Vancouver City Council

POLICY REPORT
DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING

Date: August 26, 2004
Author/Local: A.Duncan/

D. Thomsett/7796

RTS No. 04409
CC File No. 5308
Meeting Date: September 14, 2004

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Current Planning
SUBJECT:	CD-1 Rezoning - 3704-3720 Welwyn Street

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT the application by Mosaic Avenue Lands to rezone 3704-3720 Welwyn Street (Lot G [Reference Plan 9464] and Lots 25 - 31, DL 744, Plan 4369; PID: 001588161, 001588110, 001588080, 001588039, 001587989, 001587920, 001587881, and 001587849) from RS-2 to CD-1, to permit 60 townhouse units at a floor space ratio of 1.2, be referred to a Public Hearing, together with:

(i) plans received May 7, 2004;
(ii) draft CD-1 By-law provisions, generally as presented in Appendix A; and
(iii) the recommendation of the Director of Current Planning to approve, subject to conditions contained in Appendix B;

FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary CD-1 By-law generally in accordance with Appendix A for consideration at Public Hearing.

B. THAT, subject to approval of the rezoning at a Public Hearing, the Noise By-law be amended as set out in Appendix C; and

FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to bring forward the amendment to the Noise By-law at the time of enactment of the Zoning By-law.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A and B.

COUNCIL POLICY

Relevant Council Policies for this site include:

Industrial Lands Strategy (July, 1994) and Industrial Lands Policies, adopted March 14, 1995;
Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies, adopted April 25, 1996;
Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Area - Implementation of Development Cost Levies, adopted January 6, 1998; and
Kensington Cedar Cottage Community Vision, adopted July 21, 1998.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report assesses an application to rezone eight parcels from RS-2 (One-Family Dwelling District) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development District) to permit development of 60 townhouse units at an overall density of 1.2 floor space ratio (FSR). The Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies support rezoning to this use and density.

Staff recommend that the application be referred to a Public Hearing and be approved with conditions.

DISCUSSION

Background: The MC-1 area was one of ten industrial areas across the city designated as "let-go". The Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies, approved in 1996, is the culmination of a planning program which reviewed the future of the MC-1/Welwyn Street area in Cedar Cottage, an area that was, and is intended to remain as mixed residential, commercial and industrial in nature. These policies were adopted by Council prior to the adoption in 1998 of the Kensington-Cedar Cottage Vision which is supportive of their direction.

The Welwyn Street area, bounded by East 20th Avenue on the north, Welwyn Street on the west, East 22nd Avenue on the south and the MC-1 area on the east, contains the vacant GVRD site (which was purchased by the City in 1996), the Telus Service Yard and three one-family dwellings. These three houses, which front onto 22nd Avenue, are located south of and separated from the subject site by the east-west lane north of 22nd Avenue and are not included in the proposed rezoning.

The planning polices call for the area to be redeveloped for family-suitable, ground-oriented dwellings which could be in the form of traditional townhouses, courtyard rowhouses, "pavilions" or one-family dwellings.

Use and Density: The proposed use is multiple dwellings in the form of strata-titled ground-oriented townhouses at a density of 1.2 FSR. The Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies call for family-suitable, ground-oriented residential in this area and supports both the use and density, including 2½ storey townhouses at a density between 1.0 and 1.2 FSR as one of the options that would be appropriate for this site.

Regarding affordability, the policies require that any increase in land value be recovered in increased affordability of units. However, in developing new housing types for the recent Kingsway and Knight Housing Area Plan, staff did extensive research on project economics, having both Real Estate Services staff do pro-formas and small scale developers review them from a "real world" perspective. This research found that the residual land value for 1.0 to 1.2 FSR townhouse projects is only marginally more than for single family development and so there is no significant land lift. The townhouse units proposed with this rezoning will be more affordable than new one-family dwellings because they are smaller in size and use land more efficiently.

Form of Development (Note Plans: Appendix E): The proposed form of development is sixty 2½ storey townhouses located in nine blocks containing between five and seven units per block. The nine blocks are oriented perpendicular to Welwyn Street and include three 11 m (36 ft.) wide private courtyards, with unit entrances from them, as well as one larger semi-private courtyard. This larger 14.8 m (48.7 ft.) wide courtyard will accommodate a pedestrian connection between 21st Avenue and Commercial Street as required by the CedarCottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies. These four courtyards at the Welwyn Street grade alternate with four 8.5 m (28 ft.) wide lower-level parking courts which provide access from the lane to garages within each unit. This difference in grade results in a retaining wall along the north-south lane elevation between the parking courts. It also increases the perceived height to 3 ½ storeys, as viewed from the lane.

The proposed style is traditional with features of a one-family dwelling such as individual front doors, private and/or semi-private yard space and floor plans that allow light on at least two sides and through ventilation. Steeply pitched roofs are proposed, the maximum heights of which in some cases range, due to the topography of the site, beyond 11 m (36 ft.) along the Welwyn frontage and 13.3 m (43.5 ft.) along the north-south lane.

The seven units along 20th Avenue are street facing. The applicant's intent is to give the appearance of nine 2½ storey homes along Welwyn Street, with the nine end units along Welwyn Street having a greater orientation to the street than those in the courtyards.

The existing Telus Mobility Tower, approximately 24.4 m (80 ft.) tall, will remain on site. It is proposed to be enclosed structurally to blend into the facade and to provide security and safety at its base. Access to the base of the tower would be through a garage door from the parking level. A Telus equipment room is proposed with access from the lane.

Urban Design Analysis: The site is very long and complicated by sloping topography. It presents a challenge, particularly with regard to height, to have entrances slightly above grade and while providing direct access from the lane to parking at a lower level. This is particularly challenging at the north and south ends of the site. The length and topography of the site has also resulted in some inconsistencies between drawings which will require design development at the development permit stage.

However, staff are generally supportive of the proposed form of development. The Urban Design Panel reviewed the application on May 12, 2004 and was also generally supportive of the proposed form of development and offered direction for further design development. The recommended design development conditions are intended to reinforce the Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies goal that the development consider the context and provide a sensitive transition between the MC-1 and RS-2 areas. The design development conditions will ensure better resolution of the site grades and ensure that the resulting 2-1/2 storey massing expression, especially on the north, west and south block faces, better responds to the site topography, the RS-2 context of the site and the envisioned transition. They will also ensure that the retaining wall along the north-south lane is softened with appropriate landscape treatment.

Parking: Since the lane elevations along the east side of the site are significantly lower than the Welwyn Street elevations, the applicant proposes garage access from the four parking courts approximately at the north-south lane grade, except for the southernmost block which will have garages accessed directly from the east-west lane. One secure, enclosed parking space within each townhouse is proposed and is supported at the density proposed although it is lower than the Parking By-law standard. Since the properties to the west of this site are double fronting, facing onto Maxwell Street, extra resident and guest parking can be accommodated on Welwyn Street.

Public Benefit and Development Cost Levies (DCL): The primary public benefit derived from this project is the pedestrian connection through the site between 21st Avenue and the lane, ultimately to complete a pedestrian route through to Commercial Street, in accordance with the Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies. The pedestrian connection will be fully accessible by the public and secured through a right-of-way registered in the Land Title Office.

The MC-1/ Welwyn Street area has an area-specific DCL policy adopted by Council on January 5, 1998. It is excluded from city-wide CACs but the DCL rate for residential use is $34.98/m² ($3.25 per sq. ft.), payable at the building permit stage.

Public Consultation: Planning staff held a public information meeting at Lord Selkirk School on April 28, 2004. Thirty-two people signed in and the majority expressed support for the project. Only two comment sheets were received, both of which were supportive although one respondent felt the overall unit count was too high.

In addition, the applicants met with the Kensington Cedar Cottage City Plan Committee on three occasions: October 2, 2003, March 4, 2004 and April 1, 2004. The committee was generally supportive and felt the proposed development would be a positive change for the neighbourhood. The applicant also met with local residents and gave a presentation at the Kensington Cedar Cottage Annual Community Meeting held on May 6, 2004, where the proposal was also well-received.

CONCLUSION

Planning staff conclude that the proposed townhouse development is consistent with the Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies. The Director of Current Planning therefore recommends that the application be referred to Public Hearing and approved along with design development and other conditions.

- - - - -

APPENDIX A

DRAFT CD-1 BY-LAW PROVISIONS

Note: A By-law will be prepared generally in accordance with the provisions listed below, subject to change and refinement prior to posting.

Use

· Multiple dwellings containing a maximum of 60 dwelling units.

Density

· Maximum floor space ratio of 1.2, based on calculation provisions of the RM-4 District Schedule.

Height

· A maximum height of 12.8 m (42 ft.) except the maximum height of the existing Telus communications tower will be the height of the tower on the date of enactment of the CD-1 By-law.

Setback

· A minimum setback of 1.8 m (5.75 ft.) from the south property line.

· A minimum setback of 2.3 m (7.6 ft.) from the east property line.

· A minimum setback of 2 m (6.5 ft.) from East 20th Avenue.

· A minimum setback of 1.8 m (6 ft.) from Welwyn Street.

· Provisions of Section 10.7 of the Zoning and Development By-law, Projections into Required Yards, apply except clause 10.7.1(c) will not apply so that balconies may not encroach into required setbacks.

Parking

· Per Parking By-law, except that parking is to be provided at a minimum rate of 1.0 space per dwelling unit and the relaxation and exemption provisions of the Vancouver Parking By-law are to be available.

Acoustics

· Per RM-4N District Schedule.

APPENDIX B

PROPOSED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL

Note: Recommended approval conditions will be prepared generally in accordance with the draft conditions listed below, subject to change and refinement prior to finalization of the agenda for the Public Hearing.

FORM OF DEVELOPMENT

(a) That the proposed form of development be approved by Council in principle, generally as prepared by Stuart Howard Architects Inc., and stamped "Received City Planning Department May 7, 2004", provided that the Director of Planning may allow minor alterations to this form of development when approving the detailed scheme of development as outlined in (b) below.

(b) That, prior to approval by Council of the form of development, the applicant shall obtain approval of a development application by the Director of Planning, who shall have particular regard to the following:

Design Development:

(1) Design development to the height of the buildings;

Note to applicant:
· Building elevations facing Welwyn Street, East 20th Avenue, and the east/west lane should maintain an approximate height of thirty five feet as measured from the adjacent grade elevations at the property line. Some allowance will be given for sloped site conditions. Consider stepping the building at the corners abutting to Welwyn so there is a continuous ridge height along Welwyn and the abutting corners.
· The buildings should maintain the visual sense of a two and a half storey expression as seen from the Welwyn Street, East 20th Avenue and the east/west lane. The top floor should be well integrated into the primary roof form.

(2) Design development to the south-west corner and south lane elevation to visually reduce the scale at Welwyn Street and height along the south face of the building along the lane;

Note to applicant: The south-west corner will need a site-specific solution to accomplish a scale and height consistent with the rest of the development, asviewed from Welwyn Street, and the relationship to the three properties south of the lane needs further consideration in terms of overlook and outlook.

(3) Design development to ensure the development responds better to site topography and the site's RS-2 context within the height provisions of the draft CD-1 by-law;

Note to applicant: The development seems to sit higher on the site than should be necessary and the overall height should be viewed as a transition from MC-1 to the lower RS-2 development. Height should be reduced by adjusting floor elevations relative to the site topography rather than by adjustments to roof design.

(4) Design development to the Welwyn Street elevation to provide greater unit identification along the street frontage and more variety and diversity of form and materials;

Note to applicant: Units along Welwyn Street should have greater orientation towards the street. Consider ways to bring greater differentiation to individual units and landscape along Welwyn Street and to reduce apparent building mass at and near the ground plane.

(5) Design development to the street-facing entrances maintaining a raised porch expression;

(6) Design development to the central courtyard and pedestrian link making it more welcoming and clearly publicly accessible, providing landscape signifiers that help to distinguish between public, semi-public and private space;

Note to applicant: There should be no gate but rather a wide opening and a path that more directly leads the public through the site. The stair down to the lane should be wider and more welcoming, perhaps with a landing, as a gentler transition to the lane elevation and more inclusive of the lane. The unit at the lane may need to be reduced in depth to allow both a wider stair and a private garden area for that unit.

(7) Design development to the parking courts to address unit overlook and outlook and light access into the parking courts, as well as ensuring quality finishes and landscape;

(8) Design development of the retaining wall along the north-south lane to minimize its apparent height, green the lane and increase pedestrian interest.

Note to applicant: Consider adding windows at the lane elevation where possible to increase pedestrian interest and sense of surveillance.

AGREEMENTS

(c) That, prior to enactment of the CD-1 By-law, the registered owner shall make arrangements, at no cost to the City, for the following:

Subdivision:

(1) Consolidation of the lots involved or other arrangements to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services, Director of Legal Services and Director of Planning for subdivision of the site to address unit configuration;

Note to applicant: Clarification of the charges on title by way of a charge summary will be required.

Engineering:

(2) Ensure the following are addressed to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Legal Services:

(i) dedication of a 3.05 m (10 ft.) by 3.05 m (10 ft.), corner cut off from the south-east corner of the site (Lot 25) for lane purposes;

(ii) potential upgrading of the City water system to serve the fire flow demands of the site;

Note to applicant: The current plans lack the detail necessary to determine the extent, if any, of water system upgrading.

(iii) provision of concrete sidewalk on Welwyn Street from 20th Avenue to the lane north of 22nd Avenue and on 20th Avenue from Welwyn Street to the lane east of Welwyn Street;

(iv) provision of concrete curb and gutter bulges and landscaping on Welwyn Street and 20th Avenue adjacent the site where appropriate and concrete curb and gutter and pavement to the centreline on 20th Avenue;

(v) provision of street trees on Welwyn Street and 20th Avenue adjacent the site where space permits; and

(vi) undergrounding of all new BC Hydro and Telus services from the closest existing suitable service point, including a review of any new cabling necessary for this development to determine any impacts on the neighbourhood;

Fire:

(4) Provision of a fire hydrant(s) to the satisfaction of the Fire Chief.

Public Right-of-way:

(5) Grant to the City a statutory right-of-way for public access through the subject site drawn to the satisfaction of Director of Planning and the General Manager of Engineering Services which is registered in the Land Title Office in priority over all charges which might defeat or delay the exercise of such rights.

APPENDIX C

DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO NOISE BY-LAW NO. 6555

Amend Schedule B by adding the following:

"[CD-1 #] [By-law #] 3704 - 3720 Welwyn Street"

APPENDIX D

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Site, Surrounding Zoning and Development: This 6 539.5 m² (70,392.4 sq. ft.) site is comprised of eight parcels on the east side of Welwyn Street between 20th Avenue and the east-west lane north of 22nd Avenue. The site has a frontage of 180.6 m (592.6 ft.) and an average depth of 36.2 m (118.8 ft.). The site slopes down from the south-west corner to the north-east corner about 7.6 m (25 ft.). The site slopes down, from west to east, about 1.3 m (4.3 ft.) at the north end, 2.4 m (7.8 ft.) mid-block, and 1.5 m (4.8 ft.) at the south end.

The site is currently zoned RS-2 as are the properties to the north and west and the three houses south of the lane. The houses on the west side of Welwyn Street are double fronting, facing onto Maxwell Street, with their driveways and garages accessed from Welwyn Street. The three houses to the south front onto 22nd Avenue with garages along the lane across from the site.

The properties to the east of the north-south lane, fronting onto Commercial Street, are zoned MC-1. Some are storefront-type industrial uses, adapted to those uses from retail after Commercial Street's role as the retail centre of Cedar Cottage declined. More recently, sites along Commercial Street have redeveloped in accordance with the Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies which encourage a mixture of uses including residential, retail, service, office and light industrial. The MC-1 zoning allows a maximum height of 12.2 m (40 ft.), to accommodate four-storey developments, relaxable up to 13.8 m ( 45 ft.) for non-combustible construction, roof design features and response to sloped sites.

Proposed Development

The proposed form of development is sixty 2½ storey (plus basement/parking) townhouses located in nine blocks containing between five and seven units per block. The nine blocks are oriented perpendicular to Welwyn Street (and a more traditional street relationship along 20th Avenue) which provides three private courtyards, with entrances from them, as well as one larger semi-private courtyard. The three private courtyards are proposed to be 11 m (36 ft.) wide while the larger courtyard, partly aligned with 21st Avenue, is proposed to be almost 15 m (49 ft.) wide.

In accordance with section 4.9.14 of the Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies, this larger courtyard will accommodate a pedestrian connection between 21st Avenue and Commercial Street. That policy states "As part of the detailed design and building form review for the Welwyn Street GVRD site, consider the feasibility of creating a pedestrian route/greenway through the BC Tel [now Telus] and GVRD site, providing a safe and secure connection from 21st Avenue to Commercial Street".

These four courtyards, accessed at-grade from Welwyn Street, are proposed to alternate with four 8.5 m (28 ft.) wide lower-level parking courts. These parking courts provide secured access from the lane to individual garages within each unit. The southernmost block of units would have garage access directly from the east-west lane.

The units along 20th Avenue will be street facing and the end units along Welwyn Street will be designed to have a greater street orientation. The applicant's intent is to give the development the appearance of being nine 2½ storey homes along Welwyn Street.

The applicant proposes to use smaller townhouse modules to ensure affordable homes of approximately 121 m² (1,300 sq. ft.) with individual front doors, private or semi-private open space and double aspect floor plans for light and cross ventilation on at least two sides. All units are to be designed with front porches, bay windows, gables, garden gates and steeply pitched roofs to create a smaller scale, residential ambience.

The existing Telus Mobility Tower, approximately 24.4 m (80 ft.) tall, will remain on site. It is proposed to be enclosed structurally to blend into the facade and to provide security and safety at its base. Access to the base of the tower would be through a garage door along the parking courtyard and a Telus equipment room is proposed with access from the lane.

Public Input: A notification letter was sent to 212 nearby property owners on April 8, 2004, which included an invitation to an open house hosted by the Planning Department at Lord Selkirk School on April 28, 2004. Rezoning information signs were posted on the site on April 7, 2004. Response to the notification and the open house was limited. Thirty-two people signed in at the open house and the majority expressed support for the project. Only two comment sheets were received, both of which were supportive although one respondent thought the overall unit count was too high.

In addition, the applicants consulted with the public prior to submitting their application. They met with the Kensington Cedar Cottage City Plan Committee on three occasions: October 2, 2003, March 4, 2004 and April 1, 2004. The committee was generally supportive and felt it would be a positive change for the neighbourhood. The applicant also met with local residents and gave a presentation at the Kensington Cedar Cottage Annual Community Meeting held on May 6, 2004, where the proposal was also well-received.

Comments of the General Manager of Engineering Services: The General Manager of Engineering Services has no objection to the proposed rezoning, provided that the applicant complies with conditions as shown in Appendix B and noting that if the density of the development were to exceed 1.2 FSR, a higher parking standard of a minimum of 0.75 spaces per unit plus one space per each 250 m² (2,691 sq. ft.) of gross floor area would then apply.

Adequate garbage storage and recycling facilities are to be provided, to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services, at the development permit stage.

Fire Department Comments: The Fire Department notes that maximum travel distance from a fire vehicle at the street curb to each townhouse entrance is to be 45 m (148 ft.) by way of a minimum 2 m (6-7 ft.) wide hard-surfaced main access pathway and that access to individual townhouse units can be by a 1.2 m (4 ft.) hard-surfaced pathway. Because of the height of the buildings (in particular from the garage side), a NFPA 13 sprinkler system will be required for the townhouses. A fire hydrant will be required and is to be provided adjacent to the site at 21st Avenue and Welwyn Street.

Environmental Health Comments: Beyond the requirements for the proposed by-law, the Environmental Health Division will require confirmation by the applicant, at the development permit stage, that:

· the acoustical measures will be incorporated into the final design, based on the consultant's recommendations as concurred with or amended by the Medical Health Officer (Senior Environmental Health Officer); and

· the mechanical (ventilators, generators, compactors and exhaust systems) will be designed and located to minimize the noise impact on the neighbourhood and to comply with the Noise By-law No. 6555.

Comments of the Manager of the Housing Centre: The Director of the Housing Centre supports this rezoning and has the following comments:

"Council will recall that the southerly portion of this site, a former GVRD Works Yard, was purchased by the City in 1996 to explore housing options, through rezoning, under the City's Neighbourhood Housing Demonstration Program (NHDP). Concerns surrounding project feasibility of a fee simple rowhouse initiative led to a conclusion at the end of 2001 on the part of the City's development partner to bow out of the project. Subsequently, the City was approached by another developer, the current applicant, to purchase the site for the development of a medium-density residential strata-title project which would achieve many of the original objectives of Council's purchase of the site. Council approved the sale on September 16, 2003. The City's acceptance of the conditional offer does not commit Council to agreeing to the rezoning which is the subject of this report.

The Housing Centre believes that the rezoning of this site is supported by Council policies, and will achieve a number of community, planning and social objectives:

· The former works yard has been unused and vacant for a number of years. The rezoning will convert two under-utilized and sometimes unkempt semi-industrial sites into a functional part of the surrounding residential community;

· The rezoning will increase population in close proximity to the small commercial strip along Commercial Street; and

· The development of 60 medium-density townhouses is highly consistent with GVRD and City objectives to create more opportunities for ground-oriented family housing."

Urban Design Panel Comments: The Urban Design Panel reviewed the application on May 12, 2004 and had general support for the form of development. The Panel requested that the application be returned to the Panel at the development application stage at which time it will look for additional contextual information and analysis as well as a complete landscape plan.

The Panel had a mixed response regarding the Welwyn Street elevation but some agreement on the need for increased variety and differentiation, including the possibility of entrances on the street.

It felt the pedestrian connection is not convincing as a public benefit. Additional detailed development of the connections and transitions of the courtyard link at the street and lane would be helpful.

It suggested the applicant consider the cross-sectional qualities of the public spaces, possibly depressing the courtyards and creating more private open space.

Beyond this summary of key issues, the Panel had these comments:

"The Panel strongly supported this application and considered the proposed ground-oriented family housing to be very appropriate in this location. A comment was made that providing one parking space per unit is also a positive contribution to the scheme. While at the top end of the recommended density for the site, the Panel considered the requested 1.2 FSR to be acceptable given the site has little constraint. One Panel member thought more contextual analysis should have been provided to corroborate that livability issues are adequately addressed at the maximum density. Another suggestion was to explore breaking up the rows of seven townhouses by eliminating or setting back the centre unit.

The Panel had no concerns about how the telecommunications tower has been incorporatedinto the scheme. One suggestion was to consider celebrating it more rather than treating it as a negative, and another was to use it as a space marker for navigation within the community.

The Panel generally found the scale of the Welwyn Street elevation sufficiently broken down to achieve the appearance of single family houses. However, there was a strong recommendation from the Panel to incorporate greater variety into the facade, differentiating the units and lessening the appearance of a single development. There was a comment that in the absence of detailed contextual information, the architectural character being suggested seems somewhat arbitrary. Another Panel member found the appearance quite heavy, with the massive wing walls contributing to this effect. Further study was recommended with respect to shadowing on the courtyards. As well, although a very traditional form has been chosen, it was recommended that some of the details should make it obvious that it is a contemporary building. Some Panel members also recommended incorporating secondary entries on the Welwyn frontage to provide a better relationship to the street and the neighbours opposite.

The Panel was unanimous in the opinion that the public connection through the site is not a convincing public benefit as proposed. It appears to be very private and unwelcoming, exacerbated by the narrow gateway on Welwyn Street and with no sight line through the site. The Panel thought it could work, functionally, and recommended a much stronger announcement of its public nature. There was also a concern that the walkway is unnecessarily close to the fronts of the houses. The main concern was with the constrained connection at the lane due to the grade difference and the narrow stair. It was recommended more thought be given to making it much less pinched and more inclusive of the lane.

The Panel generally found the lane to be well-treated and an appropriate transition to the neighbouring light industrial uses. Some design development of the wall was recommended for pedestrian interest, including the possibility of introducing more windows at the lower level on the lane elevation.

The Panel considered the 8.5 m (28 ft.) width of the driveway courts to be adequate. There were recommendations to consider developing it in a way that encourages children's play, noting the trees and trellises shown may detract from this objective. Including doors onto the driveway courtyards was also recommended. There was also a recommendation to stagger the garages to ensure there is enough room for two people to wash their vehicles at the same time.

With respect to the 11 m (36 ft.) courtyards, there was a suggestion to consider providing individual private space and a shared courtyard. The size and caliper of the trees need to be sufficient to ensure a good level of privacy.

One Panel member was concerned that the level of detail provided on the landscape plan ismuch less than that provided on the architecture, with insufficient information to demonstrate whether the courtyards will be successful."

Public Benefit and Development Cost Levies (DCL): The primary public benefit derived from this project is the pedestrian connection through the site between 21st Avenue and the lane, to be secured by a right-of-way registered in the Land Title Office. It will ultimately complete a proposed pedestrian route to Commercial Street, in accordance with the Cedar Cottage MC-1/Welwyn Street Planning Policies (4.9.14 "As part of the detailed design and building form review for the Welwyn Street GVRD site, consider the feasibility of creating a pedestrian route/greenway through the BC Tel [now Telus] and GVRD site, providing a safe and secure connection from 21st Avenue to Commercial Street").

In January 1998, Council adopted a Development Cost Levy for this area and an strategy for how those funds are to be allocated. Consequently, this development is excluded from city-wide CACs but the DCL rate established for residential ($34.98 per m²/$3.25 per sq. ft.) will apply.

Environmental Implications: Nearby access to transit, park and community facilities and commercial services may reduce dependence on use and/or ownership of automobiles.

Social Implications: There are no major positive or negative social implications to this proposal. There are no implications with respect to the Vancouver Children's Policy or Statement of Children's Entitlements.

Comments of the Applicant: The applicant has been provided with a copy of this report and has provided the following comments:

"With respect to the staff report dated August 26, 2004 for the above property, as the applicant, we hereby confirm that we have reviewed the report and agree with its contents and recommendations."

APPENDIX E

This is for Drawings under `PDF' files (total 6 pages).

APPENDIX F

APPLICANT, PROPERTY, AND DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL INFORMATION

APPLICANT AND PROPERTY INFORMATION

Street Address	3704 - 3720 Welwyn Street
Legal Description	Lot G [Reference Plan 9464] and Lots 25 - 31, DL 744, Plan 4369; PID: 001588161, 001588110,
Applicant	Mosaic Avenue Lands
Architect	Stuart Howard Architects Inc.
Property Owner	City of Vancouver and Telus Communications Inc.
Developer	Mosaic Avenue Lands

SITE STATISTICS

	GROSS	DEDICATIONS	NET
SITE AREA	6 539.5 m² (70,392.4 sq. ft)	4.7 m² (50 sq. ft)	6 534.8 m² (70,342.4 sq. ft.)

DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS

	DEVELOPMENT PERMITTED UNDER EXISTING ZONING	PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT	RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT (if different than proposed)
ZONING	RS-2	CD-1
USES	Single-family Residential	Multiple Dwellings (Townhouses)
DWELLING UNITS	19 (if subdivided)	60
MAX. FLOOR SPACE RATIO	0.6	1.2
MAXIMUM HEIGHT	10.7 m	13.5 m (44.25 ft.)	12.8 m ( 42 ft.) but approximately 10.7 m (35 ft.) along street frontages and the east-west lane to the south. (design condition)
MAX. NO. OF STOREYS	2 ½	2 ½ (plus basement/garage level)
PARKING SPACES	19	60
FRONT YARD SETBACK (Welwyn Street)	7.3 m (24 ft.)	1.8 m (6 ft.)
NORTH SIDE YARD SETBACK (E 20th Ave.)	1.5 m (4.9 ft.)	2 m (6.5 ft.)
SOUTH SIDE YARD SETBACK (East-West Lane)	1.5 m (4.9 ft.)	1.8 m ( 5.75 ft.)
REAR YARD SETBACK (North-South Lane)	4.3 m (14 ft.)	2.3 m (7.6 ft.)

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