The DRA has sent three letters to Mayor and Council over the past 2 months. These letters are listed below. Click on the links to these letters at the bottom of this page to download and read the full letter.
Letter re 930 Pandora - this property is to be developed by BC Housing for supportive housing on the upper floors. The City proposed that the DRA and the North Park Neighbourhood Association (NPNA) jointly operate the main floor as a community centre. After consultations and review, the DRA and NPNA determined that the location was not suitable for a community centre and did not meet the needs of Downtown-Harris Green or North Park residents. The DRA strongly supports the need for a community centre and strongly urges Council to approve the proposed increase in funding to the DRA in the 2022 budget to enable us to build capacity, strengthen our organization and reach out more effectively to Downtown-Harris Green residents.
Letter re Direct Award Base Grant Funding - the DRA is writing with respect to Council’s 2022 budget deliberations about the funding of neighbourhood associations and to reiterate our 2020 request for greater equity in that funding. The DRA strongly encourages Council to approve enhanced 2022 Base Grant funding of $78,020, to build DRA capacity and increase our programing by:
increasing our part-time co-ordinator to four days a week
obtaining administrative support for the Land Use and other Committees
renting reasonable meeting and programming space in the downtown for a stronger visible presence in our neighbourhood and to secure storage of supplies and assets
Letter re the proposed re-alignment of the boundary between the Downtown and the Burnside-Gorge Neighbourhoods. the DRA has re-assessed the proposed re-alignment, principally based on the current and foreseeable future uses of the lands. The DRA is of the opinion that the northern boundary of the Downtown Neighbourhood should be re-aligned to include those lands that are now referred to as the Arts and Innovation District, which has been identified as ripe for re- development for multi-unit residential and commercial uses, much like the uses and density in the immediately adjacent Downtown Neighbourhood.
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