Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»city council approved a rezoning application early Friday morning for a condominium development by Wall Financial Corporation at 57th Avenue and Granville Street.
Shannon Estate will feature a total of 735 units202 rental and 533 market housing units in a variety of housing types from studios to family-oriented townhomes, according to Wall Financial. The plan will also restore many historic features of the estate, including the Beaux-Arts Mansion, Italianate Gardens, a Gate House and Coach House. Construction of the first phase could start in 2012.
Once rezoning is enacted, a development permit application will be submitted.
The controversial rezoning decision came at just past 2 a.m. July 29, after three days of hearings, in which there were 179 registered speakers85 were opposed, four were classified as other, seven were in support and 83 did not attend to speak, according to city hall.
Four councillors were opposed to the rezoningNPA Coun. Suzanne Anton, Vision Vancouvers George Chow and COPEs David Cadman and Ellen Woodsworth. Vision Coun. Kerry Jang was on a leave of absence for personal reasons for the entire public hearing.
Karl Brodhecker, a spokesperson for the Shannon Mews Neighbourhood Association, said its always been clear to the association what the outcome would be.
It was a foregone conclusion because council is ideologically driven and they consider the communities and the citizens of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»to be nothing more than an experiment in order to force the behaviour that they believe we should have on us. They take no concern whatsoever in neighbourhood interests, he said Friday afternoon.
And they simply demonstrated that with the exception of one member of Visionwe have to make this very clearVision Coun. George Chow who did listen to the neighbours and paid attention to what the citizens want as opposed to what the Vision philosophy demands.
Brodhecker said the development doesnt fit in with the community and doesnt represent the interests of the neighbourhood, and that the idea of spot rezoning in order to accomplish political aims is once again being used here with no examination of what the consequences aresomething as simple as asking for a transportation study is refused.
Some residents, who hoped a decision would be delayed until September, argued the report that was sent to public hearing was flawed, contained errors, omissions and misrepresentations, and that it should have been corrected by city staff, before a vote.
Bruno Wall of Wall Development Corporation calls it a great project.
Wall said a lot of changes and adjustments were made to the plan and he believes neighbours will be happy with the result.
The original proposal was for towers up to 14 storeys, which was scaled back to heights of between two and nine storeys.
What Id say to residents that are unhappy is I believe the proposal that we have balances their concerns with citywide objectives and broader neighbourhood objectives and we are going to do our best when we go through with redevelopment and construction to mitigate any negative impact on the neighbourhood.
Brodhecker said the neighbourhood association is considering its options and that there are outstanding procedural and legal questions.
We have never considered the approval of a rezoning was going to be the end of our strategy and our conduct in dealing with this, he said.
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