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Activities |
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New
Location for
Proposed Charleson
Park Community Garden
Updated
04/2013 |
Thank you to all those who were in touch with the City to
support the proposed Charleson Park Community Garden
(located on the east side of the sportsfield). 71%
of the respondents to the City were in favour of this
proposed community garden, and it was put forward to the
Parks Board for approval. However, the Parks Board
deferred their decision to allow for further consultation.
On Monday, March 25, I met with two City staff and also with
the gardener for Charleson Park and his supervisor to
discuss the proposed community garden site near the
sportsfield. Unfortunately, the gardener, in particular, and
his supervisor had concerns about a community garden being
located there. The utility structure on the north side of
the sportsfield is used by the gardeners and they use part
of the proposed garden area to drive to and from their
utility site (they also use it to store a clippings trailer
later in the fall/winter) and a garden would pose logistical
challenges for them. There was also concern about the
traffic along the path, especially from bikes, and the
garden effectively creating a bottleneck since bikes,
service vehicles, or other traffic, would not have adequate
room to get out of each other's way. Unfortunately, a
community garden near the sportsfield looks like it is not
going to work.
However, they were open to another site, east of the jade
fountain, closer to the water and just along the hedge that
borders the seawall. This was a site that our committee
had initially considered as well—it’s an excellent site for
a garden, with lots of exposure to the sun—but had decided
on the area near the sports field since we thought it was
more “out of the way” (!).
The gardener and his supervisor are 100% percent in favor of
a garden in this site and even offered their help should the
garden site go ahead, and the City staff felt like it was a
strong location as well, so the City wants to go ahead
with proposing a community garden in this location (pictured
above).
One of the City’s landscape designers will begin working on
a design for this proposed garden and, should all go well,
they hope that a community garden could be underway in
Charleson Park sometime this summer! So, keep your eyes
posted for more information and, as before, it would be a
huge help to email the City to express your support for a
much-needed community garden in our area. (The waitlist
at the nearest community garden, under the Cambie Bridge, is
100+ people at this point!)
As always, feel free to be in touch with me as well: Sean
Conway,
charleson.garden@outlook.com.
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Mcbride
Community Garden
Updated
12/2012 |
Wylie and 1st Avenue
Established 2010
45 individual plots/members
If interested in a plot please contact
mcbridegarden@gmail.com
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Signage
on the Seawall
Updated
04/2010
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Residents have expressed concerns about
speeding bikes along the False Creek Seawall.
Pedestrian and bicycle traffic has increased considerably
since the opening of the seawall between the Cambie Street
bridge and Science World. As well, the seawall now
connects with the new bicycle path along Central Valley and
BC Parkway which means that there are more commuter cyclists
on the False Creek Seawall.
Parts of the seawall are capable of
accommodating both cyclists and pedestrians. However
the seawall west of Cambie all the way to Granville Island
is a shared pathway. Several choke points exist, such
as Sutcliffe Park and Spruce Marina. The False Creek
South Neighbourhood Association has alerted the City traffic
engineers to this problem, suggesting that signage be
considered along the seawall urging cyclists to slow down,
pass with voice or bell, and to give way to pedestrians.
We have also suggested to city engineers
that commuter cyclists be re-routed off the seawall, along
Commodore and Charleson - on designated pathways.
Commuter bikes travel at a much faster speed and thus
present a greater danger to pedestrians.
We would be interested in hearing from
residents on this matter. Contact your building
representative listed on the homepage.
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An example of the signage
for shared space in Santa Barbara |
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The
Charleson Greenway
Updated
03/2010 |
In February of 2010 the world discovered our little
corner of the planet by way of a modest but very popular
streetcar. The "Olympic Line" quietly transported over
half a million people through our neighbourhood during its
two month trial run.
But while the efficiency of the streetcar was clear, the
aesthetic of the right-of-way on which it ran raised some
concerns. Nothing was done to demonstrate what this
valuable space could one day become. This somewhat
derelict stretch of abandoned railway has enormous
potential as a showcase greenway accommodating transit,
cycling and pedestrians in a planted green landscape.
And all of this can improve the buffer between the
neighbourhoods and parks of False Creek South and the busy
6th Avenue roadway.
Our nearby seawall is a pleasure to stroll or cycle.
But is often reaches its realistic capacity and conflicts
have arisen between those who use it primarily for walking
or recreation and those who would like to cycle quickly
through. Widening the seawall would be problematic and
fairly expensive, particularly between Granville Island and
the Spruce Harbour Marina. A greenway along the
rail line could offer an attractive alternative for commuter
cyclists to take some pressure off of the crowded
seawall. This could be done in combination with
traffic calming measures on Charleson Road in order that
both the rail right-of-way and the road become part of a
cohesive space, attractive for a variety of users.
Currently the speed of cars on this uninterrupted stretch is
a deterrent to all but the more experienced cyclists.
While the linear nature of this corridor is clear, it has
also acted as a barrier between our neighbourhoods and the
adjacent Fairview Slopes. To be successful, a greenway
should benefit not only those who travel the length but
those who pass across. Improved crossings at 6th
Avenue could help. It can be intimidating as a
pedestrian to attempt to cross 6th Avenue even at marked
crossings. A well used greenway running parallel to
6th with proper crossings could have a calming influence on
the fast moving traffic.
The city of Vancouver has been enthusiastic about a
permanent streetcar on this right-of-way. their vision
includes extensions into downtown Vancouver making it an
integral part of our transit system. TransLink is
finally warming up to the idea. A permanent streetcar
would likely include at least one more stop between
Granville island and the Olympic Village Station.
While this would be a wonderful asset to our neighbourhood
we would like to ensure that it is done right. It
should add to the concept of a greenway rather than detract
from it. One way to enhance the green element is to
create "green rails", setting the rails into a lawn.
Below is a photo of a streetcar in Strasbourg, France
showing how this can be done. Strategically placed
hedging and trees would delineate the track area while
increasing the green buffer and improving the greenway
environment.
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The Strasbourg Streetcar - a
model for Vancouver? |
Few of us view this abandoned railway as much more than
it currently is. But with a little vision and the
right energy, it could become a great addition to our
neighbourhood and our city.
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Development Under the Bridge
Updated
01/2010
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False Creek
South Planning Document:
"Creating Open Spaces". |
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False
Creek Housing -
Long-term Planning
Updated
04/2010 |
False Creek South Neighbourhood Association has just struck
a committe to explore long-term housing issues in our
communit, chaired by Richard Evans. Issues to be
discussed include: ageing in place and end-of-lease housing
strategies.
If you are interested in
participating on this committee or expressing your views,
contact Richard by phone: 604-876-0681 or by e-mail:
richarde@evansarchitects.ca
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Dogs Off Leash
Charleson Park
Updated
03/2010 |
The FCSNA has struck a
"Dogs Off Leash" at Charleson Park sub committee. The
committee has communicated with the Parks Board about their
concerns, described below in the petition that is currently
in circulation.
Regarding Family Use of Waterfall
Area in Charleson Park
The undersigned are concerned about the
dominance of off-leash dogs in the waterfall area in
Charleson Park during designated on-leash hours. This area
has become increastingly unusable for False Creek residents
and particularly for families with children. Requests to
dog-owners to respect on-leash regulations in this area are
often unsuccessful, and have too often led to verbal
harassment.
We support efforts to enforce the current
by-laws requiring dogs to be leashed in the waterfall area
from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., June 1 to September 31.
You will find the following additional information on
this site:
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| New sign for on-and off-leash
times in Charleson Park |
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New split rail fence around
shared space in Charleson Park |
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Creating
Successful Open Spaces
Updated
03/2010
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False Creek South
Planning Document:
"Creating Open Spaces". |
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Neighbourhood Energy Utility Updated
01/2010
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http://vancouver.ca/sustainability/building_neu.htm
Mayor Gregor Robertson officiated at the opening on
Wednesday, January 13, 2010.
The Neighbourhood Association was
successful in stopping the Neighbourhood Energy Utility, to
be built under the Cambie Bridge, from using wood chips for
fuel. It will now provide space heat to the buildings
in the new SEFC, with a system that pulls heat from
sewage. We were also successful in eliminating one
large stack and lowerin the profile of the building.
After City Council instructed the engineers to work with the
community, we joined with the design team and contributed to
an outcome that won the support of the neighbours and praise
from engineering.
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Future
Actions
Updated
01/2010
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City
Staff Directed to Consult with Community
On July 23, 2009 after a meeting your representatives had with
City Hall staff, Council unanimously passed a motion to have
the city manager assign staff from a variety of departments
to consult the community about the planning around the
Olympic Village Station, under Cambie Street Bridge and the
lands on both sides of the bridge.
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