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CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
November 7, 2003 | |
Author: |
Celine Mauboules and Nathan Edelson | |
Phone No.: |
6198/7444 | |
RTS No.: |
03747 | |
CC File No.: |
113/4656 | |
Meeting Date: |
November 18, 2003 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
Director of Current Planning in consultation with Director of Legal Services |
SUBJECT: |
Single Room Accommodation By-law: Application to Exempt all 110 SRA rooms at 1176 Granville Street (Howard Johnson Hotel) |
RECOMMENDATION
That Council grant an exemption from the Single Room Accommodation By-law of all 110 designated rooms at 1176 Granville Street (Howard Johnson).
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
The Single Room Accommodation By-law regulates the conversion or demolition of designated rooms. Owners of designated rooms may apply for an exemption from the By-law under the following exemption conditions:
(a) a permanent resident does not occupy or customarily occupy the room as living accommodation;
(b) the room is not in a building or portion of a building classified under the Assessment Act and its regulations as Class 1 - residential; and
(c) the room is in a building or portion of a building in respect of which the owner has an obligation to pay or remit hotel room tax under the Hotel Room Tax Act and its regulations.
Council must grant the exemption if it is satisfied that the designated rooms meet the exemption conditions.
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
This report recommends that Council approve an application for exemption with respect to all 110 designated rooms at 1176 Granville Street (the "Howard Johnson") as the evidence shows that these rooms meet the exemption conditions, and that, on the By-law enactment date, and since then, their sole use has been for transient guests as defined in the By-law.
BACKGROUND
On October 21, 2003, Council enacted the By-law to regulate the conversion or demolition of single room accommodation, and, for that purpose, designated 9,482 rooms in 198 buildings in the downtown core. The By-law provides for exemptions subject to the production of evidence, satisfactory to Council, that the designated rooms meet the exemption conditions.
DISCUSSION
Staff have met with the General Manager of the Howard Johnson, and have collected the necessary evidence to recommend the exemption of rooms in this hotel. (See Appendix A for evidence in support of the application for exemption and for more information about the Howard Johnson.)
Staff believes that rooms in the Howard Johnson clearly meet the exemption conditions, and the Howard Johnson owner has submitted to staff evidence that:
(a) the classification for the Howard Johnson under the Assessment Act and its regulations is 100% Class 6 - commercial/retail;
(b) the Howard Johnson is subject to and pays the hotel room tax under the Hotel Room Tax Act and its regulations; and
(c) on the By-law enactment date and since then, permanent residents, as defined in the By-law, have not occupied or customarily occupied rooms in the Howard Johnson as living accommodation.
The General Manager of the Howard Johnson has also satisfied staff that:
(a) the Howard Johnson (formerly the Hotel California) converted to accommodation for transient guests (primarily tourists) in 1997;
(b) the Howard Johnson offers rooms that include colour, cable TV and an "in house" movie channel, coffee and tea, air conditioning, hair dryers and electronic locks;
(c) the price of a room/day ranges from an average of $69.00 to $209.00 (low to high season);
(d) the Howard Johnson also offers junior and one bedroom suites that include microwave and refrigerator, internet access, king size bed, couch, and other amenities that are targeted to the hotel's corporate clientele; and
(e) for the third year the Howard Johnson has won the Howard Johnson President's Award for Excellence and Image. This award recognizes hotels that exemplify excellence in quality, staff training and performance, service to guests and community involvement. The Howard Johnson employs almost 40 staff and during the summer months the hotel operates at capacity.
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