Opinion Vancouver Courier Disgusting’ state of parkades and city streets reflects diminishing civic pride in Vancouver May 21, 2019

Despite social ills, city shouldn’t become complacent

     The fentanyl overdose crisis. Money laundering. Unfair evictions. Unaffordable housing. Inadequate public transit. Limited childcare. Loneliness.

     These are just some of the issues facing Vancouver. However, this week’s column is not directly about any of them.

     Instead, I want to revisit a topic I wrote about in March, namely, the filthy, disgusting condition of an EasyPark managed, city-owned parkade in Gastown.

     While the column was critical of EasyPark, it also explored why so many downtown stairwells and back lanes have sadly become public toilets.

     It proposed increased public toilets and improved property maintenance while we await more facilities.

     Last week, I parked in EasyPark’s Lot 2 parkade at Cambie and Pender. This is the site of Vancouver's first hospital and, in 2018, was designated with a Vancouver Heritage Foundation plaque as part of the “Places That Matter” program.    

     Although I didn’t see the plaque, I did find a parkade in even worse condition than the Gastown parkade. The stench in the stairwell was not just unpleasant, it was sickening.To get this parkade cleaned up, I tweeted the following:

$5.50 an hour to park at filthy, urine soaked @EasyParkVan parking garage at Beatty & Pender. I will be writing to EasyPark president & Board of Directors to join me on tour of this & Gastown parkades. Maybe I should ask @globalnews @CBCVancouver @CTVVancouver
to join us.

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     While EasyPark did not respond, Global TV emailed and offered to join me on a tour at 11 a.m. last Friday. I proposed that we meet at the stairwell I found so unpleasant, but the cameraman found one that was even more putrid and littered with discarded needles and other drug debris.

     On Saturday, Global broadcast its story, which included interviews with parkade users, all of whom complained about the stench.     One young woman, who uses the facility every day, said she must hold her jacket over her nose every time she uses the stairs.

     Hopefully, EasyPark's general manager will personally visit this parkade and arrange for the stairwells, one of which resembles a cesspool behind a reinforcing bar gate, to be thoroughly cleaned.

     I also urge EasyPark directors, Vancouver facilities officials and politicians to visit the parkade, if only to see that I am not exaggerating the disgusting and unhealthy condition of this city-owned facility.

     While EasyPark spokesperson Linda Bui apologized to Global TV for the “unsatisfactory experience the customer was subject to during their last visit,” noting a third party maintenance contractor provides onsite janitorial services six days a week, what is really needed is a long-term strategy to address the problems facing this and other parking garages.

      The issue is not just the smell and unsightly appearance. It is also the crime that regularly occurs. Next to where the TV cameraman filmed his interviews, broken glass from yet another break-in was clearly visible.

     I would like to offer EasyPark a few suggestions. Firstly, why not install portable toilets in these parkades? They would benefit both the homeless and others using the stairwells as toilets and car parkers. Surely it will be easier to clean a portable toilet than the stairwells.

     Also, why not install video cameras and notices letting everyone know they’re being monitored?

     Why not organize a neighbourhood watch program and invite volunteers to community clean-ups in return for food or parking vouchers and a barbecue?     

     However, my concern is not just these parkades. I am also troubled by the increasing amount of unwanted graffiti on electrical boxes and other structures around the city and garbage on the streets.

     I’m worried about the increasing number of homeless people sleeping on sidewalks and dangerously wandering into traffic at busy intersections, begging for change.

     Finally, I fear that, collectively, we are becoming too complacent about what is happening around our city. Too many Vancouverites appear to be losing their sense of civic pride.

     I realize cleaning parkades and graffiti is not going to solve the serious problems listed at the top of this column. But that is no reason why we shouldn’t be making more of an effort to beautify our city. I hope some of you will join me in speaking out.

Opinion: More Vancouver car owners are going electric, and for good reason Vancouver Courier May 6, 2019

Rising fuel costs, environmental concerns, government rebates enticing more drivers

Have you been thinking about buying a hybrid or electric car?

If so, you are not alone.

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With gas prices exceeding $1.70 a litre and growing concerns about air pollution and impacts of climate change, fuel-efficient and zero emission vehicles are gaining in popularity.

At this year’s Vancouver Auto Show, considerable attention was devoted to PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles), BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles).

Hyundai was one of a number of manufacturers of fuel cell vehicles on display at the Vancouver Auto Show. Photo Michael Geller

On May 1, a federal program took effect offering rebates to purchasers of nineelectric cars and 13 plug-in hybrids. Fully electric cars with starting prices of less than $45,000 are eligible for the full $5,000 rebate. Plug-in hybrids can get up to $2,500 off.

These are in addition to B.C. program rebates announced last year offering $6,000 for a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle and up to $5,000 for a new battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

I first drove a hybrid vehicle in 2000. It was an early Prius brought over from Japan to accompany Severn Cullis-Suzuki and my niece and some friends on a bicycle ride across Canada, in a campaign for clean air called Powershift 2000.

After the Prius was introduced in Canada, I purchased one as a car-share vehicle for the burgeoning SFU UniverCity community.

This seemed appropriate since the car-share concept was developed by a part-time SFU student named Tracey Axelsson as a school project. She subsequently co-founded the Co-operative Auto Network in 1997.  Car-sharing has come a long way since then.

When I left the SFU Community Trust in 2007, I traded in a Lexus SUV requiring 20 litres per 100 km for a Prius requiring sixlitres per 100 km. A neighbour who owned a Porsche, Range Rover and Mercedes convertible called me a snob as I first drove by her house.

At the 2010 World Fair in Shanghai, a variety of electric cars were on display and in use. I decided then to one day buy an electric car.

In 2013,Tesla arrived in Vancouver. I booked a test-drive appointment and loved the car, but worried the company might go broke, until a year-end trip to California where many Teslas were on the road.

In 2014, Michael Geller ordered a Tesla just before the expiry of a $5,000 government rebate program. He’s driven it ever since without any problems. Photo Michael Geller

Returning to Vancouver, I ordered one for delivery in March 2014, just before expiry of a $5,000 government rebate program.

I have driven it ever since without any problems. My daughter continues to drive the 12-year old Prius. Neither vehicle requires much maintenance.

A key consideration with an electric car is how to charge it. As noted on the BC Hydro website, there are three basic approaches: Levels 1, 2 and DC fast charger.

Level 1 refers to the standard 120-volt outlet found in homes and businesses. Realistically, this is not a practical way to charge a car on a regular basis.

Level 2 power supply is the same as that provided for a stove or clothes dryer. Level 2 chargers can be installed in a garage by an electrician at a cost between $800 and $2,000.

The ongoing energy costs for electric cars vary but are often estimated at about $2 per 100 km.

The third type of charging is DC or direct current fast charging using 480-volt. Increasingly, these chargers are being installed in public facilities and commercial buildings. Charging time for most cars is significantly reduced. While some stations are free, others cost about three times as much as Level 1 and 2 charging.

Given the federal and provincial rebates, gasoline costs and environmental benefits, I highly recommend buying an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle. However, a key consideration is whether it can be easily charged overnight.

While this is relatively easy for those living in single-family houses, it can be more difficult and complicated for those living in older rental or condominium apartments.

I cannot leave this topic without sharing a recent tweet from former city councillor and current chair of the David Suzuki Foundation Peter Ladner.

“If EVs are worth a $5k subsidy, why wouldn’t e-bikes and regular bikes get a subsidy? They produce far fewer emissions, promote greater health and are far more affordable. Why do we continue to pamper cars?”

Peter Ladner@pladner

If EVs are worth a $5k subsidy, why wouldn’t e-bikes and regular bikes get a subsidy? They produce far fewer emissions, promote greater health and are far more affordable. Why do we continue to pamper cars? #bcpoli

1,427

1:31 PM - May 3, 2019

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Just one more consideration.

@michaelgeller

geller@sfu.ca

Notre Dame Cathedral rebuild raises issues regarding many heritage restorations, including West Vancouver's Vinson House

     This week I wrote in the Vancouver Courier about the future restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral and a discussion that took place at West Vancouver City Hall regarding a proposed Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) for a 1954 Ron Thom House. https://www.vancourier.com/opinion/notre-dame-cathedral-restoration-raises-issue-of-modern-modification-1.23798423
     At issue is how much should a heritage building, whether it's one of the world's most famous buildings, or a modest house overlooking Park Royal, be allowed to be altered over time. A similar issue has arisen with regard to our West Vancouver Vinson House.

Should a future home buyer be allowed to paint all the woodwork in this heritage house off-white?

     The 1913 Vinson House www.vinsonhousecottages.com  has been completely restored including the replacement of original pearlized push-button light switches with modern replicas.

      A new sprinkler system has been carefully concealed within the beamed ceilings and new electrical and mechanical systems have been installed, along with state-of-the-art telecommunications and security systems.

     While the heritage look of the kitchen has been retained, it too has been completely rebuilt with modern cabinets and appliances.

      This heritage house is still for sale. While this may no doubt be due in part to market conditions, it is also due to the reality that West Vancouver homebuyers do not appear to appreciate 100-year old houses with elaborate mahogany beams and wainscoting as much as those yearning for similar homes in Shaughnessy and Kitsilano.

     One potential buyer said he would consider buying the house provided he would be allowed to paint all the dark wood off-white. While it may come to this if the house does not sell soon, one hopes there will be a buyer who appreciates the distinctive interiors and craftsmanship of yesteryear.  

    To learn more about the house, go here: https://sothebysrealty.ca/en/property/british-columbia/greater-vancouver-real-estate/west-vancouver/389578/

Opinion: Notre Dame Cathedral restoration raises issue of modern modification April 22, 2019

Heritage preservation sometimes at odds with modern realities

Last Monday, people around the world were devastated as they watched Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral on fire. That evening, I was invited by Corus Radio Network’s Charles Adler to offer an architect’s perspective on the building’s heritage and significance. While I urged the show’s producer to invite a more knowledgeable heritage architect, time was short, so I did the interview.

I told Adler every architectural student around the world studied Notre Dame’s design and construction with its awe-inspiring interior spaces and innovative use of “flying buttresses.”  While the cathedral had originally taken almost 200 years to build, I was certain it would be rebuilt, and within the next 24 hours we learned that hundreds of millions of euros had been pledged towards its reconstruction.

Since then, many have lamented that the cathedral’s wooden beams, each created from a different 300-year-old oak tree, can never be replicated.My initial thought was there was no need to construct new beams from giant oak trees. Instead, they could be manufactured with innovative engineered wood products such as cross-laminated timber, like those used to construct the internationally acclaimed 12-storey wooden student residence at UBC.

But then, I wondered why should the new roof even be built out of wood? Why not fireproofed steel? After all, many of the world’s greatest landmark buildings have been altered over time using newer designs, materials and building technologies.

The day following the fire, I attended a meeting of West Vancouver’s recently reconstituted Heritage Advisory Committee, of which I am a member. Before us was a proposal to develop a modern house on a portion of a lot occupied by an early 1950s house designed by Ron Thom, one of Canada’s celebrated mid-century architects. In return for approval, the Ron Thom house would be designated a heritage structure in perpetuity.

The committee was asked to comment on to what extent the interior of the heritage house could be altered. While some members thought the living room’s distinctive raw concrete block walls should be protected, others observed that the house had already been substantially modified with new skylights, kitchen and gas fireplace.

In this column, I have often advocated for the preservation of heritage and character houses both to conserve our city’s architectural history and create alternative infill housing choices. 

Which brings me back to the Notre Dame Cathedral. While the fire was horrifying, fortunately much of the building remains intact. Only the roof and parts of the vault were completely destroyed.

Now the debate can begin. Should the wood beams be replaced with metal? What about the heavy two-inch thick slate roof shingles? Perhaps the new roof should be glass, as one British architect has suggested.

While I would prefer not to see the Ron Thom concrete block walls covered with drywall, the modern should oftentimes be allowed to replace the authentic.

I look forward to the continuing debate in Paris, and Vancouver.

'Desperate' times as West Van home prices tumble. Star Vancouver April 12-14, 2019

While my partners and bankers were not happy to see this story appear in the Star Vancouver, which resulted from a tweet, the truth is I am getting desperate when it comes to selling this lovely heritage house and two adjacent infill houses in West Vancouver. While the story did not generate a sale, hopefully there will be increased interest in this property outside of West Vancouver, where the locals do not appear to be as interested in buying a restored 100 year old house as people in Shaughnessy, Kitsilano or New Westminster!  

     VANCOUVER—The charming cottages and suites in a beautifully restored heritage home in West Vancouver’s Ambleside neighbourhood should not be hard to sell.

     But eight months after the restoration and infill project was completed, the homes continue to sit empty, and developer Michael Geller has taken to social media to call for buyers and offer realtors a $25,000 bonus to sell the Vinson House Cottages.

     

Developer Michael Geller says he hasn't been able to sell this restored heritage house and infill cottages because of a dramatic price correction that has hit West Vancouver particularly hard.  (SUBMITTED)

     Geller and his partners have accepted an offer on one of the units, which is subject to the buyers selling their West Vancouver house. But it’s far below the $2.2 million to $2.7 million price range the developers had originally set, with an expectation they’d make a 15 per cent profit.

     Now, Geller said, he’d be happy with a 5 per cent profit.

“I had someone say to me, ‘Michael, you’re sounding desperate,’” said Geller. “I said, ‘I am desperate!’”

     Geller, who has worked in the real estate industry for 45 years, said this market is the worst he’s ever seen — and that includes downturns in the early 1980s and the 2008 financial crisis. Jason Soprovich, a realtor who has worked in the West Vancouver market for 26 years, echoed that assessment:      “It has truly been the worst downturn I’ve seen in my career.”

From stratospheric highs that peaked in early 2016, Metro Vancouver’s real estate market has slowed, and prices have dropped, in all areas and housing types.

     But no neighbourhood has had as hard a fall as West Vancouver, followed closely by Vancouver’s west side. The two tony areas saw many single family homes soar past the $5-million mark, and higher, during the peak of the real estate bubble. Between June 2015 and June 2016, home prices in West Vancouver and Vancouver’s westside rose by 37.8 and 36.4 per cent, respectively, according to statistics released by the Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board.

Michael Geller@michaelgeller

How bad is @WestVanDistrict housing market. Learned today one West Van realtor is now working at Fresh Supermarket. So I'm offering $25,000 bonus to any realtor who can sell any 1 or all 3 remaining homes at http://www.vinsonhousecottages.com 

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2:48 PM - Apr 9, 2019

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     Now, it’s a different story: March numbers show that single-family house prices fell by 17 per cent in West Vancouver, the steepest drop in the region. The drop is even steeper for specific segments of the market: Homes priced in the “high end” (above $5 million) have dropped by between 22 and 30 per cent, Soprovich said, while homes in the “low end” ($1.5 million to $5 million) have dropped by 15 to 22 per cent.

     Soprovich and Geller said a series of government taxes aimed at foreign buyers and speculative activity, and tougher bank lending rules brought in by the federal government, are behind the dramatic drop.

Those taxes include B.C.’s foreign buyer tax; a speculation tax aimed at vacant properties and homeowners who don’t pay taxes in B.C.; an increased property tax that applies to homes worth over $3 million; and Vancouver’s empty homes tax.

     Soprovich said buyers from Mainland China were a big presence in the West Vancouver market in 2015 and 2016, but tighter capital flow restrictions brought in by the Chinese government, and the decision to introduce the foreign buyer tax and then increase it from 15 to 20 per cent, have basically “put the brakes on foreign investors.”

     He said most of the buyers he’s seeing now intend to live in the home as their principal residence, and many of the potential sales involve older owners who want to sell their large home and move into a smaller house or condo in West Vancouver.

     But unless sellers are willing to drop their prices — something that’s taken some time for many homeowners to accept — the houses will sit on the market for months, Soprovich said. On the upside, while buyers have been sitting on the sidelines for months, there now seems to be more interest from buyers as prices have dropped.

     For realtors, the change in market conditions has been painful. Geller said he’s heard stories of former realtors who have had to take other jobs, while Soprovich said the downturn has meant cutting back on his firm’s marketing budget and working even harder to find business.

     “I’ve personally felt it’s been a dramatic change. It’s devastating, to a certain degree,” he said.

“When you’re used to selling 100 homes a year and you’re dropping down to less than 30 or 40, that’s a significant impact.”

Jen St. Denis is a Vancouver-based reporter covering affordability and city hall. Follow her on Twitter: @jenstden

Opinion: When it comes to housing Vancouver’s homeless, we need to think small Vancouver Courier April 8, 2019

Modular homes should be used to provide affordable housing for broader range of households

While this is not a modular house, it illustrates how by wrapping small buildings with pretty designs, smaller modular buildings can become very attractive. 

“It's irresponsible for a mainstream media outlet to publish a headline advocating persecution of some of the most vulnerable members of society.”

This was just one of the many comments on the Courier website following my recent column expressing concern regarding the number of presumably homeless people camping out on the streets near Granville and Georgia.

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On Twitter, @DevonRowcliffe wanted to know if I would “lobby for more services for the homeless, (including addiction treatment, employment programs, and prevention initiatives such as KidCare Canada), or continue to bemoan the aesthetics of homelessness.”

However, many shared my concerns, including readers troubled about the worsening conditions in the Downtown Eastside and the new plaza in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery becoming a defacto bedroom for homeless people.

Many asked where I thought the homeless should go. While any place would be preferable to camping on the sidewalks outside Pacific Centre or the corner of Georgia and Burrard, here are some additional solutions.

Shelters are one option. While many are well run, albeit at considerable cost, homeless people often report they do not want to stay in shelters because they feel unsafe, and possessions are often stolen. Others complain they do not offer an address when seeking employment.

Surely two obvious solutions are to provide lockers where people can lock up their possessions and allow those seeking employment to use the shelter’s address for mail.

Both the province and City of Vancouver have rightly boasted about the many people who have been quickly housed in temporary modular units. However, these projects can be relatively expensive, in terms of capital costs.

But they need not be. Ten years ago, when NSDA Architects and I prepared the relocatable modular housing study for BC Housing, which ultimately led to the program underway, we proposed much more modest housing layouts, like those found in workcamps.

Three design options were put forth. Trailers containing eight sleeping rooms approximately 120 sq. ft. with shared bathrooms, and similarly-sized sleeping rooms with small, private bathrooms. A third option offered even smaller sleeping units with communal bathrooms. In all cases, communal living spaces would be provided. At the time, the units were estimated to cost less than $50,000 each.

Rendering by NSDA Architects

When we first announced this concept to housing activists in the Downtown Eastside, they vehemently objected to it for various reasons, including a fear the projects would be ugly. However, when we presented detailed plans, with creative exterior designs, they opposed the concept since they thought the units would be too attractive and therefore not temporary. This would give governments an excuse to delay building permanent buildings with larger self-contained units, something they were seeking.

Given today’s collective desire to house more homeless people in modular housing, I would recommend that BC Housing and the city now consider building much smaller, less expensive units, like those recommended in our report.

I am not alone in suggesting smaller units could be suitable. At the University of British Columbia, student housing planners have developed innovative “nano-suite” designs.They measure 140 sq. ft. and contain a pull-down bed/desk, kitchenette with mini fridge and bathroom with stand-up shower. 

Elsewhere in Canada, and across the U.S., cities are setting up “tiny house villages” for the homeless, comprising small, colourful structures 8 feet by 12 feet, with separate shared bathroom facilities.

By offering smaller sleeping rooms, with and without private bathrooms, governments could house many people for a similar amount of money.

Meanwhile, today’s relocatable modular designs should be used to provide affordable housing for a broader range of households. Currently, I am working with a Marpole apartment building owner to explore the feasibility of adding three or more levels of modular units above his rear yard surface parking.

While we often hear Vancouver is running out of land, I would argue we are not making the best use of the land we already have. With ingenuity, we can build accommodation for the homeless and others seeking affordable homes. Today’s modular housing projects are just the start.

@michaelgeller

geller@sfu.ca