CITY OF VANCOUVER

POLICY REPORT
URBAN STRUCTURE

 

Date:

June 7, 2004

 

Author:

P. Mondor/
J. Barrett

 

Phone No.:

604-873-7727/
604-873-7449

 

RTS No.:

04262

 

CC File No.:

2608

 

Meeting Date:

July 8, 2004

TO:

Standing Committee of Council on Planning and Environment

FROM:

Director of Current Planning

SUBJECT:

550 Pacific Street, Development Application DE408264

RECOMMENDATION

CONSIDERATION

As an alternative to A, the following is presented for Council CONSIDERATION:

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services recommends approval of A but puts forward B for consideration as an alternative to A.

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The City Manager recommends approval of A but puts forward B for consideration as an alternative to A.

COUNCIL POLICY

BACKGROUND

Development Application History

The original application for this site, submitted in March 2002 (DE406577), sought approval for a 23-storey tower. (See map diagram of site and adjacent development in Appendix C)

The proposed height of 66.6 m (218.5 ft.) was well within the applicable regulations:

The total number of storeys (23) proposed was also consistent with the Neighbourhood Guidelines, and the False Creek North Official Development Plan (Figure 12C Maximum Tower Heights), both of which anticipated a 23-storey tower on this site.

However there was not enough undeveloped floor area remaining in this part of the neighbourhood, as governed by the CD-1 By-law, to approve the project as proposed. The shortfall was approximately 557.4 m2 (6,000 sq. ft.).

On June 6, 2002, the Director of Planning approved the application, subject to a condition that the floor area be reduced to be within the floor area maximum specified in the by-law, and subject to Council approving the final form of development. The floor area was reduced by deleting one typical storey, and Council approved the form of development on June 11, 2002. A development permit for a 22-storey tower, 63.7 m (210 ft.) in height, was issued on February 5, 2003.

Recent By-law Amendments

At the Public Hearing of May 28, 2003, Council approved that the CD-1 By-laws for Area 1A and 1B of Beach Neighbourhood be combined into one and that the maximum residential floor area be increased by 7 432 m2 (80,000 sq. ft.) through a transfer from Area 6A (Coopers' Park Neighbourhood immediately east of Cambie Bridge).

Council also clarified its expectations regarding building height implications of this additional floor area, namely that market buildings would be built at or less than the height specified either in the approved neighbourhood guidelines (for unapproved buildings) or the approved development permits (for approved buildings).

New Development Application

On February 10, 2004 a new development application (DE408264) for 550 Pacific Street was submitted. It proposes the addition of one typical floor to the already-approved 22-storey tower, for a total of 23 storeys and a height of 66.6 m (218.5 ft.).

PURPOSE

This report recommends that City Council endorse consideration of an additional storey which is proposed in a development application submitted by Hancock Bruckner Eng & Wright, on behalf of Pacific Place Developments Corp., for a previously-approved 22-storey building at 550 Pacific Street, on the basis that the additional height will not be higher than the maximum height specified in the CD-1 By-law and in the illustrative form of development.

DISCUSSION

Introduction

The resolution adopted by City Council at the Public Hearing of May 28, 2003, in response to neighbours' concerns about potentially higher buildings, requires that any development application which seeks extra height be brought forward for Council consideration before staff review.

The development application DE408264 proposes a height consistent with the zoning and guidelines but is one storey greater than previously approved. For Council consideration is the basic proposition that an additional storey on the approved 22-storey building at 550 Pacific Street would appropriately reflect the overall Beach Neighbourhood development scheme as it was originally approved.

Context

Encompassing about five city blocks (15.4 ha of land and water), Beach Neighbourhood is intended to be a prime residential neighbourhood providing housing consistent with livability, environmental, and household and income mix City objectives, particularly for families with children. Development of this neighbourhood is intended to achieve a high quality of urban design and architecture. It is focussed around a formal urban park (George Wainborn Park), where a major feature will provide a focal point at the foot of Richards Street. Fourteen mid- high-rise buildings are anticipated, ranging in height from 10 storeys to 38 storeys, the tallest being a landmark structure, now completed and occupied which is sited on the axis of Pacific Boulevard at its intersection with Homer Street. The lower levels of buildings are to be configured to reinforce the shapes of streets and open spaces. Pedestrian and cycling linkages to Beach Avenue are to be provided. (See approved illustrative form of development and building heights in Appendix B.)

Over the last four years, Pacific Place Developments Corp. has obtained development permits for most of the buildings anticipated in Beach Neighbourhood. In so doing, the developer was able to cumulatively realize slightly more floor area within the approved overall development scheme than was anticipated. This was possible because buildings illustrated in overall development schemes are reflected in terms of building footprints and number of storeys and height, providing building "envelopes" offering some room for flexibility in detailed design development and thereby also provide some margin for varying the amount of floor area. Essentially, the permitted building envelopes allowed consumption of more floor area potential than initially anticipated.

Several factors in Beach Neighbourhood have specifically led to slightly more residential floor area being proposed and approved than was originally anticipated:

a) Topography - Being the first neighbourhood in False Creek North having such a substantial slope (an elevation change of 10.5 m (34.4 ft.) from Pacific Street to the water), has enabled an additional floor in some buildings, while remaining within the approved building envelopes and maximum building heights.
b) Safety and Security - Amendments to the Beach Neighbourhood Guidelines required the inclusion of more townhouses to provide more ground-oriented family housing, more streetwall massing and a more substantial base to some of the proposed towers so as to increase neighbourhood livability through more "eyes and ears on the street".
c) Design Refinement and Housing Demand - In response to consumer demand, adjustments were made to the mix of dwelling types and sizes, resulting in changes to floor lay-outs and some slight enlargement in some building footprints and floorplates. Also, reduction of some floor-to-floor heights has enabled an additional storey to be provided in some buildings, particularly the taller ones, while remaining within the maximum building heights.
d) Livability - The provision of larger outdoor balconies in some buildings, exceeding the 8 percent floor space ratio exclusion for open and enclosed balconies, has increased the total floor area.

As a result, about 3 percent more residential floor area was approved and developed in the earlier phases than was anticipated, and an insufficient amount remained to complete the Beach Neighbourhood development as originally intended. Subsequently, an additional 7 432 m² (80,000 sq. ft.) of floor area was determined to be sufficient to complete the overall development scheme within the originally envisaged building envelopes, with no impact on views and shadowing, which are of principal concern to neighbours and also the general public, and also with no noticeable impact on services and amenities. Rezoning application was submitted for this purpose and at Public Hearing in May, 2003, Council approved the recommended density transfer from Area 6A.

Present Circumstance

The new development application submitted in February, 2004 proposes to add floor area of approximately 560 m2 (or 6,000 sq. ft.) to the already-approved 22-storey tower at 550 Pacific Street, by adding a typical floor for a total of 23 storeys as initially intended.

As described earlier, a floor area shortfall was the only reason that a 22-storey building was previously approved on this site rather than a 23-storey building. The 23-storey building proposed in the 2002 application was fully assessed by staff in terms of the approved overall form of development for Beach Neighbourhood, approved neighbourhood guidelines, and the usual urban design, livability, servicing and related considerations. This assessment included detailed review of view and shadowing impacts. Save for the overall floor area shortfall, the application was fully supported by staff and at Urban Design Panel review.

As a result of the transfer of density to Beach Neighbourhood from Area 6A approved in May, 2003, it is now possible for the Development Permit Board to consider the proposed tower floor area and height which was not possible to do in June, 2002. Staff have done an initial preliminary assessment of the urban design and livability implications of a 23-storey building as compared to a building of 22 storeys, and they are satisfied it reflects the overall form of development which was initially approved and in a way that responds to the neighbourhood guidelines and to City objectives for new development in False Creek North.

Pending City Council advice on the application, staff have not undertaken the more comprehensive analysis regarding Parking By-law requirements, servicing implications, and related matters as would normally be completed prior to preparing a recommendation for the Development Permit Board.

NEIGHBOURHOOD NOTIFICATION

On March 8, 2004, Staff mailed a notice of the application to 427 property owners in the area, and Pacific Place Developments Corp. mailed 491 copies of the same notice to pre-purchasers in the Beach Neighbourhood.

A public information meeting was held by City staff on April 29, 2004 to describe the application and the policy background. The applicant and eleven neighbours, many of whom were pre-purchasers in adjacent buildings, attended.

A total of twelve people responded in writing to the application, 9 opposed and 3 in support. In summary, neighbours and pre-purchasers are concerned about increased building height and density, and the impact of these on private views.

In summary, neighbours were concerned that:

Regarding these concerns, staff note that a representative of Pacific Place Developments Corp. at the April public information meeting advised that it always intended to seek floor area to complete this project at 23 storeys, as envisioned in the zoning and guidelines.

Detailed comments and staff response are attached in Appendix D.

NEXT STEPS

If Council approves that the proposed additional storey be considered (RECOMMENDATION A), staff will complete their assessment of the application, and then prepare a recommendation to the Development Permit Board. If the Board approves the application, it will be reported to Council for approval of the revised form of development, prior to permit issuance.

If Council approves CONSIDERATION B, which is offered as an alternative to A, to not support consideration of the extra height which is proposed, it is anticipated the development application would be withdrawn, failing which it would be refused by the Director of Planning.

APPLICANT COMMENTS

The applicant has been given a copy of this report for review and comments as follows:

"Beach Neighbourhood West was rezoned in 1999 at which time the approved form of development for 550 Pacific Street was set at 23-stories and 68 m.  With this application we are only seeking approval to build the form of development for 550 Pacific Street as originally intended. Regarding concerns expressed by some neighbours and pre-purchasers, we have always disclosed 550 Pacific Street as being a 23-storey (68m) building in height, and have included such information in our marketing and presentation materials and on our site display models. We have reviewed a copy of this report and agree with the contents and specifically the report's recommendations."

CONCLUSION

There is Council policy in Beach Neighbourhood that staff bring forward for Council advice any development application that seeks more height than previously approved. That is the case with development application DE408264 for 550 Pacific which proposes to add one storey to a previously-approved 22-storey building. This is within the zoning allowance and guideline specifications and a preliminary review suggests it will have little impact.

* * * * *

Illustrative Form of Development for Beach Neighbourhood
Excerpt 3-D illustration from plans posted at Public hearing of April 29, 1999 and approved


Illustrative Form of Development for Beach Neighbourhood
Excerpt Figure 22 showing "Building Height (Feet and Metres)"

Beach Neighbourhood CD-1 Guidelines (Adopted by Council October 21 1999 and amended May 28 2002)

Shown is the site at 550 Pacific Street in Precinct 5.

Figure 1

Site and significant adjacent development

(k) 583 Beach Avenue (Tower 1M); DE 406178, issued

(m) building 1T (future non-market housing)
(n) 628 Kinghorne Mews (building P); DE 408001 approved

DETAILED SUMMARY OF NEIGHBOURHOOD NOTIFICATION AND STAFF RESPONSE

On March 8, 2004, Staff mailed a notice of the application to 427 property owners in the area, and Pacific Place Developments Corp. mailed 491 copies of the same notice to pre-purchasers in the Beach Neighbourhood. Staff hosted a public information meeting on April 29, 2004 to describe the new application and the policy background. The applicant and eleven neighbours, many of whom were pre-purchasers in adjacent buildings, attended.

A total of twelve people responded in writing to the application, 9 opposed and 3 in support.
Neighbours' written and verbal comments, and the staff response to these comments, are summarized below:

1. Neighbours' Comment

Staff Response

Staff Comment

Staff Response

Will the applicant be seeking higher buildings on its remaining market sites?

Staff Response

Staff Response

Staff Comment

Staff Response

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© 2002 City of Vancouver