Vancouver Civic Election 2018

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by rofina

Yes. Business background, and ties to Chip Wilson.

This is NPA's version of Gregor.

It's still the NPA's election to lose. The left is fractured beyond belief and countless candidates are running. I suppose the Greens could win if Carr runs for Mayor.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

It's still the NPA's election to lose. The left is fractured beyond belief and countless candidates are running. I suppose the Greens could win if Carr runs for Mayor.

What is your read on Hector Bremner and an upstart party?

Will he make a dent this go round?

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by rofina

What is your read on Hector Bremner and an upstart party?

Will he make a dent this go round?

Words like 'entitled' and party pooper' come to mind...


Hector Bremner says NPA mayoral candidate Ken Sim won 'poisoned chalice'

In a Facebook post Monday, Bremner, who quit the NPA after his own mayoral nomination bid was rejected by the party’s board, said Sim has “won a poisoned chalice.”

...

Bremner, once viewed by many to be the NPA’s front-runner candidate, announced last month that he is looking into creating a new civic political party.

Operating with the tagline “Let’s Fix Housing,” Bremner is inviting “disenfranchised NPA members” to a meeting Monday, 5:30 p.m., at a downtown bar.

It's at The Charles Bar, 136 West Cordova if anyone is in the area.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by rofina

What is your read on Hector Bremner and an upstart party?

Will he make a dent this go round?

The NPA obviously has some serious internal issues that go right to the top (the board). Bremner won them a big seat on council last year and he gets denied the chance to run for mayor? Half the board quit over the decision, etc.

Basically when Gregor and half the Vision party quit, this election was the NPA's to lose. So far they've been doing a lot to try and lose it.

I still think they have the best chance, and there will be a vote split to Bremner's party, but I'm afraid I don't see much chance for him or the rest of his new group. It's really unfortunate because I think he's the perfect one to usher in a new NPA era.

The Left side is divided a million ways. I can't see any of them doing well either. It's a dog's breakfast of candidates across all parties. The ballot will be a mile long.

[nova9]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

The Left side is divided a million ways. I can't see any of them doing well either. It's a dog's breakfast of candidates across all parties. The ballot will be a mile long.

Left-Wing Parties Reach Agreement-in-Principle to avoid Vote-Splitting

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by nova9

Left-Wing Parties Reach Agreement-in-Principle to avoid Vote-Splitting

Ya I saw that. Seems really stupid IMO that they can't just form one party. But I was more referring to the laundry list of Mayoral candidates.

[nova9]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Ya I saw that. Seems really stupid IMO that they can't just form one party. But I was more referring to the laundry list of Mayoral candidates.

Ah yes, definitely, but pardon my ignorance, how much power does a mayor without a majority on council have? Gregor had/has a majority of 1 on council? When was the most recent mayor to not have control of city hall through our civic party system?

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by nova9

Ah yes, definitely, but pardon my ignorance, how much power does a mayor without a majority on council have? Gregor had/has a majority of 1 on council? When was the most recent mayor to not have control of city hall through our civic party system?

The Mayor is first among equals, their vote wins any ties in council. But they are also the figurehead and spokesperson for the city, so I'd say the role has a lot of political clout. I don't recall a time when they didn't have a majority, but we could easily see it this time around.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Ya I saw that. Seems really stupid IMO that they can't just form one party.

Uniting the Left is like herding cats. Vancouver-wise, you'll never get the environmentalists and progressives on the same page... whereas NPA reactionaries can all agree that condos/bike lanes/taxes suck balls and have to be removed immediately.

[whatnext]

Raymond Louie of Vision not seeking re-election as a Councillor. That leaves only Heather Deal on Vision’s sinking ship:
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-n...ver-councillor

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Raymond Louie of Vision not seeking re-election as a Councillor. That leaves only Heather Deal on Vision’s sinking ship:
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-n...ver-councillor

She has already been telling people she's leaning toward not running again. It would make sense given the political dynamics, she has served municipally for 16 years. Park Board for a term before she got on Council.

I expect full turnover from Vision on their council candidates, and I'd wager they will only nominate 3-4 total.

[whatnext]

Is what's left of Vision trying to lose the election?

Applications for the annual B.C. homeowner grant (HOG) are due on July 4, and people who own homes in Vancouver are receiving notices in the mail telling them that if they want to claim the grant this year, they must now do so online. As the City of Vancouver’s HOG webpage states:

“Starting 2018, there is no longer the option to mail in your grant.”

This sudden elimination by the City of Vancouver of support for claiming the grant by mail creates a difficult and potentially insurmountable hurdle for tens of thousands of elderly who are tax-paying Vancouver homeowners but not computer users. As such it is discriminatory and immoral, if not completely illegal...

https://www.straight.com/life/109116...usands-elderly

[dreambrother808]

Didn’t think I’d be voting Vision again, but I actually agree with all of this. What are the better options? Is this another developer-funded sleight of hand?

Ian Campbell: As mayor of Vancouver, I would triple the empty-homes tax and speed up permits for new housing

There are certain values I have when it comes to housing. First and foremost, I have always believed that housing should be treated as a right, not a commodity. It’s a core principle in First Nations’ communities. As long as housing can easily be bought and sold as an investment for people anywhere in the world, we will never be able to deliver the housing we need for people who live and work in Vancouver.

The second is that it is not "just" a supply problem, and it is not "just" a demand problem. Any candidate who tells you we can solve our housing crisis simply by flooding the market with condos or layering on new taxes without building new homes or allowing badly needed renovations on older housing stock has not looked closely at the issue.

That’s why there are two immediate things I would do as Mayor. The first is I would triple the empty homes tax, to bring it to three percent of the assessed value of any empty home.

I was proud of the current council for showing leadership to bring the tax in but with the first year of results now in—and an expected $30 million in empty homes tax being paid—we know there are more than 1,000 people still willing to keep their homes empty during a rental crisis despite the tax. We need to increase the deterrent.

The second action is to speed up the time it takes to get a permit for new housing. By the end of the term, I want the city to have the fastest processing time in the region. If staff need more resources to clear the backlog and make this happen, I’ll do that.

My third value for housing is equity. The next mayor and council need to double down on ensuring a more equitable distribution of affordable housing—including purpose-built rental housing—throughout Vancouver. We can’t just build new rental housing on busy arterials or near transit stations on the East Side.

More than 60 percent of the city is zoned for single-family homes. I’m committed to moving forward the "Making Room" initiative council just passed to open up these low-density neighbourhoods for townhouses, low-rise apartments, and other forms of housing that support affordable options for renters and families looking for affordable ownership

https://www.straight.com/news/110206...ed-permits-new

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by whatnext

This sudden elimination by the City of Vancouver of support for claiming the grant by mail creates a difficult and potentially insurmountable hurdle for tens of thousands of elderly who are tax-paying Vancouver homeowners but not computer users. As such it is discriminatory and immoral, if not completely illegal...[/I]

Maybe they should allow mail and in-person grant claims, with a processing fee of $25. I predict a lot of people will suddenly learn how to use the internet...

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Didn’t think I’d be voting Vision again, but I actually agree with all of this. What are the better options? Is this another developer-funded sleight of hand?

It's a solution to the issues that developers, renters, and homeowners/buyers see and feel. 60% of the City is "untouchable" for multifamily development - developments no bigger than the largest SF homes we see now! But developers, architects and contractors are left designing and building 4-6 storey apartment and mixed-use buildings in select areas, competing with one another, under largely a rezoning process, that takes years, cost thousands, and is barely profitable.

As a renter that works in development, opening SF home areas to more rentals that are barely larger than the current SF home is a must to build "soft density" and multi-unit buildings. If every SF zoned lot allowed strata or rental with an unlimited # of units but adhered to minimum unit sf, height and density standards... we'd see much better housing options for many. Right now you can't even have a basement rental suite have front yard access, nor 2 primary residence entrances. You're restricting a market beyond necessary and artificially creating a crisis just based on that.

If you've seen new layouts for basement suites or laneways above garages in new builds, you'll know what I mean by the restrictive nature of current zoning standards. We work with Heaccity Studios, the folks that won the Urbanarium "missing middle" competition, and it's a cliff to climb to make that reality, but zoning needs to change to make it happen. Many of these designs are 2 1/2 to 3-storeys and just as big as many new homes or Vancouver Specials.

[CanSpice]

Patrick Condon has exited the mayor's race due to health issues. He had a stroke on Tuesday. While I didn't agree with him on some points (most especially his desires for at-grade LRT down Broadway instead of a tunneled SkyTrain) it's sad to see him have to drop out. Hopefully he recovers fully.

[whatnext]

Latest poll has the NPA's Ken Sim neck and neck with Independent Kennedy Stewart.

http://www.vancourier.com/news/poll-...ace-1.23374825

[misher]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

It's a solution to the issues that developers, renters, and homeowners/buyers see and feel. 60% of the City is "untouchable" for multifamily development - developments no bigger than the largest SF homes we see now! But developers, architects and contractors are left designing and building 4-6 storey apartment and mixed-use buildings in select areas, competing with one another, under largely a rezoning process, that takes years, cost thousands, and is barely profitable.

As a renter that works in development, opening SF home areas to more rentals that are barely larger than the current SF home is a must to build "soft density" and multi-unit buildings. If every SF zoned lot allowed strata or rental with an unlimited # of units but adhered to minimum unit sf, height and density standards... we'd see much better housing options for many. Right now you can't even have a basement rental suite have front yard access, nor 2 primary residence entrances. You're restricting a market beyond necessary and artificially creating a crisis just based on that.

If you've seen new layouts for basement suites or laneways above garages in new builds, you'll know what I mean by the restrictive nature of current zoning standards. We work with Heaccity Studios, the folks that won the Urbanarium "missing middle" competition, and it's a cliff to climb to make that reality, but zoning needs to change to make it happen. Many of these designs are 2 1/2 to 3-storeys and just as big as many new homes or Vancouver Specials.

Just wanted to say this is totally true. Vancouver's politicians have artificially created a housing problem and has used this crisis as their rallying cry. I know on Broadway most lots are zoned C-3A which means they can build 3 stories in an area where no one cares if theres a tower or not (its all businesses not homes and theres no protected viewcones). Gregor Robertson promised (and lied) that when the Broadway Skytrain was built that the city wouldn't make the mistake of the East Van skytrain and keep density low....and instead he did worse than that and restricted all construction to social housing only (which no one is going to build). 3 story commercial buildings around major skytrain stations are of course exact what we need (Richmond, Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, etc. are of course morons to do this [sarcasm]). I think they think if they restrict it to social housing that people will build it....but no one builds something that will be unprofitable except the government.



The government then imposed costs of around $800/sqft on new construction, made the zoning highly restrictive, takes years to approve things, killed the real estate market (so now theres no incentive to build as profits are non-existent), chased away foreign buyers (who would have rented out their units), and pushed everyone to build social housing or nothing (and of course no ones going to build something that doesn't make a profit so of course there not going to build shit).

I will end this speech by saying vote Ken Sim. He definitely does not agree with the policies I want but at least he has a chance of winning and he supports business. If we want a chance in hell of paying the taxes the NDP will put on us once their taxes chase all the rich away (yeah I know its shocking that the rich people will go somewhere else instead of letting us tax them to death to pay for social programs!) we need to draw more business here and increase what we already have.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by misher

Just wanted to say this is totally true. Vancouver's politicians have artificially created a housing problem and has used this crisis as their rallying cry. I know on Broadway most lots are zoned C-3A which means they can build 3 stories in an area where no one cares if theres a tower or not (its all businesses not homes and theres no protected viewcones). Gregor Robertson promised (and lied) that when the Broadway Skytrain was built that the city wouldn't make the mistake of the East Van skytrain and keep density low....and instead he did worse than that and restricted all construction to social housing only (which no one is going to build). 3 story commercial buildings around major skytrain stations are of course exact what we need (Richmond, Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, etc. are of course morons to do this [sarcasm]). I think they think if they restrict it to social housing that people will build it....but no one builds something that will be unprofitable except the government.



The government then imposed costs of around $800/sqft on new construction, made the zoning highly restrictive, takes years to approve things, killed the real estate market (so now theres no incentive to build as profits are non-existent), chased away foreign buyers (who would have rented out their units), and pushed everyone to build social housing or nothing (and of course no ones going to build something that doesn't make a profit so of course there not going to build shit).

I will end this speech by saying vote Ken Sim. He definitely does not agree with the policies I want but at least he has a chance of winning and he supports business. If we want a chance in hell of paying the taxes the NDP will put on us once their taxes chase all the rich away (yeah I know its shocking that the rich people will go somewhere else instead of letting us tax them to death to pay for social programs!) we need to draw more business here and increase what we already have.

Nice rambling post. I bolded all of the parts that are laughable BS. Also the part where you're astroturfing for the NPA.

[GenWhy?]

Yeah, sorry Misher, but the over-generalizations and incorrect information you stated has to be addressed. I would read more into the temporary halting of rezonings in the Broadway Corridor, and examine the potential after the area's review for higher forms, office and condo use.


Also, for-profit rental is still profitable and is being done as we speak. Even in mid-rise and low-rise forms. Our largest up-front costs are construction (materials and labour) and land.