CITY OF VANCOUVER

POLICY REPORT
DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING

 

Date:

March 30, 2004

 

Author:

Tom Phipps

 

Phone No.:

871-6604

 

RTS No.:

04099

 

CC File No.:

5308

 

Meeting Date:

April 22, 2004

TO:

Standing Committee on Planning and Environment

FROM:

Director of Current Planning

SUBJECT:

Vancouver General Hospital Implementation Cost Recovery Program

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAER'S COMMENTS

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

COUNCIL POLICY

City-Wide CAC Policy
Cost Recovery Policy
Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) Precinct Policy Statement

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

In preparing a Preliminary Development Application (PDP) to set the stage for subsequent project specific Development Permits, it has become clear that several text amendments would be needed to accommodate changes in a number of the proposed developments. Changes proposed to date are not fundamental in direction but were not anticipated at the time of the rezoning.

This report recommends a brief cost recovered planning program to provide resources to assist VGH in defining appropriate text amendments and subsequently processing these applications. These resources would also account for necessary public process.

Although cost recovery programs are commonly recommended where a policy development stage is needed, a Council approved Policy Statement already provides that framework. In this case, staff will advise VGH on maintaining consistency with that document while formulating more specific development proposals than had been contemplated at the time of the principal rezoning. This process would address questions regarding proposed residential redevelopment of the Nurses' Residence, an underground power plant and, potentially, aspects of the medical technology buildings planned for 10th Avenue.

BACKGROUND

The VGH Precinct Policy Statement was approved by Council in June 2000. Guided by that Policy Statement, Council In December 2001 approved a CD-1 Text Amendment to increase floor space potential and introduce medical technology, residential and some commercial uses into the VGH CD-1 District.

A requirement of that rezoning was that VGH would submit a Preliminary Development Application (PDP) to resolve further detail for the area of medical technology development adjacent to the principal open space. Preparations for submission for that PDP and the development application which will follow, have identified the proposed changes which would require text amendments.

The principal changes identified in preliminary discussions include:

· replacement of a medical technology building on the west side of Willow Street south of 12th Avenue (adjoining the parkade) with an underground power plant supplying steam on site and to Women's and Children's Hospital which requires a larger site;
· A height increase for new development as a component of a partial recycling of the Nurses Residence (12th and Heather) for residential use;
· A sub-area expansion and possible height amendments for a Spinal Cord research building at 10th Avenue and Willow Street; and
· A possible height increase for a second medical technology building at 10th and Heather Street.

The proposed Academic Ambulatory Care Centre (AACC) is not one of the subjects of this process. As a hospital use with previously approved development potential in the existing zoning, it received a development permit in 1991 (subsequently withdrawn) which did not require text amendments.

DISCUSSION

Although there appears to be a need for several separate text amendments, potentially initiated by separate applicants, it would be most efficient to have the same staff process these in parallel. This approach would ensure that consistency is maintained in dealing with the complex inter-related provisions of the CD-1 By Law in relation to the guiding structure of the Policy Statement. Separate applications could be scoped together, submitted at the same time and managed by the same staff. However, if complexities on some amendments required more time than others, these would not necessarily be referred to Public Hearing at the same time. This approach could allow simpler, readily supportable amendments to proceed, avoiding any delay associated with more complex amendments. The process would be staged as shown in Appendix A.

Program Staffing: To provide VGH with advice in preparing CD-1 text amendments and priority in processing these amendments through the rezoning process, a dedicated staff team is recommended, as described in Appendix B to include a policy and rezoning planner, urban design and engineering resources and public process resources for a limited timeframe, estimated to be adequate for the anticipated level of complexity involved.

As all aspects of the text amendments are not yet known it is possible that additional fees could be needed, if significant additional complexity or issues are identified. If such a situation arises staff will report back for Council direction.

Rezoning Fees: The fees for this program are based on estimates of actual costs of the work involved. These fees will cover the required rezoning fees. The fees required for rezoning of the sub-areas encompassed by the required Preliminary Development Application, which triggers the need for changes, is calculated to be approximately $117,000.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

A full cost recovery budget, based on initial discussions with the proponent, is currently estimated at $159,500, based on 2002 salaries as outlined in Appendix C. The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority agrees with and is prepared to fund this budget with full payment in May 2004 and acknowledges that fees will need to be upgraded to reflect new wage contracts at some date in 2004. Where non-government developers are involved, costs for individual developments will be apportioned by agreement between the Coastal Health Authority and the actual developer.

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONTRIBUTIONS

Previously approved community amenity contributions reflected in conditions of rezoning and legal agreements will continue to apply. Other public benefits resulting from previous development approvals also remain in effect.

As the proposed changes are currently understood, the amendments would not result in new development or floor area which would generate additional civic amenity needs. If such implications arise during the course of discussion, staff will report back for Council direction. Therefore it is not proposed that staff would negotiate new amenity requirements.

If changes are proposed in delivery of community amenities tied to the previous rezoning, these may be reported prior to rezoning referral reports for text amendments since these represent public benefits resulting from conditions of the previous rezoning and development approvals.

Development Cost Levies (DCL's): DCL's will apply to new development at the approved City-wide rate of $64.58 m 2 ($6.00 per sq. ft.) (daycare: $10 per facility)

PROPONENT'S COMMENTS

As we at VGH have worked through the Preliminary Development Application (PDP) for several of the proposed projects it has become apparent that several text amendments will be required in order to accommodate the changes originating from specific project proposals for some of the new sites. The rezoning was developed with generic buildings placed on the site and did not fully anticipate the specific uses and exact profiles of buildings proposed for the site.

VGH is willing to fund the costs of the additional staff time required to prepare the necessary text amendments and reasonable additional costs with the associated public process. Since the changes required are not expected to generate demand for additional public amenities or services, VGH does not anticipate a request for additional community amenity contributions. None of the proposed changes will add to the area proposed for the site, and in the case of the underground power plant the resulting building will provide an increased amenity to the public in the form of a large accessible plaza/open space.

The specific areas where changes are proposed include:

1. Underground Power Plant (Meditech 7 site)
2. Nurses Residence
3. Spinal Cord Research Centre (ICORD) (Meditech 2 site)
4. Meditech 1 site

CONCLUSION

VGH representatives and City staff have identified a need for several text amendments to the CD-1 zoning approved for the VGH Precinct in 2001. These amendments are not fundamental changes in direction but arise from more detailed planning of the intended uses provided for in that rezoning. To define amendments consistent with the Council approved Policy Statement which guided that rezoning, policy implementation is recommended as a brief cost recovery program, to include public process and processing of the text amendments through the rezoning process. This increased level of service will avoid timing problems and issues associated with the complexity of the by-law structure which would be anticipated without additional staff resources at the pre-rezoning stage.

The program stages are outlined in Appendix A, together with staff resources described in Appendix B and the estimated full cost recovery budget of $159,500 recommended in Appendix C targeted to completed text amendments by winter 2004.

* * * * *

APPENDIX A
PAGE OF 1

Scoping and Policy Review Recommendation Timetable

February / March Initial Meetings
Background Research
Dialogue on Process

March Initial Public Process
Commentary: on Issues, policy questions

April Draft Report
Report to Council

April/May Urban Design, Amenity Policy Review
Formulation of text amendment

MPSC Review (if necessary)

Refinements

May/June Submissions of Text Amendments

Rezoning Process

June Public Process

Urban Design Panel

July/August Technical Review/Revisions

September/October Draft Reports

Rezoning Referral Reports

October/December Public Hearings

APPENDIX B
PAGE OF 1

Program Resources

Staffing

Person Months Allocation

   

Core Team

  
   

Senior Planner

2.0

   

Project Planner

6.0

   

Planning Assistant

0.0

   

Technical Team

  
   

Projects Engineer

3.0

   

Urban Designer

3.0

   

Parks Planner

0.5

   

Solicitor

0.5

Q:\Clerical\Central Area\COUNCIL\VGH.Impl Policy.Cost Recovery Program.doc

APPENDIX C
PAGE OF 1

Vancouver General Hospital Implementation

 

Scoping/Policy Review

Rezonings

Enactments

       

Total Salaries Benefits

$27,712

$50,373

$13,116

       

Staffing

      
       

Core Team

      
       

Senior Planner

$7,597

$7,597

$0

       

Planner

$5,163

$20,654

$5,163

       

Technical Team

      
       

Urban Designer P II

$13,278

$6,639

$0

       

Civil Engineer II

$0

$13,810

$3,452

       

Park Planner

$1,674

$1,674

$0

       

Solicitor

$0

$0

$4,500

       
       

Total Process Cost

$0.

$32,784

$1,312

       

Public Consultation

      

Public Hearing

      

Consultancies

      

Supplies, Services

      

Contingency

      
       
       

Overhead Costs

$6,015

$25,049

$3,132

Office Space

      

Administrative

      
       
       

Phase Total

$33,728

$108,206

$17,560

Cumulative Budget

  

$141,933

$159,493

       
       
       

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