Supports Item No. 1
P&E Committee Agenda
July 12, 2001

POLICY REPORT
BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT

Date: May 23, 2001
Author/Local: LChallis/7135

RTS No. 02151

CC File No. 5303

P&E: July 12, 2001

TO:	Standing Committee of Planning and Environment
FROM:	Director of Current Planning in consultation with the Director of the Housing Centre and the Director of Social Planning
SUBJECT:	CD-1 Rezoning Policy Issues - 1030 Burnaby Street

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT the application by Norman S. Jones, Architect, to rezone 1030 Burnaby Street (Lot 2, Block 12, DL 185, Plan 14172) from RM-5A to CD-1, to permit a 14 storey building for congregate housing, be REFUSED.

- OR -

CONSIDERATION

B. THAT the application by Norman S. Jones, Architect, to rezone 1030 Burnaby Street (Lot 2, Block 12, DL 185, Plan 14172) from RM-5A to CD-1, to permit a 14 storey building for congregate housing, be processed in the normal manner.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A or, as an alternative to A, submits B for CONSIDERATION.

COUNCIL POLICY

The site is zoned RM-5A which permits residential development compatible with neighbouring development with respect to streetscape character, open spaces, view retention, sunlight access and privacy.

Special Needs Residential Facility (SNRF) Guidelines (adopted in February 1992) which are intended to ensure that a special needs residential facility is compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood.

On July 11, 2000, Council received draft Guidelines for Congregate Housing for Seniors and instructed staff to report back following public consultation.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report assesses an application to permit development of 100 units of congregate housing in a fourteen-storey building on the side yard of an existing fourteen-storey building containing 217 non-profit, rental units for seniors. The proposal would subdivide the site.

Although staff acknowledge the public benefit offered by the proposed use, we recommend that the application be refused for the following reasons:

· the precedent-setting nature of the proposal which could set off development pressures for infilling side yards on other high-rise sites in the West End and would introduce Downtown-type density into the West End; and
· the proposal does not reflect City objectives for West End development, namely streetscape character, open space, views, and shadowing.

DISCUSSION

Use: The application proposes 100 units of congregate housing which would be developed and operated by the Society for Christian Care of the Elderly which is a non-profit group that owns and operates the 217-unit, rental building for seniors currently on the site. The Society proposes to construct a second building on the westerly side yard which presently includes landscaped open space and some parking.

Staff acknowledge there is a need for low to moderate-priced congregate housing in the West End. Presently, there are no congregate housing units, although a recent rezoning proposed at 1175 Broughton would permit 99 units to be built. Staff recognize that high development costs and lack of government funding make it difficult to provide this type of housing, except when non-profit groups can provide a significant equity contribution. In this case, the non-profit society is attempting to off-set the development costs by using land it already owns - albeit land with no development rights.

Density: The site's development currently has a density of 2.85 FSR, as approved in 1972. At that time, the site's RM-4 zoning permitted a density of 2.60 FSR plus additional floor area for large sites, low site coverage and parking beneath buildings. When the area was rezoned to West End District (WED) in 1975, the permitted density was reduced to 2.20 FSR which remains the same under the current RM-5A zoning.

The application proposes a density of 5.10 FSR over the whole site and, with a subdivided site, this would be 6.00 FSR for the new building and 4.56 FSR for the existing building. These densities are comparable to densities in the Downtown but are much greater than existing or permitted densities in the West End. The application suggests that the site's location, next to downtown sites with densities of 5.0 FSR, should support the proposed density. Staff note that a westerly extension of downtown density would be incompatible with existing and permitted densities under RM-5A zoning on properties to the north, south and west of the site. Staff do not support the intrusion of such high density into this West End neighbourhood.

Staff are also concerned about the precedent of allowing large-scale infill development on side yards of high-rise sites where the density was approved on the basis that the towers would provide less site coverage and consequently more open space. High-rise buildings surrounded with open space are a standard feature of the West End. We expect that infilling the site with a second building would set a destabilizing message to many other property owners in the West End where there are similar sites with residential towers.

While congregate housing for seniors is a desirable use in the West End, Social Planning agrees with Planning that the density proposed here is not compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood, and therefore the proposal is not in accordance with the SNRF guidelines. The proposal will not be reviewed for compliance with the congregate housing guidelines unless Council instructs staff to continue processing the application.

The Manager of the Housing Centre supports the recommendation to refuse this proposal, as the density and massing compromise too many of the planning and livability principles associated with the West End, the current zoning and the immediately surrounding context. He notes that the proposed 100 units would be needed to achieve efficiencies in servicing and staffing and further notes that exploration of, say, a much smaller low-rise option, would not be worth pursuing.

Urban Design Issues: Staff have made an initial urban design review of this proposal to identify key urban design issues. We are most concerned with the separation of only 1.5-2.4 m (5-8 ft.) between the new tower and the existing tower. This would create a marginal slot between two approximately 44.2 m (145 ft.) high towers. The infill proposal breaks the rhythm established in the West End of "towers in a park". This is part of the heritage and character of the West End development during the 1970's and 1980's which the RM-5A zoning continues to encourage. The West End guidelines specifically suggest that the spacing between tower forms should provide view slots, a sense of openness and links with other open spaces. This proposal would fully compromise these objectives. Staff are also concerned with the combined width of the two towers which would increase shadowing and reduce daylight penetration to surrounding residents. Furthermore, the solid, massive form would present a negative image to the street character. Staff also note that the landscaped open space has been further compromised on the east side of the property by the addition of surface parking.

At this point, staff have undertaken only a preliminary review of the architectural and landscape issues. If Council instructs staff to process this application in the normal manner, the applicant will be required to provide more details about the project including a view analysis and landscape plan. In addition, staff would seek the advice of the Urban Design Panel.

CONCLUSION

Although the proposed use has merit, staff believe that the precedent-setting nature of the proposed form of development with respect to its density, siting and urban design features do not support the rezoning application. Staff recommend that the application to rezone the site to CD-1 be refused.

* * * * *

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Site, Surrounding Zoning and Development This 3 213 m² (34,581 sq. ft.) site is comprised of one parcel with a frontage of 80.5 m (264 ft.) and a depth of 39.9 m (131 ft.). The site includes a 14-storey, 217-unit non-profit rental building for seniors which is located in the central portion of the property. It also includes a total of 36 surface and underground parking spaces with landscaped private open space on the east and west sides of the building.

North of the site, across Burnaby Street are primarily older 3-4 storey apartment buildings. South of the site, across the lane, is a residential tower (21 storeys) and older 3-4 storey apartment buildings. Abutting the property to the west is an older 3-storey apartment building. Many of these older buildings are rental. All the properties are zoned RM-5A.

To the east of the site are two CD-1 zoned sites, both of which have been developed with residential towers at a density of 5.00 FSR. These sites were previously zoned DD and the rezoning of these sites about ten years ago was consistent with the emerging policy for Downtown South.

Proposed Development The proposal would add a second building approximately 1.5 to 2.4 m (5-8 ft.) west of the existing building. The new building would include 100 rental congregate housing units which would consist of 36 studio, 52 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units. A dining room and some common amenity area for the residents would be located on the main floor. Parking would be increased to 50 spaces of which 23 spaces would be surface parking located on the current landscaped area at the east side of the building .

Public Input No notification has taken place pending Council's consideration of this report. Should Council approve B, staff will notify the neighbourhood and the applicant will be required to erect a rezoning sign.

Applicant's Comments

"Applicant's Argument Against Refusal:

The applicant seeks Council's approval to proceed through the rezoning process as a CD-1 rezoning application for the following reasons:

1. The demand for seniors congregate housing projects is great and will only increase over the next ten to twenty years as our 75+ population grows dramatically.

2. Congregate housing facilities are not subsidized by government and it currently falls to the private sector to build and operate such facilities. To date, these privately developed facilities have been priced well out of the range of our middle to low-income senior and consequently there is a great need for more affordable congregate units. It is the intention of the owner of 1030 Burnaby Street and the operator, the Society for Christian Care of the Elderly (SCCE), to build units that reflect a "more affordable" congregate rental rate.

3. In addition to providing more affordable congregate rental rates to all West End seniors, the proposed development will also offer the opportunity for a "continuum of care" to those seniors now residing at 1030 Burnaby Street. When those residents require more assistance in order to continue to live independently, they will be able to move into the proposed building next door where they'll receive such support as weekly housekeeping, laundry, and twenty-four hour emergency response. In addition, they'll be provided with a minimum of two meals a day plus have a variety of social, recreational, and cultural programs in which to partake to keep them mentally and physically alert.

This project will be a great social benefit to a great many people not only in the West End, but all of Vancouver. The seniors themselves benefit, but also their children, the "sandwich generation", who have both their own children plus aging parents to care for. Furthermore, the Health Regions have recognized that congregate facilities actually allow the health dollar to stretch further because it has been shown over the years that those seniors that live in these congregate communities actually live longer and delay their entry into the more expensive licensed facilities.

For all of the above reasons, the applicant requests that City Council permit this project to begin the rezoning process as a CD-1 rezoning application."

APPLICANT, PROPERTY, AND DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL INFORMATION

APPLICANT AND PROPERTY INFORMATION

Street Address	1030 Burnaby Street
Legal Description	Lot 2, Block 12, DL 185, Plan 14172
Applicant	Norman Jones, Society for the Christian Care of the Elderly
Architect	Norman S. Jones Architectural Corporation
Property Owner	Society for the Christian Care of the Elderly
Developer	Jones Development Corporation

SITE STATISTICS

	GROSS	DEDICATIONS	NET
SITE AREA	3 213 m² (34,581 sq. ft.)		3 213 m² (34,581 sq. ft.)

DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS

	DEVELOPMENT PERMITTED UNDER EXISTING ZONING	PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
ZONING	RM-5A	CD-1
USES	Residential and compatible Retail, Office, Service and Institutional Uses	Multiple Dwelling and Special Needs Residential Facility - Congregate Housing
MAX. FLOOR SPACE RATIO	2.2	5.1
MAXIMUM HEIGHT	18.3 m (60 ft.) (outright) 58.0 m (190 ft.) (conditional)	44.2 m (145 ft.) (approx.)
PARKING SPACES	1 space /6 units for seniors housing and 1 space/70 m² for congregate housing	50 spaces (36 spaces for seniors housing and 14 spaces for congregate housing)

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver