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CITY OF VANCOUVER POLICY REPORT
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Date: |
March 2, 2005 | |
Author: |
Ben McAfee | |
Phone No.: |
604.873.7699 | |
RTS No.: |
04953 | |
CC File No.: |
8104/5305 | |
Meeting Date: |
March 15, 2005 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
Director of Current Planning |
SUBJECT: |
Text Amendment - Downtown Official Development Plan (101 West Hastings - Woodward's) |
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT the Director of Current Planning be instructed to make application to amend the Downtown Official Development Plan for 101 West Hastings Street (Lot E, Block 4, Old Granville Townsite, Plan LMP 40092) to create a new sub-area in Map 1, generally in accordance with Appendix A, and that the application be referred to a Public Hearing;
FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary by-law, generally in accordance with Appendix A, for consideration at the Public Hearing;
B. THAT, subject to approval of the by-law to amend the Downtown ODP at Public Hearing, consequential amendments to the Victory Square Policy and other Policies and Guidelines generally as outlined in Appendix B be adopted.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A and B.
COUNCIL POLICY
· Downtown Official Development Plan ( DODP), adopted by City Council in November, 1975 and last amended in November, 2003;
· View Protection Guidelines, adopted in December, 1989 and last amended in December, 1990;
· Victory Square Policy, adopted March 27, 1990; and
· Woodward's Urban Design Guidelines, adopted on March 23, 2004.
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
The City initiated Woodward's project is a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable project critical to the revitalization of Hastings Street and the nearby communities of Gastown, Chinatown and Victory Square. It will provide non-market and market housing, retail, service and office development in addition to community services and public amenities. Heritage retention and rehabilitation is a key component of the project.
The current proposal for the Woodward's project cannot be approved under the current zoning primarily due to density limitations. Staff assessed whether to proceed through:
- a heritage revitalization agreement;
- a site specific rezoning to Comprehensive Development (CD-1) with a Council approved form of development; or
- an amendment to the Downtown Official Development Plan (DODP).
To provide the greatest flexibility to amend the proposal as the final design evolves through further public consultation and the development application process, staff recommend the option involving amendments to the Downtown Official Development Plan. To achieve this, the amendments generally outlined in Appendix A should be referred to a Public Hearing and be approved. Consequential amendments to other Policy and Guideline documents will be required at time of enactment as outlined in Appendix B.
DISCUSSION
Site and Surrounding Zoning: (See map diagram on the following page.) The Woodward's site is located at 101 West Hastings Street and comprises one-half of the city block bounded by West Hastings Street, Abbott Street and West Cordova Street. The site size is 7 449.5 m² (80,188 sq. ft.). It is occupied by the former Woodward's Department Store complex constructed in twelve phases between 1903 and 1957. The existing building is 8 storeys high and has a full basement and partial sub-basement totalling approximately 62 243 m² (670,000 sq. ft.) in floor area. The existing building is a municipally designated heritage building and is listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register.
The surrounding area is characterized by structures of varying widths and heights built to the property line. Retail and service uses predominate at grade with office or Single Room Accommodation uses on the upper floors. There are several vacant storefronts and buildings in the area.
Zoning Context: The subject site is situated in sub-area "C" of the Downtown Official Development Plan, which permits medium density (FSR 5.00) retail, commercial and office development. Sub-area "C" also permits a residential component up to a maximum of 3.00 FSR. Retail continuity is required on the major retail streets such as Hastings through the encouragement of smaller scale individual store fronts with pedestrian weather protection. Retention of heritage buildings is encouraged. The height limit is 45.7 m (150 ft.), although in this area, the Development Permit Board may relax the height limit to 137.1 m (450 ft.).
Figure 1: Site and Surrounding Zoning
Specifically for the Victory Square area, a policy adopted in 1990 encourages retention of existing buildings and sympathetically scaled new construction. The policy recommends in most circumstances that the density should not exceed 3.00 FSR, and the height should not exceed 21.3 m (70 ft.). This policy is currently under review as a part of the Victory Square Plan and the Downtown Eastside Housing Plan.
Across Cordova Street to the north is the HA-2 District (Gastown) which encourages retention and rehabilitation of the existing buildings or compatibly scaled new construction. The HA-2 District Schedule does not have a maximum height or FSR provision.
Project Description: The proposal as currently envisioned includes a 102.1 m (335 ft.) flatiron building and other mixed-use redevelopment behind the retained heritage facades or reconfigured facades along Hastings, Abbott and Cordova Streets. The residential component would include 200 non-market units, 265 market units and 115 live-work loft units. In addition to a 2 787 m² (30,000 sq. ft.) grocery store component, there would be additional retail, service and office development including a 16 722 m² (180,000 sq. ft.) institutional (SFU) component. Other community group meeting spaces and service facilities would also be incorporated. There would also be a major 2 043 m² (22,000 sq. ft.) public open space on the third floor podium. In addition to other heritage aspects, the existing iconic `W' symbol and its tower would be refurbished and prominently relocated. Some underground parking will be provided on site, with the remainder of the parking in the parkade across Cordova Street. All of these numbers are subject to change as the proposal is refined.
Proposed Amendments to the Downtown ODP:
Density: The main change required to the Downtown ODP is to permit an increase in density (both total and residential limit) beyond the current sub-area "C" limit of FSR 5.00 (residential 3.00). In all other aspects of the Downtown ODP, the proposed new sub-area "C1" would be identical to the existing sub-area "C".
Therefore it is proposed that sub-area "C1" have maximum FSR of 8.2 and, similar to some other sub-areas in the D ODP, not be limited to 3.00 FSR residential.
Height: No change required. As noted earlier, the existing height in sub-area "C" is 45.7 m (150 ft). However, as in other sub-areas of the DD, the Development Permit Board may, in its discretion, permit buildings which exceed the height limit up to 137.1 m (450 ft), provided it considers overshadowing, view obstruction and other environmental criteria. The new sub-area "C1" would qualify for such consideration.
However it should be noted that the site is subject to two view cones set out in the View Protection Guidelines: the Queen Elizabeth Park view cone (3.2.3) and the Cambie Street at 10th/11th Avenue view cone (9.1). The latter is the most restrictive, placing a height limit of 114.75 m (376.5 ft.) at the highest point or elevation on the site (south-west corner). It is unlikely a building higher than this maximum would be considered.
The Woodward's Urban Design Guidelines articulate an ambient height for the development of 30-33 m (100-108 ft.) with construction of a tower up to 82 m (270 ft.). It also notes that "an unusually high building may be the subject of a special design review, similar to the City's tall building review panel". These guidelines remain relevant.
Uses: No change required. The Woodward's project currently proposes live-work as a use. Staff will be reporting shortly to Council on the implications of live-work as a use throughout the D ODP, and the implications for the new sub-area "C1" will be reported at that time.
Proposed Amendments to the Victory Square Policy:
On March 27, 1990 Council approved the following recommendation to encourage retention of existing buildings and to ensure that new construction is sympathetically scaled in the Victory Square Area:
"THAT Council establish a policy that the scale of development in the Victory Square area (bounded roughly by Richards, Hastings, Carrall, Pender, Beatty, lane south of Pender) should not exceed a 3.0 FSR and a height of 70 feet in most circumstances."
The Woodward's block is clearly an anomaly in form and mass and to the prevailing heights elsewhere in Victory Square and it is located peripherally to the centre of this district. The City has very special aspirations for the site to accommodate an array of public objectives, beyond what is expected on any other Victory Square site.
Accordingly, it is proposed to amend the map in this policy statement to remove the Woodward's site from the Victory Square area.
COMMUNITY AMENITY CONTRIBUTION
As set out in Financing Growth Policy, a community amenity contribution (CAC) to the City is anticipated for any rezoning in the DD. For this rezoning, where the maximum FSR is would be increased from 5.0 to 8.2, the proposed development on the site is expected to include the following public benefits:
· child day care facility - contribution of land and foregone developer profit will reduce the total cost of the 367 m² (3,950 sq. ft.) daycare by $440,000;
· non-market housing - contribution of a parcel valued at $5,950,000 to accommodate 200 units in floor area of 15 978.8 m² (172,000 sq. ft.);
· City parcel - contribution of $886,000 towards improvements in 3 293 m² (35,450 sq. ft.) City space;
· public open space - construction of 2 044 m² (22,000 sq. ft.) open space on third floor podium, costing a minimum of $2,700,000, but depending on ultimate ownership and responsibility for maintenance and liability; and
· public art - contribution of $250,000.
In addition to the foregoing, although not having direct monetary benefit to the City, the developer will donate floor area of 13 935 m² (150,000 sq. ft.) to accommodate Simon Fraser University's School of Contemporary Arts, a gift which SFU has deemed to have a value of approximately $6,000,000. This anchor will set the tone for the entire development, it will be the catalyst to attract other commercial enterprises to the DTES, and it will create a "multiplier effect" with the thousands of students and faculty spending money in the community.
In summary, Real Estate Services staff advise that the contributions in kind by the developer exceeds the City's CAC expectation for this type of heritage and neighbourhood revitalization project.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
It is proposed to undertake standard notification of public hearing. This will include a notification letter which will be mailed to property owners within a two-block radius of the site and to neighbourhood community groups, and a legal advertisement which will be posted in newspapers.
CONCLUSION
In order to permit the Woodward's project to proceed in a timely manner, staff recommend the proposed amendments to the Downtown Official Development Plan be referred to a Public Hearing and be approved. Consequential amendments to other Policy and Guideline documents will also be required to reflect the proposed ODP amendments.
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APPENDIX A
DRAFT DOWNTOWN OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
BY-LAW AMENDMENTS
Note: A draft By-law will be prepared generally in accordance with the provisions listed below, which are subject to change and refinement prior to posting.
Introduction: The general intent of the proposed changes is to create a new sub-area for the subject site referenced as sub-area "C1". This sub-area would be identical to the surrounding sub-area "C" but would permit a higher FSR (both total and residential).
Section 1 Land Use
Add a new sub-area "C1" for the site at 101 West Hastings Street (see Figure 1 of this report) to the list of sub-areas in sub-section 2 and add sub-area "C1" to Map 1- Areas.
Section 3 Density
In sub-section 1 add:
"C1" in the area denoted by the letter "C1", the total density for all permitted uses shall be floor space ratio 8.20
In sub-section 4 add sub-area "C1" to the sub-areas not limited to FSR 3.00 residential.
Section 4 Height of Buildings
In the second paragraph add sub-area "C1" to the sub-areas where the height can be relaxed above the limits shown on Map 3.
APPENDIX B
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO POLICY and GUIDELINE DOCUMENTS
[Note: All changes or additions are shown in bold italic.]
VICTORY SQUARE POLICY
Adopted by City Council March 27, 1990
Amend the map to remove the Woodward's site.
DOWNTOWN DISTRICT INTERIM POLICIES FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL IN AREAS C AND F; AND FOR CONVERSION OF EXISTING OFFICE SPACE TO RESIDENTIAL USE
Adopted by City Council on May 20, 2004
Amended July 30, 2004
Amend map to remove Woodward's site from Area C
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