MEETING THE NEW CITY COUNCIL 

This remains a period of considerable change at City Hall. RePlan leaders have met with Councillor Pete Fry, who was appointed Council Liaison to False Creek South by the previous Council, and Councillor Adriane Carr from the Green Party. 

As well, several RePlan leaders met with former Councillor Colleen Hardwick to thank her for her work as a Council Liaison. She continues to work with the TEAM party she helped create and is trying to form representative community groups like the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association and to move toward a municipal ward system. 

This past week RePlan leaders also met with Councillor Christine Boyle who recently secured approval of a motion (with amendments put forward by ABC Councillors) for staff to report back amending zoning in several areas to provide additional density for housing built by non-profit housing developers. 

RePlan has spoken with returning ABC Councillor Lisa Dominato. After consulting with returning Councillors Bligh and Kirby-Yung, she recommended that RePlan meet with the mayor and ABC councillors, possibly including a site visit early in the new year.

RePlan will also be requesting meetings with the provincial Ministers of Housing and Health and possibly Premier Eby to try to get a better sense of whether and how  the objectives of RePlan (and the FCS community) might best align with emerging priorities of the new governments.

CITY COUNCIL POLICIES FOR FALSE CREEK SOUTH

RePlan is preparing a summary of policies approved by previous City Councils over the last decade and will share these with local residents and the new City Council. This is to help create a better understanding about how these unanimously adopted policies are reflected in both RePlan Proposals and staff action.

COMMUNITY PLANNING

RePlan leaders continue to meet informally with City Planning staff to help identify outstanding issues. This effort is to ensure that the City-led process addresses issues in a way that can be understood and supported by local residents. Staff are preparing a work plan during the first quarter of 2023 that will include engagement by local residents as well as others who have an interest in the future of the neighbourhood. 

RePlan’s Community Planning Working Group is reaching out to residents to review the emerging community-based community plan created in 2019 – and updated since – to help develop a path consistent with Council-approved policies. There will be a number of opportunities for interested residents to provide feedback on the draft plan and to join the Working Group.

EXPEDITING DEVELOPMENT OF NEW HOUSING

RePlan is suggesting that the early focus of the Community Plan be on the area between the Cambie Bridge and the Bus Loop and Berm. Previous community consultations indicated that this should include workforce housing near the SkyTrain Station and housing near the Bus Loop for seniors, people with disabilities who can live independently, and families with children. As well, a Campus of Care would include a large modern care facility and an array of supportive housing for seniors, people with disabilities, and those who have experienced homelessness. These proposals could significantly expand affordable housing in the neighbourhood and serve as a model for other communities. 

CENSUS DATA

City staff are considering a RePlan proposal to work together on the 2021 census and ensure that the demographics information (incomes, ages, household size) that staff presents to Council is consistent with RePlan’s understanding. In the last census, staff used boundaries that combined different tenures and even some land outside of False Creek South. These boundaries made it appear that the population on City-owned land was older and wealthier that it actually proved to be. 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The Authorized Co-op Working Group is finalizing a funding proposal to work with RePlan and a consultant in reaching out to residents in co-ops and other tenures. The focus is to help ensure that young people, families with children, people from cultural minorities, people with disabilities and others who face challenges in participating in public processes can learn more and express their own ideas about the future of the community – especially concerning the leases for housing on City land and the emerging community plan.