email to Larry Beasley, Former YVR Chief Planner re: Development Threat To Nanaimo Waterfront Park

Larry Beasley

From: Frank Murphy 
Subject: Nanaimo's downtown waterfront park
Date: August 16, 2014 at 7:52:47 PM PDT
To: larrybeasleycm@gmail.com
Cc: David Witty, Wally Wells, Pam Shaw

Hi Larry, contacting you from Nanaimo assuming I have your correct email address. I attended and very much enjoyed your presentation here earlier this year as part the exciting South Downtown Waterfront Initiative the leadership of which, as you know, Dave Witty has skillfully assumed. I’ve been posting developments of the Initiative and examples of waterfront revitalizations that have happened or are happening elsewhere at

http://nanaimocommons.blogspot.ca

I remember how taken you were with our wonderful downtown waterfront public areas of promenades, park areas and the array of uses including the boat basin and residential units that integrate with the public sphere. I, and most Nanaimoites love and value highly this brilliant community asset.

There has been a development which threatens this parkland that I thought you would like to hear about. There’s been for the last number of years a derelict construction site — at the top of the hill near the lagoon, if you recall that area. The developer has now come forward with a proposal to build a 35 storey 300 room hotel on the site. The massing is considerable: FAR of 12. The proponent says they have a bit of a problem: their project is too big for their site. Rather than scaling back the size of the project, they have applied for a lease of the adjoining parkland allowing them to build loading docks and restaurant patios and a “grand staircase” down to the waterfront. They also proposed, and have received Council approval, to purchase a thin strip adjoining their site which was designated “lane-way". They propose to contribute to the cost of upgrading another large portion of the park to serve as an extension of the hotel’s grounds.

This has come in front of Council here in the sleepy days of August and Staff are recommending Council use the Alternative Approval Process to meet the requirements to seek voter assent to privatize parkland.

These links will take you to the Staff report presented to Council and an editorial in one of the local papers that addresses some concerns.

http://nanaimocommons.blogspot.ca/2014/08/proposed-hilton-hotel-to-council-monday.html

http://nanaimocommons.blogspot.ca/2014/08/nanaimo-hilton-still-exists-only-in.html

I fear that before people realize what’s at stake, we could loose a large portion of our beloved waterfront park.

Your thoughts and counsel would be very much appreciated.

— Frank Murphy

Please click on the heading of the post to see comments...

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Spearheaded by the Kelowna Sustainable Innovation Group, a consortium of private sector investors, a 106,000-square-foot Okanagan Centre for Innovation dedicated to “supporting innovation, technology industry and entrepreneurial growth” in the region, is planned for the north side of downtown Kelowna. The $35-million development, which will be co-owned by the province, KSIG and the city, is slated for completion by early 2016. Kelowna plans a $35-million centre for startups | BC Business

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Post by Nanaimo Commons.

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A few famous folks, 45 years ago today, anticipated that the future would be about pedestrians, cross walks, streets @jen_keesmaat

A few famous folks, 45 years ago today, anticipated that the future would be about pedestrians, cross walks, streets: pic.twitter.com/SdSNzGKaCO

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Proposed Hilton Hotel To Council Monday — Includes "Lease" of Adjacent Waterfront Park

Details of rezoning application, City "lane" closure, acquisition and consolidation, from the City Council meeting agenda for Monday August 11, 2014 here.  35 storeys from the waterfront promenade, 303 room hotel with 59 parking spaces on site.

Read the post and the comments at: Gord Fuller Municipally (A)MUSING

From Better! Cities & Towns Online — Shared-Space Waterfront for Washington DC

A 12-block waterfront redevelopment broke ground in Washington DC that extensively uses the concept of "share-space" streets, according to Payton Chung of Streetsblog. At 27-acres, The Wharf is designed to include 560 dwellings plus a couple million square feet of office, retail, hotel space, a concert hall, museum, and maritime education center, and a marina. About 60 percent of the site will be public space — including the streets, which are designed as public spaces, although cars and trucks will have access to most. Read more: New shared-space waterfront for DC | Better! Cities & Towns Online