Concord Brentwood site prep begins

The last few weeks has seen the most northern section being cleared and prepared for Phase 1 of the Concord Brentwood development.  Phase 1 will see multiple towers rising along the south side of Lougheed Hwy between Beta Ave and Douglas Rd.

Lumina Brentwood ads appearing

The Lumina Brentwood project at the south foot of Beta Ave is beginning to rev up its promotions. As the site is now seeing the demolition of existing buildings for excavation.   The site will also have its sales centre located there.

 The development will be situated across Beta Ave from the upcoming Concord Brentwood project and will eventually see a pedestrian overpass connecting Beta Ave over the railway tracks to Still Creek Ave and Costco to the south.

Buzz Buzz Home Advertisement below

Lumina Brentwood in Burnaby will seamlessly merge urban living with the great outdoors

SPONSORED Jan 13, 2017

Brentwood is one of Burnaby’s most desirable neighbourhoods, and developer THIND Properties Ltd. has plans to make it even more exciting. This spring it will be introducing Lumina Brentwood, a four-tower residential community that will provide a close connection to both nature and the city.

With prices starting in the $380,000s, Lumina Brentwood will offer the best value in the Brentwood area by far. A wide selection of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes will be available, and with nine-foot ceilings and expansive windows, all will feel incredibly spacious. Other modern touches will include air conditioning and a full-size stainless steel Bosch appliance set. In short, all the ingredients for comfortable contemporary living will be on hand.

Of course, part of Lumina Brentwood’s appeal will be its convenient location in the Brentwood neighbourhood. Located on Beta Street just south of Lougheed Highway, the residential community will be within walking distance of a huge number of urban amenities, from shopping at Brentwood Mall and Whole Foods to dining at restaurants like Cactus Club. And, as mentioned, plenty of outdoor activities will be easily accessible — you’ll be able to cycle along the Central Valley bike path, ski at Grouse and Seymour mountains or canoe at Buntzen Lake.

If you ever do need to venture further afield, that won’t be a problem. Lumina Brentwood will be incredibly close to the SkyTrain, meaning that Vancouver, Surrey and Coquitlam won’t be far.

THIND Properties Ltd. will be opening a presentation centre for Lumina Brentwood this spring, and it will come complete with three fully furnished showhomes. To be among the first to receive updates and new information, be sure to click here to register.

For more information visit the website here.

Scariest spot to stand; Beta and Lougheed

As the photos and following video show, the most dangerous spot for pedestrians is the island on the northwest corner of Beta Ave and Lougheed Hwy.  Pedestrians wishing to cross from or to there are essentially offered no protection from unsafely driven vehicles.  I myself alone have witnessed several  near collisions of vehicles into the island and nothing prevents vehicles from going right through the island and killing anyone unfortunate enough to be standing there.

The photos below show broken parts of a vehicle that probably collided into the light or sign post there.

The only real solution to this hazard is the placement of short, evenly-spaced steel posts along the perimeter of the island with enough space for wheelchair access. The barriers may not prevent flying car parts from injuring pedestrians but would certainly prevent pedestrians from being run over by a car.

If you don't believe me, watch the video below of what happened during the heavy snow and icy conditions.

Two-tower Development at Douglas and Goring

While the Concord Brentwood development gathers steam at Delta and Douglas, a proposed 2-tower and townhouse development at Goring and Douglas is coming up for a public hearing on June 28 following its first reading at a Burnaby City Council meeting on June 13.  It is being proposed by Chris Dikeakos Architects.

The development will be located north of the Douglas Rd and Goring St intersection, east of Springer Ave and west of Holdom Ave.

Zoning Reference #15-40 City of Burnaby

According to this map, Douglas Rd will eventually end with a cul-de-sac when heading west on Douglas Rd between Springer Ave and Lougheed Hwy while Dawson Street will connect through to Beta Ave when Concord Brentwood is built

A place to train: InFighting

Located in the building at the southwest corner of Lougheed Hwy and Beta Ave, InFighting arrived in the Brentwood area sometime in the Spring of 2015.  At least that is when I noticed the sign on Beta Ave.

When I told an acquaintance of mine that is thoroughly knowledgable of the martial arts scene about it, he told me that the founder of InFighting, Ritchie Yip, is a highly reputable and credible martial arts instructor.

infighting.ca

Entry to the facility is off Beta Ave and downstairs.  They also have kids classes.

2425 Beta slated for 3 towers

According to February 22 Burnaby City Council Meeting minutes (REZONING REFERENCE #15-31),  the site at 2425 Beta Ave across the street from Concord Pacific's Woodlands development will see a 3 tower and townhouse development. Density bonus funding from this development will go towards the new Brentwood Community Centre and the linear park along Willindgon Avenue between Brentlawn Drive and Hastings Street.  In addition, the developer will be required to contribute to the construction of a pedestrian/cyclist overpass connecting the south foot of Beta over the railway tracks to Still Sreek Drive.

This development will also see the eastward extension of Alaska Street to Beta Avenue allowing future residents of developments on Alpha Avenue easier access to the future Woodlands Park. Alaska Street will run along the south side of this development.  The development will see 802 apartment units and and 61 townhouse units fronting Beta Avenue and Alaska Street.

The site is situated north of the railway tracks and south of Dawson Avenue on the west side of Beta Avenue.

City of Burnaby link

Dragonwood Development goes to public hearing

The Dragonwood Development, or Woodlands Development as it is referred to more recently, will be going to a public hearng at the City of Burnaby Council Chambers on July 21 at 7:00 pm.

The poster boards that will be on display at the City of Burnaby during the public hearing can be seen at the City of Burnaby website.

The following article is from the Burnaby Now.

Burnaby's Woodlands development going to public hearing

The Woodlands development, put forward by Concord Pacific, would see the industrial area which lies south of Lougheed Highway, east of Beta Avenue, west of Delta Avenue and extends south toward the rail line, replaced with residential and public space, including a park and a potential school site.

“This is a big project and one that’s been a long time coming to fruition,” Mayor Derek Corrigan said at Monday night’s council meeting.

A city staff report detailing the conceptual master plan was presented to council at the meeting.

“It is a comprehensive document that shows a major development in the eastern section of our Brentwood development plan, and these are former warehouse lands that are going to be going to residential development,” Corrigan said. “So I’m looking forward to seeing how the public responds to it.”

The plan is divided into six areas: the Lougheed parkway at the north end of the site; the hillside area which would include up to four high-rises ranging from 35 to 55 storeys; the flatlands area which would include mid-rise buildings four to 15 storeys high and two high-rise buildings ranging from 30 to 40 storeys; the parkside area northwest of the proposed park, which would include up to four high-rise buildings, ranging from 25 to 45 storeys; as well as the park and riparian areas.

The park itself would be 13.32 acres. Some suggestions for the park area include field space, water features, a children's play area, terraced seating, and there is space that could be set aside for a new elementary school for the area. The riparian area would be an extension of the park surrounding Stickleback Creek, and could include low impact trails and pathways, as well as streamside protection to improve fish passage and wildlife habitat.

James KM Cheng Architecture was hired by Concord Pacific to develop the plan.

The site includes four privately owned properties at 4756 and 4828 Lougheed Hwy and 2311 and 2316 Delta Ave.; and six city-owned properties at 4874 Lougheed Hwy; and 4818, 4828, 4829, 2235 and 2285 Dawson St.

The conceptual master plan and Phase Ia of the plan are going to public hearing in two weeks.

The hearing takes place in council chambers at city hall on Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. For those who cannot attend, written submissions must be received at the city clerk’s office by 4:45 p.m. on the day of the public hearing. Burnaby council does not accept submissions regarding rezoning applications after public hearings.

- See more at: http://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-s-woodlands-development-going-to-public-hearing-1.1995877#.dpuf

Sight-lines are ever-changing

As I strolled through Willingdon Heights Park the other day, I noticed the Aviara tower rising beyond the community centre.  With that tower reaching full height and nearby projects along the Douglas / Gilmore / Halifax triangle nearing their approvals, I couldn't help but imagine how long it will be before one is no longer able to get a clear, straight view to Metrotown from anywhere north of Lougheed Hwy when walking in Willingdon Heights or Brentwood Park as the Lougheed corridor between Gilmore Ave and Holdom Ave sees more towers springing up.

Speaking of the Willingdon Community Centre, the facility definitely needs an upgrade and expansion to accommodate the thousands of new locals expected to call the area home over the next few years.

This needs to be done in addition to building a new community centre further east off of Beta Avenue and Dawson Street.  In order to create complete neighbourhoods, recreational spaces must be evenly distributed throughout the city to make them more accessible to walking and cycling.

Crosswalk coming to Beta Ave and Brentwood Drive

The City of Burnaby will install a pedestrian crosswalk at the sight of the recent fatal collision between a motor vehicle and a cyclist.  It will be a welcome relief for both pedestrians and drivers alike.

Burnaby NewsLeader article below:

Brentwood intersection to get safety improvements

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted Jun 10, 2014 at 1:00 PM

A section of Beta Avenue next to Brentwood mall will soon see safety improvements after a cyclist was struck and killed by a vehicle there last month.

The 62-year-old Burnaby man was killed May 6 at the intersection of Beta and Brentwood Drive. While plans were already in the works to make changes at the intersection in conjunction with the redevelopment of Brentwood mall, the incident "helped make it a higher priority," said Doug Louie, Burnaby's assistant director of engineering for transportation services.

A special pedestrian crosswalk will be installed at the north edge of the Beta Avenue driveway into the mall parking lot, Louie said. It will include curb bulges to narrow the street, pedestrian-activated amber lights, possibly on the sides of the road, and a reduction in the speed limit from the current 50 km/h.

Existing overhead flashing amber lights that warn motorists to slow down for the traffic signal down the steep hill at Lougheed Highway will likely be moved to the south edge of the mall driveway, he said.

The problems at that location are complex, with a combination of pedestrians, motorists, a steep hill, a driveway and a housing development, Brentwood Gate, across the street, all within 50 metres of Lougheed.

"It's not a great place to put a marked crosswalk," he said. "But if we're going to put a marked crosswalk you have to make it special because of the unusual circumstances."

The cost of the work will be shared between Burnaby city hall and mall owner Shape Properties. It's expected to be complete by the end of the summer.

twitter.com/WandaChow

Beta Crossing dangerous long before fatal accident occurred

The unfortunate fatal car accident that occurred last month on Beta Ave involving a cyclist didn't happen out of the blue.  The scene of crossing pedestrians and cyclists at Brentwood Drive and Beta Ave is one of sheer chaos throughout the day as people race across the uncontrolled section of Beta Ave immediately north of Lougheed Hwy.

Cyclist killed in crash with car

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted May 7, 2014 at 2:00 PM— updated May 8, 2014 at 4:26 PM

A 62-year-old Burnaby man was killed when he was struck by a car while cycling in the Brentwood area Tuesday afternoon.

The incident happened at about 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Brentwood Drive and Beta Avenue.

The cyclist is believed to have been leaving the Brentwood Town Centre mall parking lot and was eastbound headed toward Brentwood Drive, said Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Major John Buis. It's possible his view was obstructed by the hill and a lineup of idling traffic. The driver of the car was northbound up the hill on Beta and believed to be heading into the mall site.

The cyclist was not believed to be wearing a helmet and it's possible he failed to stop at a stop sign, Buis said Wednesday. He died at the scene.

The driver is not from the area, remained at the scene and was cooperating with police, he said.

Longtime area resident Terry MacDonald said the road closure from the incident diverted traffic from Beta onto Delta Avenue for hours. He was not surprised to hear about the accident.

"I'm not surprised at all. It's a chaotic area that we've tried to address with the city."

The intersection at Beta on the north side of Lougheed opened in 2002 when the SkyTrain line came in, said MacDonald. It's a move that was supported by the Brentwood Ratepayers Association to help traffic get from the mall to Lougheed more easily.

But Beta was never blocked off to restrict access from the residential streets up the hill to the north, which turned it into a rat-running route for commuters trying to avoid the intersection at Lougheed and Willingdon Avenue, he said. And then in 2008 or so, the condo development was built on the east side of Beta, which only added to the traffic congestion.

"Where this incident took place is where you have ratrunning traffic heading down the hill from Brentlawn Drive, you've got ratrunning traffic coming up the hill from south of Lougheed Highway on Beta, you've got traffic going in and out of Brentwood Town Centre, and you've got traffic going in and out of Brentwood Drive, the high-density apartments," he said.

"It's a very congested intersection. Coupled with vehicles now using it as a ratrunning route, you've got a combination of a great deal of pedestrian traffic, cycle traffic, and automobiles all fighting for space."

Burnaby's assistant director engineering  Doug Louie said the mall driveway on Beta closest to Lougheed is being monitored due to the large number of pedestrians crossing between the mall and Brentwood Gate, the housing development to the east.

"It's an awkward area because of the steepness of the road and it's close to a signalized intersection which makes it challenging."

But there are plans, as part of the mall site's redevelopment, to make the area more pedestrian-friendly, with crosswalks and road narrowing, Louie said.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow

Beta Community Centre?

We have already heard about a future park and elementary school at the foot of Beta Ave where Concord Pacific is seeking rezoning for a massive residential development.  For the first time, there is talk of the possibility of a new community centre also being built there to meet the needs of a growing population in the immediate vicinity.  There will undoubtedly be a need (if not already) for another community facility to improve recreational access to the residents of North Burnaby as Confederation Park and the Eileen Daily Pool and Community Centre are being well-used by the community.  The longer it takes to expand such amenities, the more costly it becomes in the future.

The Burnaby Now article below touches on this possibility and other important issues related to the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment.

The article also contains a rendering of the high-rise planned for the corner of Willingdon Ave and Halifax St on the site of the recently-closed Brentwood Bus Loop.

Burnaby Now article 

Article and accompanying photo are from the Burnaby Now

Brentwood mall skyscraper stirs debate

Stefania Seccia / Burnaby Now

February 27, 2014 02:05 PM

Terry MacDonald and his wife Gloria have been living in the Brentwood area for more than 45 years – they’ve seen the area’s metamorphosis. But nothing has concerned them more than the potential problems that could arise with Brentwood mall’s redevelopment.

MacDonald attended the Feb. 25 public hearing on the first of two major towers proposed for Brentwood mall. He told city council about the already existing problems of rat-runners, parking, and the traffic issues where he lives on Brentlawn Drive and how he suspects they’ll only get worse if council doesn’t do anything about it.

“With all due respect to councillors, I think various city committees have difficulty in effectively dealing with some of these issues,” he said. “I just don’t think they have all the tools they need to do the work. I think we need to work directly with city staff, not traffic and safety committees or a working group.”

Although many of the speakers at the public hearing favoured the massive redevelopment happening at Brentwood Town Centre, issues brought up by MacDonald and others regarded public safety and amenities.

Shape Properties, the owner of Brentwood mall, attended its fourth public hearing in the last year, this time for the proposed 53-storey tower atop a three-storey commercial podium at the corner of Halifax Street and Willingdon Avenue.

Burnaby resident Helen Ward, who has been active in raising her issues with the proposed changes at Brentwood mall, including the removal of its bus loop, also spoke at the hearing.

“I’m concerned about the infrastructure, government schools, parks, the legion, faith-based groups – there’s zero allotment for that,” Ward told the NOW. “I live in North Burnaby and what makes the community stronger is community things … that makes a community livable and provides really good bang for your buck.”

Ward said the 1996 Brentwood community plan called for human-scale development with a village concept, which she says has been ignored.

“Even in the Yaletown area, and False Creek, you walk along there and there’s art galleries, theatres, churches and synagogues and all this kind of stuff,” she said. “There’s nothing like that in Brentwood mall and all it’s got going for it is it’s easy to go out to the SkyTrain. That’s not much of a community.”

She also said the city has not done enough to collect public input and effectively use it.

“I didn’t feel heard,” Ward said about her past experiences in speaking to council.

However, Lou Pelletier, director of planning and building, said there had been at least four public hearings regarding different aspects of the massive Brentwood mall redevelopment over the last year. There were several other open houses and opportunities to address the Brentwood plan since 1996.

“All plans start from a policy perspective,” he said.

Pelletier noted that Brentwood was identified as an area for a high-density, commercial residential development. He said the overall concept was developed in 1996, but they can’t envision exactly what happens in the future, and that’s why each project goes back for public input through rezonings and public hearings.

The majority of speakers were in favour to the tower’s development at the hearing, as well. Many said it will update the area, address housing concerns and some likened it to a future Yaletown.

Burnaby resident Darlene Gering, former CEO and president of the Burnaby Board of Trade, said the city has to do something with its portion of the 40,000 newcomers coming to the province every year.

“We have to make accommodations for the growing population,” she said. “I know we need a variety of different housing stock, and I believe rental stock is very much needed and that is a part of this particular development.”

Gering noted that it’s been a long time since any purpose-built rental units were built in the city, as well.

“We’re very much in need of new affordable or different options for family housing,” she said. “Single-detached housing many of the people own is simply out of reach for young families.”

But when the area’s population spikes, where will they go for entertainment, a picnic or a swim?

Addressing the lack of parks, community centres and other public amenities in the immediate Brentwood area to deal with the expected incoming of 30,000 people over the next 20 years, Mayor Derek Corrigan said it’s first on council’s mind.

“I’ve got to admit, we’re behind on the Willingdon Park project and developing that one, but we’re feeling it’s a little out of the way for people in that community,” he said, about building a new community centre. “We’re struggling with whether Willingdon Park is the place, and whether or not we should look at another alternative.”

Corrigan said he wants to see a bike and pedestrian path, instead, up Willingdon Avenue where the city has been acquiring land.

“We may decide … to instead build a bike and pedestrian path … to connect the Heights with Brentwood people, then utilize Confederation Park and the pool at Confederation Park,” he said. “We think it would make a really attractive walkway because you could build mini-parks along the way.”

Corrigan also said the site the city is saving for a school, on High Street along Dawson, could be where the new community centre goes.

“The province won’t buy anything until the kids are actually there, but we’ve saved a site saying we want to put a school in the location,” he said. “Maybe that’s a place we can put a new community centre too.”

As for MacDonald, he’s not looking forward to dealing with the consequences of a bigger population and not knowing how long the city’s transportation review will take, or how it will deal with the issues.

“The traffic system on residential streets, the streets in the single-family neighbourhoods, need to be isolated from the traffic system servicing high-density developments,” he said. “Rat running through our Graveley Street and Brentlawn Drive neighbourhoods has reached annoyingly alarming levels. This is an issue that many North Burnaby neighbourhoods have been dealing with unsuccessfully for the most part.”

© Burnaby Now

More on new Brentwood area school

The following Burnaby NewsLeader article provides some background on the Dragonwood lands off Beta Ave and the future elementary school to be built south  of Lougheed Hwy.

New Brentwood school site on horizon

By Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: July 23, 2013 3:00 PM 
Updated: July 23, 2013 3:25 PM

A new Brentwood-area elementary school and neighbourhood park south of Lougheed Highway are a step closer to reality now that the new owners of Dragonwood Industrial Park have applied for a rezoning of the 26-acre (10.5 hectare) site.

Concord Pacific Holdings Ltd. are proposing to develop a multi-phased, highrise, multi-family development with ground-oriented townhouses and low-rise apartments as well as commercial space to serve the immediate community, according to a Burnaby city staff report.

The property is comprised of 4756 and 4828 Lougheed Highway, 4818, 4828 and 4829 Dawson St., 2235, 2285 and 2311 Delta Ave. and 2316 Beta Ave. and includes several smaller properties currently owned by the city that would be sold to the developer and added to the site.

The property has long been designated in the Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan for multi-family redevelopment and 7.68 acres has been sought for the school and park.

In fact, as reported in the NewsLeader, the owners of Dragonwood claimed in a 2009 lawsuit against the City of Burnaby that city inspectors began strictly enforcing long-unenforced bylaws against its tenants and turning down their business licence applications after it turned down city hall's offer to purchase the park and school site two years earlier.

Jonathan Baker, who served as Dragonwood's lawyer for a time on the case, told the  NewsLeader in 2009 he believed residents of a condo development overseeing the site were pressuring the city to get the industrial park off the property.

"It looks as though there was an expectation from [the highrise] tenants they would be overlooking a park and they didn't expect it would be an industrial park," Baker said.

Now it appears an actual neighbourhood park may soon be on the horizon.

The preliminary concept for the site would see the park designed for "both active and passive recreation, children's play and environmental enhancement" with an "improved naturalized riparian corridor for Stickleback Creek," the report said.

The elementary school has been on the Burnaby school district's five-year capital plans in recent years and is needed to serve residents of the growing community of highrises in Brentwood and take pressure off Brentwood Park elementary which is already beyond capacity, district secretary-treasurer Greg Frank told the NewsLeader in May. The district would like the new school to have space initially for 240 students.

Along with completing area streets with sidewalks, boulevards, street lighting, and other usual servicing requirements, the developer will be required to build a new pedestrian and cycling overpass at Beta to connect to the Central Valley Greenway south of the BNSF Rail line as well as an urban trail connection through the site, between Lougheed and Beta, the report said.

As for Dragonwood's ongoing battle with city hall, it won the first round of its court fight, with a 2009 B.C. Supreme Court judgment ordering Burnaby to consider the business licence applications of its tenants "on their merits."

Then earlier this year, the property was sold.

It was perhaps not surprising, considering the value of the land.

According to B.C. Assessment, in 2013 the property at 2316 Beta Ave. was valued at $31.08 million, 4828 Lougheed Hwy. was assessed at $23.22 million, 4756 Lougheed at $5.24 million and 2311 Delta Ave. at $875,000.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow

Site of Brentwood Motors part of massive development

The current site of Brentwood Motors and Enterprise Rent-a-Car at 4756 and 4828 Lougheed Hwy will be the subject of a rezoning application (RZ #13-20) to be discussed tomorrow at the Burnaby City Council meeting.  The subject site will include a proposal for the purchase of surrounding City-owned property that extends eastward to Delta Ave and southward to Dawson Ave.  The developer has yet to be identified.

The development will include a combination of high, mid and low-rise apartment buildings along with a commercial component to serve the needs of immediate area residents.  If the proposal gains approval, the stretch of the south side of Lougheed Hwy between Beta and Delta Avenues will look markedly different once completed over multiple phases.  The area to the south along Dawson Avenue will likely see Dawson Avenue  extend straight through between Beta Ave and Douglas Rd.

New elementary school and park space

This development will also lay the groundwork for a future elementary school south of Dawson Ave to meet the needs of a growing residential population south of Lougheed Hwy.  I expect that the school will be built on the site of the large red warehouses known as the Dragonwood Lands near the foot of Beta south of Dawson Ave.  The site of these warehouses is part of the land mentioned in the project writeup for this rezoning reference.

Pedestrian/Cyclist overpass on Beta

One of the requirements of the City of Burnaby is that a pedestrian and cyclist overpass be built over the railroad tracks to connect to Still Creek Ave.  Such an overpass will definitely benefit locals that need to take a quick walk to the Costco rather than having to drive around along Dawson to Willingdon  to get there.  A quick connection to the Central Valley Greenway will also be nice.

Changing Views

Affinity and Perspectives have taken their places at Douglas and Lougheed.  In the not too distant future, the following sightline will disappear by the time phase 2 of the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment is concluded.

The northwest corner of Lougheed and Beta will see a high-rise tower making up part of a village district on the eastern edge of the Brentwood Mall site.

Traffic Counters on Brentlawn Drive

The City of Burnaby had traffic counters set up on Brentlawn Drive and Beta Ave from Tuesday March 27 until some time today.  I wonder how accurate the statistics will be considering that this was done during the first week after Spring Break (when considerable numbers of people are still out of town on trips with their children) and was done for less than 6 days.  For at least 2 of those days, the counter on Beta leading towards Brentlawn Drive was a tangled mess as it had become loose.

An accident waiting to happen

The disorganized chaos at Beta Ave and Brentlawn Drive has been allowed to continue for years with no initiative being taken to improve safety at the intersection.  The following are factors that contribute to this intersection being an accident waiting to happen.

1) Abnormally aligned intersection. Because Brentlawn Drive changes direction (bends) at Beta, the visibility for drivers trying to cross Brentlawn is very limited as cars coming along Brentlawn are extremely difficult to see until the last moment only after pulling past the stop sign into the middle of the intersection to cross or make a turn.  Likewise, the visibility of cars pulling out from Beta Ave is limited for drivers coming along Brentlawn due to the bend in the street.

2) Brentlawn Dr is a local collector street.  The fact that many drivers use this street to cut through the neighbourhood at unhindered speeds makes this intersection dangerous to cross.  Vehicles approach this intersection at fast speeds and are not required to yield as no stop signs are in place for drivers on Brentlawn Dr.

3) Setback for stop signs on Beta are too great.  When drivers are stopped as per stop sign regulations, they are unable to see if it is clear to cross Brentlawn.  Although a setback is normally good, it is dangerous in this intersection because of the odd shape of this crossing.

4) Speed limit has never been enforced here.  I have never seen a car being pulled over for speeding even though drivers speed through here all day and night (cars are speeding by as I type this).

A major solution to ease the chaos here would be to install a 4-way stop with clearly marked pedestrian crossings between each corner.  The requirement of cars on Brentlawn to stop at Beta will prevent some of the situations seen in the video below.  This video shows some of the incidents that occurred within a 7-hour period during the day and does not show any of the pedestrian difficulties captured on camera.  The kind of stuff in this video happens all day, everyday at Brentlawn and Beta.

Drivability and walkability after the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment

Several of my posts have focussed on the need for improving walkability and cyclability in our neighbourhoods and my tone may appear to be anti-driving to those that would never consider walking anywhere other than to their car.  My seemingly anti-driving tone is only a product of the fact that our neighbourhoods and cities have been designed with the automobile as the centrepiece of moving people and goods over long distances with nearly no thought for other forms of movement.  Believe it or not, I am not a cycling fanatic (I have a bike but haven't ridden it for over a year) and I do own a car (in fact between my wife and I, we have 2 cars).   I have had the luxury of being able to use public transit to get to work and to walk for at least half of my shopping needs as I live near Brentwood Mall.  The convenience of having 2 cars for the busy moments of my life is still something I have been willing to spend (or waste) my money on.  My personal goal is to reduce my need for having 2 cars and eventually to having no cars as this area begins to add enough amenities to allow me to do everything within walking and cycling distance.  I digress...

Having had a chance to view the map showing the potential locations of the new car lanes, entry/exit points into the BW Mall property as well as the underground parking entries/exits in the BW Mall Redevelopment, some pedestrian and driving issues will be resolved but other potentially problematic issues may arise.  Let's start with the positives.

Positives

• The creation of a walkable outdoor strip (within the current BW Mall parking lot) lined with shops away from the noisy Lougheed Hwy will create a more calm environment for everyone to leisurely stroll around among the outdoor amenities of the new mall.  The "Fashion" and "Village" sections of the new street will be buffered from the noise of Lougheed Hwy by the placement of commercial fronts and high-rise towers along its outer length.   I know that I'm not the only one that ends up feeling a sense of urgency when I walk along a busy, noisy, high-speed street despite not having to get anywhere in a rush.  The noise of high-speed traffic is a source of unnecessary stress for pedestrians.

• In a previous post, a reader made a comment about the current chaos that occurs at the eastern exit from BW Mall, north of Beta and Lougheed and across from the Brentwood Gate complex at Beta Ave.  The nearly non-stop crossing of pedestrians at that uncontrolled intersection (instead of at Lougheed and Beta where traffic signals are in place) is a potentially dangerous situation for both pedestrians and drivers as it has become a frustrating bottleneck for drivers.  There you go... I just cited an issue that negatively affects drivers.  I speak of that location from the experience of having both walked and driven there (I don't intend to test my cycling prowess on those slopes of Beta though... anyone?). The closing of that exit and its relocation onto Lougheed Hwy will divert pedestrians coming out of Brentwood Drive down to Lougheed Hwy to cross Beta Ave.

Though calm during early mornings, this spot is a scene of constant chaos during the day as pedestrians and drivers navigate this uncontrolled intersection at Beta Ave and Brentwood Drive.

• The relocation of parking stalls underground will make the site less treacherous to the eyes of pedestrians trying to get to Brentwood Station.  I currently have to navigate through the parking lot to get to the station and am always looking over my shoulder during dark, early mornings as I have to walk in and out of car lanes.

Potential Negatives

• The envisioned plan for underground parking entry/exit points has them placed well within the mall site and would require vehicles to cross above-ground at intersections with the "Fashion" and "Village" streets where pedestrians would be crossing.  The Station Square entrance to the underground parking off Kingsborough and McKay has been a frustrating place for drivers since the day it was built.  It is always a constant bottleneck for drivers as they wait for pedestrians to intermittently cross the intersection.  The random, unstructured pace of pedestrian movement has never been compatible with the 4-way stop located at Station Square.  This situation leads to unnecessary idling as drivers are nervously lined up waiting to cross as the crowds unexpectedly appear, disappear and reappear.  A dark, rainy day or night makes it even worse.   It's no bed of roses for pedestrians either.  Solution:  Perhaps the entry into the underground parking could be placed at the outer edge at Lougheed Hwy and at Willingdon Ave from where vehicles could go directly underground via ramps.  An "emergency/service vehicles only" lane onto the "High Street could be created to meet safety and servicing needs.  The space that is opened up along the "Village" and "Fashion" streets from the removal of the intersections could be used for further enhancements or for more commercial space.

• The arrival of nearly 3000 new residents at the BW Mall and the increase in visits from surrounding areas of Metro Vancouver will end up creating more traffic woes for the residents of the single-family homes in the Brentwood Park neighbourhood.  Rat running is already becoming a problem as many drivers are becoming increasingly aggressive and rude as they cut though the neighbourhood, particularly along Brentlawn Drive between Willingdon and Delta Aves.  The BW Mall Redevelopment will only exacerbate the problem.  Solution:  Residents of the area must voice their concerns about traffic in their neighbourhood before the problem becomes worse.  Local residents must speak at the public hearings and the financial burden should fall on the developer and or City to fund traffic calming in BW Park and not on the residents as the Burnaby Local Area Services Program (LASP) currently requires.  The City might allow the developer to increase density in exchange for funding traffic calming in BW Park.  This will never happen unless enough local residents speak up at the public hearings.

Almost hit by a car

As I walked up Beta Ave after coming out of the Brentwood Mall parking lot above Sears, a driver that had stopped at the stop sign coming out of the parking lot to Beta Ave nearly accelerated into me after briefly stopping (right after he overshot the stop line).  I guess he didn't notice my extremely large red and white umbrella that I was carrying this rainy evening.  Maybe his headlights were too close to me (he had already overshot the stop line) to illuminate my huge umbrella.  Maybe he was too focused on the car heading north on Beta to notice that I was crossing right in front of him.  Regardless of the reason, he didn't see or notice me until after he made me think that my life (along with this blog) was going to end in an intersection on a cold rainy night in Burnaby (okay I didn't think of it that elaborately at that moment but that is what would have happened).  Luckily he saw me at the last second just as he had seen the stop sign at the last second just moments earlier.  Had he hit me and I survived, the best case scenario would have been that I would have been seriously injured and I would be left blogging all day every day while I recover.

This near accident highlights the need for well-lit pedestrian crossings as well as well-painted markings on the road to guide drivers.  There are many other things that it highlights but those other things are those that only remedial driving courses could resolve.  Is it just me that notices that the markings and signs on our roads are pretty much invisible during dark rainy evenings (which happens to be a majority of the year in Metro Vancouver)?  I am not only saying this as a pedestrian, but as a driver.  If you are driving at night in the rain, you cannot see the lines on the road that separate lanes and intersections.  It's quite unbelievable that our planning departments for cities in Metro Vancouver have never noticed that this is an extremely dangerous situation.  If there is a planner that says that they have indeed noticed this situation, why haven't you done anything?  Is there nobody in Metro Vancouver, who gets paid quite well to create safe roads, that has noticed this glaring (or lack of glare in this case) problem on our roads?  There must be a better paint somewhere that doesn't disappear on a rainy night.  The last time I drove (as is the case every time I drive) I noticed that visibility is pretty important when it comes to traffic and pedestrian safety.  I would say that it is the most important factor in pedestrian and road safety,  Visibility.  Visibility.  Visibility.   If any planners are reading this (I doubt it) they can earn their good pay with this free advice.  No exorbitant consulting fee required.

• brighter paint that doesn't disappear in the rain.
• lighting that makes signs, crosswalks, and lines on the road visible to everyone during our typical winter evenings and not lighting that only allows us to see...lights on top of tall poles.

To city planners everywhere, you're welcome.

Brentwood Intersections: Dawson and Beta

The intersection at Dawson Ave and Beta Ave is relatively new as it came into existence along with the recent building of residences that line the street. Dawson Ave will be extended eastward and connected to Douglas Rd. The extended portion of Dawson will eventually be lined with townhomes and condominiums, creating a residential corridor between the Holdom and Brentwood stations. The new corridor along Dawson Ave, Douglas Rd, and Goring St will allow for easier east-west pedestrian access than currently exists. Just south of this corridor lies the Central Valley Greenway.