Summary#
Vancouver City Council approved closing and exchanging road land next to 961 West 19th Avenue. The City is authorized to negotiate and sign a land-exchange contract: the owner would receive about 2,775 square feet of road land and convey about 4,030 square feet of the site to the City for park purposes.
- The exchange depends on the City and the owner entering into a contract on the terms and conditions in the staff report.
- The closed road land must be joined with the remaining part of the owner’s lot; the park land must be conveyed to the City.
- The City’s Director of Legal Services and Approving Officer must be satisfied with the subdivision and conveyance arrangements.
What it means for you#
- The property owner: May receive the road strips, which are seven feet wide and run alongside lots 3 to 14 in the block. The owner must provide the larger park parcel and pay the listed fees and transaction costs.
- People who may use the park land: The City is to receive the 4,030-square-foot parcel for park purposes. The decision does not set out a park design or opening date.
- Residents and taxpayers: The decision closes road land that City staff say is no longer needed for municipal or engineering purposes. It does not itself approve construction. The related rezoning was already approved in principle and includes plans for housing and park use.
Money#
The materials set a nominal $1 sale price for the road land and a $14,360 road-closure fee.
- The owner must also pay the costs of plans, documents and Land Title Office fees needed to complete the exchange.
- No overall cost or net financial effect for the City is given.
What is unclear#
- The terms and conditions in Appendix A are not included in the supplied material.
- The material does not say when the contract, subdivision or land transfer will be completed.
- It gives no details about how the park parcel will be developed or maintained.
Case for#
- City staff say the road strips are no longer needed for municipal or engineering purposes.
- The City would receive about 1,255 square feet more land for park purposes than the area of road land it transfers.
- The exchange is a condition of the related rezoning, which provides for park use as well as housing.
Case against#
- The road land is priced at a nominal $1. City staff justify this by the larger area of park land the City would receive, but the supplied material gives no other valuation details.
- The contract’s full conditions are not available here, making it hard to assess all terms of the exchange.