City declares former AVTC lands surplus, clears the way for affordable housing and parkland

JOHN DANCE

The cancellation of the northern section of the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor has opened the door for affordable housing and permanent parkland on what is known as People’s Park – the large block of land between the Lees Avenue towers and Springhurst Park.

In early December, the City’s Finance and Corporate Services (FCS) committee approved a staff proposal to “declare as surplus to City needs” a large portion of the former AVTC lands on Lees Avenue with the intention of creating non-profit housing and permanent parkland on the site.

Although the timing of the proposal was a surprise and the lack of full community consultation a concern, both Councillor Shawn Menard and community association members supported the general thrust of the approval.

“The proximity to transit and active transportation make it an ideal location for affordable units. 160 Lees is close to the LRT and bus service, as well as bicycle infrastructure, and offers an opportunity to build densely,” Menard noted in his comments to staff. “In support of the City’s 15-minute neighborhood concept, we would like to see a mixed-use design with a grocery store incorporated on site.”

“The ideal location for this building or buildings would be parallel to Lees Avenue on the northern end of the site, with the southern portion closer to the river remaining as green space, with the formal protection of a park zoning designation,” he said.

The property in question is the northern portion (Lees Avenue side) of the lands freed-up by the AVTC cancellation which is currently designated as “residential fourth density” as per the transit-oriented development plan for the site that was approved in 2014. The southern portion of the former AVTC lands is zoned “open space and leisure,” and both Menard and community association members want this to become permanent parkland.

Before the FCS meeting, in a hastily arranged meeting with community association members, the councillor, and staff, various alternative building and park configurations were shown, including one labelled “Alternative 4” which would have two buildings with 250 – 400 residential units along Lees and a 1.5-acre park to the south. While community members were partial to this vision, they cautioned that broad community consultation was required.

Community members and Menard spoke of the existing and lengthy recreational use of the land in question and the growing need for parkland as many new residential units were being created on both the OOE and Sandy Hill side of Highway 417.