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CITY OF VANCOUVER POLICY REPORT
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Date: |
November 25, 2004 | |
Author: |
Dave Thomsett | |
Phone No.: |
604.873.7796 | |
RTS No.: |
04678 | |
CC File No.: |
5307 | |
Meeting Date: |
December 14, 2004 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
Director of Current Planning |
SUBJECT: |
3075 Slocan Street (Italian Cultural Centre/Stratford Hall School) - Rezoning Condition Amendment |
RECOMMENDATION
THAT the legal agreement limiting school use at the Italian Cultural Centre to 250 students and an upper grade limit of grade 9 may be amended to increase the upper grade limit to 12.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS the foregoing be approved.
COUNCIL POLICY
There is no applicable Council Policy.
SUMMARY
As a 2000 condition of rezoning, school use at the Italian Cultural Centre site is limited by a legal agreement to a maximum of 250 students and an upper grade limit of grade 9. The tenant, Stratford Hall School, is looking to relocate to a permanent site and wishes to provide grades 10 to 12 on the current site to accommodate the upcoming students from lower grades until they move in 2006. The covenant would have to be amended, and a minor amendment made to the development permit for this to occur.
Given the school's commitment to a submitted traffic management plan, the fact that the City has received no complaints from the neighbourhood, and no need for additional portable classrooms, staff support the request that the legal agreement be amended to further permit grades 10 to 12, with no increase to the maximum 250 student limit.
PURPOSE
This report reviews a request to amend the legal agreement limiting school use at the Italian Cultural Centre to an upper limit of grade 9 to further permit grades 10 to 12.
BACKGROUND
At a Public Hearing on April 18, 2000, Council considered an application from the Italian Cultural Centre Society to amend the CD-1 By-law for the Italian Cultural Centre site to permit "school - elementary and secondary".
Stratford Hall School, a private elementary and secondary school, was to use floor area used for evening and weekend Italian language training. It was expected that the school would initially offer classroom instruction for kindergarten through grade 7 to 100-150 students. Grades 8 and 9 would be offered in subsequent years. The school planned to move to a permanent location in three years when it would offer grades 10 to 12.
City staff were concerned that in the event the school remained on the site longer than expected, students in the higher grades would have a tendency to drive themselves to school. Staff wished to see a technical evaluation of possible traffic and parking impacts before supporting a full high school. Since the school planned to relocate in three years, the operators were prepared to accept a condition that the school have an upper limit of grade 9.
Following the Public Hearing, Council resolved that prior to enactment of the amending by-law, the registered owner enter into an agreement to limit the school to Kindergarten to Grade 9 as recommended by staff. Council further resolved to include an enrolment cap of 250 students.
Brook Development Planning Inc. has been working with Stratford Hall School to find them a permanent home which is proving to be more difficult than originally expected. Meanwhile, they are pursuing interim measures for the school to remain operational. The first measure, in 2003, was to obtain permits and arrange for five portable classrooms. The development permit for these classrooms is issued for a temporary period expiring on August 29, 2005, but may be extended by the Director of Planning. About half of the classroom space in the school is in the main building and is still used for Italian language training during non-school times.
The current population of the school is 200 students.
DISCUSSION
Proposal: Brook Development Planning is now pursuing an amendment to the agreement to further permit grades 10 to 12. They do not propose an increase to the total enrolment cap of 250 students, and no further building modifications or additional portables are required. In support of this request, they have submitted a Traffic Management Plan prepared by Bunt and Associates, and a letter to Engineering Services staff from Stratford Hall School (received July 12, 2004) agreeing to comply with the recommendations outlined in the plan.
In an earlier letter to Planning staff from Stratford Hall School dated March 8, 2004, school officials advised they will move the school from the site by the 2006 school year. By that time they expect to reach 250 students, and the Italian Cultural Centre will not support an increase beyond 250 students. The officials further advised the school has ten students in grade 9 and six students in grade 8. As the two classes move up over the next two years they do not anticipate classes of more than 12 each.
The legal agreement is between the City and the Italian Cultural Centre, and there is no provision to stop another school from locating on the site once Stratford Hall School relocates. Cultural Centre Officials support the proposed amendment to the agreement.
Transportation Management Plan: The traffic consultant's Plan of July, 2004 has been reviewed by Engineering Services staff who support its findings along with the commitment letter from the school to follow the Plan. The Plan is based on the assumption that the school population will increase to 250 students. It contains the following elements:
· Traffic Flow: The site has two driveways - one accessed on Grandview Highway and the other accessed on Slocan Street. Measures are recommended to encourage more use of the driveway on Grandview Highway.
· Pick-Up & Drop-Off: There is a circular pick-up and drop-off area in front of the portables, and parents are encouraged to use the Grandview Highway driveway access. Pick-up and drop-off activities are operating efficiently.
· Parking: There is ample space on site for existing and projected future parking, including parking for pick-ups and drop-offs. Parking associated with daily activities at the cultural centre are easily accommodated along with the school's parking. No school related parking in the neighbourhood has been observed.
· Safety: Since pick-up and drop-offs mostly occur on site, students generally do not need to cross roads. Students arriving from the SkyTrain are directed to cross at the signals on Grandview Highway and Slocan Street.
· Travel Modes: About 90% of students are driven to school by parents, 7% come by carpool and 2% by Skytrain. About 70% of staff drive themselves, 10% are dropped off and 15% come by Skytrain. One or two students and one staff member come by bicycle.
The site can accommodate added traffic and parking projections which may be slightly overstated as it is presumed the travel mode splits will remain unchanged. However, it is possible the increase in enrolment by upper year students will result in an increase in transit use and therefore less of an increase in vehicular traffic.
Over the next 2-3 years, the school will encourage alternative modes of transportation, aiming for a 5-10% increase in carpooling, a 2-5% increase in Transit/Skytrain use and an outdoor bicycle rack. The goals will be monitored to determine progress through travel mode survey questionnaires and/or traffic counts.
· Liaison and Implementation: The school will appoint a Transportation Liaison who will oversee implementation of the Plan in cooperation with teachers, parents and students. The person will serve as a contact to receive and maintain records of any neighbourhood complaints received.
Neighbourhood Acceptance of the School: Brook Development Planning advises:
"During the Development Permit application process for the five new portables, an open house was conducted*. Neighbouring property owners were notified, by both mail and hand delivery, of the proposed addition of 5 portable classrooms. The open house took place on May 29, 2003 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. No one showed up at the open house. The City also notified 32 immediate property owners as part of their Development Permit process and had zero responses**. In all the years that Stratford Hall has been part of the Italian Cultural Centre they have had only one complaint from a neighbour, which they dealt with right away."
Since the installation of the portable classrooms, staff have received no complaints from the neighbourhood.
Based on the traffic consultant's comment that upper grade enrolment could result in more transit use suggests that any potential future traffic concerns would be reflective of overall student increases (already permitted) and not of the added upper grades per se. Given the housekeeping nature of the proposed amendment and the lack of response to previous invitations for public comment, staff have not notified the neighbourhood of this request.
