Chronology

The following chronology lists the events relevant to CANY’s legal petition to prevent the development of the buildings at 508 Helmcken and 1099 Richards.

Date Body Event Building Outcome
Oct 31, 2012 City Council City Council in camera (secret) resolution 508 Helmcken and
1099 Richards		 City Council secretly votes to approve Oct 22, 2012 administrative report recommending swapping 508 Helmcken & adjacent Lanes for Brenhill’s 1099 Richards. Approved Administrative Report authorizes the City to negotiate agreement to allow Brenhill to build up to 385,000 sq. ft., in excess of zoning limits, on 508 Helmcken. Resolution and contemplated agreement are not disclosed to public.
January 28, 2013 City of Vancouver
and
Brenhill Developments		 Sign Land Exchange Contract 508 Helmcken and
1099 Richards		 City secretly signs Land Exchange Contract to swap 508 Helmcken & adjacent Lanes for Brenhill’s 1099 Richards. Sale of City land is not put out for public tender, as required by Vancouver Charter. Land Exchange Contract specifies that the City will increase zoning to allow Brenhill to build 365,000 sq. ft. on 508 Helmcken by July 29, 2013. Agreement is not disclosed to public.
March 13, 2013 City Open House 508 Helmcken Public input. Majority of public opposed the development.
March 27, 2013 UDP Meeting 508 Helmcken Non-support (by 0-7 vote)
April 9, 2013 City Council City Council in camera (secret) meeting 508 Helmcken and
1099 Richards		 City Council secretly votes to approve the “Brenhill Report” recommending approval of the Land Exchange Contract. Council has no benefit of public input.
April 24, 2013 UDP Meeting 508 Helmcken Support (by 5-3 vote), only after Brian Jackson, General Manager of Planning and Development Services, takes the unprecedented step of speaking to the UDP urging their support. Support is dependent on provision of social housing at 1099 Richards. (Density and form of development of 1099 Richards is not mentioned.)
May 29, 2013 City Open House 1099 Richards (models were shown of both buildings) Public input
June 5, 2013 UDP Meeting 1099 Richards Support 5-0
June 11, 2013 General Manager of Planning and Development Services Policy Report 508 Helmcken Recommended rezoning and increased density at 508 Helmcken, dependent on provision of Social Housing at 1099 Richards.  Density and form of development of 1099 Richards is not mentioned.
July 16, 2013 (Hearing) continued to July 23, 2013 (vote) Council Public Hearing 508 Helmcken Presentation by staff and public hearing. Majority of speakers were opposed to the development.
July 23, 2013 Council Meeting 508 Helmcken Voted to rezone 508 Helmcken.  Density and form of development of 1099 Richards is not mentioned or voted on.
August 12, 2013 DPB Meeting 1099 Richards Voted to support increased density at 1099 Richards development, based on false assertion that Council had given prior approval of density and form of development at July 16, 2013 Hearing, and conditional on provision of Social Housing at 1099 Richards.
Dec 13, 2013 Member of CANY Freedom of Information (FOI) Request filed 508 Helmcken and
1099 Richards		 Request was for emails relating to these developments by and between Brian Jackson, Penny Ballem, Mike Magee, Michael Flanigan and Kent Munro.
Jan 23, 2014 Public Hearing West End Plan bylaw changes Amendments to West End Plan (a different neighbourhood entirely) In Appendix at end of 90 Page document bylaw change for the West End neighbourhood is changed to remove requirement for Council’s prior approval of density increases, and remove requirement that density increases be for social housing. Public is not made aware that these hidden changes affect New Yaletown neighbourhood.
Feb 18, 2014 rescheduled to
Feb 19, 2014		 Planning, Transportation, and Environment Standing Committee Meeting 1099 Richards Voted to endorse DPB’s “conditional” approval of FSR for 1099 Richards. Council had never approved density for 1099 Richards.
May 6, 2014 Community Association of New Yaletown Legal Petition 508 Helmcken and
1099 Richards		 Filed legal Petition in BC Supreme Court to halt developments.
May 7, 2014 City of Vancouver Partial delivery of documents requested under FOI act. 508 Helmcken and
1099 Richards		 City delivers 85 pages, heavily redacted, of the 85000+ respondent pages. Only emails to or from Michael Flanigan are delivered, omitting requested correspondence with Brian Jackson, Penny Balem, Mike Magee and Kent Munro. Existence of Land Exchange Contract and Brenhill Report is finally revealed.
Jun 7, 2014 City of Vancouver Delivery to CANY of Land Exchange Contract, previously hidden from public. 508 Helmcken and
1099 Richards		 Existence of Land Exchange Contract had been kept secret during all public hearings.
July 3, 2014 Community Association of New Yaletown Amended Legal Petition 508 Helmcken and
1099 Richards		 Based on recently disclosed documents including the Land Exchange Contract, CANY files amended legal Petition in BC Supreme Court to halt developments.