Marine Gateway Project affects local traffic capacity
Joseph Lin, President of Green Club



Joseph Lin calls upon, we strongly suggest that the rezoning process should be postponed for the Marine Gateway Project.  It is essential and imperative to set an upper limit for the traffic capacity and population size in this eco-density development planning before any further action. Only after knowing the answers above, do we know the optimal development at Marine Gateway Area. 
 
Marine Gateway Open House was held in the June 8 late afternoon, 2010. The proposed mixed-use development is comprised of a residential tower and an office tower over a 288,000 sq. ft. podium with retail space (including food and drug stores, cinemas and medical offices). This open house attracted many nearby residents, individual investors, house realtors, developers, and community & environment concerned citizens as usual.



Joseph Lin points out, many impacts needs to be solved:
1. Local traffic impact: There will be 1,415 parking spaces in the Marine Gateway Project. There are already traffic jams at this crossroad. How long will a car need to wait to turn onto Marine Drive (we can foresee similar traffic in downtown)? Where is the parking waiting space for these cars, especially at rush hour (we can foresee the area traffic similar to the Cambie entrance of Richmond Aberdeen Centre)?
 
2. Local pedestrian impact: There will be an increase of 1,400 residents (577 housing units), more office & retail staffs and hundreds of customers. When these people walk across the street, only a few cars can turn right with each green light (we can see a similar situation in Downtown at Georgia & Howe St). This will cause even more traffic congestion.



Issue of unfairness:
1. Unfair to the neighbourhood: This Marine Gateway Project will affect the surrounding neighbourhood's quality of life, not only traffic, but also community services.
2. Unfair to the site house owners: They don't have enough green space, parking waiting space, and community services
3. Unfair to the site office and retails: They may need more time and effort to get on the Canada Line.
4. Unfair to other future developments: This project may use up the capacity of the traffic and population along Cambie Corridor.
 


More information needed:
1. We need to know the maximal capacity and management timeline of Canada Line.
2. We need to know the optimal density for sustainable development.

Further studies needed:
1. We need to know future regional development plan in Metro Vancouver.
2. We need to have city-wide planning for sustainability.
3. We need to have Cambie Corridor Planning.
4. We need traffic information and capacity study.
 


Joseph Lin thinks, we should concern our quality of life. We should ask, do we have enough public space and facilities to accommodate the increase of traffic and population, such as green space, road space, safe pedestrian space, parking waiting space, community services and schools?
 
If we don't know the capacity or limit of traffic at Marine Gateway Area and the Cambie Corridor as a whole, how can we give re-zoning permission for this Marine Gateway Project? This Marine Gateway Project may use up most of the capacity along Cambie Corridor or Marine Gateway Area.
 


The city planner and the developer should be responsible for the impacts on the quality of life in the local neighbourhood. Otherwise, all taxpayers will be the ones covering the social price for this project. Development levy cannot buy quality of life, because the reality is that we don't have enough space and capacity.

City planning needs step by step. We need more a sophisticate city planning with participation of community people as our CityVision. We should not develop our city in a hurry. Otherwise, we will gradually lose the quality of life for the whole city and leave more problems for many generations to come.
 
Joseph Lin say, Green Club always cares for the city plan and community development. Except for the Cambie Business Association, Green Club was the only organization sent their concerned letter regarding the huge impact of cut-and-cover construction to BC Environmental Assessment Office before Canada Line construction.

Green Club is a self-funded non-profit organization dedicated to environmental education on biodiversity and sustainability in the Metro Vancouver since 1993. We have 1~2 eco-tours, 4 healthy life seminars, 4 heritage walks and 6 nature walks, and over 20 community healthy walks every month. We were accredited to World Summit on Ecotourism in Montrel (2002), World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2005~2009), and UN World Urban Forum in Vancouver (2006). More info at Green Culture Website http://www.greenclub.bc.ca



Joseph Lin calls upon, concerned citizens comment on this Marine Gateway Project by fax to 604.873.7060, or by email to michael.naylor@vancouver.ca   ; If you do not have web access, please contact Michael Naylor, Planner at 604.871.6269. For more information regarding this proposal, please visit city website at: vancouver.ca/rezapps. More info about Marine Gateway at http://marinegateway.ca
 
Thanks for your attention. Joseph Lin can be contacted at 604-327-8693 or by email to greenclub@gmail.com
More photos: http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/Linhcsam6/MarineGatewayProjectOpenHouse