Vancouver City Council |
ADMINISTRATION REPORT
Date: September 21, 2004
Author/Local: M. Mortensen/6194G. McGeough/7091
RTS No. 04527
CC File No. 1401
TO:
Vancouver City Council
FROM:
Director of Current Planning
SUBJECT:
1295 Seymour Street
Designation and Heritage Revitalization AgreementRECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council amend the Vancouver Heritage Register to add 1295 Seymour Street in the "B" category.
B. THAT Council authorize the City to enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) for the site at 1295 Seymour Street formerly known as the Federal Motor Company Building to secure the rehabilitation of the heritage building as indicated under Development Application DE407723 and to vary provisions of the Downtown Official Development Plan By-law to allow the entire building to be used for retail and service uses including Vehicle Dealer use.
C. THAT The Federal Motor Company Building, at 1295 Seymour Street, listed in the "B" category on the Vancouver Heritage Register, be designated as Protected Heritage Property.
D. THAT Council instruct the Director of Legal Service to prepare a registered agreement to secure prompt rehabilitation of the building.
E. FURTHER THAT Council instruct the Director of Legal Services to bring forward for enactment a by-law to authorize the Heritage Revitalization Agreement and a by-law to designate the heritage building.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The Director of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council's Policy on heritage designation states, in part, that legal designation will be a prerequisite to granting certain bonuses and incentives.
PURPOSE
This report seeks Council approval to designate and enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) with the owner to secure the conservation and protection of the Federal Motor Company Building at 1295 Seymour Street.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
The Federal Motor Company Building is located on a 557.4 m2 (6,000 sq. ft.) site fronting Seymour Street and Davie Street and is regulated by the Downtown Official Development Plan. The entire heritage building is currently used as the Liberty Furniture Store. The owners propose to continue commercial use of this building under Development Permit Application DE407723.
Under Development Application DE407723, the owners propose to rehabilitate the building as part of the redevelopment of the neighbouring property to the north, all under a single site covenant. The heritage property is built out at approximately 2.0 Floor Space Ratio (FSR), and its inclusion in the single site covenant will allow the owners to use the heritage site residual 3.0 FSR in the new development as proposed under DE407723.
The Development Permit Board considered Development Application DE407723 at a public meeting on September 29, 2004. The Board voted to defer this application "pending further investigation of alternative schemes and their impacts/performance, including a two-tower solution as well as refinement of the current single-tower proposal." Thorough discussions were also sought with residents of the Space building at 1238 Seymour Street and owners in other impacted buildings.
Following this consultation and study, the preliminary application was brought back to the Board on December 8, 2004. At this meeting, the Board approved the single-tower scheme in principle with the requirement that a complete application be brought for a decision by the Director of Planning with responses to a number of conditions including, but not limited to, the following:
· Council approval to add the Federal Motor Company Building to the Heritage Register;
· Registration of a HRA with the City to vary the use provisions for the heritage building; and
· Council designation of the heritage building.
A third party appeal of the Board's decision was brought before the Board of Variance on January 28, 2004 (reference Z31364) and was disallowed. On June 3, 2004, the applicants submitted a complete application for DE407723 which is currently under review. This report seeks Council approval of the three requirements noted above.
DISCUSSION
Heritage Value: The former Federal Motor Company showroom and Chapman's Garage, now in use as the Liberty Furniture Store, is a familiar landmark at the northwest corner of Seymour and Drake Streets in Vancouver (See historic photo Appendix A). It is the most significant survivor of a group of otherwise undistinguished automotive workshops built on the west side of the 1200-block of Seymour Street in the early twentieth century. Constructed in 1920, it is a very early example for Vancouver of this modern industrial / commercial style, in which the building is reduced solely to its functional elements such as extensive curtain walling by way of large windows, an expressed reinforced concrete structure, undecorated materials, and design to accommodate the then new technology of motor vehicles.
Based on the City's evaluation criteria, staff recommend it be added to the Heritage Register in the "B" category.
Compatibility with Community Planning Objectives: One of the intents of the DODP bylaw is to encourage heritage retention and restoration where possible. The proposed conservation of the Federal Motor Building meets this objective.
Zoning Variances and Economic Viability: To ensure the feasibility of the rehabilitation and the long term viability of the heritage building, the recommended HRA will vary the following provisions of the DODP By-law:
REGULATION
PERMITTED
PROPOSED
Retail Uses
(DODP Section 1.3)As permitted in Downtown Official Development Plan.
Add Vehicle Dealer.
Delete Adult Retail Store.Ground Floor Retail, Commercial and Service Use (DODP Section 2.7)
Use of ground floor street frontage for retail, retail-commercial, and service uses is prohibited.
Eliminate restriction.
Retail and Service Use
Limitation
(DODP Section 3.1.L)Only on corner sites to a maximum of 2,500 square feet.
Eliminate restriction.
Having assessed the costs associated with rehabilitating the heritage building, Real Estate Services has determined the use variances noted above are justified.
The owner is prepared to enter into an HRA and designate the heritage building, and has agreed that the proposed variances to the DODP, represent fair and complete compensation in exchange for the designation of the property, and they have waived their right to further compensation.
Public Hearing Notification: As part of this HRA public hearing process, staff have re-notified property owners in the notification area used for the Development Permit process (approximately 1,324 owners). The Director of Legal Services has prepared the necessary legal agreements, and notification requirements, as specified in the Vancouver Charter, have been met.
Comments of the Vancouver Heritage Commission: On July 21, 2003, the Heritage Commission reviewed and unanimously supported:
- adding 1295 Seymour Street (Federal Motor Co/Liberty Building) as a "B" listing to the Vancouver Heritage Register;
- the Preliminary Development Application subject to minor design changes that will be addressed in the conditions of development application approval; and
- the requested zoning variances for heritage preservation.CONCLUSION
The Federal Motor Company Building at 1295 Seymour Street is a valuable component of the Downtown South area history and merits conservation. Its retention is an objective of the DODP zoning and is supported by the Vancouver Heritage Commission. The requested use variances represent fair compensation to the owner for the hardship of conservation. Therefore, staff recommend that Council support the addition of the Federal Motor Building to the Heritage Register in the "B" category, the requisite HRA and designation of the building as Protected Heritage Property.
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