Model Village: Little Mountain redevelopment open house

(This post was originally on my blog: The Medium)

It’s hard to believe a couple of years ago, the rambling 15 acre Little Mountain site at Main and 36th Avenue was populated with dozens of unremarkable low-rise buildings occupied by hundreds of people and families of mostly lower income households. Today, this L-shaped territory is a huge field of mostly crabgrass and brambles enclosed by a chain-link fence. After the apartment buildings were bulldozed a few years ago, Little Mountain started to remind me of scorched earth zones in Central America, where governments and armies were intent on eliminating dissent (the mostly indigena rebels). However no one here died that I know of, and all residents were relocated with assistance from BC Housing.

So it is no wonder that one of the most heated development debates in Vancouver, the Little Mountain Housing site, has packed the open house at General Brock School on Saturday with curious and engaged citizens of the Riley Park community. As a bonus to the presentations of the city and the developer, citizens were handed briefs at the entrance from two groups: The Riley Park South Cambie Community Visions group (RPSC); and Community Advocates for Little Mountain (C.A.L.M.).

RPSC is concerned that the developer’s plan won’t meet the needs for affordable housing in the area. The group also highlights the projected impact of 4500 plus new residents and the increased traffic this would bring to the streets surrounding the Little Mountain redevelopment.

“Will the proposed development provide enough affordable housing for working families, the elderly, and those with disabilities? Will this development ‘fit’ the residential fabricof the Riley Park neighbourhood?” says the leaflet.

C.A.L.M. notes the plan fails to provide adequate affordable housing for the neighbourhood, and that the density of the development is unacceptable.

“The government made a huge mistake by trying to sell off this land for private development,” says the brief. “Holborn tells us that if we want affordability we must accept even more density than they are currently proposing, but Holborn’s notion of  ’affordability’ is far beyond the incomes of average Vancouver families.”

Facts about the Little Mountain Housing Redevelopment master plan (info from RPSC):

• Density: 122 units / acre
• FSR: 2.8
• Height: 4-14 stories
• Population (projected): 4585
• Traffic Impact: 700 vehicle movements per hour
• Buildings: 20 buildings on 15 acres
• Housing: 1824 units (minimum), 234 of which are earmarked for social housing, 1600 will be sold at market rates

Holborn Properties has also developed:

Links: 

• City of Vancouver’s Little Mountain Redevelopment page
• Community Advocates for Little Mountain (C.A.L.M.)
• Riley Park South Cambie Community Visions group (RPSC)
• Holburn Properties web page on Little Mountain