“Crown corporations usually consult with the City” says Councillor – Why not PavCo?

In this CKNW News story, Councillor Geoff Meggs correctly points out that PavCo and the BC Liberals have deliberately circumvented Vancouver City By-laws, this despite existing precedents for voluntary assessment of video screens set by the Federal government at CBC Studios 700 Hamilton Street in September 2008. In City documents made publicly available at http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20080930/documents/p1.pdf, the City Director of Planning writes, “CBC, (al)though a federal government crown corporation, has chosen to work with the City on their sign proposals and apply for the necessary by-law amendments and permits.”

Provincial and Federal agencies, as a matter of protocol and of respect for civic authority, always follow city by-laws voluntarily - Such has always been the case, as it has been completely unthinkable that the Crown would act in a way so obviously detrimental to the well-being of the local community. PavCo has the honourable distinction of showing us otherwise.

Billboards still hurt their eyes
LAURA BAZIUK CKNW NEWS

A Vancouver City Councillor is trying to address the complaints he says are still coming in about the bright lights around BC Place.

It's been more than three months since people living near the newly renovated stadium started complaining that its billboards were keeping them up at night.

Geoff Meggs says that issue hasn't gone away and Pavco's efforts haven't been enough.

So, he plans to table a motion next week to ask the stadium operator to bring the signs up to standard, "Go back, use the best match you can work out for what should have happened in terms of public consultation and go through a process with people, because it's not working the way it is."

Meggs says the city was taken by surprise when the signs were installed without consultation, as he says Crown corporations usually do.