A malodorous fog of hypocrisy hangs about 12th and Cambie engulfing Mayor Gregor Robertson and his Vision Vancouver-led council.
Just two weeks ago Robertson stood on the north side of city hall to proclaim that his council was about to contain the multibillion-dollar global short-term rental behemoths Airbnb and Expedia. He also repeated the news that the city was proceeding with its 鈥渆mpty home tax.鈥�
It would mean, he said, more long-term rentals 鈥� up to 1,000 units 鈥� in the midst of what he frequently has referred to as a housing 鈥渃risis.鈥�
But just a few days earlier a story broke in the Globe and Mail. Kerry Gold reported on the city鈥檚 purchase of a home at 3030 Victoria Drive once owned by David Norris.
Norris was one of 11 kids who grew up in that home, and he only sold to the city with the assurances from the city鈥檚 real estate service that the home would be rented out to, possibly, refugees.
His sister Catie assumed that, soon enough, a family like her own could enjoy the benefits of being right next to John Hendry Park (commonly referred to as Trout Lake Park), Trout Lake itself and the community centre just a few steps away.
City council approved the purchase during an in-camera meeting. This was the first step in the process of a land assembly to buy all eight properties on the block to extend the park. Ultimately the Norris property was turned over to the park board.
Meanwhile, more than a year has passed. The house remains empty in the midst of the biggest housing crisis in the city鈥檚 history and with Robertson repeatedly pointing fingers at the province and the federal government for their lack of sufficient response.
But it gets worse.
Orange plastic webbed fencing now surrounds trees on the boulevard and in the front and back yard. Vandals have begun to strip bits off the exterior of the house. With the heat turned off, last winter a frozen pipe in the bathroom apparently broke causing more damage.
But then Norris and the rest of the long-term residents on the block learned that the city had every intention of tearing the house down.
This whole thing stinks for a number of reasons.
Someone in the city real estate service 鈥� who must now be cowering under their desk 鈥� failed to deliver on their commitment to rent out the building.
But further, a few years ago the park board unveiled the 鈥淭rout Lake Master Plan.鈥� It made no reference at all to the expansion of the park. The 3000 block of Victoria was intact. The hottest item debated at the time was what to do with dogs in the park.
Then there was this observation delivered in an email last week to one of the block鈥檚 residents, Samantha Reynolds, by Vision councillor Andrea Reimer: Reimer said, 鈥淔or what it is worth the park board policy of expanding large parks is inconsistent with the metrics established by the city in the Greenest city鈥� plan.
And now neighbours all around the park have created an informal organization to push back against the expansion plans.
The mayor鈥檚 office finally woke up to the growing problem. So what does our mayor do, hoping to avoid any further political damage? Well he decides to blame the very community that has been deceived and jerked around in this whole exercise.
In a media scrum on Monday he said the reticence to sell 鈥渋s too bad for the community that would benefit from a larger park.鈥� He has got to be kidding.
Meanwhile, city manager Sadhu Johnston sent a rocket off to park board manager Malcolm Bromley ordering him to dig his way out of this mess.
Bromley sent out a news release announcing the house would not be torn down. It would 鈥� presumably after some considerable repairs 鈥� be rented out.
As for the land assembly plan, well, residents are now vowing to leave their property to their children, and they know that, if selling is an option, the city has very deep pockets.
And, oh yes, remember there is a city council byelection Oct. 14. This disgusting behaviour provides Vancouverites one more reason to defeat any candidate Vision puts up.
