ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: January 14, 2003
Author/Local: S. Harvey/604-871-6001
RTS No. 03091
CC File No. 5303CS&B: January 30, 2003
TO: |
Standing Committee on City Services & Budgets |
FROM: |
General Managers of Community Services and Park Board |
SUBJECT: |
711 West Broadway - Allocation of Community Amenity Contribution |
RECOMMENDATIONS
A. THAT Council approve a capital allocation of $475,000 to the False Creek Community Centre capital expansion project; source of funds to be the Community Amenity Reserve, subject to confirmation that the False Creek Community Centre Association has raised the balance of the funds necessary to complete the $1.388 million project.
B. THAT Council direct staff to initiate a community consultation process to review and report back within three months on viable community amenity opportunities in the Fairview neighbourhood at a cost not to exceed $10,000; source of funds to be the Community Amenity Reserve.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager notes that there is an alternative to Recommendation B, which deals with allocation of the entire $850,000. It is suggested that the Park Board look also at improvements to the child care facilities at the False Creek Community Centre, and fund these from the $375,000 balance. The remaining balance could then be allocated to the project with a corresponding reduction to the Park Board Capital Funding. Therefore, the City Manager recommends approval of Recommendation A and suggests as an alternative to B
C. THAT Council direct staff to identify and implement any upgrade/expansion needs for the False Creek Community daycare facilities, with funding from the $375,000 balance with any fund balance used to reduce only the Park Board share of the project.
COUNCIL POLICY
On January 28, 1999, Council approved the Interim City-wide Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) Policy. CACs apply to all private rezoning applications received as of December 8, 1998, and provide funds for additional community amenities needed for new residents.
On October 22, 2002, Council enacted a by-law which amended the Zoning and Development By-law by rezoning an area to CD-1 (711 West Broadway) and, as a condition of that rezoning, secured a payment of $850,000 to be held in the Community Amenity Reserve Fund and allocated by Council for public amenities within the neighbourhood.
PURPOSE
This report seeks Council approval to allocate $475,000 of the $850,000 pay-in-lieu community amenity contribution, received as a condition of a rezoning at 711 West Broadway (Holiday Inn), to the Park Board's capital expansion project at False Creek Community Centre, and proposes a community consultation process for report back with recommendations for the allocation of the balance of the funds within the neighbourhood.
BACKGROUND
The Holiday Inn was approved in 1972 on a site extending from Broadway to 8th Avenue. In 1996, Council approved an application to change the site's zoning to CD-1 to permit residential development on a parking lot. At that time, the applicant proposed an on-site community space in collaboration with the Fairview Slopes Residents Association. In 1999, the applicant submitted an application to amend the CD-1 to permit hotel use on the parking lot. The application, including a subsequent text amendment and the application, including the provision of an on-site amenity space, was approved at a Public Hearing on July 6th, 2000.
Since 1996, the Fairview Slopes Residents Association (now known as the Fairview Slopes Community Association, "FSCA"), a community-based non-profit society, has worked hard to build the necessary support and expertise to take on the operations of a full-time community facility. By late 2001, the applicant had still not met the rezoning conditions toenable the text amendment to be enacted, and the FSCA was challenged to sustain community support for this project. The FSCA requested that the City accept the value of the amenity, $850,000, from the applicant in lieu of the on-site amenity, and further requested that the funds be allocated to the Park Board's False Creek Community Centre's capital expansion project. The FSCA's letter is attached to this report as Appendix "A".
The False Creek Community Centre Association (FCCCA) is the Park Board partner in operating the False Creek Community Centre. The FCCCA also supports the allocation of these fund to its expansion project and its letter is attached as Appendix "B".
The report on the allocation of the funds has been held pending the zoning enactment, which occurred October 22, 2002, after Council approved an amendment to the rezoning condition to provide a payment-in-lieu contribution. A payment of $850,000 was received at that time and has been deposited in the Community Amenity Reserve fund.
DISCUSSION
While the initial rezoning application predates Council's policy on community amenity contributions, staff have reviewed the request of the two Associations for the allocation of the funds in the context of current CAC policy.
Council may allocate CACs to any purpose or location it deems appropriate. CACs may be specified as payments-in-lieu or provided directly (in-kind). All CACs must be approved by Council and identified as prior-to conditions of rezoning enactment. CAC funds not identified for a specific use will be set aside in a CAC reserve fund.
The FSCA and the FCCCA have both requested that the full $850,000 contribution be allocated to the Park Board's False Creek Community Centre expansion project.
The prior two Park Board capital budgets allocated funding towards an addition to the False Creek Community Centre. The expansion to False Creek Community Centre was originally proposed at $731,750, with $473,750 approved through prior Park Board Capital Budgets and $258,000 to be raised by the FCCCA.
In early 2001, Park Board conducted a feasibility study to review several options for expansion to the Centre, one of which was a 4,323 sq. ft addition at an estimated cost of $1,285,000. This was a considerable increase over the prior proposed budget; however, the FCCCA proposed raising the additional funds required . The increase in capital costs for the project was due to a larger building program to include a new 3,253 square foot gymnasium addition as well as a fitness centre expansion to the centre, for a total new building addition of 4,323 sq.ft.. The new gymnasium would provide facility users with an indoor high ceilingspace, which the community centre does not currently have, to play basketball, volleyball, badminton and a range of other floor activities normally associated with a gymnasium. The space would cater to drop-in activities as well as programmed group activities and will serve a full range of patrons from youths to seniors. The Park Board approved the larger addition of 4,323 sq.ft., subject to the FCCCA raising an additional $553,250 in addition to the $258,000 already committed.
In December, 2002, the Park Board had re-estimated the project to cost $1,388,750.
Costs have increased due to:
· inflation over the period of time that elapsed from the prior project estimate;
· revisions required to meet the requirements of the building bylaw;
· additional staff time (this figure is calculated as a percentage of the project budget);
· additional construction contingency (this figure is calculated as a percentage of the project budget).
In total, these costs have increased the prior estimate of $1,285,000 by $103,750 for a new project budget of $1,388,750.
Staff have reviewed the project budget and the two associations' requests and recommend an allocation of $475,000 from the community amenity funds to the Park Board's False Creek capital expansion project. This would supplement the $473,750 already approved in prior Park Board Capital Budgets, a total civic contribution of $948,750. The FCCCA required contribution towards the project amounts to $440,000.
Source of Capital: |
2002 $ |
1998 Capital Budget (Park Board) |
$70,000 |
2000 Capital Budget (Park Board) |
$403,750 |
False Creek Community Centre Association Fund Raising |
$440,000 |
Community Amenity Reserve |
$475,000 |
Total: |
$1,388,750 |
The FCCCA are requesting the full $850,000 be allocated to the current and future phases of their capital expansion project. Staff recommend that prior to allocating the balance of the Community Amenity contribution associated with the Holiday Inn site, a community consultation process be initiated to determine the full range of needs and opportunities within the neighbourhood.
In 1995 the Holiday Inn commissioned a "Community Space Needs Survey of Fairview Slopes". The survey indicated the highest level of community support for multi-purpose space (62%) and library services (59%). Since that time there has been considerable development in Fairview Slopes, with a population increase of 6.7% from 1996 to 2001.
The Fairview neighbourhood is bounded by False Creek to the north, Burrard to the west, 16th Avenue to the south and Cambie to the east.
The Fairview neighbourhood is primarily in the False Creek community centre catchment
area, with those portions of the neighbourhood south of Broadway in the Douglas Park community centre catchment area. There are several community organizations active in Fairview, such as the False Creek Resident's Association, the Fairview Slopes Community Association and a host of community services, such as the Firehall Branch Library and South Van Seniors Centre, False Creek Childcare, Echelon Daycare, Creekview Childcare, among other non-profit neighbourhood organizations.
In addition to the community centre expansion project, staff are aware of other pressures to meet the demands of growth, in particular on the branch library, and local childcare centres. During the planning process the FSCA discussed a plan to share the on-site amenity with the Vancouver Society of Childcare Centres to provide early childhood programs and services in the neighbourhood. There may also be community priorities for park and engineering infrastructure improvements. Staff believe that it would be appropriate to determine the full range of needs in the community in advance of allocating all of the funds associated with the 711 West Broadway rezoning.
Staff therefore recommend an allocation of $475,000 from the Community Amenity Reserve to the False Creek Community Centre at this time, and to report back within three months the results of a community consultation process, including a residents' survey and open houses. Staff estimate the cost of such consultation to be $10,000.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
On October 22, 2002, payment of $850,000 was received in connection with the Holiday Inn rezoning. The funds are held in the Community Amenity Reserve. Staff recommend an immediate allocation of $475,000 to the False Creek Community Centre, and a further $10,000 be allocated for the community consultation costs, leaving a balance of $365,000.
OPERATING COSTS
The Park Board estimates additional operating costs as a result of the proposed addition to amount to approximately $27,000 for additional utilities, janitorial and routine maintenance costs. Funding for the additional operating costs will be requested as added basic costs in the 2004 Operating Budget.
CONCLUSION
Notwithstanding significant efforts, the public amenity facility envisioned by the Fairview Slopes community in 1996 is no longer viable. The community has proposed, and staff support an alternate approach to the provision of community amenities, which will assist an existing community centre achieve an expanded facility. Staff therefore recommend approval of $475,000 to the Park Board's False Creek Community Centre capital project and further recommend that staff conclude a community consultation process for report back with recommendations for the allocation of the balance of the funds within the neighbourhood.
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