Vancouver City Council

CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

	Date:	November 19, 2003
	Author:	Terry Brunette
	Phone No.:	604.871.6467
	RTS No.:	03799
	CC File No.:	1401-61
	Meeting Date:	2003-12-10

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Current Planning
SUBJECT:	Heritage Revitalization Agreement & Designation - 511 Union Street

A. THAT Council authorize the Director of Legal Services to enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement for the property at 511 Union Street to:

· secure the rehabilitation, protection and on-going maintenance of the existing "B" category Vancouver Heritage Register heritage house; and,
· vary the RT-3 District Schedule of the Zoning and Development By-law in the following manner as described within Development Permit Application DE407182 to:

i. increase the maximum conditional floor space from 0.75 permitted to 1.49 existing;
ii. increase the maximum site coverage from 45% permitted to 64% proposed;
iii. increase the proposed density from two multiple conversion dwelling units permitted to four multiple conversion dwelling units proposed;
iv. make lawful the existing non-conformities in the east and rear yards; and,
v. make the proposed four unit dwelling an outright rather than conditional us;

B. THAT Council approve a Single Room Accommodation (SRA) Permit to convert 8 SRA rooms to 4 self-contained dwelling units greater than 320 square feet at 511 Union Street on the condition that the owner enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement as set out in Recommendation A;

C. THAT Council approve a contribution of $20,000.00 to the Affordable Housing Fund from the owner of 511 Union Street;

D. THAT Council by by-law designate the exterior at 511 Union Street as municipally Protected Heritage Property;

E. THAT the Director of Legal Services bring forth the by-law to authorize the Heritage Revitalization Agreement but not sign the agreement until the contribution noted above in Recommendation "C" has been made and until confirmation that a strata conversion application has been approved in principle by the Approving Officer; and,

F. THAT the Director of Legal Services bring forth the by-law to designate as municipally Protected Heritage Property the exterior of the heritage house.

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A, B, C, D, E and F.

COUNCIL POLICY

Heritage: Council's Heritage Policies and Guidelines state that buildings "identified in the Vancouver Heritage Register have heritage significance" and that "the City's long-term goal is to protect through voluntary designation as many resources on the Vancouver Heritage Register as possible." Council's policy on heritage designation states, in part, that "legal designation will be a prerequisite to accepting certain relaxations and incentives".

Single Room Accommodation By-law: On October 21, 2003, Council enacted the Single Room Accommodation By-law to regulate the conversion and demolition of single room accommodation. The By-law requires Council approval for the conversion or demolition of single room accommodation. The By-law also allows Council to attach conditions to the approval of a permit to convert or demolish single room accommodation.

Strata Conversion: Council's "Strata Title and Cooperative Conversion Guidelines" state that City Council is the approving authority for applications involving previously occupied residential buildings with six or more dwelling units. Council has delegated its approval authority to the Approving Officer for previously occupied residential buildings containing less than six dwelling units. These Guidelines also specify two requirements in that at least two-thirds (2/3) of the households occupying the building must have given their written consent to the conversion; and, the interest of all tenants must have been adequately respected in the conversion. By way of documentation, the application procedure requires a notarized declaration stating that each tenant has received written notice of conversion, number of units occupied, conspicuous posting of notices and prospective sale prices. Upon receipt of an application, staff send information brochures to tenants and provide the applicant with response forms to be completed by the tenants. An applicant must secure any required permits before submitting a conversion application.

Note: This latter guideline provision will be the subject of a future policy report to Council as the delay in strata conversion application submission can pose unnecessary problems in setting up sequential application processing.

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council approval to make the heritage house' existing nonconformities (including floor area) outright, and exempt SRA reserve fund fees at 511 Union Street in exchange for the rehabilitation and long-term protection of the heritage house through a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) and heritage designation. The owner intends to submit an application to convert the units to strata title ownership, which can be considered by the Approving Officer, as only four dwelling units are proposed.

BACKGROUND & SUMMARY

The site is located at 511 Union Street in the RT-3 Zoning District. (See Appendix A: Site Map.) The parcel is 7.62 m (25.0 ft.) wide by 37.3 m (122.36 ft.) deep with an area of 284.23 m² (3059.0 sq. ft.). The existing building consists of a house built in 1890-91 and a substantial rear addition built in 1921-22. It contains a total of eight sleeping rooms.

The heritage house will be rehabilitated to provide four strata units with a slight reduction in existing floor space. (See Appendix B: Site Plan.) The applicant wishes to enter into the recommended Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) and designation with the City to make application to relax and to vary the zoning so the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of the heritage building can occur. RT-3 zoning provisions to be varied include floor space ratio, site area, site coverage, side and rear yards, frontage and proposed density. The applicant will be required to make an application to the Director of Planning to relax the Parking By-law as part of this proposal.

DISCUSSION

Heritage Value: The heritage building at 511 Union Street is listed in the "B" category of the Vancouver Heritage Register. The original house (constructed in 1890-91) was a single-family residence then boarding house. The substantial addition to the rear (constructed 1921-22) was a series of sleeping rooms for Chinese working men. The simple design of both house and addition is representative of two generations of purpose-built working-class housing of the era. The more "architectural" Union Street elevation is articulated by octagonal shingling, moulded window/door trims, and diagonally-boarded transom panels. The addition is very utilitarian in design as exhibited by square-edge gable shingle, absence of ornamental detail, uniform wood siding, and functional disposition of windows. The heritage building is in near-original condition and possesses a high degree of integrity.

Conservation Approach: The rehabilitation program will respect the evolution of the building by retaining both house and extension in their original massing, configuration and location. Rehabilitation of the primary 1890 heritage house will restore significant architectural features which are still intact, and repair or replicate significant character defining elements which have been damaged or removed. The rooming house addition will be adapted to its new use with only limited modifications to accommodate new spatial and livability needs. Original wood-frame/wood-sash windows will be retained, and horizontal wood siding repaired. Landscaping will be used to enhance the street frontage, rear open space and side-yard entry configuration. Staff are only seeking protection of the exterior through designation and are not seeking protection of any interior elements of the building.

Compatibility of Conservation with Community Planning Objectives: The intent of the RT-3 District Schedule of the Zoning and Development By-law is to encourage the retention of neighbourhood and streetscape character, particularly through the retention, renovation and restoration of existing character buildings.

Furthermore, the Strathcona/Kiwassa RT-3 Guidelines identify 511 Union Street as a heritage house located within an "A" Streetscape defined by the Guidelines. The proposal to retain, rehabilitate and protect this building thus fulfils the intent of the zoning.

Compatibility With Land Use Regulations:

Table of RT-3 District Schedule Provisions To Be Varied By The Proposed HRA:

Regulation	Required Minimum or Permitted Maximum	Proposed Variation
minimum site area for multiple dwelling *	510 m² ( 5,489.6 sq ft)	284.19 m² (3,059.0 sq ft)
side yard - east minimum depth *	0.76 m (2.5 ft)	0.27 m (0.70 ft)
rear yard minimum depth *	5.15 m (16.90 ft)	1.84 m (6.04 ft)
maximum floor space ratio for multiple dwelling and multiple conversion dwelling *	0.60 but may be increased to 0.75	1.49
maximum site coverage *	45 percent	64 percent
density	2 dwelling units	4 dwelling units

* Note: Existing non-conformity. No additional area has been added to the building.

It is also proposed to vary the RT-3 District Schedule to make this house an outright use rather than conditional. This is important because of the obligation to replicate the house following damage or destruction and because each strata unit will likely be separately owned. Each of the four owners (and their insurance company) will want the firm assurance that the four strata units can be rebuilt.

Parking Relaxation: The Parking By-law requires four parking stalls for automobiles and five stalls for bicycles for the proposed development. The Director of Planning may relax the by-law provisions for applications proposing to conserve a heritage building. A full relaxation of the required parking is requested. The Director of Planning is prepared to relax the parking if Council supports the requisite Heritage Revitalization Agreement and designation.

Condition of the Properties & Economic Viability of the Conservation: The exterior cladding, trim and most details of the heritage house are free of rot and other deterioration. These character defining elements will be retained and re-installed wherever possible. The building will be upgraded to meet Vancouver Building By-law requirements. The owner is prepared to accept the HRA as fair compensation for designation and the HRA obligations, and will waive future claims for compensation.

Single Room Accommodation By-law: The applicant is seeking a Single Room Accommodation Permit to convert 8 SRA rooms into 4 self-contained dwelling units greater than 320 square feet. Staff recommend that Council approve the SRA Permit.

As outlined in the Charter, Council is required to consider a number of factors in deciding whether or not to grant an SRA Permit. These factors include the supply of low-cost accommodation, the quality of the stock, the future availability of the stock and other factors Council considers relevant including, but not limited to, significant public benefits such as heritage conservation.

According to the Housing Centre's "2003 Survey of Low-Income Housing in the Downtown Core", between January 1991 and March 2003, the creation of replacement housing geared to low-income singles in the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, Gastown and Strathcona (sub-area in which 511 Union is located) has kept pace with the loss of SRA rooms. With respect to the quality of the stock, like many rooming houses built in the early 20^th century, the rooms require upgrading. Four of the eight rooms are occupied and the owner is assisting tenants in finding replacement housing.

511 Union Street is a small project and the owner has indicated that the retention of the existing SRA rooms is not economical or practical. The owner has agreed to make a contribution of $20,000.00 to the Affordable Housing Fund to assist Council in meeting its objective of constructing new replacement housing and to purchase or rehabilitate existing SRA's.

As the number of SRA rooms that will be lost is small (eight) and the owner has agreed to enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement that will secure the rehabilitation, protection, and on-going maintenance of this "B" category Vancouver Heritage Register heritage house, staff recommend Council approve the SRA Permit.

Strata Conversion: The applicant proposes to strata title the four units in the completed project, as the sale of the units is required for the project to be viable. As the building has been used for residential purposes, the approval of the City is required, which has been delegated to the City's Approving Officer for strata conversions of this nature (i.e. less than six units). An application has not yet been submitted for the required Strata Conversion, as the City's Strata Title and Conversion Guidelines require that the applicant obtain any necessary permits before submitting a strata conversion application. Following the public hearing for the HRA, the applicant will apply to stratify and the City's Approving Officer will send the building's tenants the information package related to Strata Conversion with a response to be sought two weeks following. The tenants have already written letters supporting the stratification and the applicant does not envision any issues related to stratification. A condition of the HRA is the approval in principle of the stratification by the Approving Officer. Unless problems with the stratification emerge, enactment of the HRA is likely this coming January.

Neighbourhood Notification: Letters of notification were sent to fifty-two property owners in the immediate neighbourhood on October 7, 2003. Six letters of support were received in reply including the Strathcona Residents' Association.

Comments of the Vancouver Heritage Commission: The Vancouver Heritage Commission reviewed and supported the proposal and requested variances on September 8, 2003.

CONCLUSION

The proposal fulfils Council's long-term policy to protect heritage resources through voluntary designation. The requested zoning variances will make the heritage conservation economically viable. Therefore it is recommended that Council endorse the requisite HRA and designate by by-law 511 Union Street as municipally Protected Heritage Property.

To address the issue of SRA loss in a heritage retention context, the owner is prepared to make a contribution of $20,000 to the Affordable Housing Fund. Staff recommend that signing of the HRA by the Director of Legal Services be subject to the receipt of these funds and the Approving Officer's approval of the strata conversion.

LINK TO APPENDICES A, B and C

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