NDP MP Jenny Kwan writes to mayor and council objecting to Chinatown rezoning proposal

NDP MP Jenny Kwan writes to mayor and council objecting to Chinatown rezoning proposal

Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan’s office released the following letter today:

Dear Mayor Robertson and Council,

I write to oppose the rezoning application for the 105 Keefer which is uniquely located in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown neighbourhood in Vancouver East.

105 Keefer is directly adjacent to the Chinatown Memorial Square which houses the historically significant monument to commemorate the Chinese railway workers and WWII Veterans. This Memorial depicts the history of Chinese Canadians in Canada and is profound in its meaning to our community. It is also surrounded by the Chinese Cultural Centre, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden, and the Andy Livingstone Park; all of which are important cultural sites and spaces for the Chinatown community.

As well, 105 Keefer borders the National Historic Site on East Pender Street where valuable heritage buildings with cultural significance such as the Chinese Benevolent Association and the Chinese Freemasons are located. The building proposed, if approved, will tower above Chinatown at 115 feet high, and overshadow all these culturally and symbolically significant buildings, which are mostly 55 feet to 60 feet tall. The late architect and community leader Joe Wai had written repeatedly in critique of the height, bulk and use of this proposed project for this particular site.

I, like so many others in our community, wholeheartedly agree with his view. Despite numerous design revisions, the height and bulk of the application continues to be excessive for this culturally sensitive site at the heart of Chinatown. Dropping the height from 120 feet to 115 feet is insignificant to say the least. The FSR remains over 7 and the allocation of only 25 low-income seniors housing units, in a community where there is a desperate need for safe secure affordable for low-income individuals, is woefully inadequate.

Full original article Here