CITY OF VANCOUVER
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Planning Department
Current Planning

M E M O R A N D U M February 13, 2002
TO:	Standing Committee of Council on Planning and Environment
FROM:	Larry Beasley, Director of Current Planning
SUBJECT:	Significant Rezoning Applications - Meeting of February 21, 2002 801 West Georgia St. (Hotel Georgia)

Background

In December 1997, the Development Permit Board approved a 45-storey hotel addition to the existing Hotel Georgia, subject to City Council approval of a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (subsequently approved by Council in April 1998) to secure rehabilitation and protection of the hotel and some of its heritage interiors, including heritage-sensitive seismic upgrade. The proposed building height was 137 m (450 feet) with rooftop appurtenance of 4.6 m (15 feet) thus creating an overall building massing at 141.7 m (465 feet).

Proposal

Due to the changing hotel market, development of the hotel addition did not proceed and because seismic upgrade was contingent upon this development, the Hotel Georgia remains at risk of seismic damage. A more feasible mixed-use, hotel-residential building is now proposed within the previously approved building massing. It is the result of rather lengthy discussions between the applicant and staff over almost two years to find a balanced and equitable approach, consistent with heritage policy and also to deal with the complexities of the additional heritage effort required for consideration of rezoning for residential use in the CBD.

Building Height

The currently proposed building height of 141.7 m (465 feet) to the top of habitable space reflects the building massing which was previously approved in 1997 on the basis of unanimous support from the Urban Design Panel and analysis which determined that the building would not cause undue impact on surrounding properties.

A decorative roof is also now proposed through appurtenances, to a height of 154.4 m (506.6 feet) and wholly within the view cone maximum on this site (thus not intruding into the view cone at Cambie Street & 12^th Avenue). The impacts of this are now being reviewed by staff. This decorative roof could be approved under existing zoning through the relaxation provisions of the Zoning and Development By-law for such appurtenances.

General Policy for Higher Buildings

This policy identifies the site as suitable for consideration of a significantly higher building. We have discussed this possibility with the applicant but for various reasons he has chosen not to pursue it but proposes a modestly taller building instead.

We are left with the fact that the proposed building height does exceed the maximum permitted by the amount of 4.6 m (15 feet). This is consistent with our advice that we would be prepared to consider a new mixed-use proposal within the previously approved building mass and in the context of rezoning, because the heritage offering has been upgraded.

Nevertheless, a question arises as to whether or not the building should be reviewed according to the special procedures set out in the General Policy for Higher Buildings. Staff feel it is appropriate to process this application in the normal manner (without undertaking the extra Higher Building process) since the project has been in process for a long time, it is a further evolution of an already approved building at a similar height and it is only modestly over the existing height allowance (thus not representing a significantly higher building as defined in the Policy for Higher Buildings). We note that while staff have not completed their analysis and public consultation, the proposed new building design and massing have recently received unanimous and strong support from the Urban Design Panel.

If Council agrees, it would be helpful to confirm the approach to this application proposed by staff. The following resolution is presented for City Council CONSIDERATION:

A. THAT the rezoning application by Bing Thom Architects Inc. for the site at 801 West Georgia Street be processed in the usual manner and not in the context of the Higher Buildings process.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Larry Beasley

PM/jmn
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