Housing project foes accuse city of bullying
Some Marpole residents say the City of Vancouver is using “bullying tactics” by taking protesters to court over a contentious modular housing development meant to house the homeless.
On Friday, the city announced it was seeking an injunction so construction crews can access the site on Heather Street and West 57th Avenue after protesters blocked the entrance to construction workers and trucks.
“We are disappointed that Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vision Vancouver are using bullying tactics such as an injunction on a peaceful protest that is requesting for a public hearing and consultation,” said Luo Bingshin, a spokesman for the group, Caring Citizens of Vancouver Society. “This is yet another example of reckless and hasty decision-making by Mayor Robertson to bypass (the) democratic rights of Vancouverites.”
The city gave conditional approval for the 78-unit, modular-housing development at the Pearson Dogwood site on Monday. The project was to be completed by February, but the delay is affecting the planned move-in date for tenants.
Residents who are opposed to the project say they’re not against housing the homeless, but that the location — across the street from an elementary school and within one block of a high school — isn’t appropriate.
They also charge the city with ramming through the development with no meaningful public consultation, particularly on the proposed tenant mix, which, according to a city document, would include tenants who are deemed medium- to high-needs, a category that includes people with criminal history and a high risk to reoffend.
“It is because these temporary modular-housing units will include housing for individuals with a criminal history who have a high likelihood to reoffend that we are asking city hall to stop the development and to engage us in an open, honest, transparent consultation process, so we can welcome a project like this into our community without having to worry about the well-being of our children, seniors and homes,” said Derek Palaschuk, another spokesman from Caring Citizens of Vancouver Society.
The group is asking the city for a “proper consultation process” that would include negotiation on the tenant mix and the accountability structure.
The city said 650 people had attended four community information sessions held in the neighbourhood as part of the development-permit process.
The Marpole project is one of several planned modular housing developments that the city hopes will eventually provide more than 600 new homes for the homeless. Other sites include the 1100-block Franklin Street, 501 Powell St. and 4410 Kaslo St., near the 29th Avenue SkyTrain Station.