POLICY REPORT
URBAN STRUCTURE

Date: May 28, 2002
Author/Local: Michael Naylor/7237

RTS No. 02691

CC File No. 5302

Council: June 11, 2002

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Current Planning
SUBJECT:	Text Amendment: I-3 District - Conditional Density Provision

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the Director of Current Planning be instructed to make application to amend the I-3 District Schedule to require conditional approval of Information Technology uses over 1.0 FSR;

FURTHER THAT the application be referred to a Public Hearing together with:
(i) draft amendment by-law provisions, generally as contained in Appendix A, and

(ii) draft I-3 District Guidelines for the False Creek Flats, generally as contained in Appendix B;

AND FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary by-law for consideration at Public Hearing.

GENERAL MANAGERS' COMMENTS

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

COUNCIL POLICY

· In July 1999, Council approved the I-3 High Technology District for the False Creek Flats and the Grandview-Boundary industrial areas. Interim Rezoning Policies and Guidelines were also adopted for Grandview-Boundary.

·On March 27, 2001, Council adopted the False Creek Flats Structure Plan and referred to Public Hearing a proposal to replace the I-3 District in the False Creek Flats with a similar district which would require conditional approval for development applications above 1.0 FSR. This referral has not proceeded to Public Hearing.

PURPOSE

This report proposes an amendment to the I-3 District Schedule to require conditional approval for high-tech office developments over 1.0 FSR in density. If referred to Public Hearing this amendment would supercede a related March 2001 referral.

BACKGROUND

In March 2001, when the False Creek Flats Structure Plan was brought forward for Council's endorsement, a change to the I-3 District was also proposed. That change entailed making densities above 1.0 FSR require conditional approval. At the time, the change was intended to apply to I-3 in the False Creek Flats only and not to I-3 in the Grandview-Boundary Industrial Area. It was therefore proposed that a new district schedule, similar to I-3 but with the amended density provision, would be created.

DISCUSSION

Over the last year, design guidelines have been drafted for the False Creek Flats to be used in the evaluation of the conditional applications. As well, the applicability of the proposed amendment was examined for the Grandview-Boundary Area. Staff now conclude that the change should apply to high-tech offices in all I-3 Districts, including sites in Grandview-Boundary, to ensure that there is consistent application of design control between these two high-tech industrial areas. As a result, a new district schedule and the associated rezoning are no longer needed and have been replaced with a text amendment to the current I-3 Schedule, as proposed in this report.

Why is the amendment necessary?

The I-3 District Schedule incorporated the maximum density of 3.0 FSR from the I-2 District Schedule from which it was created. While conventional industrial development rarely needs densities over 1.0 FSR, high-tech office development stands a much greater chance of fully utilizing the density. Under the current I-3 Schedule, it is possible for high-tech office uses to be built to the full 3.0 FSR as an outright approval.

After reviewing several high-tech office applications under I-3 zoning, it is apparent that the scale and form of development would benefit greatly from design guidelines and the design review possible under a conditional approval. More design control over building siting and massing will help produce a better fit for the new high-tech buildings which are generally taller and placed closer together than conventional industrial buildings. It can also result in a better public realm. The level of review for these buildings would then be consistent with that which the City has for similar buildings in the downtown and in commercial zones.

The draft amendment for I-3 that is recommended for referral to Public Hearing appears in Appendix A. The draft I-3 District Guidelines for the False Creek Flats are included in Appendix B, also for referral to Public Hearing. If adopted, these guidelines along with the approved False Creek Flats Structure Plan would be used in the review of conditional development applications for sites within the Flats I-3 District.

For the Grandview-Boundary Area, an area plan and updated policies and guidelines are anticipated to be forwarded to Council for consideration by this summer. In the meantime, the interim Rezoning Policies and Guidelines, adopted in 1999, would be used if an I-3 rezoning application were received.

CONCLUSION

This proposed text amendment to the I-3 District Schedule should be referred to Public Hearing and approved, as it gives the City a needed level of design control over large high-tech office developments.

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Appendix A

Draft Amendments to the I-3 District Schedule

Because of density and design control concerns, it is recommended that the I-3 District Schedule be amended as follows:

By amending sections 1 and 4.7.1

1 Intent

The intent of this schedule is to permit high technology industry, and related industry with a significant amount of research and development activity. It is also the intent to permit light industrial uses that are generally compatible with one another high-technology and other industrial uses, and with adjoining residential or commercial districts.

4.7 Floor Space Ratio

4.7.1 The floor space ratio shall not exceed 3.0, subject to the following:

(a) the maximum floor space ratio shall be 3.0 for Office Uses listed in Section 2.2.O, Manufacturing Uses, Transportation and Storage Uses, Utility and Communication Uses, Wholesale Uses, Service Uses listed in section 2.2.S, and Parking Uses;
(b) the maximum floor space ratio shall be 1.0 for all other uses combined;
(c) the floor area in Retail Uses, including accessory retail, shall not exceed 1 000 m²; and
(d) the floor area in Office Uses listed in section 3.2.O shall not exceed 33_ percent of the total gross floor area of all principal and accessory uses combined.

By adding Section 4.7.4

4.7.4 The Development Permit Board or the Director of Planning, as the case may be, may relax the provisions of section 4.7.1 up to a floor space ratio of 3.0 for Office Uses listed in Section 2.2.O, provided that the Director of Planning first considers:

(a) the intent of this schedule, all applicable policies and guidelines adopted by Council, and the relationship of the development to any nearby residential uses;
(b) the height, bulk, location, and overall design of the building and its effect on the site, surrounding buildings, and streets; and
(c) the provision of roads and bike and pedestrian connections as outlined in plans and policies adopted by Council.

Appendix B - Draft I-3 District Guidelines - False Creek Flats

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver