Related Resources

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Cates Hill Chapel

The first Public Open House for the Cape Roger Curtis Comprehensive Development Plan was held on July 17th at the Cates Hill Chapel. Approximately 40 members of the community, including Mayor Turner, attended the evSent. The purpose of the first Public Open House was to communicate the values, principles, and approach that are guiding the comprehensive planning process for Cape Roger Curtis.

The members of the community were first introduced to view nine display boards that presented the project vision, process and site inventory completed to date. The event was introduced by Mark Sager, the Project Coordinator. Paul Fenske and Edward Porter of Ekistics Town Planning , the project planners and designers, then made a presentation of the neighborhood vision. Following the presentation, the attending members of the community and the planning team engaged in open discussion and a question-and-answer session. Further feedback from the meeting was invited through informal discussions after the question period, and feedback forms.

Major themes that emerged during the discussion were the protection of sensitive environmental areas, the perceived values that the Cape offers to the community and its role in achieving greater sustainability for the future of Bowen Island.

In total, we received nine public comment forms. Questions on the form included the following:

1. What are the key issues that you would like to see addressed in this plan?
2. Local Values :
   
   • What do you value about Cape Roger Curtis?
   • Why did you move to Bowen Island ?
   • What should be protected?
   • What could be improved or changes?
   • What future amenities could enhance life on Bowen?
3. What are the opportunities and constraints on the site? Has our preliminary analysis missed anything?
4. What are some good or bad examples of development elsewhere in the region or in the world?
5. Please provide us with any additional comments.
   

In general, respondents were most expressive of their appreciation of the natural environment at Cape Roger Curtis, and their wish to conserve as much of it as possible (ranging from the southern bluffs, to 50% of the land, to the area in its entirety). Public access to beaches was also strongly desired.

Several people expressed what type of development they do not want on Bowen Island , examples of which are a Whistler-type resort community, a typical suburb of Vancouver , North False Creek (Yaletown) style density, and the previous subdivision plan for Cape Roger Curtis. Support for a secondary mixed-use commercial node at the Cape was mixed. A preference was expressed for development that maintains an ‘island identity’ rather than promotes a more ‘urban community’. With increased Island population, ferry traffic and improved transportation were also raised as issues that need to be addressed.

Affordable housing and seniors housing were stated by several people as amenities that are currently lacking and needed on Bowen Island . Some people emphasized that the Cove would be better suited for this type of housing than Cape Roger Curtis. Designated public parks or conservation areas in parts of Cape Roger Curtis were seen as amenities that could enhance Bowen.

All in all, the Public Open House was a success and the study team was encouraged by the participation of the public. The information and feedback received will be considered in the next phase of the planning work. The next pubic open house is planned for sometime in September, 2007.

Related Resources

First Open House Presentation Boards 3.9MB

Related Resources

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Cates Hill Chapel

The second Public Open House for the Cape Roger Curtis Comprehensive Development Plan was held on September 19th at Cates Hill Chapel, and attended by approximately 75 members of the community, including Mayor Turner and several Bowen Island Councilors. The event was introduced by Mark Sager, the Project Coordinator, with a presentation and discussion led by Paul Fenske and Edward Porter of Ekistics Town Planning, the Project Designers. The purpose of the Second Open House was threefold: firstly, to discuss the unique opportunity to prepare a long term neighbourhood plan for the Cape that supports Bowen’s growing efforts to plan for sustainability; secondly, to present the complex process of designing a “Complete Community” at the Cape; and thirdly, to reveal a viable land use strategy that retains a maximum amount of public park and community amenities.

The presentation by Paul Fenske, Principal of EKISTICS and Edward Porter, Project Designer, began with a review of the comprehensive process behind a viable and complete community design, which involved not only the physical site, but also Island-wide ecosystems and social demographics. The design presented a sustainable land use strategy providing 60% of the lands for park and 100% of the waterfront for public access. The proposed land use strategy provides long term opportunity for a strong mix of residential housing types, serving the Island’s growing need for more affordable housing, seniors housing as well as live-work opportunities. In addition, the proposed strategy provides places for future civic amenities such as a public waterfront park, community house, neighbourhood corner store, civic gathering space & amphitheatre, chapel, memorial garden, spiritual retreat, sports field & elementary school, seaside inn, community garden, and neighbourhood parks.

Following the presentation, the public had the opportunity to ask questions about the design process and the Sustainable Land Use Strategy, and to share their views and suggestions. Though the meeting ran late into the evening, informal discussions after the question period provided opportunity for further feedback to the planning team.

The overall response to the proposed Sustainable Land Use Strategy was very positive. The preservation of 60% of the lands for public park space with 100% waterfront access for the community was especially well received.

The issue of road access was raised by many people as a vital component of any plan for the Cape. While several options exist based upon surveys of the topography, a direct collector from Adams Road is currently the favored route. This proposal would avoid the use of Whitesails Drive and thereby minimize impact on adjacent neighbours. Access from Adams Road will require the purchase of lands to the northeast of the site. Mark Sager, Project Coordinator, responded to questions with assurance that talks are underway with the present land owner to secure access from Adams Road.

Concern was raised that while a place for civic amenities is being provided in the Sustainable Land Use Strategy (a community centre, general store, amphitheatre etc.), a lack of secured funding would prohibit anything from being developed. While at this stage the Municipality and the land owners have not entered talks over the funding of civic amenities, a strong opportunity exists for this kind of partnership. The realization of public parks & civic amenities largely relies on the maturing of a healthy and mixed-use neighbourhood at the Cape.

Many people were encouraged by the promise of 100% public waterfront access and had questions about the width of the proposed waterfront park along the western shore of the Cape. The planning team assured that ‘public access’ means much more than high watermark lots and 30-metre building setbacks. Rather, the vision for the waterfront park maintains the present waterfront experience of nature and solitude through significant lot setbacks and low impact trails and/or boardwalks.

Increased ferry traffic remains a major concern for Bowen Islanders, as was raised several times during the meeting. The impact of future growth on Bowen Island ferry traffic is a critical issue that rests largely with the Bowen Island Municipality and the implementation of the current Ferry Marshalling Plan for the Cove. In response, the planning team suggested that the Cape is an opportunity to contribute more than additional commuters. In the long term, a community which provides on-island employment, various housing types, live-work housing and amenities, all within walking distance, will undoubtedly reduce its reliance on off-island commuting. In such way, the Cape could be less a ‘bedroom’ to Vancouver and more a self-sustaining community.

Public comment forms and email responses are still being received by the planning team. Questions on the form include the following:

1. Is the proposed conservation strategy of 60% park and 100% public waterfront access an essential target for this Plan to achieve?
2. Should the neighbourhood design provide for a variety of housing types? Is the provision of affordable housing and seniors housing an essential target for this Plan to achieve?
3. Should the Green Plan provide a network of public trails within Cape Roger Curtis?
4. Which is the preferred tool for protection of sensitive ecosystems, public ecological reserves status, or private protection by covenant?
5. Should the Plan provide a direct Community Connector to Adams Road?
6. In your opinion, does the proposed land use plan better address the short and long term needs of Bowen Island than the subdivision scheme allowed under the current Zoning and OCP?
7. Please provide us with any additional comments.

Public comment from this session is still welcome. Please take the time to respond to these questions or provide any other comments and send to the address below.

Mark Sager
Project Co-ordinator
P.O. Box 231
Bowen Island, BC, V0N 1G0
Tel. 604.947.2622
Fax. 604.488.0982
Email. mark@caperogercurtis.com

Related Resources

If the links below do not work, right click on it and choose "Save Target As...":

Second Open House Invitation 0.7MB
Second Open House Presentation Slideshow 3.4MB
Second Open House Presentation Boards 6.3MB

Related Resources

The third Public Open House for the Cape Roger Curtis Comprehensive Development Plan was held on December 1st and spanned a full day of discussions & presentations at Cates Hill Chapel. The event was attended by approximately 75 members of the community, including four Bowen Island Councillors. The morning session was better attended than the afternoon (45 & 30 attendees, respectively) and Mayor Bob Turner sent his regrets as he was unable to attend either session.

The three main objectives of the Third Open House were to: provide attendees with ample time for one-on-one discussion with the entire project team; update local community members on the ongoing design & planning process, concluding with a discussion of potential capacity of the land use plan (as presented in the second open house); and reiterate the opportunity presented by comprehensive master-planning & phased development.

The Chapel was organized around five areas of interest, including: "Parks & Conservation", "Island Trends", "Impacts & Benefits" and "Community Fit & Phasing." Each area was attended by members of the core project team (represented by Eanson Ho, Candy Ho, Mark Sager, Brett Liljefors, Paul Fenske & Edward Porter), as well as representatives from the various technical consultants involved in the planning & design process (Firms represented include: Pottinger Gaherty & Diamond Head Consulting (environment), KWL (water supply and distribution, sanitary sewer and treatment, and storm water management systems), Opus Hamilton (traffic and transportation), Golder Associates (hydrogeology and geotechnical) and G.P. Rollo & Associates (land economics). Two short presentations were held (one during each session), followed by a question & answer period facilitated by Mark Sager.

The presentation by Paul Fenske (Ekistics) covered a range of topics, including:

• A review of the process to date, including how the documented public interest of the Island was used to arrive at the sustainable land-use concept (proposing 60% of the lands for park, 100% of the waterfront for public use, a strong mix of residential housing types and the opportunity for future civic amenities).

• A short summary of the meeting with Council & the technical committees, acknowledging the "bomb" of a presentation in explaining the plan’s development…

• Articulation of the plan's potential capacity of 800 to 1200 units (assuming a 25 year build-out) to support the proposed amenities while conforming to the form & character as desired on the Island today.

• Introduction of the second half of the presentation, seeking community consensus to secure the land-use plan.

• Evaluation (as a brief aside) of the proposed land-use concept and its associated benefits (given the program as explored to date), using the following performance measures:

• Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation's "Would You Know One if You Saw One" test, identifying twelve features to assess a community in reference to its sustainability; and

• Holland-Barrs' draft "Sustainable Development Strategic Plan," endorsed by the BIM.

• Exploration of Island trends – from population to housing choice & affordability to employment & commuting – in the specific context of how a master-planned community at Cape Roger Curtis could help address many challenges facing the Island today.

• Discussion opened to the audience – as per the recommendation of Council's advisory groups – focusing on the numbers needed to secure the plan (250 to get started… around 500 over the life of the project to cover costs, risk & long-term financing) as well as the community’s suggestions for how to proceed with a phased approach.

• Finally, the proposed plan was again compared to the what is permitted under the Island’s OCP and, it was said that, while the units/densities proposed with this plan are beyond the vision articulated in the OCP, so too are the community amenities proposed – from park to seniors housing – in response to the regional trends & growth pressures facing the Island today… also not contemplated during the time the OCP was originally written.

Prior to and following each presentation, attendees had the opportunity to comment on the information presented & ask questions about the design process and findings to date. Many comments acknowledged the difficulty of the task at hand and many attendees were open to the idea of a phased development "starting small and growing over time." Some concerns were raised regarding the ongoing traffic & noise presented by a long-term development. Others commented on the need for additional employment opportunities on the Island if the future is to be sustainable. Generally speaking, attendees were not opposed to the numbers discussed and instead focused questions on proposed amenities and timing. Beyond the post-presentation question & answer period, many attendees had the opportunity for in-depth discussion with project staff and the various sub-consultants. Questions and answers will be posted to the project website as soon as they are received.

Finally, comment forms and email responses are still being received by the planning team. Questions on the form include the following:

1. Do you think master planning is an important process for planning the future of the Island?
2. In light of regional and Island-wide trends (with special attention to issues such as population, ferry traffic, housing affordability, and employment) what do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing residents of Bowen today?
3. Do you believe that the sustainable land use concept proposed for the Cape reflects the stated public interest on Bowen? How?
4. Do you believe future development on Bowen should focus on implementing sustainable alternatives to the status quo?
5. What is your main concern with the plan presented today? How can this concern be addressed and mitigated while considering the effects any change might have on other components of the plan?
6. Do you believe that the "complete community" neighbourhood proposed at the Cape serves Bowen's need for housing diversity & affordability for families & seniors?
7. Please provide us with any additional comments.

Public comment from this session is still welcomed. Please take the time to respond to these questions or provide any other comments and send to the address below.

Mark Sager
Project Co-ordinator
P.O. Box 231
Bowen Island, BC, V0N 1G0
Tel. 604.947.2622 Fax. 604.488.0982
Email. mark@caperogercurtis.com

Related Resources

Third Open House Invitation 0.2MB
Presentation Slideshow 0.7MB
Ekistics Board 3.3MB
Environmental Board 6.4MB
Traffic and Transportation Board 3.75MB
Water Supply, Treatment and Management
Hydrogeological Cross Section Board 0.04MB
Water Supply and Aquifer Mapping Board 6.6MB
Water Distribution Board 7.2MB
Water Utilization Concept Board 0.3MB
Storm Water Board 4.4MB
Waste Water Board 6.0MB
Third Open House Interactive Comment Form

CMHC Reference: Sustainable Communities (if the link does not work, try here.)

Related Resources

Communities on Bowen Island need to be sustainable. To this end, the municipality has retained one of the leading consultants in sustainability, Mr. Mark Holland of Holland Barrs Planning Group Inc. to establish the sustainability needs for Bowen Island.

Our study team is well versed in sustainability requirements and has taken an active approach to understand its frameworks as established by Mr. Holland. In fact, the master plan concept was guided and created based on Bowen Island’s sustainability framework. It is noted that Bowen Island Municipality’s documents on sustainability are still being reviewed and we will attempt to provide the latest versions as they become available.

Recently, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), a federal crown corporation responsible for housing developments and standards, published an article and check list for sustainable communities.

In addition to using BIM and CMHC references as planning frameworks, our planning team has retained Mr. Bob Ransford to review and comment on our design plans for the Cape. Mr. Ransford is a public affairs consultant who specializes in combining effective public process, smart land use principles and good design techniques to achieve sustainability and smart growth. He has written a regular column on housing and real estate development in the Vancouver Sun for more than 6 years and offers expert commentary on complicated land use issues.

The links to all of the above references on sustainability are listed below for easy reference.

Related Resources

• The nine core principles adopted by Bowen Island Municipality’s Framework for Sustainable Development
  
• The strategic directives of Holland Barr’s draft "Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development for the Bowen Island Municipality"
  
• The twelve features of sustainable communities as officially defined by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation in the article "Would You Know One If You Saw One?"
  
• "No Fear in Moving Forward with Cape Plan", article by Bob Ransford, published in Bowen Island Undercurrent, December 7, 2007.
• "Cape Plan consistent with Bowen’s sustainability goals", published in Bowen Island Undercurrent, December 21, 2007.