It was standing room only at a special council meeting at Vancouver City Hall Monday night as more than 70 speakers lined up to comment on the capital spending plan for the next three years.

'If you don't support community centres in Vancouver, communities die.'—Britannia Community Centre president Ray Gallagher

The nearly $500 million plan includes money for a new library in Strathcona, upgrading the Stanley Park Seawall and expanding the bicycle network.

But many at the meeting wanted to know why the Britannia Community Centre's request for a $18-million dollar upgrade was excluded from the plan.

While some supporters sang, and others waved bright yellow signs championing an expansion of the beloved but run-down centre in East Vancouver, the centre's president Ray Gallagher asked the city councillors to reconsider their decision.

"You set the criteria and we meet all your criteria and [you're] still leaving us out. We don't understand and we hope you'll reconsider and put us on the ballot," said Gallagher.

"The way I see it, if city doesn't support medical and hospital services, people die. And if you don't support community centres in Vancouver, communities die," said Gallagher.

But the Britannia centre wasn't the only one excluded from Vancouver's capital spending plan.

Supporters of the Trout Lake Community Centre, also in East Vancouver, had requested millions for the replacement of the aging facility.

Vancouver Parks Board chair Korina Houghton said turning down the Trout Lake request was a short-sighted decision.

"Not funding Trout Lake in this plan would break the momentum of community centre renewal. And it would also have us facing higher construction costs in future years, plus the maintenance costs of keeping Trout Lake going would be higher and higher," said Houghton.

The three-year capital plan for 2009-11 will lay out how the city plans to spend $495 million on infrastructure, including sewer and water systems, streets, bridges, pedestrian and bicycle routes, traffic control systems, parks, recreation, public safety and library buildings, and a range of social and cultural facilities.

The council will finalize the proposed capital plan later this month, before Vancouver residents get to vote in a referendum during the November civic election on specific proposals to borrow funds for some of the major projects.