Some truths are buried too deep for the daily news cycle to reveal. It's the role of documentary filmmakers to bring them to light. FORGETTING LITTLE MOUNTAIN, a film about the tragedy of the Little Mountain Housing Project will be released soon. When it's done you'll hear about it! Updated May 2024
News is that Holborn is crying poverty over it’s ability to borrow money for rebuilding public housing. With the help of their friends in the former BC Liberal Party (now BC United) Rich Coleman and Kevin Falcon etc. invited Holborn in 2008 to attach itself to a jewel of property at the heart of Vancouver. What did they do?
Holborn destroyed tens of millions of dollars of public housing and a low income community. Holborn was handed hundreds of millions of dollars of BC taxpayer money through a “sweetheart deal” with the Liberals. Since 2008 Holborn have done little more than cut the grass on a 16 acre vacant lot.
Holborn failed to deliver on the latest 2021 memorandum with Premier Eby to deliver the replacement housing by 2024 – they’re not even finished the first of three buildings that were specified in the memorandum.
But Holborn has spent over a year building an ultra posh sales office on 33rd and Ontario Street. It’s nearing completion.
You can read the Memorandum with Holborn on BC Housing’s website, and there’s a link in my previous posts.
Poor Holborn.
Holborn is a huge Malaysian corporation with deep pockets. They’re here to make a profit on land speculation in our inflated real estate market.
David Eby, the Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing provided an update on the Little Mountain Housing Scandal on September 10 and spoke about the new MOU.
The new Memorandum of Understanding can be found below within the BC Housing Website – just look at the sidebar to the right to download the PDF.
The PDF specifies that all of the remaining social housing will be built by 2024.
BC Housing’s updated 2024 website page does not mention that the contract was not fulfilled (as usual with PR). BC Housing’s updated websiteclaims that the two remaining social housing buildings will be started this year: “Two additional non-market buildings are expected to break ground this year.”
Watch this YouTube video of Eby’s the entire press conference – more links below.
Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan’s (2006 – 2009) NPA majority City Hall signed the first Memorandum of Understanding in 2007 with the BC Liberal Government. That MOU approved of the demolition of Little Mountain and included words that implied that real consultation with the tenants would take place, but those consultations never happened. Mayor Gregor Robertson‘s VISION majority council swept away Sam Sullivan’s NPA council, but did not challenge or alter the MOU, though it was in their power to do so. Gregor Robertson is gone from Vancouver civic politics. Over the last 5 years various governments at City Hall, Victoria, and Ottawa that held power during the demolition of Little Mountain (2008 – 2014 have undergone a complete change over.
The MOU named FOUR entities: BC Housing, the Province of BC, the City of Vancouver and Holborn Properties as co-signatories to an agreement to accelerate construction of social housing on the site by 2024. At the bare minimum, members of the community whose homes were destroyed, should also be included as one of the entities who have oversight over the building of nearly 200 new homes from 2021 – 2024.
How will BC Housing make it right, for the former tenants of Little Mountain? The dismal performance of BC Housing with respect to the former tenants of Little Mountain behooves that it include all of the children of all of the former tenants of Little Mountain in their plans to re-populate the new housing, when (and if) they are ever built.
Already there are lessons to be learned from the shoddy construction of the first building that was built on the site in 2012, where the word “cheap” epitomizes everything from the quality of the materials to the design of the interior living spaces/environments. A full Post Occupancy Evaluation of that first building is necessary before the new buildings are built so that in the haste to rebuild, Holborn will not once again be selling this community short.
So what could the developer, Holborn do to redeem a reputation that is tarnished beyond redemption? They could begin by building the best social housing in the city. It could be well constructed and designed. It could be as liveable as the previous housing and attempt to replicate room for room, and square foot for square foot, the size of the suites that were destroyed. 16 years after their destruction.
The documentary film THE HOUSING GAMES, (now FORGETTING LITTLE MOUNTAIN) is nearing completion. There is a completed Rough Cut, and we’re looking for financial support to help us get to the final edit. If we get that support we’ll be done sooner, than later. We are aiming for a release in 2024. The revelation of the secret deal completes a final chapter in this story about the tragedy of Little Mountain, and opens an entirely new set of questions about why the deal was written, by whom, and in whose interests?
David Vaisbord — Filmmaker
In my previous post I discuss who was responsible for revealing the Secret Deal.
Please read below, this Vancouver Sun article from Auguest 25, 2021. This is a victory for the advocates who launched the “Take Back the Mountain” campaign (takebackthemountain.com) with the call to reveal the contents of the secret document signed by the (then) Liberal Government of BC and Holborn Properties in 2008.
We have won. Now our job is to encourage provincial and civic governments to get together to take back Little Mountain, and build social and affordable housing for the people of this city. We ask you to join us in order to amplify the message…
Little Mountain developer quits fight to keep 2008 sales documents hidden
“People started asking for this contract in 2008,” retired MLA David Chudnovsky said. “And finally, it’s going to see the light of day.”
Aug 25, 2021 by Dan Fumano
The developer behind the controversial Little Mountain housing project has abruptly thrown in the towel on efforts to keep hidden the documents surrounding its 2008 purchase of the property from the B.C. government.
David Chudnovsky, the retired NDP MLA who has been fighting for years to get more information about Little Mountain, said he was glad the people of B.C. would soon be able to see details of the contentious deal that led to the demolition of 224 affordable homes on a prime piece of Vancouver real estate, which then sat mostly empty for more than a decade.
“It’s a good thing for transparency in the province. It’s a good thing for people who care about social housing,” Chudnovsky said. “People started asking for this contract in 2008. And finally, it’s going to see the light of day.”
Holborn Properties, the company that bought the six-hectare Little Mountain social housing property from the provincial government, had been fighting a September 2020 order from B.C.’s Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner that full details of the province’s sale to Holborn be released to Chudnovsky, who had filed a freedom of information request with B.C. Housing.
Holborn had previously opposed the release of the unredacted documents, with their lawyers arguing that public disclosure of the financial details, including timing of payment and commercial details regarding rezoning, could harm the company. But an adjudicator ruled in September 2020 that Holborn had failed to prove a reasonable expectation of harm if the information was disclosed, and ordered B.C. Housing to send Chudnovsky the documents.
Chudnovsky had earlier received a heavily redacted version of the sales contract and subsequent
amendments, where entire pages were blacked out.
That order was put on hold, though, when Holborn filed in the B.C. Supreme Court seeking a judicial review of the decision. But then last month, while the parties were awaiting court dates to hear the matter, Chudnovsky was surprised to hear from Holborn’s lawyers indicating they intended to abandon their fight to keep the full records hidden from public. That became official Friday, when lawyers acting for Holborn filed the notice of discontinuance in B.C. Supreme Court.
Asked why the development company discontinued the legal fight against disclosure of the sale
documents, Holborn spokeswoman Megan Schrader said in an email that the decision “was made in the interest of moving ahead with the redevelopment of the site.”
“While the agreement was always confidential in nature, Holborn bid for and was awarded the sale on a fair, open basis,” Schrader said. She added that proceeds from the Little Mountain redevelopment were reinvested by the province to build 2,100 units of supportive housing around B.C., including 1,500 homes in Vancouver, most of which are now open or are in development.
Chudnovsky said: “I think Holborn knew that they were going to lose badly in court, and they decided they’d rather give up quietly on a Friday afternoon in the middle of the summer, than lose in a humiliating way, in public, in court.”
David Eby, the B.C. NDP MLA who is now B.C.’s minister responsible for housing, told The Globe and Mail in March of this year that he had reviewed the contract B.C.’s then-Liberal government signed with Holborn, calling it a “sweetheart deal” and adding he looked forward to the B.C. Supreme Court hearing on the question of its release.
Holborn bought the Little Mountain property, near East 33rd Avenue and Main Street in Vancouver, from the B.C. government in 2008, and soon demolished the existing 224 units of social housing with a plan to replace them with new affordable homes, along with as many as 1,400 market condos and commercial and community space.
Over the 13 years that followed, only 53 units of permanent social housing have been built, when the first of five planned social housing buildings at Little Mountain was completed in 2015. A 46-unit temporary modular housing project was also completed on the property in 2018.
Since that time, none of the other social housing buildings have been built and only one is currently under construction, a City of Vancouver representative said Monday, adding that: “No other buildings on the Little Mountain site will be in development until the social housing buildings are completed.”
The next chapter in the 14-year long Little Mountain Social Housing dispute heads to BC Supreme Court on Thursday. The Court will hear the developer’s judicial review application (appeal) of a Freedom of Information order to make the contract between Holborn Properties Ltd. And B.C. Housing public.
The provincial FOI process resulted in a victory for former MLA David Chudnovsky and CBC Producer Jeremy Allingham who made separate applications to see the contract originally signed in 2008. Holborn is appealing that decision.
“This is just Holborn’s latest attempt to stall the process,” said Chudnovsky. “What are they hiding? People have been asking since 2008 to see the contract. The residents of BC and Vancouver – and especially those who were forced to leave their homes all those years ago – have a right to see what was in this deal.”
The Little Mountain social housing community was built in the 1950s. Its 224 units housed almost 700 people who were told in 2007 they had to move, their homes would be rebuilt, and they would return to their new units by the Olympics (in 2010).
Chudnovsky commented, “In the midst of an affordable housing crisis virtually nothing has been done in 14 years. The privatization of this site was a terrible mistake by the Gordon Campbell BC Liberal government and the then Housing Minister Rich Coleman. Little Mountain is still a huge vacant lot.”
“Holborn thinks we’re going to get tired and give up. No way. We’re going to see that contract,” concluded Chudnovsky.
For further information contact:David Chudnovsky 604 874 1089 or 604 329 1734
Those interested can observe the court case by contacting:Superior Court Judiciary’s Communications Officer, the Honourable Bruce Cohen, at SCJCommunicationsOfficer@BCCourts.ca.
Little Mountain – Nothing remains of the public housing project.
In 2008 the British Columbia Government under Liberal Party Premiere Gordon Campbell and Housing Minister Rich Coleman sign a deal to sell British Columbia’s oldest and most successful social housing project to a foreign investment company named Holborn.
Holborn’s CEO named Joo Kim Tia, bought the 16 acre property for its land value and nothing else. Campbell and Coleman signed a confidential agreement with Tia that ensured that BC Housing would relocate and/or evict all of the tenants and deliver a wasteland to the new owner. Enough of THE SECRET DEAL – that the Community Advocates for Little Mountain (CALM) are currently fighting to reveal in BC Supreme Court – has been leaked, that there is speculation that the contract is without deadlines for paying the $300 million dollar debt, nor the rebuilding of the destroyed social housing, or any form of market housing on the site.
As a result Little Mountain has remained a nearly complete wasteland for the past 13 years. For this reason Holborn’s new slogan that “Great Stories Take Time To Write,” is particularly ironic, since the loss of Little Mountain, in housing and (most importantly) human terms was great.
What sort of person would look upon the trampling of a low income community for profit as a “great story?”
Scared into action. Holborn Properties digs a hole in the ground. Feeling the pressure by Jeremy Allingham of the CBC, David Chudnovsky of #takebackthemountain and their legal team to unlock THE SECRET DEAL, Holborn starts construction of one new building on a far corner of the site on Main Street. Photo by David Vaisbord March 2021.Holborn erects a fence to protect their cute little building site at Little Mountain March 2021. Photo by David VaisbordThese portapotties are for workers on numerous new projects that surround the vacant Little Mountain site. March 2021. Photo by David VaisbordLittle Mountain March 2021. Holborn’s new display of shoes of former Little Mountain tenants. (Correction: Holborn had nothing to do with this site specific art project at Little Mountain) Photo by David VaisbordLittle Mountain March 2021. Holborn provides a frame that highlights construction by rival construction companies on streets that border their empty lot. These many new condos will have unobstructed views of Little Mountain and Queen Elizabeth Park for decades to come. Photo by David VaisbordCity of Vancouver stores traffic cones and other equipment along the fence at Little Mountain, March 2021. Photo by David VaisbordLittle Mountain March 2021. Holborn’s story is a great one that starts with the destruction of a low income community and over a decade of neglect. Photo by David VaisbordLittle Mountain March 2021. I like this cat tag better than Holbornlm.com web address. Photo by David VaisbordLittle Mountain March 2021. Corner view of Holborn Estate Reserve Lands. Photo by David Vaisbord
The Little Mountain site, located in Vancouver B.C. has been the city’s largest urban wasteland for 13 years. It was created by the Holborn Group.
Stay tuned for the outcome of the BC Supreme Court decision (in April 2021) on the Holborn Group’s secret deal with BC Housing. Go to #takebackthemountain and show your support by signing our petition.
David Chudnovsky chats with OneCity Council candidate Christine Boyle at OneCity Vancouver campaign headquarters.
On the cusp of Vancouver’s 2018 civic elections I am recording conversations with two of the central characters of “Champions of Little Mountain” — Ingrid Steenhuisen and David Chudnovsky — to find that their ardour for social justice and affordable housing has not waned.
Just this week, exactly 10 years since the first day I met him, I recorded some final words for the documentary with David Chudnovsky at the OneCity Vancouver campaign office, for which he is a campaign supporter. I first met Chudnovsky during the protests to save Little Mountain Housing in October of 2008. He was a key advocate during many of the conflicts between the last tenants of Little Mountain and BC Housing, and I recorded those dramatic moments for the documentary.
In fact, OneCity recently called for the rezoning of the land currently held in limbo by the current “developer” the Holborn Group, stating that “the time for developers to be sitting on empty lots and reaping excessive profits is over.” OneCity is on the right track and I am happy to support them in any way I can!
Holborn Group displays no parking sign on fence surrounding the wasteland they created 10 years ago at Little Mountain.
You can continue to support our work at Little Mountain by voting for OneCity Candidates tomorrow, including the progressive slate of candidates (for Parks, School Board, and Council) represented by OneCity, COPE, Green Party, and other select candidates.
In 2020 the Grunt Gallery will premiere my new short film TimeLapse, on their Community Screen on the Rize Building, Broadway at Kingsway. Details to come.
It’s 2018, and BC Housing’s temporary modular housing fills an urgent need to rebuild the social housing destroyed in 2009 by the Holborn Group at the Little Mountain site. But this temporary housing is neither built by, nor paid for by the Holborn Group. The Holborn Group have done nearly nothing with the property since they signed a deal with the Liberal Government of 2008. In 2013 they completed one new building on the site, as a concession to the last few tenants who refused to comply with an eviction order. These tenants argued that the developer neither had the plans nor the intention to rebuild their social housing community within any previously promised timelines. They were of course correct! That community fought to be heard and respected. Their story is the subject of my upcoming feature documentary: Champions of Little Mountain.
If you heard me talk recently on CBC or CITR and want to know more about the release date of my feature documentary Champions of Little Mountain follow me on facebook and twitter!
I’ll be launching one final CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN this year. Multi-year documentary films are impossible to make without support from individuals who care about getting Canadian stories out to Canadian audiences.
Previous trailers for a 2014 crowdfunding campaign can be found on Vimeo.
So what’s new? Here’s what’s new and predictable from a billionaire developer and his friends in the BC Liberal government who flattened a low income community in 2008 because they “had a plan” and were “ready to build”.
Holborn Holdings erects their new sign. Holborn makes an application for the development of ONE new building – 10 years late. Holborn plans to build an upscale Sales Centre on the corner of 33rd and Ontario, years ahead of replacing the social housing they destroyed in 2008. Meanwhile the BC Taxpayer spends millions to build new modular social housing on Holborn’s disused site. Where is the full social housing replacement that Holborn promised 10 years ago? Who is Holborn? Answer: Joo Kim Tiah. Where is he? Presumably enjoying the view of Vancouver from the penthouse of his Trump Tower.
A quiet place to view no new developments on the Little Mountain vacant lot.
A perfect summer spot to gaze upon the Rich Coleman Vacant Lot.
One of the many homeless people who park their RV’s along the edge of Little Mountain left this chair for the enjoyment of the public, to cast their eyes upon the trees, the grasses and the weeds adorning the vacant lot that was once The Little Mountain Housing Project. Here is the perfect spot to contemplate the failed housing strategies of over a decade of the Liberal Government of British Columbia.
Where will it all go from here? With a new NDP/Green Government in power, there’s hope in the air once again. They have a lot on their agenda, and it remains to be seen if there’s anything that can be done to either change Holborn’s gentrification plans for this site, or hasten the building of replacement social housing.
I continue to edit Champions of Little Mountain.
Meanwhile enjoy the last weeks of summer!
I may launch one more funding campaign before the end of the year. Stay tuned for details.
Sincerely,
David Vaisbord
Beyond the fences, several developers other than Holborn have completed new phases of construction in the quadrant of land North East of the former Little Mountain Project.
Dedication of the Rich Colman “Vacant Lot” took place on Saturday April 8. The project was a collaboration of Community Advocates for Little Mountain including David Chudnovsky, Barry Growe, Catherine Hembling, Linda Shuto, and David Vaisbord.
The press found our “celebration” creative and incisive. We received attention that included Global, CBC and CTV.
For more information about future events and the progress of the feature documentary: “Champions of Little Mountain” please email me and ask to be put on the EMAIL LIST at: vaisbord@gmail.com
Photo stills from the event:
Coleman Lot Event creators Catherine Hembling, David Vaisbord, Barry Growe, Linda Shuto, David Chudnovsky, (moral support from Ned Jacobs – behind plaque), at Little Mountain.
Photo still from “Champions of Little Mountain” showing timeline for return of all tenant to Little Mountain by 2010.
Media attend the ceremony for The Rich Coleman Vacant Lot at Little Mountain.
It’s wet out during ceremony at Little Mountain for the Rich Coleman Vacant Lot
Supporters attend Little Mountain event to celebrate Rich Coleman Vacant Lot.
Vaisbord (Documentary filmmaker) poses next to the richly deserved commemorative plaque at Little Mountain, celebrating the work of Minister of Housing Rich Coleman from 2007 – 2017.
George Heyman, James Green, David Vaisbord at the Rich Coleman Vacant Lot Celebration.
The former lands of the Little Mountain Housing Project were unofficially opened to the public last month, through what appears to be motor vehicle accident that tore through the fence on the corner of Ontario Street and and 37th Avenue. In any event, it’s time that the fence came down, as it serves no purpose than to separate citizens from a public space that will not see complete re-development for another two decades.
Elsewhere on the property one of the Heritage Trees was damaged by the heavy snow, but it appears to be only one large branch that separated from the trunk.
Across the fence from Little Mountain on other sites to the North-East, numerous other Vancouver Developers are well into construction of new condos. Condos which, according to some critics of the Vancouver housing crisis, relieve some pressure from Vancouver’s overheated housing market. Holborn isn’t building any of these new homes.
On the sixteen acres adjacent, Holborn CEO Joo Kim Tiah – the owner of Trump Tower – speculates on the increasing value of the former site of the Little Mountain Housing Project while doing nothing to alleviate Vancouver’s housing problems. No new social housing, no new family housing, no new market housing, no new luxury housing. No housing.
The Malaysian business tycoon strictly patrols the fence around his property in order to forbid local contractors from parking next to it.
While elsewhere along his fence a splash of pink is a reminder that the numbers of needy and homeless in Vancouver continue to rise.
The epic winter of 2016-17 will be remembered by some for the salt crisis and by others for ice fortresses and ice skating on local streets and lakes.
I taped this a couple of days ago at a meeting of the Little Mountain Advisory Group. Speakers are in order of appearance, David Chudnovsky, Ben Johnson (city planner) Martin Bruckner (architect) Ned Jacobs and city planner.
YOUR chance to comment is coming up at two Open Houses on November 28 at (Brock Elementary School) and December 3 — 5:00pm – 8:00pm at the Holy Name of Jesus Parish Church (4925 Cambie Street). These are your KEY opportunity to comment on the plan.
The 2014 election data is out. Holborn gave $75,000 to Vision and $2,500 to NPA, so they’re betting that Vision will win this race.
What will the contribution buy them? Peace of mind? A sense that they contributed to the democratic process? After all they did fund two parties. Or do they share like many of us, a concern that a vote for the NPA might strengthen Kinder Morgan’s fight to ram a new pipeline through our city. Many big issues at stake in this election.
But most importantly for me and the community that I live in, what will this mean for Little Mountain? Especially since there’s been some talk that Holborn might renege on its committment to build community amenities as part of the redevelopment plan for Little Mountain.
A Holborn Haunted Halloween for Little Mountain in 2014!
Last week Holborn’s Joo Kim Tiah was in downtown Vancouver promoted his ultra luxury Trump Tower project with Donald Trump’s children. If that wasn’t scary enough, across town in my neighbourhood, the Holborn Properties Little Mountain community office had a downright haunted look about it!
We visit new and active construction sites in Little Mountain vicinity.
Vaisbord’s UBC tour visits Holborn Office.
We finish our tour at the last heritage bldg.
I was giving a tour of the area to UBC students when we came upon it. I decided to photograph it and send it to you for your enjoyment.
And be sure to check out my workshop on the Hyperlocal Documentary on November 12th. Find out more on FACEBOOK or buy tickets here.
Have a happy and safe Halloween from the Little Mountain Project.
Boohaahaaha!
David V
What has been going on at Little Mountain?
In the last rays of sun in Sept/Oct 2014 the owner (BC Housing or Holborn?) did a complete site cleanup, consisting of cutting the grass, trimming the trees, covering their root systems with fresh sod, and removing the rotting orange fences which once surrounded them.
Remains of Orange Fencing around Little Mountain trees
The old orange fences were erected to protect the trees from damage during a construction boom that never happened. Instead they rotted in place, year upon year becoming more weathered and decrepit. As unsightly as they were, they provided a visual reminder of how much time had elapsed since promises were made to rebuild Little Mountain Housing.
Photograph: 4 Seasons of Little Mountain – David Vaisbord
Now they are gone and Little Mountain almost resembles a park. Ask anyone who walks by, and they’ll probably respond that they don’t remember what was there anymore.
Cutting the grass at Little Mountain at the base of a tree once surrounded by orange fencing.
Landscaping at Little Mountain Fall 2014
Stroller in waiting.
Little Mountain seems more park-like now that the orange fences are gone. What was once the first social housing project in BC passes slowly into oblivion.
I’m putting up a NEW BANNER SERIES, produced for The Little Mountain Film during a very successful DRAW BY NIGHTsession held in March 2014 at the VFS campus cafe.
Draw By Night for Little Mountain Film by Anonymous
Just click on the icon below to be redirected to the documentary film fundraising site:
I’m ecstatic to be finally embarking on campaign to fund the Little Mountain Film. After six years in the making, I’m ready to share this story with the world. Thank you all for joining me on the journey. Most of you have been involved in the fight for Little Mountain for just as long as I have. I’m hoping that finishing this film will create a way to get the word out about what happened at Little Mountain – the good, the bad, the ups, and the downs. Please join me in making finishing this film. Check out our crowd-funding campaignHERE and let the world hear about Little Mountain.
There’s a NEW website dedicated to the film here: http://www.littlemountainfilm.com/
Come on board SHARE with your friends, and we can finish this film!
Please note, that I will be blogging on both this site and the Little Mountain Film site for the duration of the campaign.
On January 19th 2014, one of the world’s leading authorities on community engagement, Dr. Wendy Sarkissian spoke to Vancouver residents about the successes and failures of community engagement in Canada, Australia and the USA.
Have the last three years of community engagement at Little Mountain been a success? That depends on who you talk to and there’s more to come in 2014. Prior to Dr. Sarkissian’s talk, I speak for a minute about my commitment to The Little Mountain Project and ask for support for my upcoming crowdfunding campaign, this spring.
If you send me your email address, I will be able to keep you up to date on details about the campaign, to be launched in the spring. Alternatively you can Facebook friend me or follow me on Twitter. My email is: vaisbord@gmail.com.
Dr. Sarkissian inspires Vancouver citizens in January 2014. (littlemountainproject.com).
Moderated by Stephen Bohus, the conversation took place at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre. Urbanist and community advocate Ned Jacobs begins the conversation. The following information was provided by the organizers prior to the event:
“Densification Wars.” Community Planning in New South Wales and Vancouver:
A public conversation with Dr. Wendy Sarkissian, Ned Jacobs, and You!
Dr. Wendy Sarkissian, lives and practices community planning in the Australian state of New South Wales, home to Sydney, a city experiencing similar growth and affordability pressures as Vancouver. She is co-author of the award-winning book Housing as if People Matteredand three recent books on community engagement. Dr. Sarkissian grew up in Vancouver and was an adjunct professor at the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning. Her PhD was in Environmental Ethics and Planning Education.
Jacobs & Bohus at Dr. Sarkissian’s Vancouver talk.
Ned Jacobs, a son and student of the late urbanist Jane Jacobs, is an advocate for environmental sustainability, social/affordable housing, high quality urban design, and civic electoral reform. He serves on volunteer advisory groups for the redevelopment of Little Mountain Housing and the Cambie Corridor, and is the Riley Park/South Cambie Community Visions Group liaison to the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods.
Keep up to date with me, and about the project on my Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Thank you.
David Vaisbord
Hello to all of my friends in The Little Mountain neighbourhood and beyond!
It’s the time of year to be thankful for the family, friends and communities who contribute to our lives.
I hope that you enjoy this two-minute Holiday video-card.
Filmmaker and three of the four last tenants of the Little Mountain Housing Project: Ingrid Steenhuisen, Joan and Sammy Chang (not in picture: Karin Nicholetti)
Happy Holidays and a Spendid 2014!
Love,
David Vaisbord & Family
Please note: I am writing an addendum to this posting that corrects a misperception I had about the one new seniors building. NOTE that after only 3 years of existence (by 2017) this building was exhibiting STRUCTURAL FLAWS; cracks and stress points that were making it impossible to open screen doors; MECHANICAL FAILURE, hot water systems had collapsed leaving tenants without hot water for weeks; and INFESTATION by ants. This building is much less than was promised. Tenants are begging to be moved out to older and better built accomodations. In view of such events, this new building is edifying in its egregiousness. April 2017.
“Edify” According to the Mirriam Webster Dictionary: Definition #1: To teach (someone) in a way that improves the mind or character.
Edifying New Social Housing Rises at Little Mountain in Vancouver – David Vaisbord Photo
Rising from the ground at Little Mountain is an edifying example of social housing in Vancouver. I call it “edifying” because as the first new building of a large master-planned community, it sets the height of the bar to which all new housing on the Little Mountain site – market or social housing included – must rise to. In addition, the seamless integration of social housing with other eventual forms of housing on the site will have to follow a model of urban planning, where it is impossible to tell social from market housing.
An angled profile meets East 37th Avenue and Main streets in Vancouver – David Vaisbord Photo
But look around, you can’t help but notice it’s the only construction site on a massive empty lot. Which begs the question, why is it being built? The answer to that one is the most edifying of all. It’s a story about 3 families who resisted eviction and with the assistance of their community, won a major victory. That’s a story that can now be told 5 years after it began, as the results of their struggle slowly rises from the ground.
The Little Mountain Story is your story. You are the community who fought to save Little Mountain. So please stay tuned for more information on the launch of the Little Mountain Project documentary funding campaign in 2014.
And if you would like to take part in the strategy of this funding campaign, we need your passion and ideas. Contact me by email ASAP at: vaisbord@gmail.com.
The Long View – Little Mountain’s new social housing – David Vaisbord Photo
According to Phillip Scott, Holborn’s new Development Manager, the completion date of this new seniors housing is the fall of 2014 or the spring of 2015.
The Longer View at Little Mountain: This new building sits on 16 acres of wasteland – David Vaisbord Photo.
Coda: Gary Mason of the Globe and Mail writes that much of the criticism of densification in Vancouver is based on worries about the Social Housing component. Where does he get his information? I get mine at ground level. My neighbourhood is fighting for more units of social and affordable housing at Little Mountain.
Sincerely,
David Vaisbord
The Little Mountain Project
For those of you who missed this meeting last week at the Hillcrest Community Centre, here is your video update. Gary’s talk begins around the 7 minute mark.
Andrishak has stated that he does not see LM as a tower site. He quoted urban design educator and writer Jan Gehl, “a city is not the buildings alone, it’s the spaces between them that matter most.” The Advisory Committee has been concerned about urban space at Little Mountain since 2010. If you want to feel like you were there, open a second window and click through his PowerPoint PDF (courtesy of Vancouver Planning) as he speaks.
In the Q&A that follows Deborah Butler – one of the 7 members of the Advisory Committee who drafted the Community’s Position on the Policy Statement – compliments Andrishak on his presentation, but urges him to consider the neighbourhood’s criticisms of the policy statement as ratified by City Council in 2012. I would encourage Andrishak to review both Advisory Committee Meeting 35, and Part 1 of the City Hall session of June 2012, which deal with density and height. The Little Mountain Policy Statement itself can be viewed by clicking HERE.
Other subjects covered in the meeting are:
The timetable of the Rezoning Process.
Rightsizing the retail component of the project.
Employing swails to deal with excess water on the property.
How the legibility and visibility of ground floor entryways can enhance community.
Inclusive design that fits many generations of user.
Re-energizing the community around this NEW rezoning process, through new signage around the property or by other means.
The constant evolution of the project, and how the new building already renders the old site plan obsolete.
The challenges of phasing in Social Housing over the many project phases to come.
The timetable for completing the first Social Housing building = late 2014 or 2015.
The obligation for all future builders on the site to abide by the policy statement.
PS: The discussion gets heated, and humourous at the end.
With my compliments to all participants in the room.
David Vaisbord
The Little Mountain Project.
Know MORE at littlemountainproject.com
Last night the Little Mountain Advisory Group reconvened after a long hiatus, at the Hillcrest Community Centre. I was there as always, continuing my 5-year experiment into community engagement, and shot my 350th hour of footage for The Little Mountain Project — soon to enter the fundraising stage of a feature documentary about the amazing neighbourhood in which I live.
Gary Andrishak’s opening remarks – David Vaisbord recording them.
At the meeting, Vancouver City Planners re-introduced themselves and the new lead architect for the Little Mountain Project, Gary Andrishak of the IBI Group.
Andrishak breezed through an introduction of himself and his work, while stating his strong agreement with all of the policies on Little Mountain, developed through community engagement. Proving himself to be a master communicator, he invited everyone in the room to introduce themselves and proceeded to listen to community reiterate some of their ongoing concerns. Joo Kim Tiah (Holborn’s CEO) introduced himself, but kept a low profile throughout. Phillip Scott, Holborn’s new Development Manager also said a few words.
Planner Ben Johnson responds to questions.
News that Andrishak was a lead architect on the Arbutus Walk Project (a predominantly low-rise development) was music to the ears of many in the room, as Arbutus Walk was one of the feature studies of the Advisory Group with an official tour, given three years ago by City Planners and viewable online HERE.
Andrishak identified himself as an expert in community building and planning, who would do things a little differently from that his predecessor James Cheng. As some of you may know, Cheng resigned from the project owning to recent health concerns.
Scott, Johnson & Andrishak at Little Mountain Mtg
He brings an interest in cutting edge urban design, and in particular new projects in Scandinavia. Does this mean that he is in favour of reduced density or height? Improved public realm? He did mention that he was very much in favour of developments with ground level connections to the communities surrounding them. I’m very interested to see what he will bring to the revisioning of our neighbourhood.
You will want to listen to his presentation for yourself.
I will upload the meeting in its entirety next week.
New construction at Little Mountain casts a long shadow in the autumn light – October 2013 – David Vaisbord photo.
Currently, the first to be built on the site is taking shape at Little Mountain, and it does it casts a long shadow. It makes me wonder how dark the site will be, at the projected heights and density of James Cheng’s vision.
On Thursday, the Minister of Housing claimed to have completed the sale of Little Mountain to the Holborn Group. The value of the “secret deal”, which had remained confidential until now, was also revealed. That value is said to be in the neighbourhood of $300 million in cash and social housing.
The sale was reported by The Globe and Mail yesterday. The news was not repeated on television. Given the persistent secrecy around the project it is difficult to actually believe anything that the government says about Little Mountain. Perhaps one day the government will actually allow someone from outside of their circle to look at the contract and the terms of the province’s agreement, for the benefit of the public and taxpayers of B.C.
This sale, (if it has in fact been sold) along with the re-election of the Liberal Government may guarantee that the developer will get his way at Little Mountain. Many wished for an alternative universe to the one proposed by the government/developer and we shall all see how it rolls out…
There is currently one social housing building being built on site. It was authorized and re-zoned under extraordinary circumstances, after a small group of tenants (with the support of the community) fought eviction. Read about it here.
A new 3-part blog series on The Little Mountain Project. Part 3
Frankly, I wish there didn’t have to be a bad or an ugly. I would rather spend my time working on the feature documentary about Little Mountain.
The Ugly
There are small things that help us to honour the past, the Birks Clock for instance was saved, though the Birks Building was not. We call it “heritage”. We entrust the preservation of those few objects to the people who build our cities, and how they handle that heritage may reflect upon how they think about it.
Holborn’s Joo Kim Tiah and Donald Trump – we’re trusting them to build the new Vancouver
Two mid-century HERITAGE LAMP POSTS have laid undisturbed on a roadway close to the new building site at Little Mountain for past last three years.
Two mid-century heritage lamps at Little Mountain lay undisturbed for 3 years .
Little Mountain Policy statement – showing the street lamps as they once were.
The Planning Department chose one of the lamp posts for the title page of their Little Mountain Policy statement, because it said something about the history of the place – because it was a landmark.
The demolition company which laid most of Little Mountain Housing to waste was, inexplicably, responsible for the preservation of those two heritage lamp posts. One of the lamps was the focal point of a short film I made in a snowstorm in the winter of 2009. In the film the streetlamp flashed intermittently, resembled a lighthouse emitting a distress signal, a warning of things to come…
And then last month, a construction company named URBAN ONE started work near that part of the site. I had noticed that they were missing from the roadway. I went to look for them, and found them in the grass nearby.
Wasted heritage at Little Mountain
Thinking about the details at Little Mountain.
Little Mountain: Detail of leaf-forms on capitals.
Perhaps it’s my fault. I never lived at Little Mountain but after 5 years of filmmaking I’ve become attached to a few things.
So I’ve got some questions:
What constitute civic heritage for you, at Little Mountain?
How would you represent it in a civic art project?
Would a poodle on a pole be good representation of the gentrification of the site?
Send me your ideas and I’ll post them.
Respectfully yours,
David Vaisbord
The Little Mountain Project
A new 3-part blog series on The Little Mountain Project. Part 1
Although I’ve written about the preparation and groundbreaking at Little Mountain in 2013, I wanted to write something about the first 6 months of this year at Little Mountain. And the activities have been so varied and bizarre that the only way to describe them was: Good, Bad, and Ugly. So without further ado…THE GOOD!
THE GOOD Developer begins building social housing at Little Mountain for seniors!
In January 2013 the plans for the construction of the 1st new building at Little Mountain were released. They were publicly revealed for the first time, to Vancouver City’s Urban Design Panel, see above. The panel was impressed. The new social housing is of moderate height and very well designed. Actually, it’s spectacular! Congratulations to the architectural firm of Glair Williams, to James KM Cheng architects and the Holborn Group for welcoming the highly competent and imaginative Glair Williams firm into the project.
Model of new building reviewed at Urban Design Panel
Congratulations also to the community and activists who thwarted BC Housing’s dreams of demolishing the last occupied building, and compelled the government into thinking about the redevelopment of Little Mountain in a smarter and more humane way. As a result, 53 units of new seniors housing will be fast-tracked. This is particularly good news for senior citizens, who were among the hardest hit by the relocation process. Separated from their beloved neighbourhood, old friends and shopping patterns, many were highly stressed. Many complained of substandard replacement housing, and could not wait to return. Some have already passed away – the interminable wait for new housing was just that.
Rich Coleman at Little Mountain Press Conference 2013
The announcement of the new building offered Rich Coleman and the BC Liberals a photo opportunity prior to the 2013 Provincial Election, and I was there to record the event (which I will integrate into feature documentary on Little Mountain).
This project was a huge win for both the activists AND the government, though I don’t think that Minister Coleman* sees it that way.
Exact location of new Little Mountain Seniors’ Housing. Click on image to enlarge.
*Rich Coleman, in a recent conversation with me, stated that I never had anything nice to say about Little Mountain, so I have proved him wrong, right here. There were good things to report. I don’t write the script. I merely observe the play.
Coming soon…with apologies…the bad.
Respectfully yours,
David Vaisbord
The Little Mountain Project
Check out the Summer 2013 issue of Point of View Magazine. A feature article about The Little Mountain Project is inside! It’s a concise overview of what I’ve been doing over the past 5 years.
For those of you came to city hall to speak, who missed work, and patiently waited for your 5 minutes to arrive, this is your chance to see how well you did on camera. There are many view expressed here. Some of the speakers represent the Little Mountain Advisory Group, others come from sectors of the community who did not attend the meetings. Some are simply friends of the developer. The speakers list was open to whoever wanted to speak.
Kudos to everyone for PARTICIPATING. Politics is an exercise which (for the most part), takes place IN PUBLIC and IN PERSON.
David Vaisbord
Little Mountain Project
littlemountainproject.com
David Vaisbord photographs last row house in morning light, August 2012.
In the Georgia Straight, Vision Councillor Kerry Jang claims: “We’ve always maintained at the city that we need to find a way of accommodating these folks,” Jang told the Straight by phone. “It’s kind of inhuman to uproot them, right?
Hmmm…then why did it take the concerted efforts of dozens of advocates/activists in public, and behind the scenes, to make this happen? If this was indeed the view of the Vision Party, why didn’t they denounce the decision to evict the last tenants when it was announced this summer? Why did it take them till the month of October, to do anything?
Coming up. Scenes from the Screening at the Little Mountain Gallery.
This battle has been won owing to the concerted efforts of many!
The last tenants of The Little Mountain Housing Project will not be evicted by BC Housing!
Firstly, I want to recognize the last residents of Little Mountain for their heart and tenacity. It’s been their fight from the beginning. Ingrid Steenhuisen, Sammy and Joan Chang, and Karin Nicholetti have been fighting eviction for over 4 years, and this news must come as a bitter sweet vindication, as they remember the community they once lived in – one that was demolished without just cause in 2009.
To find all the PRESS related to the evictions click HERE.
Two mid-century heritage lamps at Little Mountain lay undisturbed for 3 years .
The mobilization of people and ideas which led to the rescinding of the eviction notices, is well documented by my friends at the MAINLANDER. Please read this article by Tristan Markle and Nate Crompton, it saves me the time to repeat it here. Nate and Tristan are members of the Vancouver Renters Union, one of the key elements of this successful campaign.
The RALLY has been CANCELLED. Tonight we CELEBRATE at the screening at the Little Mountain Gallery: 195 E. 26th Avenue. The FREE screening begins at 7pm with special guests, RED 1, Sammy and Joan, Debbie Lawrance, Ingrid Steenhuisen, Ellen Wordsworth, Me (the filmmaker), and more.
Below, is the press release that came from the City of Vancouver, yesterday.
Office of the Mayor
October 25, 2012
Social housing to move forward at Little Mountain; tenants can remain on site
Vancouver –- Mayor Gregor Robertson says it is good news that social housing at Little Mountain will go ahead, and that a deal has been reached to let the remaining tenants stay on site.
The B.C. government, the City of Vancouver and Holborn Properties have signed an agreement that will allow up to 50 social housing units to be built right away at Little Mountain, prior to the completion of the rezoning process.
“Little Mountain has a long history in Vancouver, and it’s great that we’ve reached an agreement to expedite the social housing and allow the remaining residents to stay on site,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “The social housing is an important first step to building a new and inclusive community at Little Mountain.”
In a solution found with BC Housing, remaining tenants will be able to stay on site without prior relocation and work can start immediately on what will eventually be 234 new social housing units. Those units are especially targeted for families and seniors, and will ensure a full bedroom-for-bedroom replacement of Little Mountain’s original social housing. BC Housing confirms that rent will remain the same – 30% of income – and the hope is that construction will begin in the first part of 2013.
The City will subdivide the lot and expedite permits to help fast-track the social housing.
It’s an agreement that honours the commitment that the replacement social housing units will be an integral part of the first phase of the new development on the Little Mountain site, and also allows households that moved off site to begin returning to their homes on an accelerated basis.
The Little Mountain property in Vancouver, bounded by 33rd to 37th Avenues between Main and Ontario Streets, is being redeveloped into a mixed-use community. As part of the development, the original 224 units of social housing will be replaced with 234 units of new social housing.
– 30-
For more information, please contact:
Braeden Caley
Executive Assistant, Media Relations and Communications
Office of the Mayor – City of Vancouver
Cell: 604-809-9951 – Email: braeden.caley@vancouver.ca
Find the Mayor’s Office on Twitter: @VanMayorsOffice
Sign up for the Mayor’s email updates: Click here
Chudnovsky spoke to Task Force Recommendation 3, which aims to “Protect existing non-profit, social and co-operative housing that may be under threat and continue to protect the affordable market rental stock using the community planning process to focus on strategies to repair, renew and expand the stock neighbourhood by neighbourhood.”
In view of Vancouver City Council’s own recommendations, Chudnovsky suggested that Council take 3 specific actions.
1. To take a public stand against the eviction. To make a MOTION, expressing your opposition to the eviction, and pass it unanimously, today.
2. To use your influence with BCHousing and the Government of British Columbia, to rescind the eviction notices.
3. To use the rezoning and regulatory powers of the City of Vancouver to encourage the proposed developer to rescind the eviction notices.
Will the MOTION based on his suggestions ever be written and passed?
With the spectre of the October 29th TENANCE HEARING hanging over the tenants heads, it will be interesting to see if this Mayor and Council takes any action. It must be noted that in some circles, this Mayor and Council are perceived to be in the pockets of Vancouver developers. If that is the case, any hint of saying “NEVER AGAIN” to developer aspirations — such as the ones that demolished the community at Little Mountain Housing — may be perceived as “ANTI-DEVELOPER.”
On October 3rd, 2012, Council Chambers of the City of Vancouver became a screening room, when I presented my 5 minute cut of “The Eviction of Sammy and Joan,” during the discussion of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability. You can view my presentation in the video below. The short film itself can be viewed HERE.
NB: This screening was significant in the decision that was subsequently announced on October 25th, to preserve the last building, and fast track the construction 50 new social housing units at Little Mountain. Please look for news reports on this website.
John Grierson (the “father of the documentary film”) was known to say, that if he could get the right dozen people into a screening room to see a film he was happy. I presented the film on the suggestion of veteran civic planner Nathan Edelson, who saw it the previous evening at a screening at UBC. In the Q&A that followed he urged me to edit the over seven minute film to under 5 minutes, in order to make it fit within the 5 minute limitation on speakers before City Council. I did that.
When the screening was over, there was dead silence. Councillor Andrea Reimer was the first to speak, and directed Mayor and Council to this website, where the longer version can be streamed. A question from Councillor Elizabeth Ball followed. I was not really prepared to talk, as I was up half the night editing the film. I was happy to leave the words to David Chudnovsky, who followed me on the speakers list.
The speech by DAVID CHUDNOVSKY, (former NDP MLA for Vancouver-Kensington) which followed my screening, was a concise exposition on the Mayor’s Task Force Recommendation Number 3: To “Protect existing non-profit, social and co-operative housing that may be under threat,” and how it directly related to the current crisis at Little Mountain, the eviction of the last tenants, and the demolition of the last building.
In conclusion, Chudnovsky made THREE EXPLICIT REQUESTS of the Mayor and his Councillors on what IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TO TAKE.
Mr. Chunovsky’s 5-minute speech will be viewable on my next posting, tomorrow.
See you then,
David Vaisbord
The Little Mountain Project
Please note that in September of 2012, the Eviction Order was defeated! This was a major victory for the families who live at Little Mountain, and the community who supported them.
Here is my latest short film about two independent senior citizens shot over the past 3 years, who currently live under an eviction notice at Little Mountain.
There are a number of important issues involved in the eviction of Sammy and Joan. I list a few here:
PHYSICAL JEOPARDY Sammy and Joan are both completely blind. Sammy fought the first eviction notice in 2009 for good reason, BC Housing did not have a plan to redevelop Little Mountain, and the safety of his wife was of the highest importance. Sammy did visit a number of BC Housing locations prior to deciding to reject with finality the offer to relocate. Every location that Sammy visited displayed environmental hazards – driveways, parking lots, concrete trip zones etc. – which posed a serious threat. I accompanied Sammy on several of those outings, and realized how many small obstacles we negotiate daily, and how we rely on our sight to get around them.
Sammy no longer has eyesight to help Joan negotiate unfamiliar territory. He can not longer assess the danger of any new environment for his wife, or himself. Relocation puts Sammy and Joan’s physical safely in real jeopardy.
DESTRUCTION OF LIVELIHOOD Sammy is one of Vancouver’s original urban organic gardeners. His garden is his life, and a mainstay of his diet. Sammy is also a chef, and both he and Joan cooks their own food.
Joan has mentioned that BC Housing intends to put them in a facility which garnishes 75% of their income for life support. This means that the facility prepares and cooks all the meals in an institutional setting. Currently Sammy keeps 75% of his income for life support, and buys and prepares food in his way. Sammy and Joan are two independent, blind seniors who live a frugal and healthy life.
Remove Sammy from his garden, and deny this blind couple any control over their diet and lifestyle and you might as well be putting them in prison.
PERSONAL SAFETY Recent news has brought the safety of many BC Housing operations into question. Seniors have spoken about how dangerous it is to live in BC Housing projects near the downtown east side. One woman mentioned that she had to sleep with “a knife under her pillow.”
BC Housing has been taking to them about Hastings Street (watch the video)! How well will a blind couple fare in such an environment? I’m sure that you can imagine! This eviction will compromise their personal safety.
HEALTH and STRESS Could BC Housing have picked a more stressful time in Sammy’s life, in which to evict him? The loss of his eyesight in March of 2012 a tragic event. Now, just as he is being offered hope that he might restore part of it, BC Housing burdens him with the stress of eviction. It’s no wonder that he can no longer sleep, and his life, leading up to both his eviction and his eye operation is hell. If BC Housing has anything in their mission statement about ethical and moral values, they are violating all of them at once.
CAN BC HOUSING MITIGATE THE PROBLEM? YES THEY CAN, by not moving Sam and Joan off the site until it is absolutely necessary, and certainly not in order to perform more “environmental testing” 18 months to two years prior to the commencement of any new construction.
In fact considering the enormity of the Little Mountain property, and the mandate of the developer — to build the replacement social housing in the first phase of development — it is very likely that a building could be built to satisfy that mandate and house Sammy and Joan, WITHOUT them ever needing to be relocated!
If BC Housing choses to pursue this latest round of evictions, they will be proving without a shadow of a doubt that they are not only capable of screwing up on a very large scale (witness the Little Mountain site today), but on the smallest personal level, continuously on the same project. What does that say about this crown corporation?
SAMMY AND JOAN NEED YOUR SUPPORT – NOW. Find out how, by clicking HERE, and by connecting to this FACEBOOK page.
Best,
David Vaisbord
Filmmaker
Little Mountain Community
CBC radio talkback number: 604-662-6690
CKNW radio comment line: 604-331-2784
4. Make you voice heard by officials:
Provincial Government and BC Housing
Premier Christy Clark: premier@gov.bc.ca
Minister Responsible for Housing, Rich Coleman: rich.coleman.mla@leg.bc.ca
Shayne Ramsay, CEO, BC Housing: sramsay@bchousing.org
Dale McMann, ED for Lower Mainland, BC Housing: dmcmann@bchousing.org
Development team
Joo-Kim Tiah, President, Holborn Group: info@holborn.ca
James Cheng & Associates, Architectural Consultants: info@jamescheng.com
City of Vancouver
Mayor Gregor Robertson: gregor.robertson@vancouver.ca
Councillor George Affleck: clraffleck@vancouver.ca
Councillor Elizabeth Ball: clrball@vancouver.ca
Councillor Adrienne Carr: clrcarr@vancouver.ca
Councillor Heather Deal: clrdeal@vancouver.ca
Councillor Kerry Jang: clrjang@vancouver.ca
Councillor Raymond Louie: clrlouie@vancouver.ca
Councillor Geoff Meggs: clrmeggs@vancouver.ca
Councillor Andrea Reimer: clrreimer@vancouver.ca
Councillor Tim Stevenson: clrstevenson@vancouver.ca
Councillor Tony Tang: clrtang@vancouver.ca
CoV’s City Manager Penny Ballem: penny.ballem@vancouver.ca
CoV’s General Manager of Planning and Development: brian.jackson@vancouver.ca
CoV’s City Planning Staff: matt.shillito@vancouver.ca; patricia.st.michel@vancouver.ca; ben.johnson@vancouver.ca; graham.winterbottom@vancouver.ca
The last of 3 heating oil tanks were lifted out of the ground last week at Little Mountain, completing the sold remediation process at Little Mountain. This was routine business. Thousands of tanks are removed by Vancouver home owners each year in accordance with environmental regulations.
All three were removed in a day without incident.
Environmental testing of the soil samples takes 2 weeks.
Drilling machinery was seen on site this week. Groundwater testing is the next phenomenon to occur at Little Mountain – a full 18 months early – if necessary at all. (which is doubtful)
Following the logic of the BC Ministry of Housing, it must pay somehow, to destroy communities earlier, rather than later. One must assume that if the deal between Holborn and the BC Liberals can be finalized early, and Holborn can be forced to PAY UP, then the Liberals will have some cash to throw at the debt, or other social housing committments they have reneged upon etc. etc. prior to the rapidly approaching B.C. ELECTIONS.
The first of three oil tanks is lifted from the ground at Little Mountain Housing
Here are a few links to articles on what promises to be a new eviction fiasco at Little Mountain Housing. The Vancouver Courier article of August 1st communicates a few important points by Ingrid Steenhuisen, one of the last and most important voices at Little Mountain, but wastes the second half rehashing old information from the developer regarding numbers of replacement housing. Most of this could be researched on line, and had nothing to do with the urgent and timely eviction issue. The Georgia Straight article which is much better than the Courier article, includes a bizarre comment by Vision councillor Kerry Jang who refers to the last remaining townhouse in plural (“those buildings”) while arguing that it will be difficult to perform remediation tasks around them. Really, Councillor Jang? As of Monday August 13th, all remaining and offending oil tanks adjacent to the townhouse were removed and samples will be sent for testing. There were no “difficulties”. Routine testing of the removal usually takes no more than a couple of weeks. FOOTAGE OF THE OIL TANK REMOVAL WILL BE UPLOADED TO THIS SITE, NEXT WEEK.
Oil Tank Removal at Little Mountain on August 13, 2012
Workers use jars at Little Mountain to select soil samples from three areas below the old oil tanks.
Final Stage of Little Mountain Remediation accomplished in a day.
According to the workers at the site, the old tanks were filled with sand over 50 years ago. The sand absorbed most of the oil, rendering the excavation task easy and without incident. What about the claims that other forms of remediation are necessary, and that they necessitate the removal of the last building and the eviction of its tenants, 18 months prior to construction? More to come on this important subject. Important, because it involves the lives of three families who have managed to create a tiny supportive community out of the ruins of the old.
In what seems to be another incredible move by BC Housing – since the tragedy of the demolition of Little Mountain itself 5 to 15 years prematurely – it has come to my attention that BC Housing has handed out NEW EVICTION notices to the last 4 families occupying the last row-house building at Little Mountain.
This move is grossly premature – 18 months or more early – as the Rezoning Process is not yet begun. There are no architectural plans – only a site plan and scale model (which itself is only a sketch) There is no schedule for construction. There is literally no reason to hasten eviction at this point.
In addition, the two-year re-development consultation process (with the City of Vancouver Planning Department, the Community, the Developer) is violated by premature demolition of the last remaining row hose. There is no decision yet, on the final use for the Vancouver Heritage Building. Please view Meeting #27, the Heritage Analysis of the Last Building at Little Mountain. Does the developer realize that he is in contravention of his commitment to an open and comprehensive consultation with the city and the community? Is the BC Liberal Goverment aware of this commitment? BC Housing officials have attended meetings and the last Open House at Little Mountain. Feigning ignorance will not do at this point. Do they have any interest in public process?
Sam and Joan in front of their home and garden at Little Mountain Housing – circa 2009
Sammy and Joan Cheng pictured above are a completely blind couple and have lived at Little Mountain for many years. They are extremely vulnerable. At the time that this photo was taken in the fall of 2009, Sammy (who had partial eyesight at the time) had gone to look several times, for suitable apartments for his completely blind wife (Joan) but did not find any which were safe enough, in terms of apartment layout and surrounding street-scape. In a tragic turn of events, Sammy’s remaining eyesight was lost this year. When Sammy had his eyesight he was feisty and fought against relocation. Today he powerless owing to complete lack of sight. At the end of September Sammy will go for surgery on his eye, to implant a new cornea. BC HOUSING HAS CHOSEN TO EVICT HIM ONLY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF HIS SURGERY. Sammy is under incredible stress with both the eviction and his operation coming fast. DOES BC HOUSING HAVE ANY ETHICS WHATSOEVER? What is this monster of an organization, which you and I – the taxpayer – support?
This hasty and unnecessary relocation, propelled by politics, may prove tragic for this couple.
BC Housing claims that there are “environmental concerns” and that they have to do remediation of the residue from buried oil tanks. I have placed footage of the excavation of the oil tanks on line. The 3 tanks were removed in a day.
Nevertheless, BC Housing states that ground-water testing now needs to be done.
Really.
They state that such remediation needs to be done in dry weather. There will be – NO DOUBT – dry weather next summer, when this remediation should sensibly take place. At this point in my investigation there seems to be little reason to perform any additional remediation on the site, but you will hear more about this.
For whom is this “remediation” being done? It may be HOLBORN who are seeking to prematurely demolish the last building prior to further public discussion. Can the developer give us some clarity here? Joo Kim Tiah of Holborn should answer to this.
Who else is instigating this move? The Ministry of Housing? Rich Coleman’s office?
And what does the City of Vancouver, its Mayor Gregor Robertson, and Vision Councillors have to say about it?
I offer you a moment of truth.
Seven minutes from Meeting #29 of the Little Mountain Community Advisory Group, or as Ned Jacobs describes it: “a key point in a meeting between the CAG and the planners when the question of who is calling the shots was asked, but not satisfactorily answered.”
(see full text below)
Moments like these often end up defining an entire process.
It remains to be seen, what happens at City Hall next week.
Commentary on the Little Mountain Community Advisory Group Policy Statement, by Ned Jacobs:
June 21, 2012
In many respects, the Little Mountain Community Advisory Group (CAG) statement and recommendations are consistent with those of planning staff, but they differ in regard to overall density and building heights.
Planning staff have recommended that density in the range of 2.3 to 2.5 gross FSR be considered. This may not seem excessive, compared to net FSR figures for some recent high-density proposals for a single building or a city block, but the Little Mountain site is greater than 15 acres and will include streets and public plazas, which limit the overall ground coverage to about 40%.
For a variety of reasons specific to this site and its context, as well as the place and functions of the Riley Park neighbourhood in the city, the CAG concluded that density up to about 2 FSR was appropriate, but are willing to contemplate the risks of accommodating density up to 2.2 FSR to achieve key public amenities, or 2.3 FSR on condition that the additional units are non-market to increase social housing on the site. A target of 20% social housing is supported by both the City and the CAG, but cannot be achieved unless the province is willing to subsidize construction of at least 65 non-market units in addition to the 234 units they have committed to replace.
2.2 FSR is 50% greater than what could be achieved under the approved Community Vision Directions, which would limit building heights to 4 storeys and about 1.45 FSR. The difference between 2.2 and 2.5 FSR is significant: nearly 200 units, equivalent to about three 8-storey apartment buildings or at least one additional storey on each of approximately 20 buildings in the site plan. It would likely necessitate accommodating parking and traffic impacts from at least 150 additional cars, and put further strain on already stressed amenities and services. The CAG considers 2.5 FSR to be excessive, and highly problematic.
The CAG studied several existing high density large-site developments in Vancouver. In regard to the Olympic Village, at 2.6 FSR, the CAG concluded that the combination of building heights and ground coverage resulted in an overly canyon-like environment, not well suited for a family-oriented development. Arbutus Walk, at 1.9 FSR, was more comparable to the Little Mountain site in terms of neighbourhood context. CAG participants appreciated the human scale and diversity of housing types, which includes rowhouses, but thought that some of the green space is underused and might have been better utilized as floor space, while reducing the height and massing of an overly dominant building.
In regard to building heights, planning staff recommend that most of the buildings range from 4 to 8 storeys, with up to two buildings of 12 storeys. The CAG recommends that the majority of buildings be in the 4 to 6 storey range with no building greater than 10 storeys (or 100 feet) in order to preserve high quality public views to and from Queen Elizabeth Park, reduce shadowing, and provide better transitions of scale to the surrounding neighbourhood. There was little public support at the open houses for buildings over 9 storeys. The developer, Holborn Properties, is asking Council to amend the staff recommendations to permit consideration of one 14-storey building to provide “punctuation.” It also seems doubtful that Holborn will ne willing to provide the full complement of Development Cost Levies (DCLs) and Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) on the market units and, when it comes to rezoning may balk at the recommendation that all 234 replacement social housing units be built in the initial phase of construction.
Many CAG participants have a strong sense that the City’s “Little Mountain “planning team” is not actually comfortable with the density (up to 2.5 FSR) that they have recommended, but are responding to directions from “higher levels” within the administration. If these directions are in fact coming from the Mayor and/or powers that be on City Council, this is a problem because it means that professional arms length between our planners and our elected officials has been compromised. It was rumoured that on several occasions Planning Director Brent Toderian considered resigning because parts of some planning staff reports had been rewritten in the office of the General Manager and sent back with the expectation that he would “sign off” on them, and that Toderian’s discomfort with this was a major factor in his being fired “without cause.” One CAG member questioned whether the LM density recommendations are “circular”, meaning that the decision-makers are instructing staff in regard to recommendations, presumably to create the appearance that staff supports those decisions. Here is a link to a 7-minute video segment (by documentary film maker David Vaisbord) of a key point in a meeting between the CAG and the planners when the question of who is calling the shots was asked, but not satisfactorily answered. littlemountainproject.com
Ned Jacobs is a founding member of Riley Park/South Cambie Community Visions, Community Advocates for Little Mountain (CALM), and a participant on the CAG.
David Vaisbord
Observer + Participant
The Little Mountain Project
The Holborn Group is currently managing a very strong publicity campaign on the internet, to generate support for their very high density housing plan at Little Mountain. Check it out HERE.
Begun in 2008, and in continuous evolution and production since that time, The Little Mountain Project is a multi-platform hyperlocal documentary, conceived by veteran independent documentary filmmaker and Little Mountain Community member, David Vaisbord. The Little Mountain Project is a multi-layer, multi-year experiment in documentary filmmaking that will observe and record in detail the entire process of demolition, planning, and construction of the last major redevelopment project in the city of Vancouver. The subject of the redevelopment of social and affordable housing in Vancouver is of critical interest to almost everyone in this city. This project will untangle the web of influences which shape this city’s policies and processes around these housing issues, as well as the subjects of community, density, and livability. The end results of the process – over many years – will include: a feature length documentary film, web projects (you’re reading one), a site specific art/sign project, and art and museum gallery installations (Winsor Gallery July 2012). To name a few.
Over 250 hours of footage have been recorded to this date.
Look for more complete information about The Little Mountain Project on this website, and the purpose of this particular website, click on “What is LM Project.”
Meeting #29
THE CITY’S POSITION on Holborn’s Little Mountain Plan.
April 3, 2012
The Planning Department outlines their support for, and criticisms of the Holborn Concept. By defining their position, the Planning Department defines the difference between their position and that of the community. Shocked and surprised? No, not really. The community understands the challenges ahead.
Full Meeting:
In the meeting…
The Advisory Group compliments the planning department on their work, but finds that although the planning departments criticisms are many and good, their overall density of the site is unworkable at their suggested range of 2.3fsr to 2.5fsr.
The Advisory Group suggests that the maximum density be pegged at 2.3, as was represented as the point at which the developer would make a profit and the community get the amenities it wants. (Coriolis presentation Meeting #23)
Patricia St. Michel’s power point presentation can be viewed in complete PDF format on the City of Vancouver’s Major Site Planning Pages. If your computer screen is big enough you can view both the PDF and video at the same time, getting the best visuals and commentary simultaneously.
Shorter Version: 45 min.
Highlights of the Short Version:
00:45 – Ben Johnson of City Planning presents Holborn’s density numbers:
1834 housing units of which 1600 are Market and 234 are Social Housing.
Density Range 2.5 – 2.8FSR. 01:30 – Patricia St. Michel of City Planning presents the City’s critique of Holborn design. 02:29 – Holborn’s Little Mountain plan shown to have higher density than Olympic Village. 03:15 – View analysis from Peak of Queen Elizabeth Park, across Little Mountain Site. 05:45 – Summary of height and density changes requested by the City Planning Department.
Summary of Planners changes to Holborn housing plan
07:45 – Patricia St. Michel states City Planning’s preference for a 2.3 to 2.5 FSR range. 08:00 – Community Discussion Begins 08:00 – Where is shadow analysis at Xmas time? Answer has to do with Northern Climate Challenges. 10:00 – Issue of South site transitions rapidly rising from 4 to 7 stories. 10:50 – Why lower scale buildings and tighter courtyards (in keeping with single family neighbourhood) are not an option. 12:39 – James Cheng mentions that there may not be a housing solution that the Little Mountain Neighbourhood will accept. 13:29 – Community Member (Deborah) thanks the Planning Department on their careful analysis, principle and performance based, and the ways the height trimming is considered and why…but argues that the amount of housing load that is being considered for the site is too much. 17:10 – Ben Johnson argues that Holborn will need to earn the extra density above 2.3 with exceptional housing design. 17:40 – Frustrated observer argues that sunlight discussion is irrelevant. 19:00 – Patricia discusses “Mystery Lake” and water features on the site. 19:30 – President of the Neighbourhood House argues that the deal is good. 20:30 – Norm Dooley (RPSC) argues that Arbutus Walk (Meeting #15) is a better model for Little Mountain housing, and that Little Mountain won’t solve all of Vancouver’s problems. Applause follows. 27:00 – From the very beginning, the entire BC Gov’t concept is wrong, when “We’re selling the house to pay for the furniture.” 28:00 – Another notice of Mystery Lake.
"Mystery Lake" in Little Mountain housing design
28:30 – Neighbourhood House Executive Director argues in favour of the plan owing to costs of building and land, (Arbutus Walk built many years ago) and the amenities delivered. 32:00 – Frustrated observer says “Go ahead full force!” 33:30 – Resident argues that this new housing plan is a stark change for this community. 35:00 – Ben Johnson explains how the city will present both their position and the position of the Little Mountain Advisory Group to Vancouver City Council.
Super Sized Olympic-style density was proposed for Little Mountain Housing
Things START TO HEAT UP here: 36:00 – Resident wonders if the next 3 meetings are worth attending, since the City has presented the essence of their position. The answer is vague. 38:30 – Ned Jacobs argues that even if 2.3 is the best number owing to the political pressure that is exerted on City Planners to increase densities during further development phases. 40:45 – Resident of North of 33rd Avenue Group asks if the City would acknowledge a consensus of the residents of Little Mountain at 2.3FSR and adopt it? The City answers that there are levels of senior management at City Hall who have provided direction of 2.3 to 2.5 FSR owing to multiple city priorities. So the answer is no. 42:00 – WHO is the HIGHER LEVEL? (of decision making in the city) 43:30 – This is YOUR community, but not YOUR city. 44:30 – Ingrid Steenhuisen points out how far the community has come in the acceptance of high densities – of which 2.3FSR is a high density. 45:20 – A discussion ensues about how a Little Mountain Advisory Group Sub Group could write a report which would send a powerful message to Vancouver City Council about their agreement regarding the density which they see as maximum for their neighbourhoods.
After considerable discussion it becomes clear that there will be 3 different presentations that go to council:
One by the Planning department,
One by the Holborn Group,
One by the Advisory Group.
But there is a considerable amount of finessing to take place, so it is unclear what the city’s final position will look like. By the end of this meeting, there is considerable tension in the room, as what goodwill that once existed between the planning department and the citizens apparently evaporates. Ben Johnson states that at a higher political level there is approval of their recommendations. Considering the considerable investment of time, effort, and intelligence in the process, community members wonder if council will consider their input at all.
The Advisory Group does not consider that its input has been narrowly defined by self interest, but by the needs of the surrounding community and the city as a whole, in terms of amenities, infrastructure (including transit, traffic, cycling, park, educational, social, arts issues etc.)and the crisis in social and affordable housing.
Next episodes:
Meeting #30 Traffic and Transportation issues
Meeting #31 Amenities & Affordability
Meeting #32 Holborn speaks to former residents
Meeting #33 **Design Panel – Uploaded 2 weeks ago** check “Recent Posts”
Meeting #34 Sustainability Policies and Little Mountain Meeting #35 ADVISORY GROUP PRESENTS THEIR RESPONSE MEETING #36 COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 27, 2012.
Olympic Village vs Little Mountain densities
Heading to City Council: The finish line has been tentatively set for June 27, 2012.
That’s the date when the Little Mountain Advisory Committee, the City of Vancouver planning department, the Holborn Group, and You make your thoughts known to Vancouver City Council about the deliberations of the past 2 and a half years. At the meeting the planning department will present a policy statement on the current plans, for the approval of City Council. If approved, the policy statement will guide the future rezoning process at the Little Mountain site. The rezoning process (up to a year or more in duration) will include public and legal processes.
Meeting #28
Consensus Building at Little Mountain
March 2, 2012
In this community-only meeting — Holborn Group was requested not to attend — the point of the gathering is to move toward building consensus (or near consensus) within the Advisory Group so that the report to council has a clear sense of the community’s positive and negative responses to the developer’s design. Community members revisit their concerns about the current proposal using a CARD WRITING exercise. The exercise is preceeded by a POSTAL CODE analysis of the January 2012 OPEN HOUSE results.
Brief Notes on the meeting:
2:40 — Conversation about the history of the Advisory Group process, moderated by the community Chairperson, Ron Mayers.
6:40 — Ben Johnson (planner) recognizes that the Little Mountain Advisory Group has come a long way in terms of learning and growing over the years of this process, but not necessarily a long way in supporting or endorsing the latest proposal by the Holborn Group. Johnson suggests that the Group’s position should become clearer through the next round of the process.
12:00 — Al Buium of RPSC mentions that a number of Vancouver City Departments, such as Engineering, Traffic, Parks and Recreation, and Schools have not yet made any presentations yet, and Johnson answers that they will appear. Important to note that a representative of Vancouver Engineering does voice an opinion at the URBAN DESIGN Panel Meeting #33.
14:00 — Postal Code analysis. A higher negative response to densities and other aspects of the design was correlated to closer proximity to the site. Discussion follows on the accuracy of the data.
26:00 — The Card Exercise. Three cards were given to each participant, who were asked to write down their three biggest concerns about the project, one on each card. Results of the exercise demonstrate the challenge of balancing all of the concerns. Excellent discussion follows.
1:15:00 — Lisa Schwabe, a senior citizen, presents her concerns about Little Mountain.
1:21:00 — CALM member Catherine Hembling, presents information on new Social Housing Developments based on new financial models in the United States and Europe. The term “Values-Based Banking” is introduced.
FULL Unedited Meeting Below:
Next Up: Meeting #29 The City’s Position on Little Mountain
Heading to City Council: The finish line has been tentatively set for June 27, 2012. That’s the date when the Little Mountain Advisory Committee, the City of Vancouver planning department, the Holborn Group, and You make your thoughts known to Vancouver City Council about the deliberations of the past 2 and a half years. At the meeting the planning department will present a policy statement on the current plans, for the approval of City Council. If approved, the policy statement will guide the future rezoning process at the Little Mountain site. The rezoning process (up to a year or more in duration) will include public and legal processes.
David Vaisbord
Little Mountain Community Member
Documentary filmmaker
Little Mountain Redevelopment
Meeting #27
The OPEN HOUSE Analysis
February 28, 2012 (an intense meeting)
Heading to City Council: The finish line has been tentatively set for June 27, 2012. That’s the date when the Little Mountain Advisory Committee, the City of Vancouver planning department, the Holborn Group, and You make your thoughts known to Vancouver City Council about the deliberations of the past 2 and a half years. At the meeting the planning department will present a policy statement on the current plans, for the approval of City Council. If approved, the policy statement will guide the future rezoning process at the Little Mountain site. The rezoning process (up to a year or more in duration) will include public and legal processes.
I will post exact details regarding time and date as I receive them from the planning department or you can click here to find them yourself.
Since January I’ve written a thesis on documentary filmmaking and new media, and as a result, postings to this blog were sporadic. But it’s written, and now time to concentrate on this process.
The series of meetings titled “HEADING TO CITY COUNCIL” represent the FINAL POSITIONS of each of the three groups as they head to Council. You will find them here, starting at number twenty-seven. So far there have been 34 meetings. Number 33, the Design Panel is already up.
Meeting 27 is a good one to start with, because it was the first meeting to follow the OPEN HOUSES of January 2012. The North of 33rd Avenue citizens’ group had not attended any previous Advisory Committee Meetings and were in a state of understandable shock when they saw Holborn’s Model for the first time. They were so upset that they called their own press conference. They brought a considerable amount of drama to the meeting, most of which was warranted — some of which was due to the fact that they had not participated in the process and were not up to speed with the program. Nevertheless, in subsequent meetings they have proven themselves to be an asset.
So, WELCOME to the Advisory Group, North of 33rd residents!!!
And a note of caution to communities in Vancouver: Attend your public meetings or else…
The statistics presented in Meeting #27 are important and warrant close analysis. Meeting #28 (uploading next week) looks at them again with respect to postal codes, and correlations are made between distance from the site and opinions expressed.
I have produced 4 videos from that evening:
1. A 12 minute CLIP of highlights from the entire meeting.
2. The Heritage Report on the last standing building
3. The Complete Meeting including the Heritage Report & Open House report.
4. The 1 minute Global Television Report that was broadcast the same evening.
The Heritage Report
Donald Luxton gives a thorough analysis of the heritage value of the last remaining row house on the site, and historical background on the history of social housing in Vancouver. It’s essential information for anyone interested in the history of social unrest around housing issues in this city.
In addition, Global Television did a decent job of covering the evening event. CBC News was also there, but I did not catch their broadcast.
David Vaisbord
littlemountainproject.com
Little Mountain Neighbourhood resident speaks to TV News on February 28, 2012.
