CITY of North Vancouver councillors offered warm praise, and the possibility of public funding recently, to a Lower Lonsdale businessman who has pursued his own public consultation program for the former National Maritime Centre site.
Tyler Russell, owner of the Café for Contemporary Art, presented his work to the city after inviting councillors to recall that the land in question remains unceded First Nations territory.
After the province backed out of the Maritime Centre project in 2010, Russell began to advocate for the land to be used for a number of cultural uses, including some of the current Presentation House facilities and a Capilano University satellite campus.
"With the distribution of flyers and an installation of drawings and a Lego model in the café, we presented an unsolicited proposal. It was a proposal for some sort of development that would be rooted in the community, celebratable and synergizable assets - something that would bring together various aspects of the community. . . . It was very intentionally an ad hoc and playful taunt aimed at encouraging the community to come out and play."
Russell and North Vancouver designer Arata Hatanaka developed a rough concept called The Dock, a green hill made of shipping containers. The concept was also featured in an Aug. 7 issue of the North Shore News. Visitors to the café, said Russell, started adding their suggestions and ideas, including an Asia-Pacific exchange centre and a traditional Squamish canoe tour centre.
"It was a flood of conversations and suggestions," he said. "It was a really vibrant time."
Now Russell wants to ramp up the café's consultation with a Lower Lonsdale photo exhibition, a series of "design jams" with residents and professionals. His tentative budget for the series is $27,780.
"Ultimately, we'd like you to join us. Obviously as a city you have people dedicated to thinking about this site," Russell told council in October. "It would be great if you guys would participate."
As well as having councillors and planning staff join in, Tyler asked if the city would help fund the program with anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000.
"That would have a serious impact on how we'd be able to execute this."
"I have one comment," said Coun. Craig Keating. "Cool."
Keating asked Russell how he thought his informal process could mesh with the city's.
"I don't think we go to the public and say our staff are jammin' about how to design this thing," Keating said.
"I think the city can use this as a platform for constantly engaging with the public. It's four and a half months of (using) real estate inside the neighbourhood, where this conversation is relevant," Russell replied.
"This has to be the most lively, imaginative, energized delegation that we've had in the time I've been on council," said Coun. Pam Bookham, who sounded a note of caution about "squelching" Russell's energy by getting the city involved too soon.
"The city process can be a ball and chain for something that seems like a flight of imagination," she said.
Russell said 90 per cent of his interactions with planning staff had been positive.
Coun. Rod Clark pointed out that the city still had millions of dollars in grant money for the maritime centre, and although city government is barred from subsidizing busi-nesses, said he was comfortable with providing $15,000 in "matching funds.
"It think it's a wonderful idea," he said.
Council voted unanimously to order a staff report on ways to support Russell's project.
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS
District of North Vancouver
Regular council meeting, Monday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. www.dnv.org
- RCMP - integrated teams presentation: Chief Superintendent Janice Armstrong.
- 1160 Ridgewood Dr. - heritage revitalization agreement and heritage designation.
- North Shore Recycling Program 2010 annual report.
City of North Vancouver
Next regular council meeting, Monday, Nov. 28, 6 p.m. www.cnv.org
District of West Vancouver
Next regular council meeting, Monday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m. www.westvancouver.ca
