A new public art installation will greet people entering downtown New Westminster.
New Westminster city council has approved a recommendation from its public art advisory committee to award the proposal Rorschach/Sentinel to Jacqueline Metz and Nancy Chew for their submission as part of the Gateway to Downtown New Westminster public art competition. The piece will be located along the median boulevard at the eastern end of Columbia Street in the downtown.
“Rorschach/Sentinel is monumental and intricate, its verticality playing off the horizontal sweep of the SkyTrain track and complimenting the vertical structures of the SkyTrain bridge – as if they are all standing sentry together,” said a statement by the artists. “Its strong imagery is easily read against its surrounding and reminds us of the presence of the working waterway and the local heritage. It is potent and iconic – marking the entrance into downtown New Westminster.”
The project is a joint effort of the City of New Westminster and the former New Westminster Community Development Society, which provided the city with $37,000 for the project. The city is contributing $38,000 through its public art reserve fund.
While the city has yet to sign a contract with the artists, Rorschach/Sentinel is expected to be in place on Columbia Street in the fall of 2015.
Brewery District gets more commercial
Council has no qualms about increasing the amount of commercial space at the Brewery District.
Following a June 22 public hearing, council supported a zoning amendment bylaw that would permit commercial uses, such as offices, above the grade level on properties at 258, 228 and 200 Nelson’s Cres. in the Brewery District development. The city believes the amendment would support economic initiatives such as developing an economic health-care cluster around Royal Columbian Hospital and attracting Class A office space to New Westminster.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said he supports residential development around SkyTrain corridors, but has no concerns about allowing some units at the Brewery District to be used for commercial purposes. If there wasn’t a market for the commercial space, he said the developer wouldn’t be asking for it.
Coun. Patrick Johnstone said Wesgroup Properties isn’t incising the size or density of the building, but is getting more flexibility on how the floor space is allocated between residential and commercial. He said it give the developer “an opportunity to read the market” and fill the building as soon as possible.
Given its “strategic location” next to Royal Columbian Hospital, Mayor Jonathan Cote said new businesses will likely want to locate in the building.
New West not interested in Seniors Games
New Westminster isn’t interested in hosting the 55+ B.C. Games in the near future.
Council approved a staff recommendation that the city not pursue the bid opportunity to host the 55+ B.C. Games (formerly the B.C. Seniors Games) for 2017 to 2019, and will consider the event at a future time. In addition, council directed staff to assess the appropriateness of including a sport tourism strategy as part of any new city tourism and/or economic development plans.
The 55+ B.C. Games is a five-day sporting event that attracts nearly 4,000 participants who compete in 30 sports. New Westminster co-hosted the B.C. Seniors Games in 1997 with the City of Burnaby, said a staff report.
“The 55+ B.C. Games promote physical activity, sporting pursuits, and building relationships. The value and benefits of the games are significant for both participants and the host community, said a report by Jason Haight, the city’s manager of business operations. “However valuable, the games also require a considerable commitment of resources and work that, given the city current priorities, may be beyond our current capacity. Furthermore, there is uncertainty about the availability of key venues during the upcoming games period.”
More work needed
Council has tabled a report on the prosed mixed-use development at 900 Carnarvon St.
A proposed mixed use commercial/residential rental development is being proposed at Plaza 88, with the building being the final piece in the project that’s been underway for years. While the city’s design panels supported the latest development plan for the project, the city’s advisory planning committees voted four to two against the application, citing concerns about increased traffic congestion on Carnarvon, Columbia and Quayside Drive, the scale of the development (too tall, too bulky, too many units), size of units (too small), inadequate parking, possibility of retail space remaining empty, rental not contributing to a sense of community.
As a result of these “significant concerns” from the advisory planning commission, staff sought council’s direction on how to proceed with the project. After a two-hour discussion with the applicant its June 1 meeting, council tabled the report and sought more information from staff.
New Westminster adopts new policy for disabled on-street parking
Royal City residents with mobility issues may be able to park a little closer to home.
City council has endorsed a draft policy that would allow residents with mobility issues to have a designated parking space in front of their homes, if it’s not feasible for them to have accessible parking on their property. The city’s access ability advisory committee proposed the change as a way of making single family neighbourhoods more accommodating to people with disabilities.
Coun. Patrick Johnstone said the policy will have a “modest” impact on neighbourhoods, but would make a huge difference for some people.
The city’s policy would outline who qualifies for the designated parking spaces and how the spaces would be managed. People would be required to apply for the spaces and provide a physician’s form documenting the need for a residential disabled parking space.
“Staff has developed a policy for designated disabled on-street parking spaces in residential neighbourhoods which will accommodate residents with mobility challenges,” stated a staff report. “While the demand is not expected to be high for these spaces, the policy will assist the city in responding to parking needs of residents with mobility challenges.”
