My critique would be that the moderator should have moderated the questioning from the public much better. One public speaker actually was able to speak twice ☹
As I expected none of the speakers wavered far away from the governments narrow position of the site must make at least enough money to balance the books. And sadly most of the public speakers had no questions or answers to the government's very narrow position of "break even"
Sadly the buildings are rapidly deteriorating while all this rhetoric is going on, and if a decision is made to preserve many of the buildings, they will cost a small fortune to re purpose and restore. No mention of other government departments has been forthcoming in wanting to use the site; actually I have no idea if the bureaucrats involved have been shopping the site around to the various departments. Preferably health care in its many facets should be continued on the site since the buildings were designed and built with those goals in mind., 111 years the site has been used for health care, hopefully another 111 is in its future.
Riverview panel gets an earful "Some amount of development is going to have to happen"
My answer to "Some amount of development is going to have to happen" is NO, actually if the existing buildings are restored they should generate more than enough income to "break even"; just have to find some long term stable rental, leasing arrangements with various health care groups.
Not impressed with the analogy of using East Lawn's rough restoration price of 30 million, and then trying to put that cost into building condos, apartments, etc to pay for it. What about just putting 30 million into a East Lawn conversion? No mention of that; typical frontier mentality, knock everything down and start again. Proper building restoration is becoming a lost art in British Columbia; need to get the technical schools involved on the site, and teach the new generations how to restore buildings properly.
Tired of hearing that these building do not meet today's seismic standards, many of these building have witnessed some good shakes through the years, and no damage was ever reported. Cannot say that about newer buildings, since they have not been tested yet.
I will hope that there is more information and opportunity to provide input to be placed upon the RenewingRiverview site soon.
The meeting is available on video: Riverview Open House #4 - Panel Discussion 2:48:34
Also view video clips from the prior Open Houses
Saturday, June 13, 2015
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Save the Riverview Hospital lands
The Riverview Hospital lands, are under pressure to be developed into market housing. Help to save the lands as a healing sanctuary for the mentally ill of OUR Province.
Please join the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society,( RHCS ) Facebook page. Twitter too!
Please sign the On-line petition or download a Word document petition ,which is a more official type of petition.
Blogs, about the hospital grounds
Mike Farnworth,MLA; Facebook forum " Protect the Riverview Lands"
And another Facebook group: Riverview Preservation Society
this group also has a petition to sign.
Click-able Map of the Riverview site
BISCO -- Brookside-Leeside-Roadside -- Centre Lawn -- Colony FarmCrease Clinic -- East Lawn -- Essondale Hospital
Finnie's Garden -- Henry Esson Young -- Hillside unit
Home for the Aged-Valleyview -- North Lawn
Nurses homes -- Pennington Hall -- TreeFest -- West Lawn
John Davidson; "Botany John" blog. He was the first Provincial Botanist, who created British Columbia's first Botanical Garden at Riverview.
Other groups involved Riverview Horticultural Centre Society
Who also have a media NEWS Blog
You can also download a 42 page report titled, For the future of Riverview created by the Riverview Task Force.
Or Burke Mountain Naturalists, report: The Riverview Hospital Site, Respecting its Past,Realizing its Future
Coquitlam has designated the buildings and grounds, as a heritage site.
Download the Statement of Significance; SoS report PDF
Tour through the grounds
Treefest 2011 slideshow
A slideshow of images from the Tree festival of 2011. Created in HD. Enjoy.
1 comment:
HI. Missing from the panel, was an outspoken and knowledgeable consumer, a tree person and an aboriginal, stupid was to have a planner who ruined vancouver speak on Density on the site and dumb was the Doctor? from UBC Sauder school who did some stupid math for us which makes no sense when govt should step in and pay for this (we pay for wars??).....the mental health guys should have had a power point showing statistics and rates of homelessness and suicide......anyway I spoke and basically said river view was not for sale unless we have to and only HAVE to pay for it, give MAX 25 % to development(not developers) but i was not clear these should mainly be supportive businesses who pay rent, and rental housing, not housing which money goes away(ie. build and sell houses on property for 1 million each). I am a consumer and had a lot more to say but unfortunately was the only one cut short. (was this stigma?). I have undergone life saving open heart surgery at age 29 and it was a cakewalk compared to living with mental illness. Who can possibly survive on under 1000/month in vancouver an surrounding areas???......I am starting a campaign and protest that "Riverview is not for sale" , anyone interested in participating or help get it going before it is too late pls connect with me, info@jemmajacksen.com. I was proud i was about the only consumer who spoke for those either not there (did not know) or too sick to show.....we needed more presence as these lands belong to the mental health consumers and no one else, trees are also important which developers have stigma against too. Christy Clark get your head outta the sand and doing yoga and support us in keeping this site for health care ONLY, COQ needs some sort of facility! Please. Graciously, (jemma)
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