POLICY REPORT
URBAN STRUCTURE

Date: February 1, 2000
Author/Local: J.Barrett/7449

LU&D Nr. 2000003

RTS No. 01260
CC File No. 5307

Council: February 15, 2000

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	The Director of Current Planning
SUBJECT:	CD-1 Text Amendments - 1030 Pacific Boulevard By-law # 7248 for 800-1100 Pacific Boulevard and By-law # 7156 for 1200 - 1300 Pacific Boulevard South.

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT the application by Pacific Place Developments to amend CD-1 By-law # 7248 to permit a shift of 373 m² (4,015 sq. ft.) of residential density to the Quayside neighbourhood from the Roundhouse neighbourhood be referred to a Public Hearing, together with:

(i) draft amendments to CD-1 By-laws generally as contained in Appendix A; and

(ii) draft consequential amendments to the FCN ODP initiated by the Director of Current Planning as contained in Appendix B.

AND FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary by-laws for consideration at Public Hearing.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

Relevant Council policy includes:

… False Creek Policy Statement, approved in August 1988.
… False Creek North Official Development Plan (FCN ODP), including the street pattern, approved in April 1990.
… Interim policy on Soil Contamination, approved in January 1990 and amended in March 1991.
… Public Art Program, approved in October 1990.
… False Creek North shoreline and pedestrian/bicycle concept plans, approved in October 1991.
… CD-1 (324) By-law # 7156 - Quayside Neighbourhood, enacted November 30, 1993.
… Quayside neighbourhood CD-1 Guidelines, adopted by council December 15, 1987, amended November 30, 1999.
… CD-1 (297) by-law # 7248 - Roundhouse Neighbourhood, enacted July 29, 1993.
… Roundhouse neighbourhood CD-1 Guidelines, adopted by council July 29, 1987.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report evaluates an application by Pacific Place Developments Corporation for CD-1 text amendments to the Roundhouse Neighbourhood, Area 2, and Quayside Neighbourhood, Area 4 (see Figure 1 below). This would permit 373 m² (4,015 sq. ft.) of undeveloped residential floor area to be shifted from the Roundhouse to the Quayside. The residential floor area would be added to an approved development permit application for 1030 Pacific Boulevard in the Quayside Neighbourhood. Staff support the text amendments.

Figure 1: Roundhouse and Quayside neighbourhoods

DISCUSSION

Roundhouse Neighbourhood
Development permits have been issued for all sites in the Roundhouse Neighbourhood. There is 1,557 m² (16,760 sq.ft.) of undeveloped residential density remaining on site 2G, Marinaside Crescent, west of Davie Street. At the time of the development permit for Site 2G, the applicant had great difficulty in achieving full density and a compatible form of development with its neighbours. Probably the only way of achieving full density would have been to add several floors to the height. This would have been resisted by the neighbours because of significant view blockage.

Quayside Neighbourhood
Development permits have been issued for all four sites in the Quayside Neighbourhood. Following a review by the public and Urban Design Panel, the last development permit for 1030 Pacific Boulevard was approved by the Development Permit Board on July 26, 1999. It was later determined that there was an under calculation of 373 m² (4,015 sq.ft.) of residential use. To allow development permit issuance, each of the floors in one tower werereduced by a matter of inches below that allowed for in the floor plate guidelines. The applicant now wishes to add the density back into the floors.

The overall residential density for 1030 Pacific Boulevard is 38,761 m² (417,234 sq.ft.). The additional area requested is 373 m² (4,015 sq.ft.) or approximately 0.5%.The proposal meets the FCN ODP policy permitting floor area increases of up to 10 percent within each residential area provided that the total floor area is not increased.

The Development Permit Board approved the development application, which already reflected the additional density requested, as there were no discernable impacts on livability or compatibility with adjacent developments. Also the density already exists in an adjacent neighbourhood and meets the provision for relocating such density in the ODP. On this basis staff support the text amendments.

Staff recommend and propose to initiate a consequential amendment to the FCN ODP. The FCN ODP provides for a maximum number of dwelling units and maximum floor area permitted within each area. This may be increased by up to 10 percent, provided that the total number of units and floor area in the FCN ODP are not increased, and subject to satisfactory resolution of livability and compatibility with adjacent development. One purpose of this provision is to allow for development flexibility that assists in achieving the full density in the FCN ODP which meets the public objective of optimizing residential density in the downtown.

Public Process

On the basis that the requested changes to the FSR are minor, staff did not hold a public meeting. However, should Council refer the application to a public hearing, the neighbouring property owners will be informed of the time and place, giving them the opportunity to address Council.

CONCLUSION

Staff support the proposed text amendments which would allow the shift of 373 m² (4,015 sq.ft.) of residential density from the Roundhouse Neighbourhood to the Quayside Neighbourhood. The recommended changes would require a minor consequential amendment to the False Creek North ODP and would be compatible with the urban design intent of the Quayside neighbourhood CD-1 Guidelines. Staff recommend that the application be referred to a Public Hearing, with a recommendation that it be approved.

*****

AMENDMENTS TO CD-1 BY-LAWS
(recommended deletions in strikeout and additions in italic)

A1 Proposed Text Amendment to Roundhouse CD-1 By-law

Revision to existing CD-1 (297) 1200-1300 Pacific Boulevard, By-law No. 7156 would include the following:

Table 1

Use	Maximum Floor Area
Residential Uses	114 620 mū 114 247 m2
Retail, Service and Office Uses	1 858 mū

Table 2 - Maximum Floor Area (in square metres)

Use	Sub-Area (from Diagram 1)
	1	2	3	4	5
Residential Uses	13 615	38 835	26 294	19 064 18 691	16 812
Retail, Service and Office Uses	604	1 254	n/a	n/a	n/a

A2 Proposed Text Amendment to Quayside CD-1 By-law

Revision to existing CD-1 (324) 800-1100 Pacific Boulevard, By-law No. 7248 would include the following:

Table 1

Table 2

Maximum Floor Area (in square metres)

PROPOSED FCN ODP CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS: Initiated by D of CP

B1 By-law No. 6650 would be amended generally as follows:

Figure 4, Residential Units:

- for Area 2 the following is deleted: 114 620 m² (1,233,800 sq.ft.)

and replaced with: 114 247 m² (1,229,785 sq.ft.)

- for Area 4 the following is deleted: 136 908 m² (1,473,714 sq.ft.)

and replaced by: 137 281 m² (1,477,729 sq.ft.)

In addition to the above changes, it is proposed to replace Figure 4 with a table (see following Appendix, B2) and location key that gives more precise information regarding the ongoing status of the residential units in the FCN ODP. The primary advantage with the table is the number of residential units are expressed as whole numbers, in addition to the percentages and floor areas, which will facilitate planning and accounting.

The new Figure 4 does not take into account the by-law changes recommended in this report. If the subject text amendment is approved, consequential amendments will be made to Figure 4.

B2 Proposed Figure 4A

ON FILE IN CITY CLERK’S OFFICE

Applicant, Property and Proposal Information

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver