The ThunderBlogs

Residents of Marpole expressed strong opposition against the Marpole Safeway redevelopment plans presented by the City of Vancouver Planning Department at a meeting on Monday.  Not one resident out of an estimated 200 attendees stood up to voice their approval of the rezoning application during the question and answer period.

During the question and answer period, many residents said they were unhappy with the height of the proposed building, the increased traffic to the area, and the implications for local businesses.  They were also concerned with the lack of community space and green space.

The plan proposed by Henriquez Partners Architects is to redevelop the current site at 70th Avenue and Granville Street to include four major building elements: replacement of the Safeway grocery store on Granville Street; a 24-storey rental tower; a 14-storey market condominium tower; and a 9-storey slab building consisting of townhouses at street level and condominium units above.

Gwen Ingham compiled a petition of 225 signatures of Marpole residents over the weekend.  A majority of the people who signed think the new buildings should be no more than four storeys high.  Several disagreed and think they should be no more than nine storeys high.

“We feel that the fundamental character of Marpole is threatened by this [project],” said Ingham.

“No major development or rezoning should happen without an updated community plan and revisioning,” said Gudrun Langolf, president of the Marpole-Oakridge Area Council Society.

“The question of the traffic in the area has to be addressed, the problem of the schools and other facilities has to be addressed, but most importantly, a community plan has to be done first,” said Sylvia Taylor, a resident of Marpole since 1972.

Ron Loui-Ying has been living in Marpole for 14 years and previously lived in Hong Kong.  He disapproved of the large number of towers going up around the neighbourhood at Cambie Street and Marine Drive, as well as near Oakridge.  “If the city can’t afford to give us a [community] plan,” said Loui-Ying, “maybe they should spend some money and change Marpole into Mar-Kong!”

Brent Toderian, Director of Planning, assured the audience that this project is in its early stages and still needs to be approved by Council.  The planning staff is open to the community’s feedback.

“It’s not black and white for us,” said Toderian. “We’re still in the process of listening to the community’s perspectives on the nature of the application and we haven’t taken a position on whether the application is premature.”