Agenda Index City of Vancouver

POLICY REPORT
URBAN STRUCTURE

TO: Vancouver City Council

RECOMMENDATION

(i) plans received May 10, 1999;

(iii) the recommendation of the Director of Current Planning to approve.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

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

… False Creek North Official Development Plan (FCN ODP) , approved April 10, 1990.
… Roundhouse Neighbourhood CD-1 Guidelines, adopted July 29, 1993.
… Quayside Neighbourhood CD-1 Guidelines, adopted December 15, 1987. Amended November 30, 1999.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report evaluates an application by Concord Pacific Group Inc. for CD-1 text amendments for the Roundhouse Area 2 (1200 - 1300 Pacific Blvd. South) and Quayside Area 4 (800 - 1100 Pacific Boulevard), to permit 57 m2 (614 sq. ft.) of office floor area to be added in an existing building in the Roundhouse Neighbourhood at 1268 Pacific Boulevard. The density would be transferred from undeveloped office density in the Quayside Neighbourhood. The additional floor area would be within an existing building with no changes to the building exterior.

Specifically, this report proposes:

… amendments to the Roundhouse Neighbourhood to allow for an increase of 57 m2 (614 sq. ft.) of office floor area; and

… amendments to the Quayside Neighbourhood to reduce the permitted office floor area by 57 m2 (614 sq. ft.).

Staff support the text amendments.

DISCUSSION

Existing Zoning

The Roundhouse Neighbourhood CD-1 currently permits 1858 m2 of total retail, service and office uses, with 604 m2 of retail, service and office uses permitted in sub-area 1 where the subject site is located (see Figure 1).

Proposed Amendments

The applicant proposes to increase the permitted office floor area by transferring 57 m2 of office space to the Roundhouse Neighbourhood sub-area 1 from the density permitted in the Quayside Neighbourhood site 4A-G (see Figure 2). This transfer of 57 m2 would add 1.5% of office floor space to the neighbourhood in a mezzanine configuration with no alteration to the building exterior.

Assessment

There are four reasons that support the proposal. First, the office area being added will enhance the commercial activity of this section of Pacific Boulevard which is at the heart of this commercial centre. Second, the office area is being constructed within an existing building and therefore will not add any built form to the neighbourhood. Third, as it is being added to an existing building, that building will be used more efficiently with respect to energy and space utilization. Fourth, it consolidates a private office into a more efficient business operation.

Overall, the transfer of such a small amount of office area (57 m2 or 614 sq. ft.) has very little influence on the context and appears reasonable.

P2-1.gif (4737 bytes)Figure 1: Sub-area 1 Roundhouse Neighbourhood

P2-2.gif (103406 bytes)Figure 2: Quayside Neighbourhood Site 4A-G

The proposed additional office density would require three additional off-street parking spaces. The existing building has twelve unallocated parking spaces available through lease agreements and can therefore provide for the total parking requirements.

CONCLUSION

Staff support the proposed text amendments which would allow the transfer of 57m2 (614 sq. ft.) of office floor area from the Quayside Neighbourhood to the Roundhouse Neighbourhood. The recommended changes would be compatible with the office and retail component of Pacific Boulevard. The parking requirement created by this amendment can be met on site. Staff recommend that the application be referred to a Public Hearing, with a recommendation that it be approved.

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ag000215.htm

CD-1 (297) Roundhouse Neighbourhood Text Amendments

The relevant sections of the CD-1 By-law are included in full with recommended deletions (in strikeout) and additions (in italic).

6Floor Area and Density

6.5The total floor area in each sub-area for the uses listed in Table 2 shall not exceed the applicable totals set opposite such uses, and any use permitted by section 4 but not listed in Table 2 is not limited by this sub-section 6.5.

Table 2

Maximum Floor Area (in square metres)

CD-1 (324) Quayside Neighbourhood Text Amendments

The relevant sections of the CD-1 By-law are included in full with recommended deletions (in strikeout) and additions (in italic).

6Floor Area and Density

6.1The total floor area for uses listed in Table 1 shall not exceed the totals set opposite such uses, and any use permitted in Section 4, but not listed in Table 1, is not limited by the Sub-section 6.1.

Table 1

Use Maximum Floor Area
Retail, Service and Office Uses 14 700 m2 14 643 m2

6.5Subject to Section 6.6, the total floor area in each sub-area for the uses listed in Table 2 shall not exceed the applicable totals set opposite such uses, and any use permitted by Section 4 but not listed in Table 2 is not limited by this Sub-section 6.5.

Table 2

Maximum Floor Area Sub-area 4 (in square metres)

Use Site 4A-G
Office Uses 2 850 2793

 

 

 

APPENDICES B & C ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE


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