Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Subdivision Approving Officer in consultation with the Director of Current Planning

SUBJECT:

Amendments to Subdivision By-law No. 5208 and Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

PURPOSE

This report recommends adding the RT-4 and RT-5 Districts to Table 2 of Schedule A of the Subdivision By-law, which will enable the Approving Officer to consider relaxation provisions available in other zoning districts to create parcels consistent with predominant or historic subdivision patterns in an established blockface. An amendment to reduce the minimum frontage requirement specified in Section 9.5 is also recommended, to allow consideration of proposals discussed in this report, and to be more consistent with established subdivision patterns throughout the City. A consequential amendment to the RT-4, RT-4A, RT-4N and RT-4AN, and RT-5, RT-5A, RT-5N and RT-5AN District Schedules of the Zoning and Development By-law is required to permit the Director of Planning to relax minimum site area provisions for new parcels created through relaxation provisions of the Subdivision By-law.

DISCUSSION

Subdivision Amendments: Schedule A of the Subdivision By-law contains two tables of minimum parcels sizes. Table 1 prescribes the minimum parcel size standards for parcels created by subdivision, on a zone-by-zone basis, based on prevailing subdivision patterns, which can, under certain circumstances, be reduced to create parcels which do not go below a lower Table 2 standard. In 1993, the By-law was amended by adding section 9.4, which provides discretion to the Approving Officer to create parcels having a lesser width or area than even the minima prescribed in Table 2, if the new parcels are consistent with the prevailing subdivision pattern in the blockface. This amendment recognized that there were many anomalies in existing subdivision patterns which were not always accounted for through specific relaxation provisions in the Subdivision By-law. Only parcels located in Zoning Districts listed in Table 2 can be considered for additional relaxations pursuant to section 9.4.

Subdivision staff have received a number of enquiries regarding subdivision potential of 50 ft. (15.24 m)-wide parcels in RT-4 and RT-5 Districts, mostly in the Grandview-Woodlands area (see Figures 1 and 2). This area contains a number of blocks which were originally subdivided into parcels as small as 24.4 ft. (7.44 m) in width and 2,500 sq. ft.(232.26 m²) in area. Over time, some of these lots have been consolidated to create larger parcels, typically about 50 ft. in width. However, as these Zoning Districts are not included in Table 2, subdivision relaxations cannot be considered, even though the proposed parcels would be consistent with the predominant subdivision pattern of the blockface.

Staff have examined subdivision patterns in the RT-4, RT-4A, RT-4N, RT-4AN, RT-5, RT-5A, RT-5N, RT-5AN, RT-6, RT-7, RT-8 and RT-9 Districts, and have determined that only a few RT-4 and RT-5 areas contain blockfaces where 25 ft.-wide parcels are the predominant or historic pattern. There are occurrences of 25 ft.-wide parcels in the other zoning districts, but not to the extent that they would be considered the predominant or

Figure 1

Figure 2

historic subdivision pattern. Therefore, it is recommended that only the RT-4 and RT-5 Districts have minimum standards added to Table 2 at this time.

There are only about 12 parcels in RT-4 and RT-5 areas, most located in Grandview-Woodlands, that may qualify for relaxations pursuant to Section 9.4, if Table 2 standards
are added for these districts. This will not impact blocks in these zoning districts where larger parcels, such as 33 ft. (10.06 m) or 50 ft. (15.24 m)-wide parcels are considered the predominant subdivision pattern; in these cases, 25 ft. (7.62 m)-wide parcels would not be supportable. In addition, owners of parcels where 25 ft.-wide parcels could be considered will not necessarily pursue this option, as in many cases they will be fully developed on the existing site, or in the case of the RT-5 District, may qualify for additional FSR or dwelling units by retaining existing multiple conversion dwellings, or developing new multiple dwellings or infill dwellings.

It is also recommended that the minimum frontage requirement of section 9.5 of the Subdivision By-law be reduced from 25 ft. (7.620 m) to 24 ft. (7.315 m). This amendment will be necessary to consider subdivision of the sites indicated in Figures 1 and 2. However,there are other areas of the City where the historic subdivision pattern is comprised of lots having a width or frontage based on old survey measurements such as the chain (66 ft.) and rod (16.5 ft.). Lots having a frontage of 24.75 ft (1.5 rods) are not uncommon in the City, but in many instances cannot be recreated, even pursuant to section 9.4, because of the frontage requirement specified in Section 9.5. Currently, the frontage can be relaxed below 25 ft. only in single-family districts designated as sub-areas "A" and "B", pursuant to Section 9.5(e) of the Subdivision By-law.

Zoning Amendments: It will also be necessary to amend section 5.1 of the RT-4, RT-4A, RT-4N and RT-4AN, and RT-5, RT-5A, RT-5N and RT-5AN District Schedules, to allow the Director of Planning to relax minimum site area site provisions of section 4.1, for parcels created through relaxation provisions of the Subdivision By-law. Planning Department staff agree with this amendment, as it will only apply to a few areas with existing narrow-lot patterns. Additional information pertaining to minimum site area standards, and how they were derived, is included in Appendix C.

CONCLUSION

This report recommends Subdivision By-law amendments to provide discretion to the Approving Officer to consider subdivision proposals in the RT-4 and RT-5 districts, that create narrow parcels that are consistent in width and area with the predominant subdivision pattern in an established blockface. A consequential amendment to the RT-4, RT-4A, RT-4N and RT-4AN, and RT-5, RT-5A, RT-5N and RT-5AN District Schedules of the Zoning and Development By-law is required to permit the Director of Planning to relax minimum site area provisions for new parcels created through relaxation provisions of the Subdivision By-law. Staff recommend referral of the Zoning and Development By-law amendments to Public Hearing, and approval of all other amendments.

- - - - -

Proposed Amendments to Subdivision By-law No. 5208

[Additions in bold italics; deletions in strikeout]

1. Amend the first paragraph of Section 9.5 as follows:

2. Amend Table 2 of Schedule A by inserting after the listing for RT-3 the following:

Proposed Amendments to Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575

[Additions in bold italics; deletions in strikeout]

1. Amend Section 5.1 of the RT-4, RT-4A, RT-4N and RT-4AN, and RT-5, RT-5A, RT-5N and RT-5AN District Schedules as follows:

Additional Information

The RT-4, RT-4A, RT-4N, RT-4AN, RT-5, RT-5A, RT-5N, RT-5AN, RT-6, RT-7, RT-8 and RT-9 zoning districts were never included in Table 2 of the Subdivision By-law, and therefore do not qualify for width and area relaxations below those specified in Table 1, being 30 ft. (9.144 m) and 3,300 sq. ft. (306.580 m²).

These RT zones evolved from the former RT-2A and RT-1A District Schedules, which initially applied to conversion areas in Kitsilano previously zoned RT-2 and RS-2. Under the RT-2A zoning, enacted on August 10, 1976, a minimum site area of 3,300 sq. ft. (306 m²) was established for new one- or two-family dwellings, except for lots on record in the Land Title Office as of that date. This standard reflected the smallest typical lots in Kitsilano Point, the first area rezoned to RT-2A, being 33 ft. by 100 ft. (3,300 sq. ft.). The RT-4, RT-4A, RT-4N, RT-4AN, RT-5, RT-5A, RT-5N, RT-5AN, RT-6, RT-7, RT-8 and RT-9 District Schedules that evolved from the RT-2A and RT-1A District Schedules between 1988 and 1997 still specify a minimum site area of 3,300 sq. ft. (306 m²) for one- and two-family dwellings, which can only be relaxed if the lots were on record as of August 10, 1976, reflecting the original RT-2A enactment date.

According to the intent statements of the RT-4, RT-4A, RT-4N, RT-4AN, RT-5, RT-5A, RT-5N, RT-5AN, RT-6, RT-7, RT-8 and RT-9 District Schedules, the purpose of these zoning schedules is to encourage retention, renovation and restoration of the existing housing stock and to make sure that new development is in keeping with the character, scale and placement of that existing development. It is believed that for this reason, smaller subdivision standards were not included in Table 2, as a way of limiting the opportunities to subdivide, thereby removing, in some cases, the incentive to demolish existing dwellings.

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