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CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
January 26, 2004 | |
Author: |
Celine Mauboules & Catherine Wong | |
Phone No.: |
6198/7975 | |
RTS No.: |
03932 | |
CC File No.: |
113/4656 | |
Meeting Date: |
February 10, 2004 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
The Director of Current Planning in consultation with the Director of the Housing Centre and the Director of Legal Services |
SUBJECT: |
Single Room Accommodation By-law: Application to exempt all 67 SRA rooms at 1018 Granville Street (Global Village Backpackers) |
RECOMMENDATION
That Council grant an exemption from the Single Room Accommodation By-law of all 67 designated rooms at 1018 Granville Street (Global Village Backpackers).
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 67 designated rooms at 1018 Granville Street (the "Global Village Backpackers") as the evidence shows that these rooms meet the exemption conditions as set out in the Single Room Accommodation By-law.
BACKGROUND
On October 21, 2003, Council enacted the By-law to regulate the conversion or demolition of single room accommodation. 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 conducted a site visit, met with both the vice-president of Global Village Backpackers and the property owner of 1018 Granville on separate occasions, and collected the necessary evidence to recommend the exemption of rooms in this hostel. (See Appendix A for evidence in support of the application for exemption.)
Staff believes that the rooms in the Global Village Backpackers clearly meet the exemption conditions, and the owner has submitted to staff evidence that:
(a) the classification for the Global Village Backpackers under the Assessment Act and its regulations is 100% Class 6 - commercial/retail;
(b) the Global Village Backpackers 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 Global Village Backpackers as living accommodation.
Staff met with the operator of the Global Village Backpackers and observed the following:
· the Global Village Backpackers (formerly known as the Glenaird Hotel) converted to accommodation for transient guests (tourists) in 1997.
· they rent out private rooms for two on a daily basis at rates ranging between $50 to $65 per room (low to high season).
· they also offer quad rooms (up to 4 beds in a room), where guests can rent a bed at a daily rate ranging between $20 to $25 per bed, or a weekly rate between $120 to $130 per bed (low to high season).
· the Global Village Backpackers also offer 2-night package deals to tourists which include two nights accommodation in a shared quad room, breakfast, airport transfer to hotel, and a City tour.
· other services offered include bed-and-breakfast, laundry facilities, kitchen, internet access, games area and lockers.
· the Global Village Backpackers have a policy of renting to guests 19-years-of-age and older. Their main demographic is youths between 19 and 24.
· the Global Village Backpackers only provide accommodation to non-local guests, who are required to provide valid identification.
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