After widespread opposition to late changes in the Marpole Community Plan this summer, the City of Vancouver has presented a revised draft plan that pulls back on changes in quieter single family areas and focuses growth along the main arterials including Granville, Oak and Marine Drive.

Here are the changes:

Before

After

The newest draft is essentially a return to the initial draft plan that was presented this spring. It focuses growth in 4-12 storey buildings along arterial streets, as opposed to townhouses.

The resistance to the Plan was almost entirely a result of late changes before the final draft presentation in June. At that time, the City proposed rezoning a large swath of single family lots to townhouse. This was a change that had not been presented nor widely discussed and it angered a great deal of residents. It resulted in the Plan being sent back for an additional round of consultation.

Not only did this move result in a delay of the plan, it was probably pointless and showed a disconnect from economic feasibility. With most single family lots in the range of 5,000-6,000 SF and house values of $1.5M+, a rezoning to townhouse would not have yielded any increase in value for most owners based upon land value and very little redevelopment would’ve occurred anyway.

What has the City likely learned from this process? In predominantly single family areas, residents are most likely to oppose new density increases except along main arterials where traffic is present already and attendant property values are lower due to their location.

What’s next for the Plan?

The City of Vancouver will be holding a dozen or so open houses and community discussion events to receive feedback on the revised plan before looking for council approval in early 2013.

Stay tuned for detailed analysis on implications and opportunities in each of Marpole’s five subareas…

A controversial highrise proposed for Vidal Street is going ahead, following narrow approval by White Rock council Monday.

Zoning and Official Community Plan amendments that facilitate construction of the 12-storey project received final reading on 4-3 votes, with Mayor Wayne Baldwin and Couns. Al Campbell and Helen Fathers opposed.

Fathers said she couldn’t support the amendments after hearing from residents that the project is “too much, too dense, they don’t like it.” “I don’t believe this is the right time for it,” she said.

The project, proposed for 1467-1519 Vidal St., includes 12 townhouse units and 97 apartments, underground parking and public green space.

Read more: http://www.peacearchnews.com/news/230899631.html

The so-called International Trade Centre at Versante could bring 214,008 square feet of new commercial, hotel and office space to North Richmond, according to a report presented Tuesday at city hall.

Marketed as “Richmond’s next epicentre of business,” the proposed development consists of three towers—nine, 12 and 14 storeys—and a common five-storey podium. Included in the project is a 110-room hotel.

The proposal comes from Hotel Versante Ltd., which is seeking to rezone a 0.7-hectare (1.6-acre) triangular site at 8451 Bridgeport Rd. to build it. City council’s planning committee considered the project this week, 14 years after council approved a previous rezoning application that’s now being abandoned.

The site is located in Bridgeport Village, near the Airport Connector Bridge and next to Duck Island, where a multi-phase development of retail, entertainment, office, hotel and conference uses is in the early planning stages.

Read more: http://www.richmondreview.com/business/230718231.html

Sears Canada is closing its flagship location in Toronto’s Eaton Centre, as well as four other stores including Richmond Centre, in a move that will affect almost 1,000 employees.

The retailer says it’s selling the leases on five department stores, in a $400 million deal that amounts to the largest sale of leases since Sears (TSX:SCC) began shedding assets and cutting jobs in an effort to turn around its struggling operations.

The sale is especially notable because the Eaton Centre is one of the company’s most visible Canadian stores, located in a central tourist area.

About 965 employees across the company’s operations will affected by the move. Sears Canada says employees who are laid off from closing stores can apply for other jobs within the company.

Here is a list of rezoning applications headed for Burnaby City Council’s consideration on Monday:

Phase 1 of Brentwood Town Centre Project

The first phase of the Brentwood Town Centre redevelopment by Shape Properties is seeking to move forward to first reading and public hearing next month. Phase 1 includes development of a new externally oriented commercial shopping centre, public plaza and high street within the 8-acre southwest quadrant. It includes:

• 546,820 SF of new commercial space in 2-4 storey buildings
• Density of 1.56 FAR
• Central civic plaza

Phase 2 of Station Square

The second phase of the Station Square redevelopment by Anthem Properties is seeking to move forward to first reading and public hearing next month. The first phase is now substantially sold out and under construction. Phase 2 includes development the next two towers atop a low-rise retail and office podium on the Eastern portion of the site. It includes:

• two towers – one 38-storeys and one 48-storeys
• 768 total units
• a total density of 5.34 FAR
• 97,343 SF of new commercial space

Canada Way and Claude Avenue

The owners of this 4.6 acre site have filed a rezoning application for a 132 unit stacked-townhouse development with underground parking to a total density of 0.9 FAR.