To the editor:
I would like to point out misleading information in Chris Vollan's letter. First, take a look at The Rize artist's rendering attached to that letter.
The building immediately to the right of The Rize image is a four-storey (48 feet) building called The Hub. The top of the adjacent Rize podium wall along Broadway appears in this image to be just slightly higher. In fact, that podium wall is 118 feet, including two levels of commercial and five levels of residential. It ought to appear two and one half times the height of The Hub, not just slightly higher.
Through some sort of visual tricks The Rize project is being shown as far less imposing than it actually will be.
Mr. Vollan also said the project was the result of an extensive consultation process. What he fails to mention is that high-rises were rejected as an option by a wide margin of citizens polled at every step along the way, and that a building of this magnitude was never mentioned until the last community meeting of a two-year planning process when in fact the city and Rize had been discussing the project in secret for years.
Vague language to ostensibly permit such a tower was unilaterally inserted into the plan by City staff. He also references the 1987 Community Plan, but the 1987 Plan indicated that this site was suitable for office space, not residential. It is my view and that of the majority of Mount Pleasant residents who have criticized this application, that the whole process has been a disaster. City council needs to do a reset and ask for something that truly captures the imagination of the people of Mount Pleasant and will restore confidence in the public consultation process.
Lee Chapelle, Vancouver
