False Creek residents still waiting for their park
Community group says urban farm on old Expo 86 grounds may further delay project decades in coming
When a vacant lot at Carrall Street and Pacific Boulevard became a twoacre urban farm this month — a move supported by the City of Vancouver — it was a boon for urban agriculture and food security in the dense downtown core.
But some area residents say that, while they do support the Solefood farm, they worry the project will further delay a park they’ve waited decades for.
“Solefood is a terrific operation and we welcome them into the neighbourhood,” said Fern Jeffries, who cochairs the False Creek Residents Association along with Patsy Mcmillan.
“Residents just want their own park and the public benefit of the green space that was promised.”
The would- be park was envisioned in the neighbourhood’s 1990 official plan and the group is growing tired of waiting.
Mcmillan said the potential park appeared on the horizon in 2004 when Concord Pacific’s Coopers Landing was approved for development, which included the proviso of a park as a community amenity contribution.
The park site remains a parking lot on the northeast side of False Creek, just across from the development site — currently the urban farm. Both parcels of land are owned by Concord Pacific.
“I want to see it in our lifetime,” said Jeffries, 66.
Jeffries said residents feel Concord is profiting from the delay by earning income on the park site, which is a paid parking lot, a sometime rental venue for special events like Cirque du Soleil, and a condo sales office, despite its zoning as a recreational space. The company said it pays about half a million dollars per year in taxes on the development site, where the farm now sits, and “nominal” taxes on the park site. Concord has publicly committed to donating any tax savings — estimated in the $ 15,000 range — to “green initiatives” such as Solefood.
“Why is a large public space used to generate revenue for Concord Pacific — land that’s been promised to the city?” Jeffries said.
The company does intend to eventually build on the farm site, which would trigger the park’s development, said Matt Meehan, vice- president of planning at Concord. But it could be years yet. “It’s high- density residential space, and as an interim use it’s going to be an urban farm,” he said, denying the company intends to have the area classified as agricultural land, which would provide huge tax savings. “It’s really in the city’s hands. It depends on the viaduct study and which way it goes.”
Council expects to receive a staff report this summer addressing the feasibility of demolishing the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts. In some proposals for post- viaduct designs, the size of the nine- acre park could increase by 13 per cent.
It’s doubtful the area in question would have been developed within the next three years, said Coun. Geoff Meggs. “There’s a number of very complicated steps involved,” he said, including rezoning applications subject to public hearings and council approval, and dealing with the contaminated soil under the lot ( the farm’s produce is grown in raised beds).
“I understand the frustration of the neighbourhood. We’re waiting for the final and most critical steps.” That could take a couple of years to resolve, Meggs said. “I don’t see the Solefood project as related to the park.”
For now, the Solefood farm, which employs and teaches Downtown Eastside residents to grow organic produce, has a three- year lease with Concord.
“We got as much or more than we asked for [ from Concord],” said Seann Dory, an urban farmer and Solefood co- founder, adding that the farm has been planted and is starting to grow. But besides growing food, one purpose of the project is community- building.
“I hope they do build a big park one day, I think everyone does,” he said.