3-way stop coming to Goring and Holdom

According to the following City of Burnaby report, a 3-way stop has been approved for the currently uncontrolled intersection at Goring St and Holdom Ave.  Of further interest is the fact that the report has mentioned the future Dawson Street extension from Beta Ave to Douglas Rd within the next 5 years.

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PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HIS WORSHIP, THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS SUBJECT: INTERSECTION OPERATIONS – GORING STREET AT HOLDOM AVENUE RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT Council authorize the installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue, as detailed in this report. REPORT The Public Safety Committee, at its meeting held on 2017 July 11, received and adopted the attached report proposing upgrade of the traffic control at the intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue.

RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT the Committee recommend to Council the installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Goring St at Holdom Ave as detailed in this report. REPORT BACKGROUND The City of Burnaby has received several requests to improve traffic operations and pedestrian safety at the 'T' -intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue. The intersection is currently unsignalized wilh stop control for traffic arriving on Goring St while traffic on Holdom Ave has through priority. Motorists on the stop-controlled west leg experience extended delays at this intersection in the peak hours under the current configurations. Safety concerns have also been expressed by pedestrians due to the lack of crosswalks and suitable waiting areas. A traffic engineering review was completed based on the standard warrant analysis procedure from the Transportation Association of Canada (T AC) and the findings are summarized herein.

SITE LOCATION Figure I shows the location of the subject unsignalized 'T' -intersection of Goring St/Holdom Ave. The signalized intersection of Lougheed Hwy/Holdom Ave and the Holdom SkyTrain Station are located 160 metres to the north of this intersection. The surrounding area consists of high density residential developments, industrial land uses and mixed commercial and retail developments.

 EXISTING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND FUTURE CHANGES Traffic counts have been conducted for the purpose of this review. The analysis takes into account current operating conditions. The Holdom Station Area Plan envisions significant residential development activity in the next few years leading to a traffic volume increase. In addition, the easterly extension of Dawson St from Beta Ave to Douglas Rd anticipated in the next five years will impact Goring SI. This intersection will eventually require a higher form of traffic control such as a roundabout or a traffic signal due to developments and network expansions.

WARRANT ANALYSIS The City follows the Transportation Association of Canada (T AC) intersection traffic control warrant analysis procedure. This takes into account traffic and pedestrian volumes, roadway geometrics, crash history and nearby traffic control and network connecti vity. This procedure ensures consistency, addresses the safety of pedestrians and meets driver expectations. Applying the recent traffic count data and existing conditions, a warrant analysis was undertaken to assess the adequacy of the existing one-way stop control and determine any necessary upgrades. Based on the analysis, all-way stop control is recommended for this intersection. In conjunction with this traffic control upgrade, crosswalks and a corner right turn channelization island are also recommended. The southbound and eastbound approaches will be designed to include two separate lanes clearly delineated with adequate queue storage. Figure 2 shows the recommended changes.

CONCLUSIONS The existing traffic control at the Goring StiHoldom Ave intersection is inadequate under the existing peak hour traffic volumes. Staff has now completed a traffic engineering review and allway stop control is warranted under current conditions. This upgrade will improve the level of service and reduce delays experienced by motorists. The proposed design will also enhance the safety of pedestrians at the intersection. The recommended upgrades are estimated to cost approximately $60,000 and funding is available within the 2017 Capital Budget for Minor Traffic Management Projects (EMF.0063). Funding contributions from ICBC's Road Improvement Program will also be sought to help offset some of the City's cost for this proposed road safety improvement.

Rev's Bowling a sure bet for redevelopment

By the sounds of the article below, the site at Rev's Bowling will inevitably be redeveloped into residential towers.  Sadly, we will witness the closure of the last bowling facility in Burnaby, unless it remains in the new development or relocates somewhere in the city.  It's been a great place to have kids' birthday parties or to just go and spend an hour or two.

The development would front both Lougheed Hwy and Goring Street west of Holdom Station.


Burnaby NewsLeader article below

Holdom property tied up in legal battle

• by  Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
• posted Oct 21, 2014 at 12:00 PM

At 4.5 acres, the property where Revs Bowling Centre sits beside Holdom SkyTrain station would appear to be ripe for redevelopment.

But don't count on new highrises going up anytime soon. For almost two years it's been caught in a legal tug-of-war between the owner and a prospective buyer.

The owner claims the fact the land could be rezoned for higher density redevelopment than he realized was kept from him and that other wrongdoings took place, so he refused to go through with the sales contract. The buyer denies the allegations.

In December 2012, YouYi Group Holdings (Canada) Ltd., led by Xiao Dong (Allen) Liu, filed a lawsuit against Brentwood Lanes Canada Ltd., which owns the Burnaby bowling centre property, as well as others in Maple Ridge and Ontario.

Youyi's statement of claim outlined the transaction in which offshoots of its company agreed to buy the property at 5502 Lougheed Hwy. for $28.8 million in a contract signed in October 2011. It was to pay deposits totaling $450,000 and the sale was to complete on Dec. 19, 2012.

It also had a contract to purchase the 4.2-acre Maple Ridge bowling property for $3.2 million in a similar deal.

Since then, YouYi says, it has retained an architectural firm to prepare a concept for a three-tower, highrise development and commissioned a geotechnical and structural engineering report to ensure the plan is feasible. It says it also met with planners and other staff at Burnaby city hall to identify city rezoning requirements and began negotiations with a "highly reputable development company" to partner in a joint venture for the property's development.

YouYi says it has made "significant progress in the rezoning process" and its efforts have increased the value of the property.

The first YouYi heard that Brentwood Lanes would not close the deal was through a letter from their lawyer on Dec. 4, 2012. "The purported reason for their decision … was alleged wrongdoing on behalf of YouYi, including the taking of secret commissions and fraud," said the statement of claim. The allegations are "wholly unfounded and a bad faith attempt by the defendants to avoid their obligations under the contracts."

It wants the courts to force Brentwood Lanes to go through with the sale.

But in its response, Brentwood Lanes says the deal was off because of the buyer's "inability to complete the purchase" and "fraudulent conduct."

Brentwood Lanes owner Jeong Lee was approached by insurance agent Neil Wong in April 2011 with a proposal that he and his associates—realtor Kevin Hien, and businessmen Gary Chow and Stanley Chow—would find overseas buyers in China for the Burnaby, Maple Ridge and Ontario properties.

In July 2011, Wong and Hien told Lee they had found buyers interested in the Burnaby and Maple Ridge properties but not the Ontario ones.

At least as early as July 11 of that year, unknown to Lee, the others involved knew that the Burnaby land could be rezoned to RM5s, with potential higher density than the RM5 he was aware was possible, said the response.

Lee relied on Hien's advice, and the realtor said he would act solely for Lee, the document states. The offer was received from YouYi's Liu, "who Hien represented to Lee to be an experienced real estate developer with wealthy business partners in China." Hien also advised Lee that $32 million for both the Burnaby and Maple Ridge properties was above fair market value.

Shortly after accepting the offer, Lee agreed to sign fake contracts stating the Burnaby property alone was sold for $38.8 million and not the actual $28.8 million. Hien advised Lee that Liu wanted to use them to show investors in China his success in negotiating a reduced price.

Instead, Liu used it to try to flip the property for more money to other developers or buyers, said Lee's response. Around September 2012, Liu showed the false contract to a developer and offered to sell his interest in the land for $40 million.

Lee's response also alleges he was convinced to sign commission-splitting and referral-fee agreements to Hien and the others, even though the others were ineligible due to their not being licenced realtors in B.C.

He alleges Hien convinced him to sign documents that, unbeknownst to Lee, were to misrepresent the rental income of the property to help YouYi get financing for the purchase. Lee also agreed to help finance YouYi's purchase.

But he did not agree to participate in a case of mortgage fraud, in which he was asked to confirm that YouYi had paid him $8 million more as a deposit than it had, to help it secure financing.

Lee makes other allegations including claims of a secret bribe and that Hien acted in collusion with Liu. None of the allegations has yet been proven in court.

Through the fact the buyers did not have the financial ability to complete the purchase, and by asking Lee to participate in the mortgage fraud, "the plaintiffs have repudiated the contracts."

Lee first began to doubt Hien's advice he was getting well above fair market value in December 2011, when another realtor brought him an offer to buy the Lougheed property for $28 million.

Lee sought an appraisal of the land in January 2012, which informed him of the RM5s zoning eligibility and pegged its value at $38 million.

When he brought it up with Hien, the realtor said Liu had no plans to take advantage of the RM5s zoning and would only rezone it to RM5, even drafting documents with YouYi agreeing to that.

"At all material times, Hien was aware that Liu had no intention to comply with the rezoning covenant and that Liu had explored with the City of Burnaby the rezoning of the Brentwood property to RM5s," the response states.

Brentwood Lanes has filed a counterclaim against YouYi, its offshoots, Liu, Hien and others seeking to have the sales contract cancelled, in addition to damages and costs.

The case continues to wend its way through the courts.

YouYi had a certificate of pending litigation (CPL) registered on the land title. A lower court cancelled it at Brentwood Lanes' request. Just last week, the B.C. Court of Appeal slapped it back on until a final decision can be made following a trial.

According to the most recent court judgement by BC Appeal Court Justice Mary Newbury, Lee has retained a new real estate agent who says the CPL is preventing him from finding a new buyer for the Burnaby property.

Meanwhile, the bowling continues at Revs.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow

Background for current and future Brentwood developments

The following 2003 report by Avison Young provides a background to the current construction boom in and around Brentwood and mentions the factors that may affect the rate of development.

(view through above link or by zooming into this page)

Holdom Station

Located on the eastern edge of Brentwood Town Centre at Holdom Ave and Lougheed Hwy, Holdom Station was the site of the first major residential development spurred by the completion of the Millennium SkyTrain line in North Burnaby.

The development at Holdom Station includes community service amenities in the office building situated directly behind the station, a convenience store, Starbucks coffee shop, Yoga Spirit, and more businesses to come. Immediately west of the station is REVS Bowling, one of the 2 remaining bowling lanes in Burnaby.

The corner at Goring Street and Holdom Ave (below) is destined to become the eastern end of the Dawson "village street" pedestrian-oriented corridor that will extend to Gilmore and Dawson and connect with Dawson via Douglas Rd. This will create a walkable route between Holdom and Gilmore without requiring pedestrians to venture along the noisier Lougheed Hwy to the north.

The area immediately south and east of Goring and Holdom is currently a light industrial zone that will eventually face pressure from mixed-use projects as the Brentwood Town Centre continues to fill in and build out between Holdom and Gilmore.

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.

Perspectives changing at Douglas and Lougheed

The 29-story Perspectives high-rise development being built by Ledingham Mcallister at Douglas Rd and Lougheed Hwy has begun the transformation of the area between Beta Ave and the Holdom SkyTrain Station from an industrial to a mixed-use residential and retail, pedestrian oriented neighbourhood. Situated south of Lougheed Hwy across the street from the recently built Brentwood Gate complex (Delta and Lougheed), the Perspectives development will include 8 townhomes on Dawson Ave which will be extended eastward and be connected with Douglas Rd. With Perspectives nearing completion and the site of the Affinity high-rise development by Bosa just having been excavated nearby, the area around Douglas Road will look much different a few years from now.

The Affinity development will consist of a 24-story and 29-story tower and 10 townhomes. According to Bosa's website, the phase 1 tower is more than 90 percent sold. Another project that is to be built by Qualex-Landmark and titled The Luxe is currently on hold. The Luxe project will consist of 2 highrise towers along with townhomes and will be built next to the Perspectives site between Douglas Rd and the Dawson Ave extension.

Along with the extension of Dawson Ave from Yukon Court to link up with Douglas Rd, traffic changes will include the closing off of Douglas Rd to and from Lougheed Hwy. Future plans include the building of a pedestrian overpass from Delta Ave to Douglas Rd to provide safe north-south access for residents on either side of Lougheed Hwy. More mixed-use development will lead to the availability of more local retail and community amenities to serve long-time and new residents.