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CITY OF VANCOUVER POLICY REPORT
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Date: |
August 25, 2004 | |||
Author: |
B. McAfee | |||
Phone No.: |
7699 | |||
RTS No.: |
04394 | |||
CC File No.: |
5305 | |||
Meeting Date: |
September 14, 2004 | |||
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
Director of Current Planning |
SUBJECT: |
Text Amendment - CD-1 Rezoning - 1475 Howe Street |
RECOMMENDATION
THAT, following enactment of the CD-1 By-law for 1475 Howe Street, currently approved in principle, the Director of Current Planning be instructed to make application to amend the By-law to include standard floor area exclusions and other minor changes, generally in accordance with Appendix A, and that the application be referred to a Public Hearing and be approved.
FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary amending by-law for consideration at the Public Hearing.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
There are no relevant Council Policies.
PURPOSE
This report recommends amendments to a CD-1 By-law for 1475 Howe Street which has been approved at Public Hearing but is not yet enacted. The amendments would correct inadvertent omissions and provide clarification on floor area exclusions and permitted height which would enable the development and building applications to be processed according to the intent of the rezoning application and the posted drawings. This matter can only be dealt with by Council at a Public Hearing after the original CD-1 By-law is enacted.
DISCUSSION
At the Public Hearing on April 20, 2004 Council approved in principle the rezoning of 1475 Howe Street from False Creek Comprehensive District (FCCDD) to Comprehensive Development District (CD-1) to permit a large scale residential and live-work development. The applicant is in the process of meeting the prior-to conditions in order that enactment of the CD-1 By-law can take place.
During the assessment of revised drawings, staff discovered that the By-law posted at Public Hearing does not contain standard floor space ratio exclusion clauses common to many zoning district schedules and other CD-1 By-laws. These omissions were inadvertent and should be corrected, in order that development and building applications can be processed in the normal manner.
The CD-1 By-law permits covered walkways that provide weather protection at the ground level to be excluded from the computation of floor space ratio. Staff recommend that this provision not be limited to just ground level, to permit similar walkways at the third level.
The CD-1 By-law permits a maximum height of 91.4 m (300 ft.), measured from base surface, or 30 storeys. It has been determined that because of the slope of the site, the building is technically 31 storeys, within the maximum 91.4 m. Staff recommend deleting the reference to maximum storeys while retaining the maximum height from base surface as the appropriate measurement.
CONCLUSION
The proposed amendments to a CD-1 By-law approved in principle for 1475 Howe Street will provide standard floor area exclusion clauses plus an amended exclusion clause, along with an amended height clause, to enable issuance of permits according to the intent of the rezoning application illustrated at the Public Hearing. It is recommended that the Director of Current Planning be instructed to make application to amend the By-law, once it is enacted, and that the application be referred to Public Hearing and be approved.
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APPENDIX A
Page 1 of 1
DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO A CD-1 BY-LAW FOR 1475 HOWE STREET
Note: A By-law will be prepared generally in accordance with the provisions listed below, subject to change and refinement prior to posting.
Section 5 Density
- add a clause providing for floor area exclusions for social and recreational amenity areas;
- add a clause deeming general office live-work to be a residential use for purposes of floor area exclusions;
- revise clause 5.2.(e) to delete the "ground level" requirement for exterior walkways and corridors providing weather protection to be excluded from floor area calculations;
- add a clause stating that excluded floor area cannot be used for any use other than that granted by the exclusion; and
- renumber the existing clauses.
Section 6 Height
- amended clause 6.1 to delete the maximum limit of 30 storeys (retain maximum height of 91.4 m above the base surface).
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