdoor play areas. The site is
currently duplexes that they assembled and purchased, so it won’t involve
displacement of renters. Mr. Sawchyn says his company is not looking at older rental
buildings in the Broadway Plan area because of the complexity of the city’s
tenant relocation and protection policy and because of “sensitivities” around
displacing existing renters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">His Willow Street project is responding to the
Broadway Plan requirement for a minimum 35 per cent of two or more bedrooms in
market rental housing. The plan requires three-bedroom units “wherever
possible.” In social housing projects suitable to families, the target is
50-per-cent two- and three-bedroom units.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“It’s an example of how the industry is trying to
respond to what the needs will be,” says Mr. Sawchyn, who submitted a rezoning
application for the project, at 816-860 W. 13th Ave. and 2915-2925 Willow St.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“It’s a different paradigm that we are looking at,”
he adds. “I think maybe the luxury of opening the back door and letting your
kid play in a backyard in a set surrounding is not going to be attainable for a
lot of people going forward.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Here in Vancouver the universe of single-family
homes is essentially diminishing,” he says. “In various cohort groups people
have decided to give up on home ownership and have decided to just focus on
rental as a way of housing for their future.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">His company, PC Urban Properties, has about 900
apartment units under construction and another 1,100 proposed for Vancouver.
Their focus is the Lower Mainland, but they also have projects in Victoria and
Kelowna.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The site is currently duplexes that the developer assembled and
purchased, so it won’t involve displacement of renters.<span style="text-transform: uppercase;">PC URBAN PROPERTIES</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“As we go forward, we probably need to be more
cognizant in developing more of these projects to accommodate families.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But there are challenges, including policies that
he says overcomplicate the delivery of housing. He cites the example of his
Kerrisdale site where they benefited from the federal government’s removal of
GST on rental housing, which saved almost $10-million. But the Metro Vancouver
and city fees amounted to $12-million. It takes about 15 or more months to get
to a public hearing and another year to get the development permit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“The costs that go into a rental project,
unfortunately, find their way to what a tenant has to pay in rent, and the
larger the apartment home, unfortunately, the more the rent is going to be.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Downtown rentals are at around $6 per square foot
in the new projects, or $3,000 for a 500-square-foot apartment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Like many, he says a big part of the problem is
that the federal government stopped building subsidized housing for families
decades ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“The federal government abdicated their
responsibility. Now the older stock by default has become our affordable supply
because we haven’t built housing since the 1980s.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Affordability is a continuing problem, but in the
meantime, developers can step up amenities to attract families. Concert
Properties just launched a lending library at its East Vancouver 28-acre
Collingwood Village development, where residents can now borrow kitchen
appliances, tools and sports gear as part of a partnership with a lending
library company called the Thingery. The five-building complex has 704 rental
units and has focused on family amenities such as play areas and tennis and
basketball courts. The new lending library saves families money and reduces
waste, Grant Knowles, Concert Properties vice-president of property management,
says in an e-mail.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“There is a growing need to build communities and residential areas that
can support families,” Mr. Knowles says.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Postscript: </b>Kerry advises me that she did include the following that unfortunately had to be cut due to space limitations. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mr. Geller suggests that designing for families could include special attention paid to the first five storeys of the building, which are most suitable to families who want to be near ground level, and the play areas. Although it’s seldom a design feature, developers could design buildings with exterior corridors that are sheltered from the weather, areas where kids could play. Municipalities could allow enclosed balconies for extra play space.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He says the province’s recent announcement to possibly relax requirements that every building has two exit stairwells will help reconfigure apartment living into a much more pleasant, spacious, brighter experience—similar to European apartment living. The two-stairwell rule for apartment buildings has meant apartment units are off long dark corridors, whereas a single-stairwell building can have a bright central staircase and an elevator. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That design change could also offer increased exchanges with one’s neighbours, which is key for a lot of families. It’s also easier to build single-stairwell buildings on smaller lots, where floor plate size is restricted.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“It’s much more important for families with children to know your neighbours than it is for 20-something singles living downtown,” he says. “It’s a reality that families with children tend to depend on one another much more. You want your children to play together or encourage them to play together.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-728319440103265292024-03-02T11:43:00.000-08:002024-03-02T12:48:12.434-08:00A Night in the Catskills - Jewish Humour Then and Now - JSA 20th Anniversary Gala - March 17, 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHu82qmJBApuR8wY5QM8SwqpnLPtM_29bQU47WDMJnsMyy6OZhuHAPTn657MYz_EHOBBVvG6cWrpG7RYvs0V4HnxaEnlCXZj_Lckxr0bzY0UaE-Zs55RE_meLRpqxDuMC4gm-fYjIpWg-bQPwWxp-_IOdw8cF1CzFPlL6_086Ch5HyKESE85Hgaxj0zzA/s1156/Catskills-Gala-Keela-March-Schara-Tzedeck-3-small.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="600" height="654" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHu82qmJBApuR8wY5QM8SwqpnLPtM_29bQU47WDMJnsMyy6OZhuHAPTn657MYz_EHOBBVvG6cWrpG7RYvs0V4HnxaEnlCXZj_Lckxr0bzY0UaE-Zs55RE_meLRpqxDuMC4gm-fYjIpWg-bQPwWxp-_IOdw8cF1CzFPlL6_086Ch5HyKESE85Hgaxj0zzA/w339-h654/Catskills-Gala-Keela-March-Schara-Tzedeck-3-small.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The following is an account of a forthcoming Jewish Seniors Alliance (JSA) Event as printed in a recent edition of the Jewish Independent, the community newspaper. I am proud to be one of the organizers and sponsors. It will take place on St. Patricks Day since St. Patrick was probably Jewish. How do I know? Because he liked green. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The room has a capacity of about 200 people and as of today I am told 150 tickets have been sold. So if you are interested in attending, please reserve soon. And of course, you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Jewish humour, and you most certainly don't have to be Jewish to attend this event! </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jWq_5-O8wHUmsMx1825IxqH5sVPSKbexUjGy1GhqTcdb3hyphenhyphenG_oBQ1G7bRfJMvBVlybR3Bl74t_TKhI8Vn_ZUmW4IBD5IhAtDgduMEIt6XCI-wak83IKfU0mhnufYSRxPgwL4y3wdk9V-avpes5DYEXIYPBUNs6Kzu1M9P8bnOZKKio05yBX6iW27xJg/s600/JI-pg-05-feb-23-comedy-pics-only-RGB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="600" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jWq_5-O8wHUmsMx1825IxqH5sVPSKbexUjGy1GhqTcdb3hyphenhyphenG_oBQ1G7bRfJMvBVlybR3Bl74t_TKhI8Vn_ZUmW4IBD5IhAtDgduMEIt6XCI-wak83IKfU0mhnufYSRxPgwL4y3wdk9V-avpes5DYEXIYPBUNs6Kzu1M9P8bnOZKKio05yBX6iW27xJg/s320/JI-pg-05-feb-23-comedy-pics-only-RGB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 2.2rem; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 14.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Kyle
Berger, left, and David Granirer headline the Jewish Seniors Alliance’s A Night
in the Catskills on March 17. (photos from JSA)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 2.2rem; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 14.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kyle Berger, left, and David Granirer headline the
Jewish Seniors Alliance’s A Night in the Catskills on March 17. (photos from
JSA)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver is
celebrating its 20th anniversary with an event that’s all about laughter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A Night in the Catskills: Jewish Humour Then and
Now takes place at Congregation Schara Tzedeck March 17, 6 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Jewish humour has enabled the Jewish world to gain
strength through a history that shows that we should not be in existence today,
but here we are bigger, stronger and better than ever!” said Marilyn Berger, a
past president of JSA, who will make her debut as a stand-up comedian at the
event. “Ask Kyle,” she said, referring to one of her sons. “I have given my
family plenty to laugh about.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is perhaps not a coincidence then that Kyle
Berger preceded his mother on the standup stage, and also produces comedy
shows. He and David Granirer, founder of Stand Up for Mental Health, are
headliners of the 20th anniversary event, which will include a performance by
magician Stephen R. Kaplan, aka the Maestro. The whole megillah will be emceed
by JSA board member Michael Geller, whose involvement in JSA was inspired by
his late father, Sam Geller.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“He derived a great deal of joy from regularly
attending JSA events and this is one of the reasons why the organization is so
special to me,” Geller told the Independent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRROWYKQ2Wr6QY8l04EzoFaPQInbpaDv4dLeVsG5_q1_Yvc47W-yrtG0PC7vASFdYj_yCga5urtuAqATeIGjZlkACu7JipzDdLM5n3YLez5Djan_YaYCABGxBJ8chTY3oO3HWPDnB8TeydiNbiAOQLFnLvqAeCh3f4CAQhO4CjjzfhBOUiPqeOSmRQrc/s311/Picture1.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="249" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRROWYKQ2Wr6QY8l04EzoFaPQInbpaDv4dLeVsG5_q1_Yvc47W-yrtG0PC7vASFdYj_yCga5urtuAqATeIGjZlkACu7JipzDdLM5n3YLez5Djan_YaYCABGxBJ8chTY3oO3HWPDnB8TeydiNbiAOQLFnLvqAeCh3f4CAQhO4CjjzfhBOUiPqeOSmRQrc/w162-h202/Picture1.jpg" width="162" /></a>Michael Geller emcees JSA’s A Night in the
Catskills at Schara Tzedeck. <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">(photo from JSA)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“This comedy night is a follow up to a similar
event organized by JSA 13 years ago,” he explained. “It was initiated by a
phone call from the late Serge Haber, who called to tell me that the province
had just canceled JSA’s gaming grant, but he knew my father would want me to
help replace the funds. I asked how much was the grant. He said it was $18,000.
I told him that was too much for me, but I had an idea.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“I was a fan of the website Old Jews Telling Jokes.
Since JSA served many older Jews, I offered to book a room, buy some deli, and
invite 17 of my friends to join me and each put up $1,000 and we would
entertain one another with our favourite Jewish jokes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Haber – who founded JSA – liked the idea, as did
the board, but they also wanted to join, and couldn’t afford to pay $1,000
each. So, the format was changed to one where people would attend and donate
what they could, said Geller. Held at Congregation Beth Israel, almost 250
showed up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“We presented clips from Old Jews Telling Jokes and
invited people in the audience to share a joke in return for a donation.
Everybody agreed it was a fabulous event,” said Geller. “There was just one
small problem. We didn’t raise very much money.<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“So, this year we are charging $118 dollars to
attend. Some generous members of the community are coming forward and agreeing
to be sponsors. This will allow other seniors in the community who can’t afford
$118 to attend. It has also allowed us to hire Tim Bissett, an experienced
professional event organizer to assist with the program.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stephen R. Kaplan is a special guest performer at
the 20th anniversary celebration. <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">(photo from JSA)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Expressing gratitude to the sponsors on behalf of
JSA, Geller said, “we are hoping other community members will come forward,
especially those who regularly share their favourite Jewish jokes on the golf
course. Sponsors will be invited to participate in the program by telling a
favourite joke or two, or introducing a favourite comedian or routine.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For his part, Geller is preparing for his role as
emcee by watching vintage and contemporary Jewish comedians and selecting
material. “The program will also include some professional comedians who are
volunteering their time, and special appearances by local rabbis who have been
urged to share stories they would never tell in shul,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“I am thrilled to be celebrating our 20th
anniversary and look forward to going from strength to strength as my own
children now, believe it or not, become seniors!” said Berger, who shared her
appreciation for the organization that Haber started.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“As I gracefully age,” she said, “I thank Serge for
enabling me to spend my golden senior years embraced by the love that Seniors
Alliance offers.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 20.2pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“JSA undertakes many programs that benefit so many
Jewish seniors, including the excellent Senior Line magazine,” said Geller.
“While we are supported by many community organizations and foundations, we
need additional funding. I am, therefore, hoping this evening will help promote
the organization’s good work and, this time, actually raise money to allow it
to continue.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>For tickets to A Night in the Catskills or to
become an event sponsor, visit <a href="https://jsalliance.org/" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #333333; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">jsalliance.org</span></a> or
call 604-732-1555.<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">ps. If you're not quite sure whether you like Jewish humour, here's a story about Herschel, the Magnificent Jew. <b> </b></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=428036991767254</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic;"><span style="background: rgb(0, 172, 237); border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Serif"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; padding: 0cm;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></span></span></div>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-84194685583945909162024-02-23T09:35:00.000-08:002024-02-26T09:13:47.415-08:00Co-living: another type of housing needed in Vancouver.<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fEKaoywQBopm3jwbq-fIEuHhm9mWgwK1SP5nmjVKNo8gsZoVI6IyXcX9EVesfDk8bdAxStnOOVmTyaZqdo9o2vVp3oXtXR2-Zm9BmBbZX8Sc-3KC5_7zUs8TZaYu4O2p6Rvl6j4uZ6lco8ZHK8Lur9j_kDbTQiNrNXMGS0t4SlYDb15WCzwcUlO5fUM/s301/Picture4.jpg" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="301" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fEKaoywQBopm3jwbq-fIEuHhm9mWgwK1SP5nmjVKNo8gsZoVI6IyXcX9EVesfDk8bdAxStnOOVmTyaZqdo9o2vVp3oXtXR2-Zm9BmBbZX8Sc-3KC5_7zUs8TZaYu4O2p6Rvl6j4uZ6lco8ZHK8Lur9j_kDbTQiNrNXMGS0t4SlYDb15WCzwcUlO5fUM/w383-h216/Picture4.jpg" width="383" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">According to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/VancouverIsAwesome?__cft__[0]=AZXpCFmWz9mIBF9a3US0T6lHjzu1rRpR-seggeicPmFflun7OFN1VhHcMcv2WtA_mCCeeU2lnZHaE2ZAKvyP-sJlDR3Etqe1h75xWDfiFfdNiKa6hbgFQdlfjrzD7e1kR1jutGx4VHNDEXW-vNfdZt_6Hz-yX65p4vifkZ3QHkgBCd-2fofVQpY5nU-kZwp1lKI&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline;">Vancouver Is Awesome</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> North Vancouver is now the most expensive place in which to rent an unfurnished one-bedroom unit in Canada, with its new-to-market units averaging $2,802 a month in February; it also had the highest prices for two- and three-bedroom units. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="text-align: center;">Nonetheless, most single people live alone often in these expensive studio or one-bedroom apartments. While two unrelated people may share a two-bedroom apartment, rarely do two unrelated people share a one-bedroom apartment. Furthermore, the living room is rarely used at night. Why? Because the standard one-bedroom apartment design is not conducive to sharing. </span></span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am therefore hoping North Vancouver District staff and Council will welcome our proposal for a new 5-storey building in Maplewood Village Centre offering <b>33 co-living suites</b> designed for sharing. As a result of the unique design features, these 33 suites could provide more affordable accommodation for up to <b>88 residents. </b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n5PrIu2r_UBgCyyQLyH5vORw5snHSiogs_NRN8y3zbkMegECiMGzUzlDTU5J8mOCNbEk8KnSOd4xY3rg75IkKecv3XTht__XZuDSw4_7tFoE2ldxPdQUYUF-v5FeZ_u3UJQYgs2wnWE6p57RO9RcbKIY2IHjdZDjBjtq0xHLVqeDn1_Fm0XqYBh8mNw/s464/Picture3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="464" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n5PrIu2r_UBgCyyQLyH5vORw5snHSiogs_NRN8y3zbkMegECiMGzUzlDTU5J8mOCNbEk8KnSOd4xY3rg75IkKecv3XTht__XZuDSw4_7tFoE2ldxPdQUYUF-v5FeZ_u3UJQYgs2wnWE6p57RO9RcbKIY2IHjdZDjBjtq0xHLVqeDn1_Fm0XqYBh8mNw/w382-h167/Picture3.png" width="382" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are not familiar with co-living, it is different from co-housing, or cooperative housing. Instead, it is what many of us experienced when we were at university or starting our first job. It is living with other people and sharing...sometimes a bathroom, but always a kitchen (or two), and living/dining spaces. Sometimes the rooms are furnished or partially furnished and sometimes some services are provided. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coliving often happens in an old house shared by five people, or it can be a large new building conplex like those being developed by <a href="http://common.com">common.com</a> and other similar operators. I personally experienced different forms of co-living which I wrote about five years ago in an article about the need for more innovative forms of housing. <a href="https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/courier-archive/opinion/vancouver-needs-innovative-approach-towards-affordable-rental-housing-3103544">https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/courier-archive/opinion/vancouver-needs-innovative-approach-towards-affordable-rental-housing-3103544</a> Some of these experiences resulted in some innovative designs at UniverCity, the model sustainable community I oversaw at SFU from 1999 to 2006.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I have recently been working with a developer and Integra Architects on a proposal for a residential development on a small site in Maplewood Village Centre in the District of North Vancouver, within walking distance of various shops and services and Phibbs BusExchange. While from the outside it appears like a conventional 5-storey apartment building, the building offers an excellent opportunity to create another form of co-living, with a variety of suite layouts designed for sharing. Our goal is to incorporate some of the best ideas developed at UniverCity and other co-living developments.</div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Below are illustrations of two such suite designs incorporating what CMHC and others sometimes refer to as 'flex housing' features.</div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwfTEvl6ynkxQx1T87lrWSfxNfeoEA7DsIcGFz114g1Ih1KReaaXJzu2M5MxgajO1J1BKl5q_oOAx7DIv8rRgq0YWAVsaGm6oUA2mRXTbVfHseqYVCrbmaznIqPmEO7Hk46GfOSGYqT-ApSRujgRcV2_VYavB2nx1bXrhraf_oAWuCsJ54q8BsdMHROk/s716/Picture5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="716" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwfTEvl6ynkxQx1T87lrWSfxNfeoEA7DsIcGFz114g1Ih1KReaaXJzu2M5MxgajO1J1BKl5q_oOAx7DIv8rRgq0YWAVsaGm6oUA2mRXTbVfHseqYVCrbmaznIqPmEO7Hk46GfOSGYqT-ApSRujgRcV2_VYavB2nx1bXrhraf_oAWuCsJ54q8BsdMHROk/w489-h256/Picture5.png" width="489" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0HpmpBRgdr4An9ZWVMyhNPILwoYM4NR5llaRh9T8uUxLhgKdXxbTX4pfGTjz6w3BJLPwqpq1Sto8cK9w-1yP-8qvBLm9MqgHXpN-hc1MXBU1T8Lc7ce5s8eQYKQQrORjMs7PnXkfR1O7sGwjX5E-5Xxdpdc5n-bAy6eBI9uLR7CICyk2e4wi5YosztE/s594/Picture1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="565" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0HpmpBRgdr4An9ZWVMyhNPILwoYM4NR5llaRh9T8uUxLhgKdXxbTX4pfGTjz6w3BJLPwqpq1Sto8cK9w-1yP-8qvBLm9MqgHXpN-hc1MXBU1T8Lc7ce5s8eQYKQQrORjMs7PnXkfR1O7sGwjX5E-5Xxdpdc5n-bAy6eBI9uLR7CICyk2e4wi5YosztE/w407-h428/Picture1.png" width="407" /></a> </div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In this proposal the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>flexible one-bedroom, two-bedroom and four-bedroom</b> suite designs allow living rooms to become bedrooms at night. How? By simply adding a door to the living room and including a small closet.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2LEV66RIpAYyYsoZreu4CZGzflSuT7RJMT4atznUC2zh3X8CYVXGW9gkycT-_zILHCXLqCkY2Y8QuWbI4BAa4vBZhpY1y7EZ6kZA-W00UP5qM0_5DU2xF1PTnU5yueHht1rVCv6olyfHE4H6wu90EHyh11KWus3O8V30AQxoUrvhyphenhyphenmgI8gWTfg50QDY/s688/Picture2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="688" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2LEV66RIpAYyYsoZreu4CZGzflSuT7RJMT4atznUC2zh3X8CYVXGW9gkycT-_zILHCXLqCkY2Y8QuWbI4BAa4vBZhpY1y7EZ6kZA-W00UP5qM0_5DU2xF1PTnU5yueHht1rVCv6olyfHE4H6wu90EHyh11KWus3O8V30AQxoUrvhyphenhyphenmgI8gWTfg50QDY/w422-h364/Picture2.png" width="422" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The building also includes <b>lock-off suite designs</b>, similar to those pioneered at UniverCity. The lock-off po</span>tion of the suite creates a rental unit and mortgage helper for a first time buyer. However, in this building the lock-off suite also has a<span style="font-family: inherit;"> living room designed to serve as bedroom at night. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As my former colleague Norm Couttie, former president of Adera, who is working with me on this proposal recently said, given the housing affordability crisis, we cannot continue to do things just like we did in the past. We need to try and innovate. Some innovations may not work. But others may well lead to commonplace solutions in the future. I believe our North Van District proposal will work, especially if it can be regarded as a demonstration project. We just need to get the planning staff and Council to let us proceed, sooner rather than later, since the interest meter is ticking! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div></div>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-77107120021261840322024-02-03T06:45:00.000-08:002024-02-03T07:13:24.592-08:00Is it time to bring back market 'equity' Cooperative Housing?<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ2yQNvZAPgdlQVXeOJD34MMASTAWvfaFNvxnMDynFyUdSHeRtfsGOohYqEiKYz-m7ck6lI6-tHWf01eSo0nlqFb1gNLuETTP8aU2pl40ipCovAhs0n1dwBuRzBNBL_gSd3flkquU_w4Aa6PKJ-kOmTAz6YTAbPHLj6RkucAu4SRzmZl49H4mUv4nUlE/s697/Picture1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="571" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ2yQNvZAPgdlQVXeOJD34MMASTAWvfaFNvxnMDynFyUdSHeRtfsGOohYqEiKYz-m7ck6lI6-tHWf01eSo0nlqFb1gNLuETTP8aU2pl40ipCovAhs0n1dwBuRzBNBL_gSd3flkquU_w4Aa6PKJ-kOmTAz6YTAbPHLj6RkucAu4SRzmZl49H4mUv4nUlE/w350-h427/Picture1.png" width="350" /></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Earlier this week, John Mackie wrote an article about a waterfront apartment for sale without a requirement for property transfer tax. Why? Because it had an 'unusual ownership structure'. What was its structure, you ask? It was a cooperative (or coop), not a condominium. You can read John's story here. <span><a href="https://vancouversun.com/business/real-estate/a-waterfront-view-with-a-quirk-no-property-transfer-tax#:~:text=Ocean%20Towers%20isn't%20a,to%20purchasing%20a%20strata%20property.">https://vancouversun.com/business/real-estate/a-waterfront-view-with-a-quirk-no-property-transfer-tax#:~:text=Ocean%20Towers%20isn't%20a,to%20purchasing%20a%20strata%20property.</a></span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IPPJLLV1Lvr-DzTlq5W26oBCcOHquBCXybv4Zz6aNuCPTotNZaBxVVBo6VogRu_j8w_BXxa60eqFFAEq295jx_eVgIeKePvaaCtMXdwWUMFpgPVZP7BqmUL26P0pmRd-sNS4wLpA0tmOLsvUfuH7KZr85GTlwyU3p_2_skXZDorP6qjesuR0AnVD5hI/s600/FalseCreekSouthCoop-600x414.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="600" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IPPJLLV1Lvr-DzTlq5W26oBCcOHquBCXybv4Zz6aNuCPTotNZaBxVVBo6VogRu_j8w_BXxa60eqFFAEq295jx_eVgIeKePvaaCtMXdwWUMFpgPVZP7BqmUL26P0pmRd-sNS4wLpA0tmOLsvUfuH7KZr85GTlwyU3p_2_skXZDorP6qjesuR0AnVD5hI/w418-h289/FalseCreekSouthCoop-600x414.jpg" width="418" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The False Creek Coop is one of the many government subsidized housing cooperatives with which I was involved as Program Manager-Social Housing for CMHC in the 1970s</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Cooperative Housing </span></b><span>Most people don't understand cooperative
housing. They assume it is a form of low-income housing. While most coops around Metro are in fact government subsidized developments occupied by predominantly lower income households, cooperative ownership is simply a form of tenure for a building with multiple housing units accommodating both low or high income households. In New York, coops are often associated with the highest income households. For example, </span><span>The Dakota where John Lennon lived was a cooperative.</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dakota">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dakota</a></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCYSHdVbUqKWOWtRSVLioA8CSZpmvW0N5bcv4uE_Lhny3LtzcuVrUazDf0IB-6gdloE_-0h-nccIh_ODC7zxs4DflrD0JHAJj1QMwz-weymNJUliJoed-OCPLbnf8p10WiTknhqtfgE-9IAUJIs47qN7zg12eMwS56Q2FKSE0qq29EY2x9L-C06eqzVM/s1024/The_Dakota_(48269594271).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCYSHdVbUqKWOWtRSVLioA8CSZpmvW0N5bcv4uE_Lhny3LtzcuVrUazDf0IB-6gdloE_-0h-nccIh_ODC7zxs4DflrD0JHAJj1QMwz-weymNJUliJoed-OCPLbnf8p10WiTknhqtfgE-9IAUJIs47qN7zg12eMwS56Q2FKSE0qq29EY2x9L-C06eqzVM/w444-h426/The_Dakota_(48269594271).jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dakota in New York, one of the most exclusive apartment buildings in America</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>There are numerous differences between a coop and condo. However, the key difference is that</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #040c28;"> in a condominium you have <u>ownership of your individual unit and an undivided share in all the common</u> spaces in the building.</span><span style="color: #202124;"><span> You also have a</span></span></span><span style="color: #343332; letter-spacing: -0.32px;"><span> right to participate in the collective governance of the private and common property.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #040c28;">In a co-op, <u>you own shares in a company</u> that owns the building.</span><span style="color: #202124;"> Consequently, a</span><span style="color: #040c28;">s a co-op owner, you don't own the unit itself</span><span style="color: #202124;">. But your shares are equal to the value of your unit, relative to the value of total building. A good summary can be found here. </span><span style="color: #202124;"><a href="https://www.rvlaw.ca/co-operatives-and-how-they-differ-from-condominiums/">https://www.rvlaw.ca/co-operatives-and-how-they-differ-from-condominiums/</a></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CtSaiiBdvODH1gmAx1t3vnXSFfYNHbME0_mS-JEHgY3rsSDuv37zfWz-RnIWE6NMdZOGttGtntVqYo4pdII0nKezhFbYF-FOynRBcNqW0A-nzSmmPDrIcgWfbKo74htEkzHmEo1DGE1lfm2dy1wkaYrGyv1-0g5QXhsugFEV-hAPKzP6gipGo7dJns0/s1019/Housing%20Affordability-Geller%20Report-Building%20Form%20Design.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="1019" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CtSaiiBdvODH1gmAx1t3vnXSFfYNHbME0_mS-JEHgY3rsSDuv37zfWz-RnIWE6NMdZOGttGtntVqYo4pdII0nKezhFbYF-FOynRBcNqW0A-nzSmmPDrIcgWfbKo74htEkzHmEo1DGE1lfm2dy1wkaYrGyv1-0g5QXhsugFEV-hAPKzP6gipGo7dJns0/w441-h234/Housing%20Affordability-Geller%20Report-Building%20Form%20Design.jpg" width="441" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of an older cooperative built in 1947, that recently made way for a new condominium development.</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>Cooperatives were common in Vancouver before condominium legislation was first introduced during the 1960s. In fact, it was the primary way of 'owning' an apartment, as distinct from renting. The first condominium sale in Canada was in 1967 in Ottawa </span><a href="https://knewresearch.com/a-glimpse-into-history-the-first-condo-ever-sold-in-canada/">https://knewresearch.com/a-glimpse-into-history-the-first-condo-ever-sold-in-canada/</a> While I didn't come to Vancouver until 1974, I'm told that condominium tenure was not popular when first allowed. It took a number of years before it became acceptable. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Since the introduction of condominium tenure in BC I am not aware of any new market equity (that is non-government subsidized) cooperatives being developed in BC. However, as I watch the accumulation of government taxes and changing rules and regulations affecting condominiums, I think it might make sense, in limited instances, to bring back this form of tenure as an alternative to a condominium.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For one thing, and this may upset some of you, cooperative boards unlike strata councils, can decide who gets to live in their building. If they don't want renters or households with children or pets, they don't have to allow them. In fact, cooperatives can be quite selective in deciding who gets to live in the building. I once was asked to write a letter of reference on behalf of a friend who wanted to buy into one of Vancouver's remaining cooperatives occupying a valuable piece of land in Shaughnessy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Another consideration is the increasing number of taxes that apply to condominium units but do not apply to dwellings within a coop. In addition to no property transfer tax, Empty Home and Speculation and Vacancy Taxes do not apply to units within a coop. The Foreign Buyers Tax does not apply either.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Each year, the Vancouver Sun invites me to write an 'outlook' column on what to expect in the coming year. My columns are often a mix of predictions and aspirations. In my January 2023 column, I wrote that for various reasons, we might start to see a renewed interest in cooperative housing. <a href="https://vancouversun.com/homes/metro-vancouver-real-estate-commentator-michael-geller-reflects-on-past-predictions-looks-to-the-future">https://vancouversun.com/homes/metro-vancouver-real-estate-commentator-michael-geller-reflects-on-past-predictions-looks-to-the-future</a>. Here's an excerpt:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">"The combined impact of the prohibition
on rental and age restrictions, along with expanded or increased provincial and
municipal speculation and vacancy taxes and the federal government’s
forthcoming underused housing tax (UHT), might have a surprising, unanticipated
consequence.</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Prior to the introduction of strata-title
legislation, the most usual form of apartment ownership in B.C. was the housing
co-operative. Unlike a condominium, where one owns the apartment and a
percentage of the common area, in a co-operative, one owns a share in a
corporation that owns the building. The share is associated with a particular
unit.</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In recent years, co-operatives have been
developed for lower-income households, usually with government subsidies.
However, in the future, some higher-income households may find a New York-style
co-op more appealing than a condominium since municipal, provincial, and
federal speculation and vacancy taxes will not apply. B.C.’s property transfer
tax and companion foreign-buyers tax will also generally not apply.
Furthermore, co-ops can independently impose additional rules and restrictions,
including who can live in the building."</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">While I do not expect cooperatives to ever replace condominiums, I think it will make senses for some enterprising developers to initiate new housing cooperatives, especially for people who like the idea of restricting who can live in their buildings and don't need large mortgages. These developments should be particularly appealing to those wanting second homes in British Columbia, including foreign buyers. While governments will no doubt immediately start to explore how they can impose their various vacancy taxes on these homes, it might not be possible without significant legislative changes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If I were a younger man, I would most definitely initiate a new housing cooperative for all of the above reasons. But instead, I will watch with interest and be delighted to assist anyone who does decide to try.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thanks John Mackie for inspiring me to resume the conversation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-26051921811746547022024-01-27T10:41:00.000-08:002024-01-27T11:09:08.057-08:00Some More Musings on Property Taxation Globe and Mail January 27, 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKba2synsY3HTk6ZVrdTsL82Eh_vdzuwAgpCkfjSazad1869WmLvnoYEQhAO5FmPLKktsB7k0D1_K-S0uUMCYj974i-D9sXcxrLR6SwgEhASFWpEir7F7MxrJDU2CRbXRdcourFGoPqnSL06qZS9I8nhZqAiuO6NmGpsTDBcPgjOQu9EsCzzoRGwp_zq0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="670" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKba2synsY3HTk6ZVrdTsL82Eh_vdzuwAgpCkfjSazad1869WmLvnoYEQhAO5FmPLKktsB7k0D1_K-S0uUMCYj974i-D9sXcxrLR6SwgEhASFWpEir7F7MxrJDU2CRbXRdcourFGoPqnSL06qZS9I8nhZqAiuO6NmGpsTDBcPgjOQu9EsCzzoRGwp_zq0=w401-h411" width="401" /></a></div><br />In June 2014, I wrote my very first Vancouver Courier column. I recall it well since it upset many of my neighbours. That's because I live in Vancouver's Southlands neighbourhood where many residents live in very expensive homes on large acreage lots. I'm not one of them. I live in what my next door neighbour once described as the poor part of Southlands. <p></p><p>The column, which you will find below, addressed a provision in the property assessment system which allows some homeowners to significantly reduce their property taxes by growing and selling vegetables on a small portion of their lot and then applying for Farm Classification. </p><p>While it is perfectly legal, it seemed wrong to me ten years ago that by selling $2500 worth of vegetables grown on a portion of the property, such dramatic tax savings could be achieved. And I still think it is wrong, which is why I mentioned it to the Globe and Mail's Kerry Gold when we were discussing another concern I have with BC Assessment's classifications; namely, there is only one residential classification (other than Supportive Housing) and so all housing types are subject to the same mill rate. As a result a $2.5 million suburban house pays the same taxes as a $2.5 million downtown highrise apartment, even though one requires far more infrastructure, or uses far few services (eg: garbage collection) than the other.</p><p>My proposal? For BC Assessment to create two residential classifications - one for single-family properties and one for multi-family. This isn't perfect, I know. But it could be more equitable, especially at a time when we are trying to encourage more multi-family sustainable living. </p><p>Below is Ms. Gold's story from today's Globe and Mail followed by my Courier (now Vancouver is Awesome) column from June 2014) I must add I agree with the comments by Hanni Lammam and Derek Holliday. It is difficult to believe there will be adequate servicing in many low density neighbourhoods soon to be upzoned to four and five FSR which equates to a five or sixfold increase the the amount of development on each property. I also agree with Mr. Holloway that it wasn't necessary to apply Vancouver's multiplex zoning to every neighbourhood in the city, except for the one that could easily accommodate more density, namely Shaughnessy. But that's another story for another day.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzYXImFWZmgqRbSZeyHlyfzt56hkUpgTqj9JQU3jMB46nFUv5KLXg7WxOGTUWbvoGNWzxMqb1M3kkGOayNGWG230e9uLzClubqQ2WSLxAC5XRrbTU-rkSoQGAEVOS2GL8uVgew-m03-faho1mNQNquND50AoCNHFIXBdG3vh-VTOd7ejYfs1F9pzZ-ok/s1873/88.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1873" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzYXImFWZmgqRbSZeyHlyfzt56hkUpgTqj9JQU3jMB46nFUv5KLXg7WxOGTUWbvoGNWzxMqb1M3kkGOayNGWG230e9uLzClubqQ2WSLxAC5XRrbTU-rkSoQGAEVOS2GL8uVgew-m03-faho1mNQNquND50AoCNHFIXBdG3vh-VTOd7ejYfs1F9pzZ-ok/w419-h284/88.jpg" width="419" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Metro Vancouver presented a staff report to its
regional planning committee this month that cited several concerns about the
province’s new legislation. <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">DARRYL
DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS</span><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Experts say B.C.’s upzoning results are highly uncertain </b></span><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/kerry-gold/" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; text-transform: uppercase;">KERRY GOLD</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> </span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; text-transform: uppercase;">SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">One of the biggest questions going into 2024 is how the </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/topics/british-columbia/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">B.C.</span></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> government’s new
legislation to significantly boost density will play out, and it’s a question
on a lot of minds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Metro Vancouver presented a staff report to its regional planning
committee this month that cited several concerns about the province’s new
legislation, which will “result in significant and historic changes to the
planning framework for British Columbia.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Municipalities are now required to allow multiunit homes on
single-family lots. The province has also set new height and density minimums
around transit hubs. The report was authored by deputy chief administrative
officer for policy and planning Heather McNeil and deputy general manager for
regional planning and </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/topics/housing/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">housing </span></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">development Jonathan Coté.
It includes concerns about sidelining carefully crafted local area plans for
measured growth in areas that do not yet have transit or the infrastructure to
accommodate significant density.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The “blanket approach,” the report says, “could result in a greater
density of housing in parts of the region that are more car dependent.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In other words, the result could be more sprawl. The report also cites
the challenge of needing to fast-track upgrades to schools, emergency services,
and transportation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Development industry members are also concerned about the blanket requirement
for minimum tower heights of up to 20 storeys around rapid transit stations and
12 storeys around bus exchanges, many of which are surrounded by detached
houses. It’s not just a question of height, but floor space ratio, which is the
entire floor area allowed in relation to the size of the lot. A Vancouver
detached house with basement suite and laneway house typically had an FSR of
0.86, which meant the total floor space could be 86 per cent of the lot size.
The new multiplex zoning allows an FSR of 1.0, or a building as big as the lot
size. With the new transit-oriented development legislation, a building within
200 metres of a bus loop, for example, can be 12 storeys high with a floor
space ratio of 4, or four times the size of the lot. In other words, the
buildings are going to be a lot bigger, which could have implications for
setbacks and green space. It remains to be seen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Developer <b>Hani Lammam</b>, executive vice-president of the Cressey
Development Group, says he’s seen his own house, a 1905 heritage home near the
King Edward SkyTrain station, greatly upzoned. He wonders how that will play
out in terms of heritage house protections and the need for new infrastructure
and associated costs. As well, the new legislation removes minimum parking
requirements. He applauds any policies that add density, but he said it also
seems like “all gloves are off,” in terms of pushing density into areas not
equipped for it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“At my house, you have an outright 4 FSR right now. Is that what it is?
Because that’s how it reads. I don’t think it’s right. If it is, then
fantastic. I won the lottery. But I don’t think that’s going to be the case.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Let’s talk about this transit-oriented development regulation,” says
Mr. Lammam. “Guess what, the house that I live in is now 4 FSR and 20 storeys
or something … maybe 12? Okay, that’s nonsense, because I don’t think that’s
going to be allowed. I just can’t imagine. … What happens to the heritage and
character, all that stuff? Do we just throw that out the window? I don’t
understand. I think it’s crazy. And what comes with that? Where are the
strings, because there will be strings attached, I suspect. We will have to pay
for more infrastructure now, water and sewer capacity. And all this is without
parking, apparently.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“There are a lot of implications on these neighbourhoods that are
supposed to accommodate all this density that are not designed to accommodate
this density. So, nobody knows. I think there will be a bit of a stalemate
again while we see how these municipalities react to these provincial
regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“It’s going to take time, and it could be years in the making. It’s not
like overnight we rebuild everything. But it does mean, from a long-range
planning perspective, they’ve changed the goalposts,” said Mr. Lammam.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Real estate consultant and commentator <b>Michael Geller</b> is known for
offering ideas on housing policies, some of which have been implemented by
government. One of his newer ideas is the adoption of a two-tier tax system
that puts detached houses in a higher bracket than attached homes, such as
condos and duplexes. The idea arose when he realized he was paying the same
taxes on his Coal Harbour condo as his west-side house.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mr. Geller argues that a lower rate for multifamily homes could
incentivize the redevelopment of single-family properties into multifamily
multiplexes. Vancouver City Council last year also voted to upzone most
single-family areas up to six units per lot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“This idea does make sense, especially since the province wants to
encourage the redevelopment of single-family lots with multiple units,” said
Mr. Geller. “What better way to reinforce the idea than to increase the taxes
on a lot when it is used solely for single-family dwellings – albeit with a
possible basement suite and or coach house? And decrease the tax by having a
lower mill rate on the same lot if used for three to six dwellings?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He also likes the idea in principle because he sees unfairness as to how
a lot of single-family homes are taxed, such as wealthy people who live on
agricultural land reserves, taxed as farmland.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“I live in Southlands, and I am surrounded by people who live in
$25-million houses and some of them pay less property tax than you do. That’s
because they are growing $2,000 worth of vegetables on a portion of their large
lots.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The Ministry of Housing responded to inquiries by e-mail, saying that
local councils set property tax rates and B.C. already has nine property
classifications. As well, houses are already taxed at higher values and are
paying a higher share of tax. The idea of a two-tiered residential assessment
wasn’t being considered, said Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“We will continue taking action to get more homes built faster for
people,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Derek Holloway </b>is a retired BC Assessment appraiser who handled a lot of
appeals from property owners. He says the upzoning will have the effect of
increasing land values. He cites criticism of the Auckland, New Zealand
single-family house upzoning, which some academics say resulted in price
increases and only modest net housing supply gains.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“As soon as you start seeing sales to developers or small contractors
who buy a single-family lot on a Kitsilano lot that is 50 by 120 [feet] so they
can build four units, they will tear down the old house, build … and move on to
the next one. That will drive up the price of the house being sold because it’s
taken from a single-family house to a development site, and it will drive
values up,” says Mr. Holloway, who was with BC Assessment for 30 years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“You don’t say, ‘Everyone who owns a home in Vancouver can build three
to six units.’ You say, ‘Here’s an enclave where we are going to do that,
because it’s beside commercial and transit nodes’, and that stuff. What they
did in the old days was upzone to duplex, something like that. And that was a
buffer zone between high density and retail and single family. So, they could
do that tomorrow. … Upzone small areas, not the whole city.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="letter-spacing: -0.35pt;"><b style="font-size: 14pt;"></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyroc6xMwX1qTzpGABo76XqT-JPcSZjSA23LRWGLHN1ai9XSPA-mm6FYcQSAGKEclWwwFxDL03VttFg_MenvVLw0RZipoG5rgwSeAGn-u7f5pqC3Twvyzonhz-hSL3hxMIf8iEcsrxHBbff2qcr46fLaEv-0iLEPZaXmcMpZVc4928cc5mxSqY_UWUWk/s624/Picture2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="624" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyroc6xMwX1qTzpGABo76XqT-JPcSZjSA23LRWGLHN1ai9XSPA-mm6FYcQSAGKEclWwwFxDL03VttFg_MenvVLw0RZipoG5rgwSeAGn-u7f5pqC3Twvyzonhz-hSL3hxMIf8iEcsrxHBbff2qcr46fLaEv-0iLEPZaXmcMpZVc4928cc5mxSqY_UWUWk/w406-h270/Picture2.jpg" width="406" /></a></b></div><b style="font-size: 14pt;">Opinion:
Putting all your eggs into one bracket </b>(Vancouver Courier June 2014)<p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">July 3 is the deadline by which most Vancouver
residents must pay their property taxes. I say most since many residents, me
included, have chosen to participate in the provincial government’s low
interest Property Tax Deferment Program.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">If you are aged 55 or over, or living in a
household with children, you, too, may be eligible and should investigate the
program.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">However, this column is not about people who defer
their property taxes. It is about people who avoid paying taxes. But before
proceeding, as my accountant often tells me, avoiding taxes is legal; evading
taxes is not.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">One creative way to avoid property taxes is to
convince the B.C. Assessment Authority to reclassify a property from
“residential” or “business” to “recreational and non-profit” or “farm”
categories.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Although the assessed value may not change, the tax
rates for both recreational and non-profit and farm classified properties are
significantly lower. Properties with a farm classification also receive a 50
per cent reduction in school taxes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In my Southlands neighbourhood where most of the
properties are in the Agricultural Land Reserve, it is no secret that many
properties have sought and obtained farm tax status and consequently pay less
in property taxes than some smaller, less valuable properties outside the
neighbourhood.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">When these properties are actively engaged in
agricultural activities, such as a garden nursery, the farm classification may
be warranted. However, some grand estates of between two and 10 acres have been
classified as farms because they generate $2,500 a year in income from
incidental agricultural activities. This can be achieved with a few dozen
chickens in a corner of the estate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Given the tens of thousands of dollars in tax
savings that must be borne by other taxpayers, these are very expensive eggs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Not all Southlands estate owners have sought farm
classification. Many are proud of the fact that while they could easily
qualify, they pay their fair share of taxes based on their residential
classification.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It is not just Southlands property owners who are
playing this game. Earlier this year, Scott Bowden of Colliers, a recognized
expert in the field of property taxation, presented a report to the Metro
Vancouver Board of Directors.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He noted tax-avoiding landowners are offering free
pasture to cows and renting llamas in a bid to achieve farm status. In some
instances, the property owners reduced their taxes by up to 90 per cent and
more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Ironically there are some farmers who will not be
able to achieve farm status, namely commercial medical marijuana growers.
Recently the provincial government created a new business classification for
these facilities given the potential loss in taxes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">To appreciate the tax ramifications, if a
$2.1-million, 25,000-square-foot warehouse on a one-acre industrial property in
Richmond was allowed to get farm tax status for growing marijuana, it would pay
just $395 in annual taxes — 99 per cent less than the $33,100 a comparable
business would pay.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While commercial marijuana growers will not get a
tax break, owners of vacant sites such as the corner of Davie and Burrard will
continue to obtain significant tax savings by allowing their properties to be
used for agricultural purposes, namely community gardens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">That is because under our property tax system, the
province has agreed to reclassify these properties from “business” to
“recreational and non-profit” as long as they are used for growing vegetables
and similar purposes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Since the tax savings for the owner can be in the
hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, property owners are eager to allow
their land to be used as a temporary park or community garden. I would add the
reason their taxes are so high is that vacant land zoned for commercial uses is
often unfairly taxed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Since I and other taxpayers must make up the loss
in taxes, I am not so enthusiastic about community gardens as an interim use in
order to change the tax classification. I would prefer revisions to our
property tax system to address its many inequities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Until that happens, community gardeners will
continue to grow some very expensive tomatoes at the corner of Davie and
Burrard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com<br />
</span><a href="http://twitter.com/michaelgeller?utm_source=vancouver%20is%20awesome&utm_campaign=vancouver%20is%20awesome%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #1d9deb; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">twitter.com/michaelgeller</span></a></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-82510956782116204132024-01-20T13:05:00.000-08:002024-01-20T13:10:15.915-08:00Vancouver Sun - Metro Vancouver Population to Hit Three Million - January 20, 2024<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvE9ML8pVWYT40vDPJnAjLxrav9IO82x2wkEu64Ieqb2wCTTIIb2v_jY9iKBXKbcCSSE5uSdjQLo05pZCJ85fYkfOu3_zmJ72O6KQ6IfHKpL4kWVkkAVL091AM0R2Mkg864Ios7UK9G8eBsiEqzQwSk8beXPx5JiRAYe7aAlaeLiIpQRL9oYQ3f5uULs/s774/Picture2.png" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="603" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvE9ML8pVWYT40vDPJnAjLxrav9IO82x2wkEu64Ieqb2wCTTIIb2v_jY9iKBXKbcCSSE5uSdjQLo05pZCJ85fYkfOu3_zmJ72O6KQ6IfHKpL4kWVkkAVL091AM0R2Mkg864Ios7UK9G8eBsiEqzQwSk8beXPx5JiRAYe7aAlaeLiIpQRL9oYQ3f5uULs/w320-h412/Picture2.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">For many reasons, the Vancouver Sun's John Mackie is one of my favourite journalists. I appreciate his interest in the history of the city and I always look forward to his Saturday historical accounts. He's also a delightful guy to talk with. So I was pleased when he called this week to ask what I thought about Vancouver's population reaching three million this summer. </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbDFEne3pKIfdrBHkg44YZk-WixzyfJOr2p1w9fdAe0zK_Ypgj-GGH3LfeNaKc_fGRP3omyorOcqwj1Pq0AmJO400GUvvCAMSD0Ct5xBElCE4HilS4Hrtz7cYN_XDwtoWJ4oR62R5Giy0XR3lrCkhPspurlnhl_0hQ39lLjTnljyuN9EKD1I7Fh9jn8Y/s900/980CKNW_900x600_The-Next-Million_Peak-basic-logo-w_Tagline-copy-1.webp" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbDFEne3pKIfdrBHkg44YZk-WixzyfJOr2p1w9fdAe0zK_Ypgj-GGH3LfeNaKc_fGRP3omyorOcqwj1Pq0AmJO400GUvvCAMSD0Ct5xBElCE4HilS4Hrtz7cYN_XDwtoWJ4oR62R5Giy0XR3lrCkhPspurlnhl_0hQ39lLjTnljyuN9EKD1I7Fh9jn8Y/w383-h255/980CKNW_900x600_The-Next-Million_Peak-basic-logo-w_Tagline-copy-1.webp" width="383" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTYDQp6sJYbA3Y6FkJTBy5N2I1Sy5uRoX-b0ePRIkiI6a1zwYVhGox1GdfVfKRdWLuMr7uiIpj013tqtf_Nuc7XONNDj9mQ1zyuCazvbEivYoRW30K5gK7DVznAbo3ugh5ye02vIjKKw5zTJmV3tKlECGoS47mB6QSrpljHklHIdMWSLI3F7aLKoj9U8/s624/Jas-Johal-Show.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTYDQp6sJYbA3Y6FkJTBy5N2I1Sy5uRoX-b0ePRIkiI6a1zwYVhGox1GdfVfKRdWLuMr7uiIpj013tqtf_Nuc7XONNDj9mQ1zyuCazvbEivYoRW30K5gK7DVznAbo3ugh5ye02vIjKKw5zTJmV3tKlECGoS47mB6QSrpljHklHIdMWSLI3F7aLKoj9U8/w382-h215/Jas-Johal-Show.jpg" width="382" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">My first thought was to tell him about Jas Johal's special program on CKNW at the end of last year titled 'The Next Million' which examined how Vancouver is going to manage going from three million to four million residents. So that was how I started our discussion. Here's the article that appeared in today's paper.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Metro Vancouver will top three million
residents by July 1, according to a population projection by B.C. Stats.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Hitting three million is a milestone for the
region, which stretches from Lions Bay to Langley and includes 23
municipalities. But planner/real estate consultant Michael Geller says it isn’t
that big in a deal, in and of itself.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">"Going from 2.9 to 3.0 million to my mind is not that significant," said Geller. "But how we accommodate the next million, that's significant." <span style="font-size: 16px;">The provincial government has already taken a dramatic step with its so-called density legislation, which allows several units on former single-family lots and much higher density around “transit-oriented development” sites near SkyTrain stations and bus loops.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“But under the provincial proposal they’re now
talking about significantly higher buildings, at significantly higher
densities.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">“If you need an illustration, just take the intersection of Dunbar and 41st, which is basically surrounded by single family houses and two-storey commercial buildings,” said Geller.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“It’s a bus loop rather than a SkyTrain, but
they’re (still) talking about 12 storey buildings, what they call a floor space
ratio of four, which is sort of six times the current (zoning).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“The question is, what kind of sewer and water
capacity do we have to accommodate that?”<br />
Putting in the infrastructure will be expensive, but necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“I think the key thing is the rate of change
and the pace of development,” said Geller.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“To a certain agree, the thought of
dramatically increasing the density is a bit overwhelming. (But) it won’t
happen if the sewer and water capacity isn’t there.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Planner Andy Yan said one of the
big questions with Metro Vancouver’s population boom is where people will live.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“The issue isn’t just the number (of
residents), it’s how is it distributed throughout the region,” said Yan,
director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Some people think (growth) should all be
piled into the city of Vancouver. But if you look at what is probably the most
sustainable, the most equitable means of development, it is actually spread out
throughout the region, in terms of the regional growth strategy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Vancouver is just part of a constellation of
communities throughout the region.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">B.C. Stats hasn’t done a press release about
Metro reaching three million — the official release won’t be until July 1. But
if you look at the </span><a href="https://bcstats.shinyapps.io/popApp/"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“population app”</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> on
the B.C. Stats website, it projects it will be 3,021,372 on July 1. This is up
from 2.935 million on July 1, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Metro hit one million residents in 1970 and
two million in 1999. It took another 25 years to reach three million. B.C.
Stats projects Metro will hit four million in 2041, which is in 17 years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">According to the projection, Vancouver is
still the largest city in the region, with an estimated population of 737,216
in 2024, up from 722,014 in 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But Surrey is catching up, with an estimated
2024 population of 684,485, up from 659,126 in 2023. If the population
projections by B.C. Stats are right, Surrey will surpass Vancouver in
population in 2029, when Surrey’s estimated population will be 785,619 and
Vancouver will be 780,075.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Yan notes that Surrey is three times the
physical size of Vancouver, so it makes sense Surrey will soon have Metro’s
largest population. Physically, the city of Vancouver is only four per cent of
Metro, but has over 24 per cent of the population. But Vancouver’s share of the
population has been declining as the Metro population grows: In 1971 it was 42
per cent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">According to the B.C. Stats projections,
Burnaby will have 286,086 residents by July 1, followed by Richmond at 233,999.
Coquitlam will have a population of 174,291, the District of Langley 153,360,
and Delta 118,320.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Maple Ridge is projected to have 102,450
people, the District of North Vancouver will have 96,647, and New Westminster
91,167. Port Coquitlam will be 68,265, the City of North Vancouver will be
66,729, and West Vancouver 46,743<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Port Moody’s population will rise to 40,867,
the City of Langley will be 32,259, White Rock will be 22,623 and Pitt Meadows
21,473. There will also be 34,474 people living in “unincorporated” areas
in Metro Vancouver.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The smallest communities in Metro are Bowen
Island, with 4,265 residents, Anmore with 2,586, Lions Bay with 1,338, and
Belcarra with 729.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Cities near, but outside Metro, continue to
grow as well. Abbotsford is projected to have a population of 180,324,
Chilliwack 103,468, and Squamish 25,370.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The total population in British Columbia is
projected to be 5,646,803 on July 1, up from 5,490,376 in 2023. The provincial
population is projected to top six million in 2028, and seven million in 2038.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><a href="mailto:jmackie@postmedia.com"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">jmackie@postmedia.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Downtown Vancouver, B.C. as seen from city hall on Sept. 28, 2023. <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">PHOTO BY JASON PAYNE</span> /PNG<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-90693495619009883492024-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:002024-01-20T12:45:16.545-08:00Storeys.Com article by Kerry Gold on What Might Happen in Real Estate in 2024<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcHYZjQrsMqgARUUg1PzGrSz3SNVPfiNJHFdCQlvS1xjueZn-QV12FEVj7mLOp63bCb24241xEcKbQEtKsxLP73l33fpsEARnMQQkLH1mO8C5Ti5gSTfNmnVtluRnKO8RLsMsOthBO6kLrBKMjo3lGH1hOAWwvxpTNXjoP44FONSIqmRF27_s2cpjlKo/s624/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="624" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcHYZjQrsMqgARUUg1PzGrSz3SNVPfiNJHFdCQlvS1xjueZn-QV12FEVj7mLOp63bCb24241xEcKbQEtKsxLP73l33fpsEARnMQQkLH1mO8C5Ti5gSTfNmnVtluRnKO8RLsMsOthBO6kLrBKMjo3lGH1hOAWwvxpTNXjoP44FONSIqmRF27_s2cpjlKo/w458-h404/Picture1.png" width="458" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Thanks to Vancouver Journalist Kerry Gold for deciding to write about my 2023 Year-end Holiday Greeting Card and inviting me to offer some additonal thoughts on what might happen in the year ahead. Here is her Storeys.Com article</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Predicting
what lies ahead for the year, whether it’s trends or prices, is a matter of
knowing what factors are at play, including the economy and government
policies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As
a developer, real estate consultant, planner, retired architect and former
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation official, Michael Geller has about 50
years of experience behind him. Each year he puts out an annual holiday card
with a list of housing ideas regarding policy changes that could generate
better design, more efficiency and affordability.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“I
call them predictions and sometimes they are aspirational,” says Geller.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Several
of Geller’s recommendations from 2021 and 2022 ended up as new provincial
legislation in 2023, including the call for “missing middle” multiplex housing
on single-family lots, reducing parking requirements, streamlining the
approvals process at city hall, eliminating the need for so many public
hearings, reducing the number of rezonings and overhauling the community
amenity contributions that developers must pay when they seek a rezoning.
Through a series of sweeping housing policy reforms, the Province enacted these
measures in some way, as part of an all-encompassing housing program last year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">This
year, he’s hoping his <a href="https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2023/12/my-2023-holiday-greeting-card-12-new.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">batch of ideas for 2024</span></a> also
catches the provincial government’s attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He
applauds the Province’s new fixed amenity cost charges, which replace the
negotiated community amenity contributions (CACs) and bring certainty to
projects; however, <a href="https://storeys.com/city-of-vancouver-community-amenity-contributions-cacs-density-bonuses-target-rates/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Vancouver’s fees</span></a> are
still much higher than those in Toronto and Montreal. Such costs are
transferred to new buyers. Another recommendation is that the levels of
government stop seeking massive building density to generate revenues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“I
really think we need to reconsider trying to generate revenues at the municipal
level by almost encouraging people to build larger buildings so the
municipalities can then collect more CACs,” he says.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“People
think, ‘Oh if you allow a bigger building it will be more affordable.’ Well,
some will be, but it doesn’t work that way.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">If
a building gets upzoned from a floor space ratio of 2 to 4, for example, that
re-sets the price of the land, he says. From thereon, a developer will pay more
for the site because of that added density.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Because
at the end of the day, you go to the butcher and buy steak by the pound and
developers buy property by the square foot.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He
also calls for a two-tier system of taxing residential properties so that
multi-family units are taxed at a lower rate than detached houses. He’d like to
see housing mixed with light industrial to open up industrial land. He
forecasts that intergenerational home sharing will become a huge trend this
year with several <a href="https://storeys.com/student-senior-matching-housing-demand/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">home-sharing platforms</span></a> already
underway, such as Common.com, Nesterly, Sparrow Share, HomeSharingBC.ca and
SpacesShared, to name a few.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“You
watch, that will eventually become a big story,” says Geller, who’ll be
speaking on the topic at an upcoming Toronto housing conference. “When I was at
university and when I had my first job, I shared accommodation…. It’s kind of
like WeWork concept but applied to residential accommodation.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">His
other ideas include policy that makes it easier to incorporate highly efficient
manufactured housing into building design, and approvals for individually owned
rowhouses (called fee-simple). As well, he’d like to see cities offer density
bonuses to protect character houses that are vulnerable to redevelopment,
especially with multiplexes now approved in single-family zones.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Vancouver
realtor and investor Bryan Yan enjoys making predictions and for the last
several years, his predictions have turned out accurate by year’s end.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In
2021, he predicted that detached house prices would go up in Metro Vancouver by
15% in 2022, which they did. In 2022, he predicted price drops for early 2023
of 10%, which also played out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">This
year, he says, buyers and sellers don’t need predictions — they should just use
prime interest rates as a guide.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The
overnight rate determines the prime rate for the lenders. He says history has
shown that if the Bank of Canada rate comes down, prices will eventually go up.
He cites Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver data from 1994 to 2003 that
show price increases of detached houses and condos stayed flat when prime
interest rates averaged 6.3% over a 10-year span.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But
from February 2009 to June 2016, when the prime rate was at 2.66%, the market
saw a 147% price increase.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">And
from January 2020 to May 2022, the prime rate of 2.825% triggered a 43.5% price
increase.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Once
the rate got up to 6% from May 2022 to January 2023, prices dropped 13.5%.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“When
the prime rate is around 3% and below, expect huge returns well over 10-15%.
Above a 6% prime rate, expect flat to negative returns. If the prime rate is
between 4 and 5%, the prices will appreciate about 5-10%. Currently, the prime
rate is a whopping 7.2%.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Basically,
regardless of the <a href="https://storeys.com/canada-foreign-buyer-ban-amendments/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">foreign buyers’ ban</span></a> or immigration numbers,
it’s interest rates that affect everybody, even though it doesn’t really affect
people with assets and a lot of money,” says Yan. “They are buying any time.
Based on Statistics Canada, the people who bought 50% of the condos and 13% of
houses last year were buying investments, so they are looking at their return
on investment… places like downtown Vancouver or Burnaby, the rents are good,
they can cover most of the mortgage.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Royal
LePage’s <a href="https://www.royallepage.ca/en/realestate/news/the-great-adjustment-canadians-to-adapt-to-new-reality-as-housing-market-returns-to-near-normal-in-2024/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Royal%20LePage,and%205.0%20to%20%24879%2C164%20and" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">annual market survey forecast</span></a> for
2024 predicts a modest year-over-year increase of 3% for the Vancouver region,
bringing the aggregate price of a home to $1,281,732. A detached house will see
a median price increase of 2.5%, at $1,778,785, and the median price of a condo
will go up 4%, to $795,808. Meanwhile, Canada will see an aggregate home price
increase of 5.5% by the fourth quarter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Their
report says interest rates will guide prices. Higher interest rates will “keep
a lid on price appreciation, even as activity picks up.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Hani
Lammam, Executive Vice President of Cressey Development Group, says prices will
continue to go up if people can afford to pay those prices, whether it’s
monthly rent or mortgage payments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“The
market is pretty quiet right now, but not because of demand,” he says. “There
is a lot of demand in the marketplace, but it is a bit of a stalemate, where
the purchaser thinks prices will drop and the seller is saying, ‘No, there is a
ton of demand and I can wait, I’m in no rush to sell.’ They are not in
distress. The reality is, I don’t think prices will come down, I’m just not
sure if they will go up.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">His
prediction is that it will be a quiet first six months, then the market will
start to pick up in the fall by the third or fourth quarter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Unique
projects will sell, but those generic offerings will struggle,” says Lammam.
“There’s a dozen of them in Brentwood. Most of that stuff gets sold to
investors, which is not bad. It takes four to five years to build — no end user
would buy it. They are bought by investors making a bet that by the time this
thing is built, it will be worth more than they bought it for. That’s the
motivation. Or ‘I buy at a good price today and rent it and down the road, I
make a return.’ So, investors are the ones buying in those big projects and if
they can envision an upside, they will continue to buy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-17258906341399060132024-01-20T12:00:00.000-08:002024-01-20T23:38:03.385-08:00A Celebration of Life - Dr. Larry Cheevers 1943-2023<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ik0PE0Hj5vNL4euVD9oqHIEAX9NqBRhfuosMTNGgyGWl2VRLPTu656AnnLUb6TkAWNVAYIJSU1x_bpjeI11TsX_4gNJKnNjnImd2ZtpNk9Len9kIY4wzsbYWwRp5xiRSlLZRG3gBgf1El91-sHFlxxL8clgiwGYpcng93hufTwdcr3-OT2mtBfsWvwQ/s2312/20240120_122657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2312" data-original-width="1637" height="519" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ik0PE0Hj5vNL4euVD9oqHIEAX9NqBRhfuosMTNGgyGWl2VRLPTu656AnnLUb6TkAWNVAYIJSU1x_bpjeI11TsX_4gNJKnNjnImd2ZtpNk9Len9kIY4wzsbYWwRp5xiRSlLZRG3gBgf1El91-sHFlxxL8clgiwGYpcng93hufTwdcr3-OT2mtBfsWvwQ/w368-h519/20240120_122657.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kComoRVaeYpgfvj086XffIqE9rYXY9KSGBZv1v9FqNT8sCtZn50MfRR9oDI39PquUQDSdNuNaKSoM4JQPfuQuJ-82Hn_GTIezgZvlbRIl6TNVedUjaynjJTZKLUOjgQBxZxLUG2PtJ5IY8PgXupr8gjTT7d4eElSIIdSTbZPFLb11ieyn2LAe936aPU/s1896/20240119_144740.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1896" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kComoRVaeYpgfvj086XffIqE9rYXY9KSGBZv1v9FqNT8sCtZn50MfRR9oDI39PquUQDSdNuNaKSoM4JQPfuQuJ-82Hn_GTIezgZvlbRIl6TNVedUjaynjJTZKLUOjgQBxZxLUG2PtJ5IY8PgXupr8gjTT7d4eElSIIdSTbZPFLb11ieyn2LAe936aPU/w364-h346/20240119_144740.jpg" width="364" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F23RI9G8GqoZsu2f3aOSQkfSs3s59FPbipXqIz800pMdyxcudMdk1WpaxLtSKCcoWOjLPUszJ0nmiwJegx4dXX6fU0R6d7kgr0mqVLNIbB29yVzWVvuMCvbmZ1rOkTAA23000BUjTwe34I8DMksgeB3X1HiodQinaCQIlCFQjxyOAzexT73U_oe_4vQ/s1635/20240119_164516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1635" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F23RI9G8GqoZsu2f3aOSQkfSs3s59FPbipXqIz800pMdyxcudMdk1WpaxLtSKCcoWOjLPUszJ0nmiwJegx4dXX6fU0R6d7kgr0mqVLNIbB29yVzWVvuMCvbmZ1rOkTAA23000BUjTwe34I8DMksgeB3X1HiodQinaCQIlCFQjxyOAzexT73U_oe_4vQ/w366-h173/20240119_164516.jpg" width="366" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yesterday I attended a Celebration of Life for a man who was truly larger than life. Everyone who knew dentist Larry Cheevers would agree - they don't make them like Larry anymore. Then again, they didn't make many like him in 1943 when he was born. </span><p></p><p>As noted in his obituary, Larry was<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;"> a charismatic presence, gregarious, great company, with an infectious laugh. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Larry was Irish, and he made no secret of this. He didn't believe in God and he made no secret of this either. As the Venerable Andrew Pike told the guests, he believed in himself. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">He was a great athlete and he made no secret of this either. He was a star rugby player, swimmer, shot put thrower, squash player, boxer, to name just a few of his sports. In recent years you could find him on the golf course at Point Grey. <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;">.</span>You can read his Canadian obituary here: <a href="https://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca/obituary/laurence-cheevers-1089177693">https://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca/obituary/laurence-cheevers-1089177693</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can read an Irish obituary in the Galway Advertiser which also reported on his death late last year. <a href="https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/138853/larry-cheevers">https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/138853/larry-cheevers</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not only was Larry a successful dentist, he <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;">also qualified as the first Forensic Odontologist in the Province, helping to solve over 2500 cases.</span> Chico Newell, a former BC Coroner had several very funy stories to tell. He had a lot more that he wouldn't tell. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I first met Larry in 1981 when I was working at Narod Developments. We were developing Multiple Unit Residential Units (MURBS) which were an effective way of encouraging private sector investment in rental housing by offering tax write-offs against other income. As a result they were attractive to doctors, dentists, and other high income people.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shortly after I joined he firm I was given a list of doctors and dentists to call to tell them which units were still available for sale. Initially I told my boss I was reluctant to call them during the day since they would likely be with patients. "Don't be silly" my boss replied. "They are all waiting for your call. This will be the most important call of their week." As a very successful dentist with a large practice at Commercial and Main, Larry bought a lot of MURBs over the years. Over the next 40 plus years we we regularly met and inevitably discussed real estate and city planning, often at the Arbutus Club where he could be found, and on the golf course.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Larry had two accomplished daughters Emma and Melissa. As his daughter Emma told the more than 500 people who filled two large rooms at the Arbutus Club, </span>Larry had no filters. H<span style="font-family: inherit;">e would often say the most outrageous things. To prove the point, (as if it needed to be proven) she described what it was like arranging their regular Uber trips to the hospital once he could no longer drive. Larry would always sit up front and inevitably wanted to knnow where the driver was from. Then he wanted to know the driver's religion, and by the end of the trip what he did to give pleasure to his wife or girlfriend! </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3VeeKHT_cvboVOfYTz8BxNRZ1EPWjnpS1hrHEs57nk_KeN6EHI7DPT8WbfWCXMwm0t5LGq2ae3Rbuqqm5vwKG0hS4CxqQo3RCTC642tR_Iiyn7zfv_x9bjsy-yJBs0kL41lhhDDWYBOuw_H3aMnbI7yJPtHLJoHqZdc6lETPpkXBYGMnbCGej0ZJazU/s1618/20240119_163726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1618" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3VeeKHT_cvboVOfYTz8BxNRZ1EPWjnpS1hrHEs57nk_KeN6EHI7DPT8WbfWCXMwm0t5LGq2ae3Rbuqqm5vwKG0hS4CxqQo3RCTC642tR_Iiyn7zfv_x9bjsy-yJBs0kL41lhhDDWYBOuw_H3aMnbI7yJPtHLJoHqZdc6lETPpkXBYGMnbCGej0ZJazU/w390-h184/20240119_163726.jpg" width="390" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkoRrgzYqKKcwJke1Wd09Lcaz_t1Aazf2gTweN4s4PaXeim0vX4qqHLgMsC2JRUnA-xTsjmLnf-0bMs4L7ckSCiPjeOzHF1yRW8mlkFCzjBuw3hTtOPK14vnLL-zmGAlc1VIpaHSFnDh-NFdxzUG6v4A8eGiWyEawVyRz01J1I0cak4vWeTYvZQYrNfE/s2579/20240119_163743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="2579" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkoRrgzYqKKcwJke1Wd09Lcaz_t1Aazf2gTweN4s4PaXeim0vX4qqHLgMsC2JRUnA-xTsjmLnf-0bMs4L7ckSCiPjeOzHF1yRW8mlkFCzjBuw3hTtOPK14vnLL-zmGAlc1VIpaHSFnDh-NFdxzUG6v4A8eGiWyEawVyRz01J1I0cak4vWeTYvZQYrNfE/w392-h186/20240119_163743.jpg" width="392" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">As you entered one of the rooms, you were confronted by newspaper stories and photos of Larry, some of which had been turned into postcards. Guests were invited to take them home and write a favourite story about Larry and mail it back to the Cheevers Girls in the self-addressed and stamped envelopes provided. Sadly, one of my favourite stories needs to be told, not written out. But suffice it say, it happened on a golf course and involved a lot of profanity. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the conclusion of the remarks, a wonderful video of Larry's life prepared by his daughter Melissa was shown. You can watch it here. <a href="https://vimeo.com/904324521">https://vimeo.com/904324521</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rest in peace Larry (although I'm sure that's not what you want.) While you may be gone, you'll never be forgotten. </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXtNhfX_bWOUHcchZBJV76UEe26nXBe8k-Lx8uJr5WzlUqL62cQ2HW6PtwxrR_2wu1HabpMur6rMoY8lLWcFSOyYorpUtbIbg3U3bNYRRZ6GQEhg6OgkzY0vFJ6l9BFpdfbeXzN-h-qs4t3861hGT-_d4ycl7CVJ5aMqQgz-f_7GIc64oe4QTYh-GiHk/s2657/20240119_163754.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="2657" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXtNhfX_bWOUHcchZBJV76UEe26nXBe8k-Lx8uJr5WzlUqL62cQ2HW6PtwxrR_2wu1HabpMur6rMoY8lLWcFSOyYorpUtbIbg3U3bNYRRZ6GQEhg6OgkzY0vFJ6l9BFpdfbeXzN-h-qs4t3861hGT-_d4ycl7CVJ5aMqQgz-f_7GIc64oe4QTYh-GiHk/w386-h182/20240119_163754.jpg" width="386" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-57967434561064506852024-01-14T15:48:00.000-08:002024-01-14T15:48:56.081-08:00January 14. Sam Geller would have been 112 years old today!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVluKjLG79PFUwloV6d7btysBJbMYHX8UQ7Yw9Br1ioztntxfxR2zgwEKAaJxEfg0qqELolwgyVXA1CXpZY2sklYpkv52bhmcYzUAVJXkRHj5O8UnBOPuHOYrk9_gQSWvvd_ifUOJoYMzopmIV__SS_Rsaw5RvFk_AhUYol31XwY7WMWphCjiM_q0gCA/s4468/20180114_121618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4468" data-original-width="2839" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVluKjLG79PFUwloV6d7btysBJbMYHX8UQ7Yw9Br1ioztntxfxR2zgwEKAaJxEfg0qqELolwgyVXA1CXpZY2sklYpkv52bhmcYzUAVJXkRHj5O8UnBOPuHOYrk9_gQSWvvd_ifUOJoYMzopmIV__SS_Rsaw5RvFk_AhUYol31XwY7WMWphCjiM_q0gCA/w257-h406/20180114_121618.jpg" width="257" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">My father was born in Bristol, England on January 14, 1912 and died on July 17 2004. Today he would have been 112. While it is customary in the Jewish religion to remember the anniversary of someone's death or Yahrzeit <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yahrzeit-remembering-on-the-anniversary-of-a-death/">https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yahrzeit-remembering-on-the-anniversary-of-a-death/</a></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> by lighting a candle, since birthdays were always celebrated in our family, I have continued to celebrate my parents' birthdays.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Last year, my dad's birth date fell on a Saturday and I decided to sponsor a Kiddush or luncheon in the synagogue to which he once belonged (and to which I now belong). As is customary, the entire congregation was invited along with members of my family. A few of my father's friends and others who knew my father also happened to be there and it turned out to be a most enjoyable event, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This year, although his birthday fell on a day after the Saturday service, I decided to again make a kiddush. Fortunately, my sister Estelle Paget was able to come in from Victoria and other family members were able to join us, along with a slightly smaller number of my father's friends. After all, many of them are now in their late 80s and 90s. But as my daughter Claire said, he would have been pleased by the turnout, and the variety and quality of food including herring, smoked salmon, various salads and deserts. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">There was also a birthday cake since another congregant had just turned 80 and she arranged for a large cake to be served to the congregation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">While some people do not have fond memories of their fathers, I am not one of them. I have wonderful memories of my dad. And for good reason. Those who knew my father described him as a true gentleman. He had a marvelous sense of humour and a delightful, stoic outlook on life. Which doesn't mean he didn't enjoy life. On the contrary, Stoics often derive as much joy in life, if not more than Epicureans. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">If you are confused, I suggest you read "A Guide to the Good Life: the Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" by William Irvine </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/5617966" style="font-family: arial;">https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/5617966</a>. <span style="font-family: arial;">True Stoics derive pleasure from what they have, rather than what they yearn for! This was certainly true for my dad who was more interested in people and books than money. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the highlights of my life was going on a Black Sea cruise with my father in 1994. Our destination was Odessa, where my father's family supposedly came from. (I have subsequently learned that it may have been another community in then Russia, now Ukraine.) Odessa is one of Vancouver's sister cities, and when then Mayor Philip Owen heard we were going on this trip, he wrote a lovely letter of introduction to the mayor of Odessa requesting that we be received at City Hall.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRq7JnMEBJ4Z9FC8atoIFq4StpXAde5yFFMX6ObIthPcR5T-6IUw42ap7P-36SHSIaoDgd-TWD9fFWtT0HAE7pcB8D2y5_e1Ov7MBstfCrRaTeEwD8Nxi7nNy6qgB_uAaTClNpbSZOFbqzUfo9U2DlRGnXIeFjfjYcTRfmEfGvNigBqZKQ5UVcqJcepLM/s1722/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1722" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRq7JnMEBJ4Z9FC8atoIFq4StpXAde5yFFMX6ObIthPcR5T-6IUw42ap7P-36SHSIaoDgd-TWD9fFWtT0HAE7pcB8D2y5_e1Ov7MBstfCrRaTeEwD8Nxi7nNy6qgB_uAaTClNpbSZOFbqzUfo9U2DlRGnXIeFjfjYcTRfmEfGvNigBqZKQ5UVcqJcepLM/w400-h256/Picture2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Odessa' City Hall. One can only hope it hasn't been damaged by the Russians</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTYMb0CP_J9ZjBZK7EmGbN4nXgU6O8oVplpIaz0uMZ-DW-5uYt8rhZE4X4GrLmxad3t_bnZWZlWj4F-dZqhPV93ZiiXO64Csfr90PelwejM7VQgLntUZxykU0i-OpRM8jbDp9o2zdFI4IxHSYSJAqjCRivYfBL7AfN-KqHvavrVdvgLiNz-i7V8LoAMc/s1500/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1206" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTYMb0CP_J9ZjBZK7EmGbN4nXgU6O8oVplpIaz0uMZ-DW-5uYt8rhZE4X4GrLmxad3t_bnZWZlWj4F-dZqhPV93ZiiXO64Csfr90PelwejM7VQgLntUZxykU0i-OpRM8jbDp9o2zdFI4IxHSYSJAqjCRivYfBL7AfN-KqHvavrVdvgLiNz-i7V8LoAMc/w332-h413/Picture1.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A letter of introduction from Philip Owen to the Mayor of Odessa </td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsgsy-zObHzEI9Io2xa5ZDcI-akw0LXCCKP-PtGosOZM_1SeEqDInUK_LRIjHDyCJS1uFuSpiYRqnBboUi1DdzUHvT13afyyi-z92_5h96UrWgRQDLiG1rejlvqGuDW9LyneRLJ9TCQM_SO5Ik4BmYpLgN6B-CG_vzkHQVUeb17W1IOLOnvR4pA48aeo/s1026/Sam%20and%20Michael%20Geller%20at%20Odessa%20Synagoue%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="662" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsgsy-zObHzEI9Io2xa5ZDcI-akw0LXCCKP-PtGosOZM_1SeEqDInUK_LRIjHDyCJS1uFuSpiYRqnBboUi1DdzUHvT13afyyi-z92_5h96UrWgRQDLiG1rejlvqGuDW9LyneRLJ9TCQM_SO5Ik4BmYpLgN6B-CG_vzkHQVUeb17W1IOLOnvR4pA48aeo/w251-h390/Sam%20and%20Michael%20Geller%20at%20Odessa%20Synagoue%202.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father and me, along with another tourist seeking out family roots in Odessa.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After getting off the ship we went for a tour of the city with another couple whose family also had roots in the area. We visited a severely damaged synagogue and other sights. In the afternoon, we set off for City Hall. Unfortunately the Odessa mayor was in Kiev but we were received by the Deputy Mayor. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Before leaving Vancouver I attended an event held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vancouver-Odessa Sister City relationship. I purchased some items to take to Odessa, but never bothered to open them beforehand. During our meeting I presented the deputy mayor a T-shirt and pin to celebrate the anniversary. Imagine my embarrassment when my father showed me the photos he took of the ceremony in the mayor's office!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kkCLjtieQx8TzFrLfogzyXdIx-_sJe4TXmk_Et2Ca5bfTKKIyJ-Q5E6PIQqGSM6GcBCa2t7M7Do9xaPuQL_o8ftQByED30OatcIUuhsGhcPa-8Df9h3W0o_GR5Jc51LnPQmyG0X_SJne5YTvPjA3mpM3CuCD9CjY8GYgcYgptZbzFfj6yKf8mmg5_KY/s1387/Picture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1387" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kkCLjtieQx8TzFrLfogzyXdIx-_sJe4TXmk_Et2Ca5bfTKKIyJ-Q5E6PIQqGSM6GcBCa2t7M7Do9xaPuQL_o8ftQByED30OatcIUuhsGhcPa-8Df9h3W0o_GR5Jc51LnPQmyG0X_SJne5YTvPjA3mpM3CuCD9CjY8GYgcYgptZbzFfj6yKf8mmg5_KY/s320/Picture3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presenting a shirt I had purchased at the 50th anniversary celebration of Vancouver and Odessa's Sister City relationship</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IwLYJNsXVtXrXaC3HfROcf8cRjoCd1CLy8l1KyuS4k-Z2ITqR49E50DRQVzzI5ou9eMsOfUV_zC4X0QZ3w_uPsZPPvqyIdKFUWkOwyy-_RHymM5Pj28BBSb2JOPrXbj1dolC4Uv1NJmCohrUN3-s6EsPPFxlnx83k3n2o8m5TBTRZi5GEcorolPswpw/s886/deputy%20mayor%20odessa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="886" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IwLYJNsXVtXrXaC3HfROcf8cRjoCd1CLy8l1KyuS4k-Z2ITqR49E50DRQVzzI5ou9eMsOfUV_zC4X0QZ3w_uPsZPPvqyIdKFUWkOwyy-_RHymM5Pj28BBSb2JOPrXbj1dolC4Uv1NJmCohrUN3-s6EsPPFxlnx83k3n2o8m5TBTRZi5GEcorolPswpw/w406-h341/deputy%20mayor%20odessa.jpg" width="406" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case you can't read the shirt it says 'Russia-Canada'</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As I watch the nightly news and the ongoing devestation in Ukraine, I often think of the places my father and I visited together and what might have happened to them in recent years. I also think of the Deputy Mayor and what he thought of the T-shirt I gave him. But that's another story for another day!</span></div><p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-69667034147463851272024-01-03T17:16:00.000-08:002024-01-03T17:45:55.186-08:00Should BC Homeowners Grant be income tested? Katie Derosa - Vancouver Sun January 3,2024<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UJmZS1p4GPC-UJIUfRvyes_fMMGDx4AcVtukWgjLU0tj80-WdhncDJjQ4SxMgUU0RVUCecVtWLC-6hVKOJVWzJp79AGz8B9deBrrvCfHZwDyDfjOuuW4VUi5ip9mcbjXlIzMKtnndNaSbggfC98Dzn77b-duBtz5tBscWtfJrJe_ou2MyGxYqGYHt44/s621/Picture1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="621" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UJmZS1p4GPC-UJIUfRvyes_fMMGDx4AcVtukWgjLU0tj80-WdhncDJjQ4SxMgUU0RVUCecVtWLC-6hVKOJVWzJp79AGz8B9deBrrvCfHZwDyDfjOuuW4VUi5ip9mcbjXlIzMKtnndNaSbggfC98Dzn77b-duBtz5tBscWtfJrJe_ou2MyGxYqGYHt44/w356-h190/Picture1.png" width="356" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiZmJYXOaIsUfJOsK7bg9Nyq-mdFPmABXOXNnXK1t-LRXsvGFJ9aAdENjUQXpiTZjGcTcOqW7sH1C1fQFuHw3KQW8arrAnbq4RWLecoECyb-17WuQv3o95vO4PVxFStyIJOKCHYLCGUtF2vZW2eXuuOQHAkGaMqlyvojzEkNl6flrX4NfKJZ5AAwxGBA/s589/Picture2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="589" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiZmJYXOaIsUfJOsK7bg9Nyq-mdFPmABXOXNnXK1t-LRXsvGFJ9aAdENjUQXpiTZjGcTcOqW7sH1C1fQFuHw3KQW8arrAnbq4RWLecoECyb-17WuQv3o95vO4PVxFStyIJOKCHYLCGUtF2vZW2eXuuOQHAkGaMqlyvojzEkNl6flrX4NfKJZ5AAwxGBA/w317-h262/Picture2.png" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">For years, I have questioned the appropriateness and fairness of the BC Homeowners Grant (aka HOG). After all, it was introduced in 1957 by a Socred government that wanted to encourage residents to buy homes. Today, the provincial government doesn't need to encourage people to buy homes. If anything, it needs to help them save the down payment so they can afford to buy. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">So when Katie Derosa called to ask my views on the fact that the HOG price threshold will remain around $2.1 million it seemed a good opportunity for me to share just some of my concerns about the tax. The first one is that it isn't income tested in anyway. Recipients don't even have to declare it on their income tax filing. But more importantly, the price threshold is the same for every city, town or village in the province. So while $2.1 million might be the price of an modest detached house on the west side of Vancouver, it will buy you the nicest house in many BC communities. In fact, at this price, it includes 92% of all the properties in BC! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Given that this tax costs us over $900 million, I do not think it's the best way to address housing affordability in BC. Better to spend the money on more social housing and others in great need. While not all my thoughts made it into Katie's story, she did an excellent job of reporting on my key points. Here's her story from today's Vancouver Sun.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The annual B.C. government grant that knocks a chunk off most homeowners’ property taxes unfairly gives land-rich homeowners more of a tax break than renters and should be overhauled or scrapped, some real estate analysts say.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The grant amounts for 2024 will be the same as
last year, which gives homeowners in the Capital Regional District, Fraser
Valley Regional District and Metro Vancouver up to a $570 property tax break
while homeowners outside those areas get a $770 tax break. Homeowners must use
their property as a principal residence to qualify for the grant.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Seniors, veterans or people with a disability
are eligible for a property tax savings of up to $845 in the Capital Regional
District, Fraser Valley Regional District and Metro Vancouver, or $1,045
outside those areas.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Michael Geller, a Vancouver-based developer
and real estate consultant, said he has a few problems with the “archaic”
homeowners grant, which was created in 1957 by Social Credit premier W.A.C.
Bennett.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“One is the universal price (threshold) for
the entire province, which I think is wrong,” he said. “Not having any form of
income testing, I think is wrong.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It’s a mistake, Geller said, to have one
property value threshold for the entire province which doesn’t reflect the
varying house prices in urban centres compared to more rural parts of B.C.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">So $2.1 million, that might be an average
single family house on the west side of Vancouver,” he said. “But that may well
be the most expensive house in Castlegar. So why are we giving a grant to
someone who owns the most expensive homes in many communities throughout the
province?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Geller said it’s not fair that the $400
renters’ credit is income-tested but the homeowners grant is not. The renters’
rebate was a key B.C. NDP promise during the 2017 election, which Premier David
Eby made good on in last year’s budget.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Only renters with a household income of
$60,000 or less will get the full $400 tax credit — which critics note will
amount to $33 a month — while those who make between $60,000 and $80,000
receive a reduced amount. Finance Minister Katrine Conroy was not available for
an interview Tuesday but in a statement that 80 per cent of renting households
will get the credit, which will come this spring when they file their 2023
taxes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“I think it’s still renters who are feeling
far greater stress than most homeowners,” said Geller, who is also an adjunct
professor of Simon Fraser University’s centre for sustainable community
development.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“People who own homes — and this might get me
into trouble — are generally better off than people who rent. That’s another
reason in my mind for questioning whether that homeowners grant is really
appropriate in this day and age,” said Geller, who doesn’t receive the
homeowners grant because his home is assessed at more than $2.1 million.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Geller predicts that in the next few years,
the program will be cancelled or “significantly refined” but it’s not something
that will happen before the October provincial election.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Conroy said there are no plans to change the
grant program to make it income tested or vary the threshold based on geography
or type of home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“The homeowner grant provides modest property
tax relief for eligible owners,” she said in the statement. “That includes
almost half a million seniors who have seen costs rise but their income stay
the same.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The program costs taxpayers $900 million a
year while the Finance Ministry has budgeted $307 million for the renter’s
rebate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Andy Yan, urban planner and director of the
City Program at Simon Fraser University, agrees that the homeowners grant needs
a “rethinking” to avoid giving homeowners a better perk than renters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“If homeowners are given this break, are
tenants given a similar break? For example, people living in Vancouver specials
renting out their basements or first floors, do they pass on the savings” to
tenants?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Yan said 40 per cent of British Columbians are
renters and don’t benefit from the homeowners’ grant.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Maybe this conversation isn’t talking about
taking away homeowners grants, but … increasing the renters’ credit,” Yan said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In response to written questions from
Postmedia, Conroy gave no indication the government plans to increase the
renters’ credit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><a href="mailto:kderosa@postmedia.com"><span style="color: #191919;">kderosa@postmedia.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-31085283844366332252023-12-28T07:34:00.000-08:002023-12-28T07:36:18.305-08:00Michael Geller: A look at past and future predictions for B.C. Real Estate<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KykTOHh3lIXuSizzSHjLdqkxXDDfACNePOok2q74pMw007VpP6lbm5QtZQWsAwSgQivmuTv3ItNU7rkn5RRz4wQ59Xx1fNJlmKlzk01gQI0a1jtBQ8zXvLKGb2OdOAx3-uwVqw2VHGmT029tGCQYGkLNzhmYDeVKLOg2DvlKnbAs4twpz3nH8xO0n6Y/s784/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="624" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KykTOHh3lIXuSizzSHjLdqkxXDDfACNePOok2q74pMw007VpP6lbm5QtZQWsAwSgQivmuTv3ItNU7rkn5RRz4wQ59Xx1fNJlmKlzk01gQI0a1jtBQ8zXvLKGb2OdOAx3-uwVqw2VHGmT029tGCQYGkLNzhmYDeVKLOg2DvlKnbAs4twpz3nH8xO0n6Y/w410-h514/Picture1.png" width="410" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">This Metro Vancouver housing project shows how four homes can be built
on one former single-family lot. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">PHOTO
BY MICHAEL GELLER</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">When The Vancouver Sun invited me to write
another year-end outlook column, I immediately wondered whether any of <a href="https://vancouversun.com/homes/metro-vancouver-real-estate-commentator-michael-geller-reflects-on-past-predictions-looks-to-the-future" target="_blank"><span style="color: #191919;">my 2022 predictions</span></a> had
come true. After all, while it is easy to make predictions, the past few years
have taught us how difficult it is to get them right.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Last year, some of my predictions turned out to be correct, but many
were incredibly wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">For instance, I observed there was a desire
for more housing choices within established single-family neighbourhoods. I
noted that many municipalities in B.C. had new mayors and councils, and the
province had an energetic new premier. Housing affordability was and would
remain top of mind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While I did not expect expanded speculation
and vacancy taxes, there was a growing acceptance that streamlining provincial
and municipal approval procedures would reduce housing costs. I even created
a <a href="https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2022/12/2022-holiday-greeting-card-12-practical.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #191919;">holiday greeting card offering
ideas for the Twelve Days of Christmas</span></a>, describing how governments
could improve development approval procedures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Although I was wrong about the speculation and
vacancy tax — which was, surprisingly, <a href="https://vancouversun.com/business/real-estate/bc-expands-speculation-tax" target="_blank"><span style="color: #191919;">expanded to 13 more communities</span></a>,
including Parksville and Qualicum Beach — the provincial government appeared to
have adopted many of the suggestions in my humble holiday greeting card.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It overhauled municipal planning and approval
procedures by eliminating the need for many rezonings and public hearings. It
even put an end to “let’s make a deal” community amenity contributions —
negotiated and charged to developers for things such as community centres,
daycares and parks, but passed on to homebuyers and renters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">More significantly, the province passed
legislation allowing “missing middle” <a href="https://vancouversun.com/homes/comment-new-zoning-rules-will-transform-b-c-s-single-family-neighbourhoods" target="_blank"><span style="color: #191919;">small-scale, multi-housing on most
single-family lots throughout the province</span></a>. I did not expect
legislation of this scope, nor do I expect to see many multi-family homes on
single-family lots in the coming year either in Vancouver or around the
province.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">For one thing, too many details
still need to be worked out, including reconciling the province’s latest policy
directives and existing municipal zoning regulations. There is also a need to
determine how best to fund the required upgrades to municipal services and
community amenities.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While many municipal politicians and planners
are worried the province is taking over their historic planning functions, I
expect municipalities will continue to play the major role in regulating new
developments. After all, if the municipal engineer determines there is
insufficient sewer capacity in an area, multi-housing projects will not
proceed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Last year, I predicted that in 2023, we could
expect to see greater interest in “mass timber” construction and offsite
manufactured housing. This turned out to be correct.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Many are discovering that manufactured housing
is faster, quality-controlled, less wasteful, and more energy efficient.
Factory construction can also help address the province’s severe shortage of
skilled construction labour. Since the federal government is dreaming of
building 3.5 million new homes across Canada by 2030, expect even more
applications of factory construction in the years to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In previous year-end forecasts, I often wrote
about the need to reduce excessive minimum parking regulations. After all, most
cars cause pollution, traffic congestion and climate change, and are expensive
to operate. However, this past year, I was shocked by decisions by Vancouver
City Council and the province that, in certain instances, there would not be a
requirement for any off-street parking.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While I am pleased to see minimum parking
requirements eliminated, I do not expect many projects to proceed without
parking. Although car-sharing opportunities are increasing, and public transit
is improving, many of us cannot get by without our cars. As people start
bickering over limited on-street parking, developers and homebuilders will
still need to provide off-street parking if they want to attract buyers to new
homes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In several year-end forecasts, I have promoted
home-sharing as a partial solution to our housing crisis. After all, it is
estimated that 18 per cent of all <a href="https://censusmapper.ca/maps/101" target="_blank"><span style="color: #191919;">Metro Vancouver bedrooms are empty</span></a> at a time when
there is a severe shortage of affordable rental accommodation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Last year, I wrote about home-share websites
that matched seniors with other seniors or students, or other household
pairings. So, I was pleased to read Vancouver Sun reporter <a href="https://vancouversun.com/business/real-estate/how-high-is-vancouver-real-estate-strangers-are-buying-houses-together" target="_blank"><span style="color: #191919;">Lori Culbert’s recent story</span></a> describing
how home-sharing can benefit both tenants and homeowners struggling with a high
mortgage.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The article reported that listings for shared
accommodation increased 42 per cent year-over-year. Where past listings
featured people looking for a roommate, now more listings are homeowners
looking to fill spare rooms. And some landlords are even posting ads for people
to share an apartment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I am currently working on an affordable North
Shore housing project in which most apartments feature a flexible design so
they can be shared by unrelated people. Many living rooms are designed to
become bedrooms at night, as is customary in many homes worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">So, what about future home prices and rents?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Last year, I observed that notwithstanding
ambitious federal immigration targets, most analysts expected home prices to
decline in 2023 but not crash. However, rents would continue to rise since many
approved projects would not proceed — due to higher construction costs and
interest rates — and would be put on the back burner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Rents did rise significantly in part because
new projects could not be financed. However, analysts were wrong about house
prices. While they varied by location and product type, overall prices
increased by an average of 4.3 per cent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As we approach 2024, many British Columbians,
especially the hundreds of thousands of homeowners facing mortgage renewals,
are worried about future interest rates, house prices and rental costs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">During the past month, I have been studying
economists’ predictions for the coming year. Other than agreeing that interest
rates are not likely to increase, there appears to be little consensus.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">From my perspective as someone involved in
residential development, given the shortage of skilled labour and higher
construction costs, combined with ever-increasing municipal fees and charges, I
expect new housing will be more expensive to build.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Sadly, not only will this result in higher
prices and rents for new homes, but it will also inflate existing home prices
and rents since, as we have witnessed over recent years, a rising tide lifts
all boats.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">On this depressing note, let me wish you a
happy holiday season and a more peaceful and affordable 2024.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Michael Geller is an urban planner, real
estate consultant and property developer. He serves on the adjunct faculty of
SFU’s Centre for Sustainable Development and School of Resource and
Environmental Management. His blog can be found at <a href="https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #191919;">gellersworldtravel.blogspot.ca</span></a>.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-13050461345345905162023-12-25T13:17:00.000-08:002023-12-25T13:18:10.457-08:00<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHW21jyltjC2OSi6JiQTqnN3zIcz3q2d4UINczkfGAuE1Zachp2hF3dD_29JY-djiBECXxwUTkmleZZTKbbwlgoS8QfB5-E6XpCj91-xPOdCi-PXBhZIuTSVmBUCB6R-dwuBJQYFYT_QhOxfO2EXQo08u0NuLLKTQ4V4vFL6pOpAVr4lfUFQMDMxQG3Y/s624/Picture1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="624" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHW21jyltjC2OSi6JiQTqnN3zIcz3q2d4UINczkfGAuE1Zachp2hF3dD_29JY-djiBECXxwUTkmleZZTKbbwlgoS8QfB5-E6XpCj91-xPOdCi-PXBhZIuTSVmBUCB6R-dwuBJQYFYT_QhOxfO2EXQo08u0NuLLKTQ4V4vFL6pOpAVr4lfUFQMDMxQG3Y/w334-h288/Picture1.png" width="334" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gc-QXtCQVJTtfhcWyZyMa9AXEcEy1qw4yh5Q9SHOFt4Q2yag3pCfaqiQH6bJvIeBf9LHJBPjl9FDgNVPHlwemYvYMmjAeEukEge_PLgUWhwzmP-Y6v-ZYcUlI1hXsFw1e05tdAdo-Z1s_k15WI7ANU66bcz3kqcmUwwCZ0ueDqoyYn4VloToXOA5WPA/s624/Picture2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="624" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gc-QXtCQVJTtfhcWyZyMa9AXEcEy1qw4yh5Q9SHOFt4Q2yag3pCfaqiQH6bJvIeBf9LHJBPjl9FDgNVPHlwemYvYMmjAeEukEge_PLgUWhwzmP-Y6v-ZYcUlI1hXsFw1e05tdAdo-Z1s_k15WI7ANU66bcz3kqcmUwwCZ0ueDqoyYn4VloToXOA5WPA/w406-h212/Picture2.png" width="406" /></a></div><br />Many
of Vancouver’s present housing concerns – the price of accommodation, the
availability of houses and the role of foreign investment – have been vexing
the city since the 1970s, says Vancouver developer and retired architect
Michael Geller.<p></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“Although housing cost
less in absolute terms at that time, the affordability problem was much the
same as today,” Geller says. “The issue received a lot of attention, including
newspaper and magazine articles and even books.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">The problem today is more
severe than it was 50 years ago, however.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“Affordable housing is
more out of reach now in the Lower Mainland than it has ever been,” he says.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Geller discussed the
region’s affordability problem and related ups and downs in a recent
presentation at Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies called Looking
Backward and Forward: Vancouver’s Changing Urban Development Landscape.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Vancouver is not the only
Canadian city with a housing affordability problem, says Geller.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“Vancouver and Toronto
have had similar experiences,” he says. “What differentiates Vancouver is its
limited land supply. The region is hemmed in by the Pacific Ocean, the north
and south branches of the Fraser River, the Coast Mountains and the U.S. border.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“And Vancouver has a
relatively moderate climate. It’s still green here in January and lots of
natural beauty that attracts people from all over the world.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Beginning in the 1970s,
governments recognized there was a housing problem, so they put in place
programs, such as the Multiple Unit Residential Building Program, to mitigate
the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“In the 1980s, Vancouver
began to encourage people to live downtown, not just the West End (between
downtown and Stanley Park), where highrise apartment buildings had been popping
up since the1950s and 1960s,” says Geller. “And there were government programs
then to support the purchase of housing downtown.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">In the early 1990s,
however, most of the federal government programs ended.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“Because there was still a
need for housing, the provincial government and municipal governments in the
Lower Mainland created their own programs,” says Geller. “Much industrial land
was rezoned for residential development in Vancouver, North Vancouver and New
Westminster.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">At the time there was
little concern about the loss of industrial land close to the centre of the
region.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“There was plenty of
rental housing and condos created close to downtown, but by then many of the
jobs had moved to the suburbs,” says Geller. “Now Vancouver has a serious
shortage of industrial land.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">According to a recent
study commissioned by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and NAIOP Vancouver,
a commercial real estate advocacy group, the city’s industrial land vacancy is
about one per cent, among the lowest in North America.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Vancouver needs more
multiple-family housing, says Geller, and it should be located along main
streets, such as Broadway and Cambie, and close to schools and community
centres.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“There will still be
plenty of single-family housing,” he says. “What’s needed are more ‘missing
middle gentle-density’ initiatives of the kind there are in Washington State
and Oregon, small-scale townhouses in single-family neighbourhoods.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Geller says creative
solutions need to be found to make housing in the region more affordable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“For example, some
residential development should be allowed on light industrial properties,” says
Geller. “Today’s industry is different from industry in the mid-20th century.
It’s not as big, dirty or intrusive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“And 50 years ago, nobody
would have thought of building condos over commercial properties. But there’s
different thinking today. Supermarkets, for example, make very attractive
anchors for residential condominium developments.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Another outside-the-box
idea for tackling the housing situation is home-sharing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“It’s similar to
car-sharing, and it’s coming,” says Geller. “According to the Canadian Centre
for Economic Analysis, there are an estimated 800,000 empty bedrooms in
Vancouver.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Finally, he says, we
should replicate the network of efficient interurban trains that used to
connect the regional municipalities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“There should be lines
east as far as Chilliwack and northward to Squamish.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Geller, who has lived in
Vancouver since the mid-‘70s, says the city and the region are in danger of
losing their quality of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“What made Vancouver
attractive and what brought me and others here – the natural beauty, the
openness, the greenery, the unobstructed views of the mountains and the ocean,
little traffic, no congestion – is gradually being lost,” he says.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">Geller’s presentation was
followed by responses from Ray Spaxman, a retired architect, urban designer and
planner; Michael Epp, Metro Vancouver director of housing planning and
development; and Zoe Brook, development manager at Brook Development Management.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #4a4a4a;">“My idea in selecting the
responders was that Spaxman represented the past, Epp the present and Brook the
future,” says Geller.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<span href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/news/economic/2023/12/vancouvers-affordability-challenge-an-old-story-says-developer" role="button" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-size: 1.1rem; padding: 0.5rem;" tabindex="0" target="_blank" title="Pin on Pinterest"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9);"><svg alt="Print" aria-labelledby="at-svg-print-5" class="at-icon at-icon-print" role="img" style="height: 32px; width: 32px;" title="Print" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 32 32" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M24.67 10.62h-2.86V7.49H10.82v3.12H7.95c-.5 0-.9.4-.9.9v7.66h3.77v1.31L15 24.66h6.81v-5.44h3.77v-7.7c-.01-.5-.41-.9-.91-.9zM11.88 8.56h8.86v2.06h-8.86V8.56zm10.98 9.18h-1.05v-2.1h-1.06v7.96H16.4c-1.58 0-.82-3.74-.82-3.74s-3.65.89-3.69-.78v-3.43h-1.06v2.06H9.77v-3.58h13.09v3.61zm.75-4.91c-.4 0-.72-.32-.72-.72s.32-.72.72-.72c.4 0 .72.32.72.72s-.32.72-.72.72zm-4.12 2.96h-6.1v1.06h6.1v-1.06zm-6.11 3.15h6.1v-1.06h-6.1v1.06z"></path></g></svg></span></span>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-49966830631791439162023-12-25T13:10:00.000-08:002023-12-25T13:10:28.279-08:00STOREYS.COM - 20 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN BC REAL ESTATE - October 2023<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe3AmVcfjGLY9Gg76JicH9cbzWnvsdhI-2hwPOsmFkiVfobxXgly4DwJSxz-0HmsJALEPw2UqJb__b1iyoVWKwD_5IcX_V6bD_epVuPjrrMmeYm-ngj2rxExAfNV8bNcjKXfpxUR13mDwmr3S6fR-DHhVuz-ooD2swTpPBaTzlLWinCZPGckuVkYE5ZE/s624/Picture4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzviIqDoiBCp5VPT3yFbXydKLuk9syjVMbGAN6gqD4QUIEZ0dzEWLaRCmAQGHQHqjxRCAp0_z66K4KLJnB3-M9FfqzYfeP4wzBFYmEp9Ifdd53uQHCwk7IWcLhfl9cZ1aqmUmNQdrhWKel14EfxUAlqMvmtuaoMttsHohqlFUD9NurxoL3gQjh1I8Jlh4/s624/Picture7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="624" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzviIqDoiBCp5VPT3yFbXydKLuk9syjVMbGAN6gqD4QUIEZ0dzEWLaRCmAQGHQHqjxRCAp0_z66K4KLJnB3-M9FfqzYfeP4wzBFYmEp9Ifdd53uQHCwk7IWcLhfl9cZ1aqmUmNQdrhWKel14EfxUAlqMvmtuaoMttsHohqlFUD9NurxoL3gQjh1I8Jlh4/w391-h253/Picture7.png" width="391" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-10178626488681603032023-12-25T13:01:00.000-08:002023-12-25T13:01:36.410-08:00Business in Vancouver - The Most Influential Business Leaders in BC October 2023<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_TGNO6fVs4tROiIZQTGUQddNNstfeAkU7_nE9Na0cdZGW1gxugbvUEWlmmnj4hNTtvGdylE2vguc7cRW8YPPA-hcdxOJn8I_p0NYGI3hmqjdpf4s3WzJY_KTxU822M4wtpQET_CVLiGu6O93GB6qyyiBWFSmA0wBtecLXmN1ZIqTp-UxUwG9jxcDkxY/s666/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="624" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_TGNO6fVs4tROiIZQTGUQddNNstfeAkU7_nE9Na0cdZGW1gxugbvUEWlmmnj4hNTtvGdylE2vguc7cRW8YPPA-hcdxOJn8I_p0NYGI3hmqjdpf4s3WzJY_KTxU822M4wtpQET_CVLiGu6O93GB6qyyiBWFSmA0wBtecLXmN1ZIqTp-UxUwG9jxcDkxY/s320/Picture1.png" width="300" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiydXKNeG4U4CM1qLekMJ89d1pLjL6b7_ggv3AH2YtpCSK-F5_lpzk_4BUOSHh0mFe9dzEg2wNkvCQpAlu9toEl6BGcAB7WrF9pr5o_LXr_uF9ht3Mcy-ZbY-Cea_73an_nmmC3RmEXLCMSthtTyDpTPZoH2YJv9wKTGe_J0h-xfXpXsbLRFb1zOXGjtE/s963/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="963" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiydXKNeG4U4CM1qLekMJ89d1pLjL6b7_ggv3AH2YtpCSK-F5_lpzk_4BUOSHh0mFe9dzEg2wNkvCQpAlu9toEl6BGcAB7WrF9pr5o_LXr_uF9ht3Mcy-ZbY-Cea_73an_nmmC3RmEXLCMSthtTyDpTPZoH2YJv9wKTGe_J0h-xfXpXsbLRFb1zOXGjtE/w383-h242/Picture2.png" width="383" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFsA6BXAkykl_GTYnlNnSrx2bbZt8rXX_S5m1Y05qQ5EC_Ts2J7NvUOF-RGZBmVeiLqy7Yhd1dt073W7CRHapeQL_KDgTT3JF0lgtQqhaM-B2wktGRK0CBZF1ae8Ws3mlib9IJxcb4owyHv2At2-k3pKoDSXlBxgZ4zTKk40hAoi3-R4B8Za6lfMnTxw/s713/Picture3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="482" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFsA6BXAkykl_GTYnlNnSrx2bbZt8rXX_S5m1Y05qQ5EC_Ts2J7NvUOF-RGZBmVeiLqy7Yhd1dt073W7CRHapeQL_KDgTT3JF0lgtQqhaM-B2wktGRK0CBZF1ae8Ws3mlib9IJxcb4owyHv2At2-k3pKoDSXlBxgZ4zTKk40hAoi3-R4B8Za6lfMnTxw/w272-h403/Picture3.png" width="272" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-22380796712261172812023-12-25T12:39:00.000-08:002023-12-25T12:40:28.326-08:00New Zoning Rules will Transform BC Neighbourhoods- Michael Geller - Vancouver Sun - Nov 21, 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqqtspGUr_F0VF_cBlm4DRslEpL1gEQF5hi72ekQHG_4ThdDmTefJVEetgwD9Epy0ocZO9Y4x5DbE9ZKuk9XQBYgQ6eUhsWHryoibPn5McMelOidrpXHQYCKc-JwXNqWvvlWQBYQUpWZ26rPFVNVcH_OEsV2JSPIawHje7xW9BbSHKNCW8Bp0qG_9z7c/s624/Picture1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="624" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqqtspGUr_F0VF_cBlm4DRslEpL1gEQF5hi72ekQHG_4ThdDmTefJVEetgwD9Epy0ocZO9Y4x5DbE9ZKuk9XQBYgQ6eUhsWHryoibPn5McMelOidrpXHQYCKc-JwXNqWvvlWQBYQUpWZ26rPFVNVcH_OEsV2JSPIawHje7xW9BbSHKNCW8Bp0qG_9z7c/w408-h192/Picture1.png" width="408" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCChDxBVgqY_VatTDvHIuGX0fAuY3tDLt6gyOlODbJpQoT548k5GlVTul5-jEln-4BcSwAbbcY3c7OngggLzg31lnKokdS6G_v8bUpO19yOW-OjCK_0RI0lz-YLgtgZJYoTLHEw1y2uFpeV1jOveZkCpijBmJM79E_o-9S5Xs0qWGyvUFGQw2S8uxdLg0/s624/Picture2.png" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="624" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCChDxBVgqY_VatTDvHIuGX0fAuY3tDLt6gyOlODbJpQoT548k5GlVTul5-jEln-4BcSwAbbcY3c7OngggLzg31lnKokdS6G_v8bUpO19yOW-OjCK_0RI0lz-YLgtgZJYoTLHEw1y2uFpeV1jOveZkCpijBmJM79E_o-9S5Xs0qWGyvUFGQw2S8uxdLg0/w435-h352/Picture2.png" width="435" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There’s a revolution about to take place in
British Columbia that will transform single-family neighbourhoods throughout
B.C.’s cities and towns.</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Given current zoning bylaws, single-family
neighbourhoods often occupy 70 per cent of the land area, while housing less
than 20 per cent of the population.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In Vancouver, these single-family
neighbourhoods have been transforming over the past 20 years. While houses have
often included basement suites, it was not until 2004 that the city amended its
bylaws to legalize them. Other municipalities soon followed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In 2009, Vancouver again amended its
single-family zoning bylaws to allow laneway homes to be built on many lots.
Since then, it is estimated that approximately 5,400 have been built. Again,
other municipalities have followed Vancouver’s lead.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Consequently, it has been possible to build
three dwellings on a single-family lot: the main house, a basement suite, and a
laneway house. However, basement suites and laneway houses could not be sold
separately from the main house. They had to be rentals, although lawyers and
financial institutions discovered a way to allow some laneway houses to be sold
through Tenancy in Common agreements.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">All this is about to change. In September,
Vancouver City Council approved new zoning bylaw changes to allow ‘multiplexes’
on single-family lots. It also simplified regulations for all RS, or
single-family zones.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">A multiplex is a single residential structure
comprising multiple units. Depending on the lot size, up to six dwellings can
be built on a single lot. If all the homes are rental, up to eight dwellings
will be permitted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">These multiplexes can take
different forms. They might be designed as a side-by-side duplex with a suite
below each half and a laneway house in the rear. Or they could be a small
cluster of townhomes.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIPE_FEW-2lZqJT-zlJ-qBI5B7FBU_H7U-GkdLi2f22YLYfZFiuDnfA8pL3k3d_gjBbTc7F2JXAqmw7n4Fcze4u1crkTN4qF6AMK6Z4dieMzTI7idoVs5WlZg1w3jVIrmdFZk4m2y0I_4sK25JUpTpBmM19syvutHKg_SEiuuSpSkCiMR2BLkmcp8xz8/s564/1121_homes_geller.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="564" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIPE_FEW-2lZqJT-zlJ-qBI5B7FBU_H7U-GkdLi2f22YLYfZFiuDnfA8pL3k3d_gjBbTc7F2JXAqmw7n4Fcze4u1crkTN4qF6AMK6Z4dieMzTI7idoVs5WlZg1w3jVIrmdFZk4m2y0I_4sK25JUpTpBmM19syvutHKg_SEiuuSpSkCiMR2BLkmcp8xz8/w486-h220/1121_homes_geller.webp" width="486" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>This West Vancouver development locates four homes on what was once a
single-family lot, with one parking space for each unit. </i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">To encourage the construction of multiple
homes on single-family lots, the city is allowing an increased floor space
ratio (FSR). This is the ratio of the total building area to the area of the
lot.</span></div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Under the previous zoning, a lot with a
principal dwelling, basement suite and laneway house could not exceed a 0.86
FSR. In other words, on a 5,000-square-foot lot, the area of the three
dwellings could not exceed 4,300 square feet. Under the new multiplex zoning,
the FSR increases to 1.0. Therefore, the total area of the dwellings can
increase to 5,000 square feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The maximum allowable height remains at 36
feet. However, previously, houses could not be more than 2.5 storeys, with the
top floor smaller than the floor below. Now three-storey buildings are
permitted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Under Vancouver’s new multiplex zoning, both
ownership and rental housing may be developed. In some instances, all the
dwellings could be strata-titled and sold. Alternatively, one or more units
could remain affordable ownership or rental. In lieu of creating an affordable
unit, the builder can make a financial contribution to the city. The amount of
this contribution will depend on the size of the lot and where it is located in
the city.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">More specifically, for the purposes of
calculating the contribution, the city is being divided into three sub-areas:
east side, central, and west side. For typical 33-foot lots, the builder will
pay $3 for every square foot above a 0.7 floor space ratio, up to 1.0. However,
on larger lots, the payment will range from $70 to $140 per additional square
foot depending on the location. Other rates will apply to mid-size lots in each
sub-area.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">One significant change relates to parking.
Previously, the city required a minimum of one space for a single-family
dwelling, regardless of whether there was a laneway house and basement suite.
Under the new multiplex zoning, there is no off-street parking requirement.
None whatsoever. In practice, I expect builders will want to provide some
parking, especially for more expensive homes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">This brings me to a key question: How much
will these new homes cost? In a staff presentation to Vancouver City Council,
it was suggested that a new house on a standard east side lot might sell for
$2.8 million; a duplex might sell for $1.5 million; and a fourplex unit might
sell for $1.1 million.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">If six homes were built and sold, I would
estimate that the average price might come down to $800,000.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In terms of price per square foot, estimates
range from $1,100 to $1,450 per square foot, depending on location. The average
sale price could be in the order of $1,200 per square foot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While this is still expensive, it is
comparable to a similarly sized suite in a larger apartment building, and many
will prefer having their own front door at street level.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While Vancouver’s multiplex zoning is
significant, it is not as significant as the provincial government’s recent
Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing announcement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">This proposed legislation will permit one
secondary suite or one laneway home on every lot in smaller communities
throughout B.C. In municipalities of more than 5,000 people, new zoning
regulations will allow three to four units on lots currently zoned for
single-family or duplex use, depending on lot size, and six units on larger
lots close to transit stops with frequent service.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Michael Geller FCIP, RPP, MLAI, Ret. Architect
AIBC is an urban planner, real estate consultant and property developer with
five decades experience in the public, private and institutional sectors. He
serves on the Adjunct Faculty of SFU’s Centre for Sustainable Development and
School of Resource and Environmental Management. His blog can be found at <a href="http://www.gellersworldtravel.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #191919;">gellersworldtravel.blogspot.ca</span></a>.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-279335559996007522023-12-17T15:26:00.000-08:002023-12-17T16:00:26.260-08:00My 2023 Holiday Greeting 'Card' - 12 new ideas to make housing more affordable and livable<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcYwI7i1RLUD-eNvTxhs5MgdKFo4vouLvk0h5L20PNMOeApAOifCc7jVB-8R3IESbstsT15yQxLwzoRyo2E2z9lzEtyZ8G_nbikVouAHU8GpkjbtyMhntYKkQSjYc74s5YK42D8_hMuFF3w2fhWSdtTRhpdiMbzyJ8eoGEWgV752OtWSY9a9Q1yZi8nQ/s1280/Slide1.JPG" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcYwI7i1RLUD-eNvTxhs5MgdKFo4vouLvk0h5L20PNMOeApAOifCc7jVB-8R3IESbstsT15yQxLwzoRyo2E2z9lzEtyZ8G_nbikVouAHU8GpkjbtyMhntYKkQSjYc74s5YK42D8_hMuFF3w2fhWSdtTRhpdiMbzyJ8eoGEWgV752OtWSY9a9Q1yZi8nQ/w363-h204/Slide1.JPG" width="363" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Since first establishing my company in 1983, I have created annual holiday greeting cards since they are a wonderful way to keep in touch with people with whom you have been out of touch. Since 2011, the cards have often featured 12 ideas for the 12 days of Christmas. Last year's card offered 12 ways to improve the approval process, and I'm pleased to note that several were in fact adopted by the government. <a href="https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2022/12/">https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2022/12/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My 2021 Card offered 12 Gentle Density 'Missing Middle' housing ideas, some of which were adopted by both Vancouver and the province this past year. <a href="https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2021/12/gellers-2021-holiday-greeting-card.html">https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2021/12/gellers-2021-holiday-greeting-card.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I know that my cards weren't the primary impetus for the changes in government policies, but I like to think that every little bit helps.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This year's card is no different. It offers 12 new ideas including a new approach to property assessments; allowing housing to be integrated with light industrial uses; a greater emphasis on home sharing and flex housing; wider application of retractable balcony glass without impacting FSR calculations; a request to stop selling density; a request for a new approach to financing growth; a call for greater application of modular housing; and individually owned fee-simple rowhouses; new incentives to retain heritage buildings; a nexus lane for prequalified applicants at city hall; and a revised local area plan for the Downtown Eastside to allow it to become a more 'normal' community with a broader mix of housing types, tenures and households. Hopefully this will stop it from remaining a crime-ridden ghetto. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">While electronic cards are not as friendly as hard copies that can be personalized, I still get a lot of enjoyment from reviewing mailing lists and sending them out. In addition, the cards sometimes help promote my projects and provoke discussions about new planning and housing ideas. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Since many of the ideas set out in my 2021 and 2022 cards were adopted by the provincial government, I am hoping some of the ideas in this year's card will also come to fruition. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9isqz4WgQaO0yB6aKqH4ahMJCXacCKGXdpsp6KZuKGD9evmSJDisZ4xZ8OnLSa16PRPh22_MukOwEYbgnsY_R-A6eSuptxii2LIiFQWpQRKD2zFc25NcQFRHyNAZLfZfOGjRm1LiqOl5UdwAmV2EvoCb8cgrmPczty5eFm46GMlQ6C14LByk3LQuhAHQ/s1280/Slide2.JPG" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9isqz4WgQaO0yB6aKqH4ahMJCXacCKGXdpsp6KZuKGD9evmSJDisZ4xZ8OnLSa16PRPh22_MukOwEYbgnsY_R-A6eSuptxii2LIiFQWpQRKD2zFc25NcQFRHyNAZLfZfOGjRm1LiqOl5UdwAmV2EvoCb8cgrmPczty5eFm46GMlQ6C14LByk3LQuhAHQ/w373-h210/Slide2.JPG" width="373" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdIBIo6DqW_VGiqH1afCC4mu3oPyJ-0CNqsUWco3VvpX7K4TU2vH9ZMwAFUjBKJgONQQKwKE6GzRuXYCqQ1-UYFAo7jUfzQ9M21p3gPJQWuheALyxyyyE96eVjTntni_f_K7fMA1jKphzK2G_aklZVsZ7KJgSZaa2ov4cSKD-cddu3AHw4ZlD3C1aAsI/s1280/Slide3.JPG" style="font-family: arial; 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margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEREF16BUf1U8WsnHDOCbxF6GPQN0U7_TUw9kIbYv3d4ayJf8RIAf0XgquPy6T58MA6oAkS1T8SgQJ0HZVI4UWIHcfwoNRwi-smx0NAGX0HSrywIsrV_Nszffm625gfnX1qy-rtPy4mIpVmHBLmI9E1UUFrgoDdltRilBcvJ92MJ-IUGSqKxPeKVFQD4I/w390-h220/Slide17.JPG" width="390" /></a></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-58782549269052366242023-12-17T15:03:00.000-08:002023-12-17T15:03:47.947-08:00A week in Arizona - Culdesac and Mountain Shadows Resort<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ9Xluy1bmW9dzo2-p5961ePKKvhkyaJ2fchhCg05Dlrne6prLMX7SgTAncgvbDpFn29NIvVjzDHmrOyiSzfLsYQnGtF5gYZB6oFYKVHc5C_30_XNQlWSICurbjG4hIZc8smL_GJHJeKcen6tA7Gb02D75e-AktwcTElPa6FPOh-r0LbqnbwUXhdu86M/s2342/20231210_120836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="2342" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ9Xluy1bmW9dzo2-p5961ePKKvhkyaJ2fchhCg05Dlrne6prLMX7SgTAncgvbDpFn29NIvVjzDHmrOyiSzfLsYQnGtF5gYZB6oFYKVHc5C_30_XNQlWSICurbjG4hIZc8smL_GJHJeKcen6tA7Gb02D75e-AktwcTElPa6FPOh-r0LbqnbwUXhdu86M/w536-h253/20231210_120836.jpg" width="536" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Earlier this month I took a week to get some sun and explore new housing developments in Arizona. I was particularly interested in seeing Cul-de-Sac, <a href="https://culdesac.com/">https://culdesac.com/</a> which was presented as America's first car-free community. I thought this was quite remarkable since Arizona is very much a car-oriented state, and Phoenix is a particularly car oriented city. What I found was more of a rental housing development, rather than a new community or neighbourhood. But it's a start. Here's some information based on a Wikipedia post and my own observations.. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPSkDiVHcWR0h3rRvdHLrutKLtp_vWfkGC71l9DXbQE4-Rw8sQgf7b74HB7dGEZFbmeRTuqT15khrTQrfxL4wWwZefCTGkM3SQ1LTNwrZDrwTrlF0L4iLqaWmoW3eg1VTPjSGoSaZ_vKAtJAMO7AKyH-UuYcVNSZDp7WBTI3v9lfvsOnXQBUUuBXJT4Q/s2696/20231210_120244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2696" data-original-width="1276" height="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPSkDiVHcWR0h3rRvdHLrutKLtp_vWfkGC71l9DXbQE4-Rw8sQgf7b74HB7dGEZFbmeRTuqT15khrTQrfxL4wWwZefCTGkM3SQ1LTNwrZDrwTrlF0L4iLqaWmoW3eg1VTPjSGoSaZ_vKAtJAMO7AKyH-UuYcVNSZDp7WBTI3v9lfvsOnXQBUUuBXJT4Q/w282-h599/20231210_120244.jpg" width="282" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">C</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDqymswVGwiizx0zm4YYezoHBYpQRDPoOBCgYPhGt4XCI-3_NIKgV9MCHPgAgkE7_v2FCyR0hyphenhyphenMWmpAg6C4PPfX1j29gwxLRVJSu9tAsqXvGpUeC9M6aFSE3o9gAabxEKkJ9KEiFFXhCcvsB1VgZ65BM_Hg5KtL-yzVqwAjkm02oSPkk-wGhRoP33Mgg/s2894/20231210_115944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2894" data-original-width="1369" height="595" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDqymswVGwiizx0zm4YYezoHBYpQRDPoOBCgYPhGt4XCI-3_NIKgV9MCHPgAgkE7_v2FCyR0hyphenhyphenMWmpAg6C4PPfX1j29gwxLRVJSu9tAsqXvGpUeC9M6aFSE3o9gAabxEKkJ9KEiFFXhCcvsB1VgZ65BM_Hg5KtL-yzVqwAjkm02oSPkk-wGhRoP33Mgg/w281-h595/20231210_115944.jpg" width="281" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">uldesac Tempe is a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_zone" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; font-family: arial; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Pedestrian zone">car-free neighborhood</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in the U.S. consisting of 1000 residents at full build-out and zero cars or parking spaces for residents.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLxA-FN77awaKT1lfYJZcm4byFi4sksAL0KnPSBl2Pp6StEdkiyUtOPpClum5N3Io8FHsjkAE1SUNrBGdPd_V6n1RhALLPtXaaOt33KufuZSa374CeyIje-YDAzGUVIu_AFBJwBsjHZ9ozx17Mp7L9AblDCm-OI93ez0bcjVCeJe7WsX61XFnKsTZU9Q/s2161/20231210_120121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="2161" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLxA-FN77awaKT1lfYJZcm4byFi4sksAL0KnPSBl2Pp6StEdkiyUtOPpClum5N3Io8FHsjkAE1SUNrBGdPd_V6n1RhALLPtXaaOt33KufuZSa374CeyIje-YDAzGUVIu_AFBJwBsjHZ9ozx17Mp7L9AblDCm-OI93ez0bcjVCeJe7WsX61XFnKsTZU9Q/w458-h216/20231210_120121.jpg" width="458" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">It is located in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempe,_Arizona" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Tempe, Arizona">Tempe</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Arizona">Arizona</a> about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the center of downtown Tempe.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ryan_5-1" style="line-height: 1; text-wrap: nowrap; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culdesac_Tempe#cite_note-Ryan-5" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;">[5]</a></sup> Culdesac Tempe is the first project for the startup Culdesac originally based out of San Francisco, California and now relocated to Tempe, Arizona.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY48oojIiRXA7THrBMpbrvy-JyyKob5p5ocn2V6VZVoQbGQGvLU_znztKTffoTBxkzdPiajoI2jaI83raxuzEpKVa0jQbOR3KpCAP7AgYGzDyKnoyDnPRCTygsAV3p3osFk2QFlmFmBPCsY9Ipa-RJAW8CL7Q27iIQUM4MKSEstOt-N7ooW78Uozz0t9Y/s2325/20231210_115450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="2325" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY48oojIiRXA7THrBMpbrvy-JyyKob5p5ocn2V6VZVoQbGQGvLU_znztKTffoTBxkzdPiajoI2jaI83raxuzEpKVa0jQbOR3KpCAP7AgYGzDyKnoyDnPRCTygsAV3p3osFk2QFlmFmBPCsY9Ipa-RJAW8CL7Q27iIQUM4MKSEstOt-N7ooW78Uozz0t9Y/w452-h213/20231210_115450.jpg" width="452" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Ryan Johnson is the founder and chief executive of Culdesac. His primary motivation for starting up the company was that he believed the future of American cities would be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkability" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Walkability">walkable</a> in the way that San Francisco and New York are.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2GD3b-1tjPjKk3ApSyEd5IfMIuynCQe9sHxoQ94v6Wmw8bTZLzhlZoglFqPD83hN3srpaInNJG3jBe5ATk9tjEsoKuB8omFQKRFPxoz1QgOdkczybSonTJYPrMLoLwVmi5YKBZ9TUMbPkUfozP83Xc3KTX1NMOkL85LlfPzOrJ90nJmQWLwxVWAKj7Q/s2478/20231210_115650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="2478" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2GD3b-1tjPjKk3ApSyEd5IfMIuynCQe9sHxoQ94v6Wmw8bTZLzhlZoglFqPD83hN3srpaInNJG3jBe5ATk9tjEsoKuB8omFQKRFPxoz1QgOdkczybSonTJYPrMLoLwVmi5YKBZ9TUMbPkUfozP83Xc3KTX1NMOkL85LlfPzOrJ90nJmQWLwxVWAKj7Q/w437-h206/20231210_115650.jpg" width="437" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> for Culdesac Tempe began in 2019.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">The project was estimated to cost US$140 million, span 16 acres (6.5 ha), and include 636 apartment units and 24,000 square feet (2,200 m</span><sup style="font-family: arial; line-height: 1;">2</sup><span style="font-family: arial;">) of restaurant and retail space.</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Brenda_7-1" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 1; text-wrap: nowrap; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culdesac_Tempe#cite_note-Brenda-7" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;">[7]</a></sup></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_metropolitan_area" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Phoenix metropolitan area">Phoenix metro area</a> is commonly known as the capital of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_sprawl" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Urban sprawl">urban sprawl</a> due to its status as the second-worst big city in America for walkers according to the website Walk Score. In most areas of Phoenix, residents rely heavily on personal vehicles for transportation. Culdesac eliminates the need for cars by providing most necessary services within the neighborhood and mobility benefits via partnerships with rideshare companies and public transit agencies. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwJLr-T4KLf5QMunZ0HJVNnJ1HgmSxK8yVuvL7FZIZKcrCUtWfMkq-MJ2A1cWROYlNh1rYyor1OycfpAxg6aUrkNp6Oy-7hEn2WZebQMTHA4HCZfFNriapvZe3ia3dO8h7uJsmHZIBGPzsXVSDdvGFI-7xCIEpkGy-Q76FTupmi5U9qAaaKwipaWhtu4/s1520/20231210_115323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1520" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwJLr-T4KLf5QMunZ0HJVNnJ1HgmSxK8yVuvL7FZIZKcrCUtWfMkq-MJ2A1cWROYlNh1rYyor1OycfpAxg6aUrkNp6Oy-7hEn2WZebQMTHA4HCZfFNriapvZe3ia3dO8h7uJsmHZIBGPzsXVSDdvGFI-7xCIEpkGy-Q76FTupmi5U9qAaaKwipaWhtu4/w438-h206/20231210_115323.jpg" width="438" /></a></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">Moreover, there is a tram outside the door which connects into other parts of Tempe and Phoenix.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.valleymetro.org/project/tempe-streetcar">https://www.valleymetro.org/project/tempe-streetcar</a></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uE8Elp_FAgXR3kfu7St1v0OoPSUI3tqfp_tYIvzH1Vs8X4PZrTrfF0oWFSz3Xxul790oSL63vrsl9SCwAZFs1xWu00jk2EFXs5J-VnoGDcnhm_B0GBqwlxjFwqeQYmD3HmwO2QulB8AKd_UFy09KQdLONGQ8VFp8zPtEImZWXWYQtUK7O3uJU7gBhTE/s2145/20231210_120908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="2145" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uE8Elp_FAgXR3kfu7St1v0OoPSUI3tqfp_tYIvzH1Vs8X4PZrTrfF0oWFSz3Xxul790oSL63vrsl9SCwAZFs1xWu00jk2EFXs5J-VnoGDcnhm_B0GBqwlxjFwqeQYmD3HmwO2QulB8AKd_UFy09KQdLONGQ8VFp8zPtEImZWXWYQtUK7O3uJU7gBhTE/w437-h206/20231210_120908.jpg" width="437" /></a></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1xJYfyW_qZ0-kgpbsrgDXWj9J-O-YRYTg1Ug21u-HB_H1zXwJUDxdc3y5kcZHmNxC21mFZhVbqOmAopPBvdzo9LC3BQHN7OexbuPZayY4iFUrMmdpUBkWHelFRAwUk8AFXcVR-0n68qgL5xWS4i53Ijx47XTqT3Mp64pU4BEa8ZfenZm_lW548nOmsY/s1962/20231210_115353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1962" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1xJYfyW_qZ0-kgpbsrgDXWj9J-O-YRYTg1Ug21u-HB_H1zXwJUDxdc3y5kcZHmNxC21mFZhVbqOmAopPBvdzo9LC3BQHN7OexbuPZayY4iFUrMmdpUBkWHelFRAwUk8AFXcVR-0n68qgL5xWS4i53Ijx47XTqT3Mp64pU4BEa8ZfenZm_lW548nOmsY/w436-h207/20231210_115353.jpg" width="436" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Cocina Chiwas restaurant, Street Corner Urban Market, and Archer's Bikes are open, and plans are in place for a coffee shop, co-working space, and additional shops on site at Culdesac Tempe. Another result of a ban on parking spaces is that there are more opportunities for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_green_space" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Urban green space">green space</a> including courtyards, gardens, and places to gather in community within the Culdesac Tempe neighborhood.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMk1rA-glRd3kBeFca7oerAzkb5T_21ZEv_qvD8COpMYPEUW5iVRJOxqVRyi17ecgAejieE6FYaYQT33dKxCxmDLSGlhdeP1wGehg67zz46pIms_GLKiRfRn4lgArFVIUjjWmeokX7Zi-pN4TZcDcMJv9nOXuVsofHHRWNhyphenhyphenoJIH_pD1B2HYrclEQXRA/s2192/20231210_120339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="2192" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMk1rA-glRd3kBeFca7oerAzkb5T_21ZEv_qvD8COpMYPEUW5iVRJOxqVRyi17ecgAejieE6FYaYQT33dKxCxmDLSGlhdeP1wGehg67zz46pIms_GLKiRfRn4lgArFVIUjjWmeokX7Zi-pN4TZcDcMJv9nOXuVsofHHRWNhyphenhyphenoJIH_pD1B2HYrclEQXRA/w429-h202/20231210_120339.jpg" width="429" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Dan Parolek is the architect working on the design plans for the community. He coined the term "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_middle_housing" style="background: none; color: #3366cc; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Missing middle housing">missing middle housing</a>" to describe the type of walkable, sustainable housing that Culdesac is intended to exemplify. However, I would not define the community as 'missing middle'. It's simply all lowrise apartments.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The company plans to expand to other locations with the goal of building on the success of "the first-ever car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the United States".</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Gxbig76hqNKzd7WtiPlr4eA1YmYcURhgG6evvr7GdjdslZXVq74ItzhKjom_HxuSkH63xofZmgipP-JyswiotW0tvLThdV5_nkrqu3ZpKjBNATlwwjI912Cf3YRzafwFGFybbg32sp2MxjPfal8Ni9UM_GMdZpptltwh3g-a9B0QjksQDM47qQ3_lLM/s2068/20231210_160839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="2068" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Gxbig76hqNKzd7WtiPlr4eA1YmYcURhgG6evvr7GdjdslZXVq74ItzhKjom_HxuSkH63xofZmgipP-JyswiotW0tvLThdV5_nkrqu3ZpKjBNATlwwjI912Cf3YRzafwFGFybbg32sp2MxjPfal8Ni9UM_GMdZpptltwh3g-a9B0QjksQDM47qQ3_lLM/w432-h204/20231210_160839.jpg" width="432" /></a></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JjL8pzo_xMwZnY2TuNhcMiWq4QN_tLA4Mas0BdOcPpbgJBf0AT_xLng3zguDm6dbMffKAt9JxL5maWUPm_w0pel9sGDcFP6f8y0vwmA9IyuY_I6-p15_dSEwvlETqNBIUUtyQVF89-5V7O6diPknBjnT-mf5Pe9H3GX6SY6L6iX9rPaOrVM-EwYNjAA/s2039/20231210_160903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="2039" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JjL8pzo_xMwZnY2TuNhcMiWq4QN_tLA4Mas0BdOcPpbgJBf0AT_xLng3zguDm6dbMffKAt9JxL5maWUPm_w0pel9sGDcFP6f8y0vwmA9IyuY_I6-p15_dSEwvlETqNBIUUtyQVF89-5V7O6diPknBjnT-mf5Pe9H3GX6SY6L6iX9rPaOrVM-EwYNjAA/w432-h204/20231210_160903.jpg" width="432" /></a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">While I was disappointed with Culdesac, I was not disappointed with the Mountain Shadows resort where we stayed. <a href="http://www.mountainshadows.com">www.mountainshadows.com</a>. </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">Located in Paradise Valley, the resort occupies the site of an earlier 1959 motel that was demolished. Everything about the resort is new, except for the archival photos around the property. In addition to the hotel rooms, there is a condominium as part of the complex offering larger suites that can also be rented out. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaISW-87Oc6sUHBuL11q24EYcr3md25C00gFQyWGl36nWNXCoGyS9689fP7wLo_saeuuQdHdetgekNp8ZidN8uqDqK3enk6Slx0ifDbRG12nYN_NkEiFI_C-Uv0tVy3gdGNNk9Q27ZLrK4DpPUFY4iQoHaF83z7BhLJykxjhmDWPazGSQ5gcC6OEyu2c/s2511/20231210_135018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2511" data-original-width="1188" height="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaISW-87Oc6sUHBuL11q24EYcr3md25C00gFQyWGl36nWNXCoGyS9689fP7wLo_saeuuQdHdetgekNp8ZidN8uqDqK3enk6Slx0ifDbRG12nYN_NkEiFI_C-Uv0tVy3gdGNNk9Q27ZLrK4DpPUFY4iQoHaF83z7BhLJykxjhmDWPazGSQ5gcC6OEyu2c/w212-h449/20231210_135018.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJ0qJsKAXzhy-watTsz5vXU3SslSVVMbCzyVKdLvSbHW99S_nfAawb3w7-DO4Z7lahjq0fUIVQHHt2amUZ2BIJS-oi2XNnWrfiSEnaRlqe0lv4NT0kEJ5_6X6ZtwVPfk23cdzcpWVgGccv0LgkCne-WUF9i4PZo1R7Sb8OvzRQVZ2nSXe5nYOOR05MTY/s1947/20231210_132002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1947" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJ0qJsKAXzhy-watTsz5vXU3SslSVVMbCzyVKdLvSbHW99S_nfAawb3w7-DO4Z7lahjq0fUIVQHHt2amUZ2BIJS-oi2XNnWrfiSEnaRlqe0lv4NT0kEJ5_6X6ZtwVPfk23cdzcpWVgGccv0LgkCne-WUF9i4PZo1R7Sb8OvzRQVZ2nSXe5nYOOR05MTY/w419-h199/20231210_132002.jpg" width="419" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy4CjbcpFIRN9XJ-4h7XXU6xne4N3zyo6-XH5cUwD2aibLNGtTSqQS3doKm7seM9yh2ysU5dzejISx06umZU0agPlyfuIuZf_T4BBDMI0LGpcndNjaxzcaRTFeXNit6ems6Wbd-aM882cPZOaCQW903MMSMIHybTiNcFNITdyrA5ZshNQmB-aI-CfPuKI" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1890" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy4CjbcpFIRN9XJ-4h7XXU6xne4N3zyo6-XH5cUwD2aibLNGtTSqQS3doKm7seM9yh2ysU5dzejISx06umZU0agPlyfuIuZf_T4BBDMI0LGpcndNjaxzcaRTFeXNit6ems6Wbd-aM882cPZOaCQW903MMSMIHybTiNcFNITdyrA5ZshNQmB-aI-CfPuKI=w416-h164" width="416" /></a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">There is also a challenging par-3 golf course on the premises around which are some very nice privately owned homes. There are a few restaurants, a lively bar, and a vibe that made the stay most enjoyable. I can highly recommend it, and I will be back.</span><p></p><p><br /></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-77814751958183511842023-11-30T09:09:00.000-08:002023-11-30T09:09:59.289-08:00Vancouver Council considers "Uplifting the Downtown Eastside and Building Inclusive Communities that Work for All Residents"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kcCnmr2lyj9Wr8hrk8LrSrtS465Ads6nfW8wYQPgyLl8jYv_H3sfBEA4M8-vzr2BHX5t6yl1NZ8XMEZA7WKPa3Wz0FBrYD1yULAM3_NxT6lrlRUmWnooVcyDR8ySr88wsMj9Hot6M59jWCX0bYpI9mFtdmtr75vGoZFaFN8Y-W-lKfTRJgqX7MZz7js/s2283/20230320_142042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="2283" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kcCnmr2lyj9Wr8hrk8LrSrtS465Ads6nfW8wYQPgyLl8jYv_H3sfBEA4M8-vzr2BHX5t6yl1NZ8XMEZA7WKPa3Wz0FBrYD1yULAM3_NxT6lrlRUmWnooVcyDR8ySr88wsMj9Hot6M59jWCX0bYpI9mFtdmtr75vGoZFaFN8Y-W-lKfTRJgqX7MZz7js/w414-h180/20230320_142042.jpg" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how the DTES looks today. I don't want it to look like this in 9 years. That's why I addressed Council yesterday and urged it to consider allowing condominium housing in this neighbourhood, so that there is community buying power to start filling up these storefronts.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Yesterday, Vancouver City Council considered a motion by Cllr Rebecca Bligh focussing on the Downtown Eastside. A copy of the lengthy motion can be found here: <a href="https://council.vancouver.ca/20231129/documents/pspcA.4.pdf">https://council.vancouver.ca/20231129/documents/pspcA.4.pdf</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Although the motion was highly aspirational, I was pleased that Cllr Bligh proposed it since it acknowledged that the DTES Local Area Plan approved in 2014 has not been working. Sadly, I spoke to Council at the time and predicted it would not work. More specifically, the proposed 60% social housing/40% rental housing requirement that was intended to help deliver social housing units without government subsidies would not work. In fact, it has resulted in only two projects in 9 years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I also opposed the proposed ban on condominium housing which staff said was necessary to keep land values low, and in turn result in more social housing without the need for government subsidies. Not only did this ban fail to result in new projects, it ensured that the heart of the Downtown Eastside would remain an ugly, low-income ghetto with an increased number of vacant, derelict storefronts. While few will say it. This neighbourhood is a disaster.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Following an interview with CTV's Isabella Zavarise earlier in the week, I decided to sign up to speak at Council yesterday. It was a most unsatisfying experience. For one thing, it was recommended that I make my presentation by phone, which I did. However, a phone conversation is less productive than appearing in person. Or a video presentation. Why doesn't the city allow video presentations in this day and age?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Furthermore, whereas I had 5 minutes to speak in 2014, yesterday speakers only had 3 minutes. I didn't know this when I prepared my remarks. Also, due to a new policy, councillors were not allowed to ask me questions or seek clarifications. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Below are some of the</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> remarks I intended to make. While I didn't hear all the previous speakers, I am led to believe that I was one of only two speakers who argued that the future plan and zoning should allow condominiums in the area. The other was former mayor Sam Sullivan! </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Geller Speaking Notes</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Introduction</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I have been actively involved with the
planning and development of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside for five decades. So.
it has been difficult to condense my thoughts into 5 minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I want to thank Councillor Bligh for
bringing forward this motion. I agree with its comprehensive proposals but there
is one further action I would urge you to include. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The current DTES DEOD plan, approved
by Council in 2014, includes a ban on ownership housing. The forthcoming review
should reconsider this ban. Please do not again close the door on ownership
housing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Some fear allowing condominiums will
result in the gentrification of the neighbourhood. I disagree. There is already
enough social housing, and much more to come, to ensure it will always remain a
predominantly low-income community.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But a healthy community needs a broad
mix of households. This will only come with a broader mix of housing, including
ownership housing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ownership housing will also bring
greater buying power that is necessary if the many derelict storefronts are to
fill up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As former City Manager Penny Ballem
once told an Urban Land Economics audience, while getting homeless people off
the streets is essential, only once the vacant stores fill up will we know
that our planning is succeeding. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In other words, allowing ownership
housing will not result in <u>gentrification</u>. But it will result in <u>regeneration</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So why do I feel so strongly about
this?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">My background experience in the
DTES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">I first started working in the
Downtown Eastside in 1974 as CMHC’s Program Manager-Social Housing. Even then,
there was a desire to replace the SROs with self-contained units, and CMHC
funded many new projects, including one at 124 Dunleavy Street developed by the
City’s then newly formed Non-profit Housing Corporation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">I should note that this building
has already been demolished and replaced. This is indicative of just how old I
am. Or how badly the city's building was constructed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">CMHC recognized replacing all the
SROs with self-contained apartments was not likely to happen for decades, so it agreed to depart from its
policy and funded the renovation of 2 SROs while I was there.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">Sadly, in the ensuing years, the
city did not enforce its Maintenance Bylaws and these SROs and many others have
deteriorated to the point that many residents prefer to live on the streets.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">In the 1990’s I was retained by the
provincial government to advise on the purchase and renovation of the Washington and Sunrise hotels.
Since then, the Province has purchased more than twenty-two additional SRO
hotels.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">I was also involvement with the
Woodwards building, initially on behalf of the province, prior to its purchase of the building, and subsequently on behalf of SFU. I consider this building a
success. I would like to see more similar projects with a mix of market and non-market housing, and other community uses.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">In 2008, along with Michael
Clague, and the late Joe Wai and Milton Wong, I was a founding director of
the Building Community Society (BCS) which hoped that by bringing together different
interests, solutions could be found to improve the neighbourhood. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">I left BCS to run for city council since I thought I might be more effective there. I was the NPAs first loser. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">To conclude, I am pleased a
review of the plan will hopefully proceed. But based on my five decades of experience in the DTES, as I urged Council nine years
ago, please do not again close the door on ownership housing in the DEOD, and
do not insist that retail primarily serve local low-income residents. As we
have learned since 2014, this will not work.</span></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-57689573897279133332023-11-29T15:53:00.000-08:002023-11-29T15:53:13.883-08:00West Vancouver Council defeats proposed Rental-Only Zoning Bylaw<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY5OITwU_KL5Xkxc7xOcjjoudCk-GIc-NuL1a9KyA9S92VFNcQvK-j3OB1LNP3cZjDhMdNv6rm06U3l0yZBiNvnQjaYQqawl13f6YiImpRXyn5eElidV29h-NBVyhx6U2hlJp7GAOLjEZPo-IllErNjHljicJwm2NNnvp50hsC57VXbZ8yiKzYnywIZA/s275/download.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY5OITwU_KL5Xkxc7xOcjjoudCk-GIc-NuL1a9KyA9S92VFNcQvK-j3OB1LNP3cZjDhMdNv6rm06U3l0yZBiNvnQjaYQqawl13f6YiImpRXyn5eElidV29h-NBVyhx6U2hlJp7GAOLjEZPo-IllErNjHljicJwm2NNnvp50hsC57VXbZ8yiKzYnywIZA/w362-h241/download.jpeg" width="362" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Further to my last blogpost, to the surprise and disappointment of many residents, especially renters, West Vancouver Council defeated the motion to impose rental-only zoning on 30 rental buildings in Ambleside. A good account of the meeting can be found here. <a href="https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/west-van-rejects-rental-only-zone-for-ambleside-apartments-7891333">https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/west-van-rejects-rental-only-zone-for-ambleside-apartments-7891333</a></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As noted in the article, councillors who voted to defeat the motion (with Cllrs Lamber and Gambioli supporting the staff recommendation) <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16.1px;">said they didn’t want to approve the zoning change before talking to building owners. It seems that staff didn't formally notify the building owners, which seems very odd.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They also spoke about the need to provide more financial incentives for landlords to build rental apartments, including greater density or buildings which combined rental and strata units. As I noted, going from 1.75 to 2.0 was not sufficient to encourage anyone to redevelop a property with rental housing.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I would now urge council to impose rental replacement and limited tenant protection policies as soon as possible, pending revisions to the zoning bylaw. Just don't go so far as Vancouver or other municipalities that require developers to allow former tenants to return to new units at the same rent as they were paying before. This creates too much uncertainty for all involved.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-32335708008626529092023-11-22T10:02:00.000-08:002023-11-22T10:02:44.159-08:00How best to protect West Vancouver's aging purpose-built rental housing buildings<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIXKxIu9DDwBowhONPMk56sTPy088XGMxFIE2jStlgnqLiN0qa9rWg41fJrQlWY7tz9AH0SoQiSE-fA0ImjeWrqyYXo9CE5YlDlX9zo8AgiZ-5F4hSx8Ws_cWBROhVSKrR-gImSq4wpNTz6NoVy9Mly_OM1BGX-SgZ35wmAOpFDovL28-4P0T4TFmgc8/s960/web1_20230701-ambleside-apartments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIXKxIu9DDwBowhONPMk56sTPy088XGMxFIE2jStlgnqLiN0qa9rWg41fJrQlWY7tz9AH0SoQiSE-fA0ImjeWrqyYXo9CE5YlDlX9zo8AgiZ-5F4hSx8Ws_cWBROhVSKrR-gImSq4wpNTz6NoVy9Mly_OM1BGX-SgZ35wmAOpFDovL28-4P0T4TFmgc8/w414-h275/web1_20230701-ambleside-apartments.jpg" width="414" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />There's an important discussion taking place in West Vancouver this week on how best to protect the more affordable rental housing stock in older purpose-built rental buildings. While I agree something must be done, I also agree with those who question the appropriateness and benefit of imposing Rental-Only Zoning on 30 properties with just a very modest FAR increase from 1.75 to 2.0. </span><p></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">A preferable approach could be to impose rental replacement and tenant protection policies similar to those in place in Vancouver and other municipalities and zone the properties to allow for future infill or redevelopment with a mix of rental and <a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>ownership housing at a greater FAR, say 3 to 3.5 depending on site size.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">West Vancouver Council will vote on this next Monday November 27th.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Here's a good account of Monday's Public Hearing. </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: arial;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/housing-advocates-urge-west-van-to-adopt-rental-only-apartment-zone-7862890#:~:text=Rental%2Donly%20zoning%20has%20been,for%20a%20vote%20Nov.%2027.">https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/housing-advocates-urge-west-van-to-adopt-rental-only-apartment-zone-7862890#:~:text=Rental%2Donly%20zoning%20has%20been,for%20a%20vote%20Nov.%2027.</a></span></span></div></div>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-71142842772551071752023-11-02T15:45:00.002-07:002023-11-03T07:39:02.334-07:00More Small-Scale Multi-unit Homes coming to BC November 1, 2023<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfIF--_oBreNWRjG_upXtpeqXdohoA9wUSv_xocCS9kpm42RAOEKsjT7uuRi93q3w4OvKEWWVh5ZT8CnJsscWv2-XWLsgl_nrLncQIkX0qUEPvv6TzHgtVyld3lJNNt1Lm52waxc2mVNE4A-4knKy2uzt1rxbOXPKh1lRK60BNFXUQrHw6VRRtqLuUgNM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="717" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfIF--_oBreNWRjG_upXtpeqXdohoA9wUSv_xocCS9kpm42RAOEKsjT7uuRi93q3w4OvKEWWVh5ZT8CnJsscWv2-XWLsgl_nrLncQIkX0qUEPvv6TzHgtVyld3lJNNt1Lm52waxc2mVNE4A-4knKy2uzt1rxbOXPKh1lRK60BNFXUQrHw6VRRtqLuUgNM=w368-h285" width="368" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Those who have followed this blog or endured my columns in the Vancouver Courier and Vancouver Sun will know I have been an ardent supporter of what is often referred to as 'gentle density' or 'missing middle' housing for a very long time. It was even featured it in my 2021 year-end Holiday Greeting Card which The Tyee kindly reproduced. <a href="https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/12/16/Dozen-Gentle-Density-Ideas-New-Year/">https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/12/16/Dozen-Gentle-Density-Ideas-New-Year/</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have also questioned why there had to be so many rezonings, especially when proposals were in accordance with an Official Community Plan. This applied to all municipalities, including Vancouver where every Cambie Corridor application went through a lengthy, time consuming and expensive rezoning.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was therefore delighted by this announcement from the province yesterday that deals with both 'gentle density' and other approval procedures. There are however two key pieces of missing information. The first is what will be the allowable <b>density</b> in terms of FSR? Will there be a provincial standard, or will it vary by municipality? </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The other key question relates to </span><b style="font-family: arial;">tenure</b><span style="font-family: arial;">. Will there be limits on the number of ownership units, as distinct from rental units. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yesterday, after writing this blogpost, I was advised that the tenure of housing will NOT be dictated by the provincial government. Rather it will be left up to each municipality to determine. I suspect the same may hold true for the permitted FSR and site coverage, etc. but this remains to be seen. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Below is the provinces announcement.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;">The</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> p</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">rovince is introducing new housing legislation to deliver more small-scale, multi-unit housing for people, including townhomes, triplexes and laneway homes, and fix outdated zoning rules to help build more homes faster.</span></i></span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>“Anyone looking for a place to live in a community they love knows how hard it is – and outdated zoning rules are making that even harder,” said Premier David Eby on Wednesday. “Constructing mostly high-rise condo towers or single-family homes means B.C. isn’t building enough small-scale multi-unit homes that fit into existing neighbourhoods and give people more housing options that are within reach. That’s why we’re taking action to fix zoning problems and deliver more homes for people, faster.”</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>According to the government, historical zoning rules in many B.C. communities have led most new housing to be built mostly in the form of condos, or single-family homes that are out of reach for many people, leaving a shortage of options for the types of housing in between. Zoning barriers and layers of regulations have also slowed down the delivery of housing, making people go through long, complicated processes to build much-needed housing in communities.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>“The housing crisis has made it harder for growing families looking for more space, seniors looking to downsize, and first-time homebuyers who can’t find a home that meets their needs and budget,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “This legislation strengthens the vibrancy of our communities, while building the type of housing that will help us address the housing crisis.”</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The proposed legislation and forthcoming regulations will permit one secondary suite or one laneway home (accessory dwelling unit) in all communities throughout B.C.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>In most areas within municipalities of more than 5,000 people, these changes will also require bylaws to allow for:</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>* three to four units permitted on lots currently zoned for single-family or duplex use, depending on lot size;</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>* six units permitted on larger lots currently zoned for single-family or duplex use and close to transit stops with frequent service.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Municipalities covered by the legislation may permit additional density if desired, but cannot have bylaws that allow for fewer permitted units than the provincial legislation.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The legislation will also speed up local housing development approvals, by shifting local planning and zoning processes to happen up front. It will require municipalities throughout B.C. to expedite and streamline permitting by updating community plans and zoning bylaws on a regular basis, to ensure that they have enough housing to meet the needs of both their current and future residents. This will help create more certainty for both community members and home builders.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>New proposed changes will also phase out one-off public hearings for rezonings for housing projects that are consistent and aligned with the official community plans. Instead, there will be more frequent opportunities for people to be involved in shaping their communities earlier in the process when official community plans are updated.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Modelling future scenarios cannot account for unforeseen circumstances, the changing nature of housing, real estate markets and other factors, but preliminary analysis indicates the province could see more than 130,000 new small-scale multi-unit homes in B.C. during the next 10 years. Other jurisdictions have had great success using similar policies to deliver more small-scale multi-unit homes faster. Auckland, N.Z. made similar changes in 2016. Research has shown these actions have led to the creation of more than 20,000 additional new homes over five years.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>To support implementation, the Province will continue to provide local governments with resources to speed up approval processes, including the recently announced $51 million to support local governments in meeting the new density zoning requirements, and $10 million for the Local Government Development Approvals Program.</i></span></p><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Additional legislation to support delivery of housing, support transit-oriented development, and help communities provide much-needed infrastructure, amenities and more certainty for projects will be introduced in the coming weeks. This legislation is part of the Province’s Homes for People action plan. Announced in spring 2023, the plan builds on historic action to deliver housing since 2017, and sets out further actions to deliver the homes people need faster, while creating more vibrant communities throughout B.C.</i></span></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-53234638413459651852023-11-02T13:26:00.011-07:002023-11-07T06:16:54.089-08:00Little Mountain: Vancouver City Council approves Holborn request for leniency - November 1, 2023<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEts3UkEQ6jgPdrSY1lZ9KuEhb4uDrmfodpgrPOXl4FO09IC9yeBfE9-7s2h4alRedM5KUULluFSYUuHmPJc8ZImjMyZN7dL711o3JCZVd5DMX5-KkADyEw4Zp99PVNPzORbf7T7Gzr0rD4QMjVTDcNs_x6VXrpfgZm8rcaHbfG1_NC4hk2RhROOe2jM0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="780" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEts3UkEQ6jgPdrSY1lZ9KuEhb4uDrmfodpgrPOXl4FO09IC9yeBfE9-7s2h4alRedM5KUULluFSYUuHmPJc8ZImjMyZN7dL711o3JCZVd5DMX5-KkADyEw4Zp99PVNPzORbf7T7Gzr0rD4QMjVTDcNs_x6VXrpfgZm8rcaHbfG1_NC4hk2RhROOe2jM0=w352-h198" width="352" /></a></div>I have been following the redevelopment of the former Little Mountain public housing project since 2007 when the provincial government first announced the property would be for sale. I subsequently advised one of Vancouver's major developers who submitted a bid on the property. However, the Holborn Group, a Malaysian-based developer with limited Vancouver experience, blew the other bidders out of the water with their excessive bid. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">While the bid amount wasn't made public at the time, we subsequently learned it was $334 million. However, only 10% was paid as a downpayment. Moreover, the provincial government gave Holborn $211 million in interest free loans for 18 years. <span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;">Interest does not accrue on the loans until Dec. 31, 2026. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;">As a key condition of the deal, Holborn had to complete 234 social housing units before they could obtain Occupancy Permits for any of the market housing. Unfortunately, the provincial government and its lawyers did not impose deadlines</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: arial;">in the legal agreements</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: arial;"> for the construction of the social housing. If they had been included, it is likely that they would have been met, or have allowed the province to take back the property. 15 years after buying the property, only a small percentage of the social housing units have been built.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;">I have often written about my concerns about what was happening, or not happening at Little Mountain. In <b>March 2011</b> I posted this article </span></span><a href="https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-whats-happening-at-little-mountain.html" style="font-family: arial;">https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-whats-happening-at-little-mountain.html</a> </p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyb7FZJflwVrSHrsdGp-hdTvaW9OXPVpJrLM7S_gp5dr7d9mHnS2Sa54vGePThfwWtMc10wkpDR3KWpW3OgzpjkFf-3VHJnTCDUTAPAbSfVCzXiAp7tMRMphI6xaMw8eNNLmWQPxdqI-QcRImHPzj986Z_BlRalY0hF4sTYUSzlwMC4W2NOmbcQ7BsTuc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="573" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyb7FZJflwVrSHrsdGp-hdTvaW9OXPVpJrLM7S_gp5dr7d9mHnS2Sa54vGePThfwWtMc10wkpDR3KWpW3OgzpjkFf-3VHJnTCDUTAPAbSfVCzXiAp7tMRMphI6xaMw8eNNLmWQPxdqI-QcRImHPzj986Z_BlRalY0hF4sTYUSzlwMC4W2NOmbcQ7BsTuc=w398-h426" width="398" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />It concluded with the following: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">My prediction?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">If we’re not careful, just as happened at the Olympic Village, government will not get the huge amount of money and social housing that the developer promised. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I hope I’m wrong, but somehow, I doubt it.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> "</span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">A year later, I was interviewed by a Vancouver Sun reporter who wondered why there was so little progress with the development. After his story appeared, the developer complained to the Urban Development Institute about my criticism of them. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://vancouversun.com/news/metro/developers-inexperience-may-be-behind-little-mountain-delays">https://vancouversun.com/news/metro/developers-inexperience-may-be-behind-little-mountain-delays</a></span><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguBbjcBEIQM1fpgra_XeUuKQAvbQW3fU6qR5m4pG83JnL58EO_-NoLxmqJ0GhMrdry3LLaIU0r9zo7hhlZ8h5OH-WQmlAAEFSOn5ICDSdDgfcKWIPHf6zWuS744i46hz00MEVTQI1cfasUDLVWjq5G6M1t0Td_Y7po4gLy_s2OfkXl5Bl3JkuH3bqkwtM" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="636" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguBbjcBEIQM1fpgra_XeUuKQAvbQW3fU6qR5m4pG83JnL58EO_-NoLxmqJ0GhMrdry3LLaIU0r9zo7hhlZ8h5OH-WQmlAAEFSOn5ICDSdDgfcKWIPHf6zWuS744i46hz00MEVTQI1cfasUDLVWjq5G6M1t0Td_Y7po4gLy_s2OfkXl5Bl3JkuH3bqkwtM=w426-h228" width="426" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;">Over the years, many others have written about the sad situation, including Kerry Gold</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.bcbusiness.ca/little-mountain-and-the-future-of-social-housing-in-bc">https://www.bcbusiness.ca/little-mountain-and-the-future-of-social-housing-in-bc</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;">Last week, it became public that Holborn was seeking Vancouver City Council's approval to remove the condition requiring completion of the social housing before the first market housing, since they claimed they couldn't arrange private financing. When I first heard about this on X (formerly Twitter) I objected, noting this was a fundamental aspect of the deal. It seemed grossly unfair and a terrible precedent to allow the winner bidder to change the deal, especially since they had made so little progress, yet so many promises to proceed with the construction, including this 2021 agreement. </span></span><span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AG0134-001778">https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AG0134-001778</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I subsequently spoke to others knowledgeable about the current situation who assured me that while they too were extremely disturbed by Holborn's request, they had concluded that it was the best solution to ensure the social housing units are built and the province receives some or all the outstanding land payment. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">This is no doubt the reason why seven members of Council agreed to Holborn's request. However, I must confess I sympathise with those who voted against the deal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;">On a related matter, while many owners of vacant land are being charged the <b>Empty Home Tax</b>, oftentimes unfairly as is the case with one of my clients, at the council meeting we were advised this developer is excused from paying the tax since the property is a 'phased development'. Here is the relevant section of the bylaw:</span></span></p><p>(A rezoned property is excepted from the EHT, where either: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> a complete development permit application has been submitted
for at least one parcel of <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>residential property which is part of the
phased development and is under review by the City in the
vacancy reference period; or </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>a development permit has been issued by the City for at least one
parcel of residential property which is part of the phased
development and work under the development permit is, in the
opinion of the General Manager of Development, Buildings and
Licensing or the General Manager’s delegates, <u>being diligently
pursued and without unnecessary delay</u></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hopefully city staff will again review whether a DP has been "diligently pursued and without further delay." If it is determined they are liable to pay the tax, I estimate the 2023 bill at $9.9 million.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now that Council has agreed to Holborn's request, hopefully the company will now borrow the private funds it claims it needs to install infrastructure and finance market housing so that the balance of the social and market housing, and various community benefits can be built.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But if I may be allowed another prediction, before this project is completed, Holborn will be back to Council asking for greater height and density, claiming without this they can't complete the project. Let's again hope I'm wrong.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>One final thought</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Throughout this discussion, many have suggested governments must never sell land to private developers. Furthermore, all the other older public housing projects should only be redeveloped by non-profits and only with social housing. I disagree.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Long term leases, such as those used at UBC and SFU's UniverCity can offer more control than a land sale. I therefore hope other public housing projects will be regenerated with a mix of non-market and market rental and ownership housing. One of my last acts at CMHC, where I worked for 10 years, was to contribute to a paper on "The Regeneration of Older Public Housing Projects" While Little Mountain has been a disaster, there are very successful examples of what can and should be done, including Regent Park in Toronto. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_Park">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_Park</a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="color: black;">So, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="color: black;">ps. A bit more information. Late today, one of my favourite journalists, Mike Howell, just published this excellent article providing a lot more detail on the project. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/little-mountain-developer-promises-282-social-housing-units-to-be-built-by-2026-holborn-7772081">https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/little-mountain-developer-promises-282-social-housing-units-to-be-built-by-2026-holborn-7772081</a></span></span></span></p></div>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4088226422072866788.post-35250314173645653342023-10-30T12:10:00.007-07:002023-10-30T13:20:14.340-07:00Looking Back and Forward. SFU Lecture October 18, 2023 <p>Many of the people making major planning decisions around Metro Vancouver were not even born when I arrived in Vancouver in 1974 to begin working with CMHC. Most are unaware of the history of CMHC housing programs and the major zoning and development decisions that have shaped our region, and other factors which have contributed to the unaffordability crisis we face today. </p><p>Earlier this month Andy Yan of the SFU City Program helped organize a program 'Looking Back and Forward'. It reviewed some of the significant government decisions and projects over the past five decades that should not be forgotten. Joining me on the stage were Ray Spaxman, Vancouver's former director of planning from 1973 to 1989; Michael Epp, a former Director of Planning for the City of North Vancouver and currently Director of Housing, Planning and Development for Metro Vancouver; and Zoe Brook, a co-director of the Young ULI and an emerging real estate and development consultant.</p><p>A video of the presentation can be found here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y--Qae6n3OY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y--Qae6n3OY</a></p><p>For those who don't have enough wine or other spirits on hand to sit through the entire evening presentation, below are 12 'solutions' I put forward to address some of the housing affordability challenges we now face:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjiTcf01cMGEqF5tHlKSzOh_LHkFmgnxvrXFkylLKdhyphenhyphenzhydzCwE_FlH0EPgEZft8YTHW4VySN7wqMJrGum6Eqkjtm2MMYC58ALwzjYJ-LKOnBaA6AhSyJcUgWWfjjln04iJlL2J0Mz0jeT3dJYjo3iMCe-XvgV37u4zElofuPkdjToENKDp4RyqjS-8/s1280/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjiTcf01cMGEqF5tHlKSzOh_LHkFmgnxvrXFkylLKdhyphenhyphenzhydzCwE_FlH0EPgEZft8YTHW4VySN7wqMJrGum6Eqkjtm2MMYC58ALwzjYJ-LKOnBaA6AhSyJcUgWWfjjln04iJlL2J0Mz0jeT3dJYjo3iMCe-XvgV37u4zElofuPkdjToENKDp4RyqjS-8/w383-h216/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023.jpg" width="383" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPOFAb3FmwT1J6Zoboztolkj64JtDYLoxUtAqSmW1MMbQsccJUEzZgTP3fO44MJZ1CqYBdFL3-hC5BAjjH8e-v_8h72vCAar3R-Lr7u5tEIKz9Q5yHh_A8I7f9AmePkDjPPVBUjsl5CN4kU-E0wBnrVAO93yFLlqSsC4iTMIjnH8Zdl8QpT9ylVYKIqQ/s1280/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20-98.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPOFAb3FmwT1J6Zoboztolkj64JtDYLoxUtAqSmW1MMbQsccJUEzZgTP3fO44MJZ1CqYBdFL3-hC5BAjjH8e-v_8h72vCAar3R-Lr7u5tEIKz9Q5yHh_A8I7f9AmePkDjPPVBUjsl5CN4kU-E0wBnrVAO93yFLlqSsC4iTMIjnH8Zdl8QpT9ylVYKIqQ/w380-h214/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20-98.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OD6Iv78o6NjBbh0dstyTBvGEm5Ljz9gf0RRKPU8-d0c091pxjKUzNQ2CwNQV82pcddzeDQptSg0GRHhReneVUoDyLr4z1GugMZk0c8OTZZ35kaFGhJbC-J1xZKLrJ2mK4b3H2qLYc50s_MBl59ThGTG4AUwYo32Gnq5g-Ib2yCh7sJ8Coqb9AAOlHCo/s1280/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20-99.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OD6Iv78o6NjBbh0dstyTBvGEm5Ljz9gf0RRKPU8-d0c091pxjKUzNQ2CwNQV82pcddzeDQptSg0GRHhReneVUoDyLr4z1GugMZk0c8OTZZ35kaFGhJbC-J1xZKLrJ2mK4b3H2qLYc50s_MBl59ThGTG4AUwYo32Gnq5g-Ib2yCh7sJ8Coqb9AAOlHCo/w383-h215/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20-99.jpg" width="383" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It seems we always focus on the cost of land when discussing housing affordability, but these other cost components can be equally significant. In another SFU presentation that can be found online, I review how to reduce the other cost components.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifbESiBW3M5OoYUu_vr78NcEVEiGItyjMMtavjZcr-yK3jx8k1rDCWsSrG9pClC4Orik_3KjSTcFKMW8-44Pi7br-dX567kksqbYSzSmykhkpZbm2MGNgKdv7Rvkz5cAlbAnEK6la1VDUXq5_2f00rquU32sokSp3zHdtALRh4fGOAqziclcRgxROqGRk" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifbESiBW3M5OoYUu_vr78NcEVEiGItyjMMtavjZcr-yK3jx8k1rDCWsSrG9pClC4Orik_3KjSTcFKMW8-44Pi7br-dX567kksqbYSzSmykhkpZbm2MGNgKdv7Rvkz5cAlbAnEK6la1VDUXq5_2f00rquU32sokSp3zHdtALRh4fGOAqziclcRgxROqGRk=w386-h218" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What many don't understand is that by allowing higher densities, a landowner may realize a financial gain, and the land cost may be reduced for a particular project. But developers buy land the same way most of us buy meat or fish...by the pound, or in the case of land, by the square foot. As a result, higher densities do not always translate into more affordable housing. You pay $100 psf regardless of the FSR</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaG23oyhG2i_QDpsf8dq4M0YdpIhIMJanHgyduOcnzxIewYX1nCv_HYW35SGJHPvGl8lImoW2k2V7WZUfIYv6dPiy5GamOOXGPhHejndCylgo3MV5kff1_St1j9nTFaqWldL0pAy5emDmSj_nR39Dlcm8HWdvVZsetQIk3yZqgYqb-RNxhhmg3N50ups/s1280/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20101.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaG23oyhG2i_QDpsf8dq4M0YdpIhIMJanHgyduOcnzxIewYX1nCv_HYW35SGJHPvGl8lImoW2k2V7WZUfIYv6dPiy5GamOOXGPhHejndCylgo3MV5kff1_St1j9nTFaqWldL0pAy5emDmSj_nR39Dlcm8HWdvVZsetQIk3yZqgYqb-RNxhhmg3N50ups/w384-h216/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20101.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While we have a shortage of industrial land, I see many opportunities to combine light industry and housing around the region. I don't see housing replacing industry, just adding to it. In some cases, modular homes could be sited on the roofs of these buildings. Seriously!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyFtovzloLlUpVU-9WZFrXTkS9QyA-Sci7pflNhyhl8ImGPUrxWAwCPgdx69ZXJPKTr3AxtwJE4GvF1bw5FZSGIMtAnKBZxcHriGsqjHR5Gg7vzEn8ej9qp7bNLWbLe2iL_nc4m62FWl0UkQtk9_ZbCOcUXyTaPwkVYkNXbMXfHGsPOwBfjCape9xIEk/s1280/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20102.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyFtovzloLlUpVU-9WZFrXTkS9QyA-Sci7pflNhyhl8ImGPUrxWAwCPgdx69ZXJPKTr3AxtwJE4GvF1bw5FZSGIMtAnKBZxcHriGsqjHR5Gg7vzEn8ej9qp7bNLWbLe2iL_nc4m62FWl0UkQtk9_ZbCOcUXyTaPwkVYkNXbMXfHGsPOwBfjCape9xIEk/w384-h216/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20102.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadly, there were more extensive public transit networks in place 100 years ago, when compared to today. As these maps illustrate, Interurban and Electric Rail lines once served Richmond, Chilliwack and other communities. We need to replicate these networks, but not with SkyTrain. Rather we should place greater emphasis on light rail, rapid bus, etc. And reuse the existing tracks to Squamish.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> and elsewhere.</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJnNZOcmgkCNvYTTNM70_A9HWMMapkUifEynvRZwYwU3h9R0lJIAKxvs6jsNmoz2uYqyoJY6lPFFL1kSi6tSIIYYx9JRjB5CsZDHH8p5SMMFHVcjt0KBmfVbScMRBiYvGlaPZDKEfd5tBWSh_5UWXiuOjeuWs1UcYWEqUuoE8uxE0kvx2YgLwRMjj5gI/s1280/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20104.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJnNZOcmgkCNvYTTNM70_A9HWMMapkUifEynvRZwYwU3h9R0lJIAKxvs6jsNmoz2uYqyoJY6lPFFL1kSi6tSIIYYx9JRjB5CsZDHH8p5SMMFHVcjt0KBmfVbScMRBiYvGlaPZDKEfd5tBWSh_5UWXiuOjeuWs1UcYWEqUuoE8uxE0kvx2YgLwRMjj5gI/w386-h217/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20104.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitomu7XRNtv3Nx4KvpFI5FRIUIjmn1HkDnehNw8pjb-I3xNU2o_8BT3k8C6TcsUr7W8KWTTUlF7Um7_GUQDilJL4LPks9kga6l98p10jch7C_oUE_QPva6OVZGW4Ekg_fFhSKymGVX_kCh59ukHa8dQYpqZ3vnoMJHbOAQaMmdh4HKoTpClM8NzfD4F9c/s1280/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20105.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitomu7XRNtv3Nx4KvpFI5FRIUIjmn1HkDnehNw8pjb-I3xNU2o_8BT3k8C6TcsUr7W8KWTTUlF7Um7_GUQDilJL4LPks9kga6l98p10jch7C_oUE_QPva6OVZGW4Ekg_fFhSKymGVX_kCh59ukHa8dQYpqZ3vnoMJHbOAQaMmdh4HKoTpClM8NzfD4F9c/w389-h219/Looking%20Back%20and%20Forward%20SFU%20Lecture%20October%2018,%202023%20105.jpg" width="389" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Growth should finance growth. But it's a mistake to burden new homeowners and renters with all the costs associated with new infrastructure, sewage treatment plant upgrades, etc. That's what is happening now. In the past, existing residents paid for new infrastructure over time. Unfortunately, as the price of new housing rises, all the existing housing rises too. A rising tide lifts all boats. The same applies here.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJRO-yq8AGPIByhHEIKywK0LYSnL4E4CRbXMFrstpvr-l-y-js-fb_jUGsg6jSz4oNVtrxH7C49kbxDuB2UzW1rNRp2rJ2u9vu4OxnekT0dAckaOXnPL5S3Oyd7DTPQ5kq6NXyzDVcUbtzNt-qfZKYarl2mPPHy5iYhijZcZpsMkpZqPwge7EnV2-PVsM" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJRO-yq8AGPIByhHEIKywK0LYSnL4E4CRbXMFrstpvr-l-y-js-fb_jUGsg6jSz4oNVtrxH7C49kbxDuB2UzW1rNRp2rJ2u9vu4OxnekT0dAckaOXnPL5S3Oyd7DTPQ5kq6NXyzDVcUbtzNt-qfZKYarl2mPPHy5iYhijZcZpsMkpZqPwge7EnV2-PVsM=w386-h217" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If we are going to tax existing property owners along with new homebuyers and renters, we should also revise BC Assessment classifications. There should be different mill rates for single-family and multi-family housing. For one thing, single-family lots often require more services. Also, why not reward those choosing to live more sustainably?</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEgJ2Yp7xZRTOq20u9E1OGwS0cdUpHUh1eyNw3mZFgUS_l_GdYoG2aQSPrO9OuqcWchqfq0NL97oyJcE4O_cDtSH43wUjFOxNqjeZjtfCl0gjEFQ1r5eSOqDzDBYgQMjGkGGbideGXJPJxIxlRuEaVP85A_Zc9UtGrTYhhKORsrm2DybdQZI_jOYdXupk" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEgJ2Yp7xZRTOq20u9E1OGwS0cdUpHUh1eyNw3mZFgUS_l_GdYoG2aQSPrO9OuqcWchqfq0NL97oyJcE4O_cDtSH43wUjFOxNqjeZjtfCl0gjEFQ1r5eSOqDzDBYgQMjGkGGbideGXJPJxIxlRuEaVP85A_Zc9UtGrTYhhKORsrm2DybdQZI_jOYdXupk=w390-h219" width="390" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a time when municipalities could not sell density. Now that has changed. But while planners will deny it, some projects are approved at densities and heights greater than they should be from an urban planning perspective, so the municipality can charge higher Community Amenity Contributions.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOnstoOL38ynv50YWAC1x-G_rKQBxYGVLPrtdJMKPKJhVftT_DiBcelGLBIa4Lp_1BdEwy3vnFKiXdu38D6jvT18ZICSomA3yYUrAVcylbbPWWo71a75tWDbbDmca0vZ0ezDjyVaQm1FVtZ1EbNSX6dEyj9zVnDoqkUq0Z3gcuMZ-333ntuUtojc4MjqQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOnstoOL38ynv50YWAC1x-G_rKQBxYGVLPrtdJMKPKJhVftT_DiBcelGLBIa4Lp_1BdEwy3vnFKiXdu38D6jvT18ZICSomA3yYUrAVcylbbPWWo71a75tWDbbDmca0vZ0ezDjyVaQm1FVtZ1EbNSX6dEyj9zVnDoqkUq0Z3gcuMZ-333ntuUtojc4MjqQ=w390-h219" width="390" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This might seem like a minor point, but there is no reason we should require the same exiting requirements for a 3-storey building and a 30-storey building. By permitting a single exit, this could make it easier to design more cost-effective 'missing middle' buildings, like those in the past. </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikC9s8ssQSSsbCvlQbAnlM_vfK2VYOBZYt28SLKWjcjlv1521RHVQmynlUtvlW8GWcq4S8xax0siR6BwwnqzoaqeRq-74Mi779FRxezGOyIcsozpMvBYukK07_m3ngbpwFi2SKwBwFSmpOaNz2RwygK9FWRZdDRLtGmyxkLTAUMFqadh1OUhr1PgcfG6I" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikC9s8ssQSSsbCvlQbAnlM_vfK2VYOBZYt28SLKWjcjlv1521RHVQmynlUtvlW8GWcq4S8xax0siR6BwwnqzoaqeRq-74Mi779FRxezGOyIcsozpMvBYukK07_m3ngbpwFi2SKwBwFSmpOaNz2RwygK9FWRZdDRLtGmyxkLTAUMFqadh1OUhr1PgcfG6I=w393-h221" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While inclusionary zoning and density bonuses result in some more affordable housing, realistically, the private sector cannot build the very affordable housing that we need. In the 70s and 80s, it was the non-profits who built truly affordable homes with government money. We need to do more of this in future.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4mXqJGiKE9HYrQTW19LTrRFgaDGtqDSq9eUe--AyGwFDXXHcyaFPVvDyVChsA8iEE017YBbkEFU1FmDq0-XSpLoUrbtZa93LCnDL06bXdP7rdTsWGEOLm2wU0Vd-FiT3WuGWDLToy6IkntVNYtt6U4U_BYTvI24z4g-DLxEemFZQUQ8wT5ru3D_boK7U" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4mXqJGiKE9HYrQTW19LTrRFgaDGtqDSq9eUe--AyGwFDXXHcyaFPVvDyVChsA8iEE017YBbkEFU1FmDq0-XSpLoUrbtZa93LCnDL06bXdP7rdTsWGEOLm2wU0Vd-FiT3WuGWDLToy6IkntVNYtt6U4U_BYTvI24z4g-DLxEemFZQUQ8wT5ru3D_boK7U=w393-h221" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When we were young, many of us shared housing. However, today, most of us don't want to. But that said, the easiest way to create more affordable housing is to make better use of all the vacant bedrooms and other spaces that currently exist. What we need is a way to pair seniors with other seniors, and young people with seniors. The benefits could be very significant. It will happen, but let's promote it.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaVpFUm9VrFl8PTWpwleBHjc-9-0j4tCDf1WpZ_viyRkglLA00rjajIQWx8VGKdtY80OAYTI_EExbKed2q2OGKX7kFEqTzhQIhXuMGNPWnZ0U9IZBys6IKZ0FCXlai9AlKv8NManPuxHGFe9bXJxM8SV9QzbMV2iJ3GCzAMrdWwRgu-fblKJSdES2AkAM" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaVpFUm9VrFl8PTWpwleBHjc-9-0j4tCDf1WpZ_viyRkglLA00rjajIQWx8VGKdtY80OAYTI_EExbKed2q2OGKX7kFEqTzhQIhXuMGNPWnZ0U9IZBys6IKZ0FCXlai9AlKv8NManPuxHGFe9bXJxM8SV9QzbMV2iJ3GCzAMrdWwRgu-fblKJSdES2AkAM=w393-h221" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I must smile when I hear politicians talking about the hundreds of thousands of new homes that we are going to build annually. What they ignore is that our construction industry isn't geared for such dramatic increases in supply. But one way to increase supply is through greater use of factory-construction.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPTraDkRYyy6guY4fYDCLhgNH2d_p_L0EdG4XJbmtLqEdnRX7zCjQooHxNtZtaKG35ED-Dw23zijhoGquD8AnLbDRYcKJdQbmNQNBwDp9wu9htZ-IAJSRTunGv4BoM4yDSMFSMQj0tP6jnh_986CyjMM-yYK8P7B0KhPKTzU79ANIcyl_o34TGcT8Vgac" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPTraDkRYyy6guY4fYDCLhgNH2d_p_L0EdG4XJbmtLqEdnRX7zCjQooHxNtZtaKG35ED-Dw23zijhoGquD8AnLbDRYcKJdQbmNQNBwDp9wu9htZ-IAJSRTunGv4BoM4yDSMFSMQj0tP6jnh_986CyjMM-yYK8P7B0KhPKTzU79ANIcyl_o34TGcT8Vgac=w395-h222" width="395" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better designed balconies may not make homes more affordable, but they will make them more livable. In Europe, retractable glass panels often make balconies more functional, especially in the late fall, winter, and early spring. Some Metro municipalities now allow their installation without the balcony area counting as part of the suite area. But Vancouver is not one of them. At least not yet! </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGkOPXWxlTseojJE8F2VF7-QFUotRu21BJJg9fNEuezvljMdGJfKFQpohJKLm3H6n2SfhrTevEZgr-PL5tV2h91BkDnOEzO0-25kPQF6ZRb7sg75i2XTbT-m5_JHiCneS-C_CQEE_wuvSI9RVEeN-Vdy3GYdpygJEsZaxW0b8Bdv_ZaCoBqSV1s6TQt_A" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGkOPXWxlTseojJE8F2VF7-QFUotRu21BJJg9fNEuezvljMdGJfKFQpohJKLm3H6n2SfhrTevEZgr-PL5tV2h91BkDnOEzO0-25kPQF6ZRb7sg75i2XTbT-m5_JHiCneS-C_CQEE_wuvSI9RVEeN-Vdy3GYdpygJEsZaxW0b8Bdv_ZaCoBqSV1s6TQt_A=w393-h221" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thirty years ago, Ray Spaxman proposed the idea of an 'Urbanarium' - an urban museum where models of the city and new developments could be put on display. An Urbanarium would also be a place to foster discussion about planning and other urban issues. Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing and other cities have created such places. It is time for Vancouver build a gallery to showcase our planning successes.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Michael Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18314216534720079965noreply@blogger.com0