Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Director of Current Planning

SUBJECT:

3338 Granville Street - Designation and Heritage Revitalization Agreement

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The Director of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council's Policy on heritage designation states, in part, that legal designation will be a prerequisite to granting certain bonuses and incentives.

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council approval to designate and enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) with the Owner to secure the conservation and protection of the house, notable interior spaces and the Coach house at 3338 Granville Street.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The site is located in the First Shaughnessy area and zoned FSD under the Official Development Plan. The property is owned by the People's Republic of China, as Represented by the Consulate-General in Vancouver and is comprised of two parcels totalling 57,359 sq.ft. Each of the sites contain a VHR listed house, the "A" listed W. Brydon-Jack house currently used as a residence for the Consulate General and the "C" listed house to the south which contains the office and visa center for the Consulate. In addition, a coach house has survived on the site to the rear of the "A" listed building and is presently used as residential area for the Consulate staff. The "A" listed house has many notable interior spaces and along with the exterior and the coach house, will be retained and restored as part of the Heritage Revitalization proposal under Development Application DE404244. The "C" listed house will be demolished and in place a new building to house the Consulate services for the site will be constructed. ( See Appendix A) The Director of Planning has approved the application subject to conditions including Council approval of the requisite HRA and designation.

Very early in the development of this project, the First Shaughnessy Neighbourhood Design Panel expressed concerns over the use for the site. The chief concern was over the "offices" of the Consulate, citing the construction of an "office building" as opposed to a residence for Consulate use. A Consulate is an approved principal use for the site and an "office" would be an ancillary use to a Consulate and function in a manner not restricted to residential and ceremonial uses of an official residence. Provided all applicable zoning and guidelines aresatisfied, a Consulate use is approvable. As well, the clarity within the O.D.P. of restricting the locations of Consulates to major arterial roads in the FSD zone supported this proposal by virtue of its location on Granville Street.
DISCUSSION

Heritage Value: The "A" listed building and the coach house are designed in the Tudor Revival Style of domestic architecture popular in Shaughnessy at the time of construction. Built in 1913 for Dr. W. Brydon-Jack, the original plans indicate that the house was designed to include a medical office ( a "waiting -room" was accessible directly from the Porte-cochere). Dr. Brydon-Jack went on to be a coroner for the City of Vancouver. The architects for the house were J. Thomas Alexander and Percey H. Brown. Other notable buildings by the architects, separately and in partnership are The Presbyterian Church in North Vancouver ( 1912), St. Peter's Church ( 1908) and Selkirk, Tecumseh and McBride Schools ( 1910-1912). The Heritage Register's evaluation of the building has categorizedit as an "excellent" example of style. The roof is a large steeply pitched hip shape with a symmetrical pair of gables facing the street and larger cross gables facing south and north. A wide verandah spans the front elevation and is framed with heavy balustrades. The front porch, Porte-cochere and Jacobean style chimneys are identified as notable aspects of design as is the use of granite on the building and the coach house. The Coach House is a simple cross gable massing clad in stone with half-timber detailing to match the house on the gable ends.

The interior spaces to be designated are comprised of a glazed front door with leaded glass side-lights leading into the front vestibule, all panelled in dark honey-coloured oak. The vestibule leads into a large hall with oak panelled walls, crown mouldings and beamed panelled ceiling. An oak panelled fireplace with a pair of twinned pilasters occupies one wall of the hall. A triple arched oak screen leads to a panelled stairwell. At mid-level of the stairs there is a four-part casement window with leaded glass and a coloured heraldry motif. The oak balustrade is of a distinctive Jacobean style with arcaded balusters mimicking the larger archway of the foyer below. The Living room has a beamed ceiling patterned in square and diamond shapes, a large fireplace mantle with carved decoration and the walls are panelled to a high dado rail. The Dining room is similar in character and both rooms have wide sliding pocket doors with elaborate wood casings leading back to the Hall. The small Study has painted wood wainscotting, fireplace with simple wood and tile surround and a painted wood beamed ceiling. The floors are covered in oak throughout.

Revitalization Program: The Owner proposes to rehabilitate the exteriors of the heritage house and coach house, (see elevation and plans in Appendix A) and restore the interior spaces to be designated. Both buildings will be retained for residential use for the Consulate staff. All original material on the facades will be retained and restored or matched where missing or deteriorated beyond repair. The proposal includes the construction of a new building to the south and connected to the heritage building where the Porte-cochere now stands. The new building will house the office requirements and Visa Office for the Consulate, underground parking for the site and two residential units for the staff. A large dining hall will be constructed between the two buildings and serviced by the kitchen in the heritage house.

Compatibility with Community Planning Objective: The intent of the FSD Official Development Plan is to encourage the retention of existing pre-1940 housing stock and conditionally permit the construction of new buildings in a sympathetic style to the character of the area. Other social and public uses are also permitted in this district in locations having a lesser amount of impact on the single-family character. An office for a Consulate ispermitted on a site which abuts either West 16th Avenue, King Edward Avenue, or Granville Street. By retaining, rehabilitating and protecting the "A" listed heritage house main floor interior spaces of merit and the coach house, Development Application DE404244 meets the intent of the zoning and guidelines.

Economic Viability: To make the rehabilitation of the house and Coach House economically viable the Owner has requested zoning variances including a floor space increase. The Owner is prepared to enter into an HRA and designate the heritage house, the interior spaces of the Living room, Dining room, Vestibule, Hall, and Study and the Coach House. The Owner has agreed that the variances to the Zoning and Development By-law represent fair, full and complete compensation in exchange for the designation of the property and has waived his right to further compensation.

The Manager of Real Estate Services analysed the project economics and determined that the trade-off between the requested additional floor area and additional heritage cost is fair and reasonable, and that after the additional heritage cost, the development profit is reasonable and not excessive.

Zoning and Parking Variances: The recommended HRA will vary provisions of the FSD Official Development Plan described in the table below. This is to provide assurance to the Owner that it is entitled to repair and rebuild the approved development should it be damaged or destroyed in the future.

REGULATION

PERMITTED/REQUIRED

PROPOSED

South Side Yard

4.5 m(14.76 ft.)

1.2m (4.0 ft.)Trellis Over Parking Ramp

Floor Space Ratio

.45 FSR (2,398 m²) ( 25, 812 sq.ft. )

.495 FSR ( 2,637 m²) (28,390 sq.ft.)

Parking In Front Yard

Not Permitted

Proposed for 6 Stalls

Accessory Building In Front Yard

Not Permitted

Proposed

Building Height

10.7 m (35.1 ft.) max.

11 m (36.33 ft.)

The variances described relate to the new building. The side yard variance is to allow for a covered trellis to obscure the look of the underground drive aisle from the street. The surface parking stalls proposed are for the Visa Office parking and match the original condition on site today. The accessory building location in the front yard is for a gatehouse that secures the property from the street. The height variance allows for a true ridge beam on the roof.
Notification: As part of the Development Application review process, a sign was placed on the site and 50 surrounding property owners were notified. 2 responses were received, both opposed due to specific concerns regarding the Consulate use and one concern regarding siting of the new building and possible view impacts. The neighbourhood issues and Planning's response to these are as follows;

1. Use

2. Activity on Site

3. Parking

4. Front yard setback to the new building.

Comments of the Vancouver Heritage Commission: On January 31, 2000 the Heritage Commission reviewed and supported the development application and zoning variances subject to the designation of the heritage structure.

Comments of the First Shaugnessy Neighbourhood Design Panel
The neighbourhood panel reviewed this proposal on many occasions starting in March 1998. Their chief concerns were the proposed office use of the new building which was confirmed by staff as supportable and the design of the proposed new building. After many iterations, the form and detail of the new building was refined by panel and staff comments to a proposal that the Panel supported on February 24, 2000, [their] motion noted that the project is an anomaly within the neighbourhood and a site specific response has occurred to accommodate the approved uses.

Legal Agreements: The Director of Legal Services has prepared the necessary legal agreements and notification requirements, as specified in the Vancouver Charter, have been met. The fact that the Owner is The People's Republic of China, as Represented by the Consulate-General in Vancouver, has necessitated three departures from our standard procedures to secure restoration of the heritage buildings and tree inspection. First, the Owner must carry on its consular operations during the restoration, and, accordingly, we cannot prohibit occupancy pending completion. Secondly, we will not be able to enter the property to inspect tree maintenance because the property is subject to use for diplomatic purposes. Thirdly, our relations with the Owner under the legal agreements will be subject to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the Agreement Between the Government of Canada and the Government of the People's Republic of China for Purchasing and Using Real Estates for Diplomatic Purposes. However, the latter Agreement provides the People's Republic, in renovating or demolishing buildings, will do so in accordance with the relevant local municipal urban planning regulations. Council should also be aware that the Owner has requested the City's specific acknowledgment that the Owner may be exempt from certain judicial procedures and mandatory measures pursuant to the Vienna Convention, Bilateral Agreement, and other applicable international conventions, protocols, agreements, and international norms.

- -

CONCLUSION

The Heritage "A" listed building at 3338 Granville Street, interior spaces and the coach house are valuable resources to the City's Vancouver Heritage Register and as such are worthy of incentives to assist in their retention and restoration. Retention of pre-1940 buildings is an objective of the First Shaughnessy zoning and the project has been supported

by the First Shaughnessy Neighbourhood Design Panel and the Vancouver Heritage Commission. The requested zoning and floor space variances represent fair compensation to the Owner. Therefore, staff recommend that Council support the requisite HRA and designate the heritage "A" house, notable main floor interior spaces and the Coach House as protected heritage property.

* * * * *

ph000725.htm

 

General Mgr./Dept. Head:

Date:

This report has been prepared in consultation with the departments listed to the right, and they concur with its contents

Report dated:

July 7, 2000

Author:

Yardley McNeill

Phone:

7582

Concurring Departments:

Legal Services ( Joe Stubbs, Brian Porter)

Real Estate Services (Leigh Gaymen)

 
 

Q:\public\aHeritage\Yardley\3338REPO.WPD

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