The City of Vancouver Planning Department has scheduled an Open House at the Hellenic Centre for 4 – 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 17th. Obviously Larco Investments has gone back to the drawing board to make some changes to its development plan following community pressure. The Urban Design Panel made some recommendations for changes to the plan. We think the presentation that our association, ARCCA, made to the members of the Panel influenced these suggestions for change.
Now we are being asked to “Have Your Say!” on the new plans – but residents remain skeptical about whether their voices will truly be heard.
The numbers tell the story: We have 6200 signatures on our petition calling for a commercial upgrade only on the 7 acres. At last count, Larco’s plans had 540 units with fewer shops, underground parking and the recreation centre for the Village probably would not be rebuilt. This represents a massive shift from community-serving amenities to profit-driven density.
With 40,000 people in our broader community, we desperately need the shops and services that sustain neighborhood life – not 1000 more neighbours and 500 more cars clogging our already strained infrastructure! The existing traffic congestion during peak hours already creates safety concerns for families and seniors.
What’s at stake: This development could set a precedent for similar projects across Vancouver’s residential neighborhoods. Community members worry about losing the village character that makes Arbutus special.
Doreen Braverman
ARCCA Chair
