|
CITY OF VANCOUVER Administrative Report |
Report Date: |
February 10, 2005 | |
Author: |
Bruce Maitland | |
Phone No.: |
604.873.7420 | |
RTS No.: |
4868 | |
CC File No.: |
5307 | |
Meeting Date: |
March 15, 2005 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
Director of Real Estate Services in consultation with the Directors of Current Planning, Financial Planning & Treasury, Legal Services, the General Manager of Olympic Operations and the Manager of the Vancouver Rapid Transit Office |
SUBJECT: |
Rezoning of City-owned property at 595 West 6th Avenue (2nd Avenue Station) |
RECOMMENDATION
A.THAT Council approve $100,000 for the issuance of an Request for Proposal for the hiring of a consultant; the consultant will develop, in consultation with the local community, a multi-family and commercial development proposal for the City-owned property located at 595 West 6th Avenue, the northwest corner of Cambie and 6th Avenue; source of funds to be the Property Endowment Fund (PEF).
B. THAT Council direct the Director of Real Estate Services to subsequently make application for rezoning of the subject site.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager APPROVES the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
The False Creek Official Development Plan (1974) identifies the eastern end of the False Creek area as being primarily residential, with complementary uses, including some commercial. The provision of "mass transit" is encouraged to reduce reliance on the private automobile.
The subject site is zoned FCCDD, which is a shell zoning that requires rezoning (CD-1) for any uses greater than its present use as a parking lot.
Council approval is required prior to the Director of Real Estate Service initiating rezoning and tendering for sale a major development parcel.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek Council approval to hire a consultant to develop a development proposal for 595 West 6th Avenue, in consultation with City staff and the adjacent community. Subsequent to that, the Director of Real Estate Services would make application for a rezoning of the site, for Council consideration at Public Hearing.
BACKGROUND
The City owns the site located at 595 West 6th Avenue (Appendix A) that is presently used as a parking lot for Police vehicles, Heather Marina and the public. A portion of the lot will be used by the RAV Project for the staging of materials, launching of the tunnel boring equipment and extraction of mined material.
In April, 2003, Council re-iterated its support for the RAV line, and requested that a potential 2nd Avenue Station be included in the Request for Proposals. A station here would contribute to the sustainability vision of Southeast False Creek and provide excellent access to housing, employment, tourist destinations and connections to the Downtown Streetcar and proposed 2nd Avenue cross-town bus service. TransLink will be making a decision on the inclusion of a 2nd Avenue Station within the scope of the RAV Project in February, 2005.
DISCUSSION
This report calls for a $100,000 consultant study to develop a multi-family development proposal for the City-owned land at 595 West 6th Avenue, which is approximately 23,000 square metres or 5.6 acres, and presently zoned FCCDD. This is a shell zoning that requires a rezoning (CD-1) for any uses greater than its present use as a parking lot. Developing a multi-family development proposal for the subject site will allow Council to explore an excellent opportunity for transit oriented development. This would contribute to the housing directions of the False Creek Official Development Plan by building a liveable community that has alternatives to the private automobile. It also complements the sustainability vision of the neighbouring Southeast False Creek development, which is providing a range of housing types and encouraging transportation choice.
The development proposal would incorporate provision for a RAV station, as well as addressing the future extension of the Downtown Streetcar through the area and a future cross-town express bus service along 2nd Avenue, linking VCC Station with UBC.
The proposal would deal with the relocation of current parking on the site. Police vehicle parking currently on the site could be relocated under the Cambie Bridge for as long as the Police continue to occupy 2120 Cambie. Heather Marina parking could be moved to the western portion of the parking area, with the bus loop being reconfigured or relocated as well, if it remains.
A key part of the consultant study will be to review the surrounding context and meet with local residents to ensure the proposal complements the existing form of development, density and circulation in the South False Creek neighbourhood.
Once the proposal has been developed, the Director of Real Estate Services would make application for the rezoning of the property. The rezoning application would receive the normal review and evaluation by the Planning department, and be forwarded for Council consideration and decision at a Public Hearing.
CONCLUSION
Given the decision to undertake RAV, and the desirability of a station at 2nd and Cambie, it is now timely to determine the best form of development for the city-owned site at 595 Cambie which for many years has seen only parking, as an interim use. The recommendations in this report will ensure creation of a multifamily development proposal that furthers City policies for the False Creek area, includes provision for the RAV station and other transit linkages, and addresses the opinions of the nearby residents and workers.
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