CITY OF VANCOUVER

POLICY REPORT
DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING

 

Report Date:

March 31, 2005

 

Author:

Lynda Challis

 

Phone No.:

604.873.7135

 

RTS No.:

05004

 

CC File No.:

5306

 

Meeting Date:

April 12, 2005

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Director of Current Planning, in consultation with Director of City Plans

SUBJECT:

CD-1 Rezoning - 26 SW Marine Drive (Canadian Tire)

RECOMMENDATION

FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary amending by-law;

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

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

COUNCIL POLICY

Relevant Council policies for this site include:

· In April 1991, Council reaffirmed the Heritage Policies and Guidelines to protect buildings, landscape resources, streetscapes and archaeological sites of heritage significance.

· In March 1995, Council adopted the Industrial Lands Policies intended to retain most of the City's existing industrial land for industrial and city-serving activities. Council requested staff to investigate mixed retail/industrial zones along limited areas of Grandview Highway and Marine Drive.

· In June 1995, Council adopted CityPlan which provides for the development and reinforcing of neighbourhood centres, a diverse economy, and jobs close to home.

· In May 2001, Council adopted the Highway Oriented Retail (HOR) Rezoning Policies and Guidelines: Marine Drive Industrial Area.

· In January 2002, Council adopted the Sunset and Victoria-Fraserview/Killarney Community Visions which specify that big box stores selling groceries, clothing and other daily needs should not be permitted to locate where they will harm the economic health of local shopping areas.

· In July 2002, Council amended the Highway Oriented Retail (HOR) Rezoning Policies and Guidelines: Marine Drive Industrial Area to remove sale of food (e.g. grocery store) as a potential retail use.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report assesses an application to permit highway oriented retail uses on the site shown on the map below.

The application generally conforms to Council's HOR policies and guidelines for Marine Drive; although it proposes additional retail floor area. In exchange for the added retail area, the application proposes to retain a portion of the former Chrysler Building which is listed as an "A" on the City's Recent Landmark Inventory and preserve the large front lawn along Marine Drive. Because the proposal includes the sale of clothing, a retail impact study was undertaken, as required by the HOR policy, to assess the potential impacts on neighbourhood shopping areas. The consultant's study found that clothing sales impacts on neighbourhood shopping areas within the trade area would not be significant; however, the potential clothing store space could absorb the trade area's demand until 2013. Therefore the Director of Current Planning recommends limiting the amount of floor area for clothing sales.

Map 1: Site and Surrounding Zoning

Staff recommend that the application to rezone the site to CD-1 be referred to a Public Hearing, with a recommendation that it be approved, subject to conditions. Consequential amendments are proposed for the Sign By-law and the Zoning and Development By-law to establish a landscape setback requirement. Addition to the Vancouver Heritage Register and heritage designation of the landmark building are also recommended.

DISCUSSION

Background: In 1995, prior to approval of CityPlan and the Industrial Land Strategy, concerns were raised about demands on the city's limited supply of industrial and service lands from large non-industrial users. These included a variety of high traffic uses such as big box retail, regional churches, institutional, and entertainment-sports facilities. At the same time, through the CityPlan process, residents voiced the desire to create and maintain vibrant local neighbourhood shopping centers. In 1995 Council approved the notion of establishing a "city of neighbourhoods". Council also approved the Industrial Land Strategy to maintain land for a variety of industrial and service uses. As part of the Industrial Land Strategy, Council agreed to very limited opportunities for "highway oriented activities" along Grandview Highway and South East Marine Drive. In part these frontages were selected to reflect the existing land uses. Council asked staff to prepare zoning and policies for these frontages to provide limited opportunities for big box and other high traffic uses.

In May 2001, Council approved policies and guidelines for HOR rezonings along the south side of Marine Drive between Main and Yukon Streets following a planning study that included local property owners, businesses and residents. The intent of the HOR policy is to provide limited opportunity for large format retail uses. In September 2001, the City received the first application under the new policy - a rezoning application for a Wal-Mart store at 86 SE Marine Drive/101 E. 69th Avenue - which is still undergoing staff review after being on hold for some time. The rezoning application for 26 SW Marine Drive is the second application in this HOR area.

Use: The application proposes retail and service uses, including automotive services. The principal retail occupant would be a Canadian Tire store. Other potential tenants include a Marks Work Wearhouse, four other anchor-type tenants and three restaurants. The proposed retail uses all exceed the minimum store size [929 m² (10,000 sq. ft.)] required by the HOR rezoning policy for the Marine Drive Industrial Area.

Retail Impact Study: The proposal includes clothing sales and the Marine Drive policies require a retail study to determine the impact of this type of sales on existing and future clothing retailing in neighbourhood shopping areas and shopping centres within the development's trade area.

A retail impact study was undertaken by a team of consultants retained and managed by the City but paid for by the applicant (see Appendix E - Executive Summary). The study identified the trade area for the proposed development as extending between University Endowment Lands (to the west), the Fraser River (to the south), Kerr Street (to the east) and 29th Avenue (to the north) (see map in Appendix D). The trade area includes six neighbourhood shopping areas that are identified in Community Visions, and established neighbourhood shopping areas in Marpole and Kerrisdale. The Oakridge shopping centre is also located in the trade area. The study found that the impact of clothing-related sales on neighbourhood shopping areas in the trade area would be minimal, as most of the impact will be felt by competing clothing stores in Oakridge shopping centre. However the impact is not considered a concern due to the exceptional performance of the apparel stores at Oakridge. The study also found that a significant portion of sales losses will accrue to department stores. The Fields store on Fraser Street is at risk but the study concludes that its closure should not have a significant impact on the marketing appeal of the Fraser Street shopping area.

The study looked at two scenarios of future demand for clothing store space in the trade area based on different amounts of clothing store space that could potentially be located on Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart sites (see Appendix D). The study found that the trade area could support 2 975 m² (32,000 sq. ft.) of new clothing store space by 2007/2008, and 5 760 m² (62,000 sq. ft.) by 2012/2013.

Staff note that the addition of 5 760 m ² (62,000 sq. ft.) of new clothing store space in the HOR area would likely saturate the market and therefore limit the potential for additional clothing store space in neighbourhood shopping areas until 2013. To provide some market opportunity for clothing retailers to locate in neighbourhood shopping areas over the next few years, staff recommend limiting clothing store space on the Canadian Tire site under the CD-1 By-law to 2 045 m² (22,000 sq. ft.).

Density: The Marine Drive policies recommend an overall maximum density of 3.00 FSR for mixed use development which includes a maximum density of 0.60 floor space ratio (FSR) for highway oriented retail use and up to 2.40 FSR for industrial and some service type uses. The application proposes an overall density of 1.62 FSR (including the parking structure) and a density of 0.79 FSR for the highway oriented retail uses. The increase in retail density is proposed to compensate for the cost of retaining a portion of the Chrysler Building and the site constraints of preserving the front lawn. Staff support the additional density which will help achieve the important public benefit of preserving a structure of historic significance and its formal front lawn.

The retail floor area of each retail unit exceeds the minimum store size of 929 m² (10,000 sq. ft.) as required by the Marine Drive policies and will be controlled as a condition of the use in the CD-1 by-law (Appendix A).

Height: The Marine Drive policies and guidelines recommend a maximum height of 12.2 m (40 ft.) for stand-alone retail development and up to 18.3 m (60 ft.) for mixed-use projects where increased height assists in providing usable public open space at grade and residential views are not impacted. The proposed development does not exceed the maximum height limit of 18.3 m (60 ft.) and for the majority of the site, the height is well below the maximum. Staff support the proposed height which will help preserve the heritage façade in situ, retain the lawn as pubic open space and will not impact residential views.

The policy also limits building height to 9.2 m (30 ft.) within a depth of 9.2 m (30 ft.) from the required landscape setback along Marine Drive. Because of the deep front lawn, the proposed development is setback approximately 58.5 m (190 ft.) from Marine Drive. Although the reduced height is not required along the front of the building, the upper storey has been set back 9.2 m (30 ft.) to respect the scale of the Chrysler Building's façade.

Landscape Setbacks: The Zoning and Development By-law requires a landscape setback of 12.1 m (40 ft.) for properties fronting on Marine Drive. Presently the landscape setback is regulated by the 12.2 m (40 ft.) deep strip of RS-1 zoning along the Marine Drive frontage. The retention of the site's existing front lawn [approximately 5 760 m² (62,000 sq. ft.) of open space] would result in a visual landscape setback depth of about 58.5 m (190 ft.). Staff recommend an amendment to Schedule C of the Zoning and Development By-law to establish the lawn area as a landscape setback, making it subject to the By-law's restrictions on structures, parking, manoeuvring and signage that normally apply to these setbacks.

Form of Development: The application proposes a site plan that places the principal retail buildings along the south side of the site (69th Avenue) and towards the north side of the site (Marine Drive) with a two-level parking structure in the centre. Smaller commercial units are also located along Ontario Street. Pedestrian and vehicle circulation is focussed internally, as are the site's loading facilities. The north building incorporates the front façade [61.6 m (200 ft.)] and a portion of the east side [21.3 m (70 ft.)] of the former Chrysler Building and the new addition to the building is designed to respect the landmark building. The landscaping is also intended to maintain the historic formality of the lawn and retain public views of the building façade. A bicycle rest area is proposed near the northeast corner of the building in response to the site's location along the Ontario Bikeway.

The Marine Drive policies and guidelines encourage development that improves and enhances the public realm through high quality architectural building expression, careful site planning, public and private landscaping, and appropriate vehicular and pedestrian circulation. In this case, the design is also expected to respond to the heritage building. The Urban Design Panel unanimously supported the proposal. Their recommended improvements are reflected in the proposed conditions of design development which focus on:

With respect to sustainable building and site features, the application includes a bio-filtration pond for water storage and treatment, interior daylighting, energy efficient mechanical systems, and water conserving systems for irrigation, etc. Appendix C items (xiii) and (xiv) identify additional proposed conditions of approval, as outlined in the HOR policy and City sustainability policies, to enhance site and building sustainability.

The proposed design development conditions will help ensure that the proposal meets the objectives of the Marine Drive policies and guidelines.

Heritage Value: The former Chrysler Parts Distribution Centre was constructed in 1956 by noted local architects McCarter and Nairne in association with William R. Souter and Associates of Hamilton Ontario. The building reflects a late Art Moderne/ International style of modernism, typified by industrial buildings of that era. The balanced front façade and deep landscaped setback reflect the importance of Chrysler in Canada's auto industry and shows a preference to present a conservative style of modernism in their buildings and site development at that time.

The simple expanse of lawn has as much to do with the heritage value of the site as the buildings architecture. The open lawn effectively acts as a stage set to the formal building face. It is doubtful that the front sidewalk was ever used to access the building, however, the effect is reflective of how the company saw themselves within the market place and their desire to create a "head office" appearance. In addition, culturally the site is significant as an early example of development along Marine Drive.

The Recent Landmarks Inventory was generated from a Council request in the early 1990's to record buildings constructed after 1940 that may have historic merit. Buildings identified on the Inventory are considered eligible for inclusion onto the Vancouver Heritage Register. To date, staff has added these buildings on a case by case basis as the sites come up for redevelopment and a retention proposal is supported by the owners. The Chrysler Building has been evaluated as meriting an "A" on the Vancouver Heritage Register, and is proposed to be added in that category. The rating comes from the building's architectural importance, cultural associations and the site's landscaping. (See Building Evaluation and Statement of Significance in Appendix F)

Vancouver Heritage Commission: The project was presented to the Vancouver Heritage Commission on two occasions, with the last meeting January 31, 2005. The Commission unanimously supported the proposal with comments/suggestions that have been incorporated into the rezoning conditions. The bulk of the comments were in relation to the following areas:

Traffic and Parking: The Marine Drive policies and guidelines stipulate that a Parking and Traffic Study should accompany a rezoning application for HOR. The study submitted with this application concluded that retail use of the site would require road capacity improvements at the intersection of Marine Drive and Ontario Street. Mitigation measures are recommended by the General Manager of Engineering Services as prior to enactment conditions (see Appendix C). They include a westbound left-turn lane and upgraded traffic/pedestrian/cyclist signal at Marine Drive and Ontario Street, improvements at the Marine Drive and Main Street intersection to serve increased traffic volumes, and provision of traffic calming measures to protect against shortcutting on 64th Avenue west to Main Street. Conditions are also proposed to ensure that Ontario Street between Marine Drive and 69th Avenue conforms to the City's Greenways and Bikeways standards.

The application proposes 608 parking spaces. The Marine Drive policies and guidelines recommend that retail parking requirements should be based on the Parking By-law requirements for grocery stores, although a lower requirement may also be considered. The grocery store parking standard would require 835 parking spaces; however, the General Manager of Engineering Services supports the proposed parking and recommends that the lower retail parking requirement apply and that the applicant provide a Transportation Demand Management Plan to encourage employees and customers to travel by means other than the private automobile. The proposed parking is also supported by Planning staff because the reduced parking area helps contribute to retaining the heritage façade in situ and preservation of the lawn.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no financial implications.

CONCLUSION

Staff support the proposed rezoning which generally meets the criteria for rezoning sites along this part of Marine Drive to CD-1 for highway oriented retail use. In addition, the proposal will help improve and preserve a landmark structure and its formal front lawn. The Director of Current Planning recommends that the application along with the consequential amendments be referred to a Public Hearing and be approved, subject to the proposed conditions of approval. Subject to approval of the rezoning, the Director of Current Planning also recommends an amendment to require a deeper landscape setback along Marine Drive and heritage designation of the Chrysler Building and its front lawn.

LINK TO APPENDIX F

LINK TO APPENDIX G

- - - - -

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.

Definition

Use

Condition of Use

Density

Height

Parking and Loading

APPENDIX B
 

APPENDIX C
 

PROPOSED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL

Note: Recommended approved 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.

(a) That the proposed form of development be approved by Council in principle, generally as prepared by Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning, and stamped "Received City Planning Department", January 24, 2005, 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

(vii) design development to properly screen loading activities and utility functions;

(xiv) design development to include and/or consider:

AGREEMENTS

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

Where the Director of Legal Services deems appropriate, the preceding agreements are to be drawn, not only as personal covenants of the property owner, but also as Covenants pursuant to Section 219 of the Land Title Act.

Such agreements are to be registered in the appropriate Land Title Office, with priority over such other liens, charges and encumbrances effecting the subject site, as is considered advisable by the Director of Legal Services, and otherwise to the satisfaction of the Director of Legal Services prior to enactment of the by-law; provided, however, the Director of Legal Services may, in her sole discretion and on terms she considers advisable, accept tendering of the preceding agreements for registration in the appropriate Land Title Office, to the satisfaction of the Director of Legal Services, prior to enactment of the by-law

The preceding agreements shall provide security to the City including indemnities, warranties, equitable charges, letters of credit and withholding of permits, as deemed necessary by and in a form satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services.

The timing of all required payments shall be determined by the appropriate City official having responsibility for each particular agreement, who may consult other City officials and City Council.

APPENDIX D
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Site, Surrounding Zoning and Development: This 29 767 m² (320,418 sq. ft.) site is comprised of one parcel with a frontage of 96.0 m (315 ft.) along the south side of Marine Drive. The level site is presently developed with a one-storey, 8 120 m² (87,400 sq. ft.) building which has been occupied by warehouse/office uses. The building was built in 1956 for the Chrysler Corporation's offices and warehouse.

South, east and west of the site is zoned I-2 (Industrial) and developed with primarily warehouse, office and light industrial uses. North of the site is zoned RS-1 (One-family Dwelling) and is developed with one-family dwellings.

Proposed Development: The application proposes a mixed use development which would contain retail and service uses, including a 12 443 m² (133,940 sq. ft.) Canadian Tire Store and 11 707 m² (126,020 sq. ft.) of other retail space. A 2-storey Canadian Tire store and a Marks Work Wearhouse would be located at the south end of the site. The building at the north end would include three other retailers. In the centre of the site, linking the buildings would be a 2-storey parking structure for 608 vehicles. Two smaller buildings fronting onto Ontario Street would include restaurant and retail uses. Vehicle access to the site occurs from Ontario Street and loading enters from 69th Avenue and Marine Drive along the west side of the site.

The proposal also includes sustainable design features such as clerestory windows and skylights to daylight upper level retail areas, the capture and use of stormwater, planting and roofing materials to minimize cooling loads, and a bio-filtration pond to improve water quality. A bike plaza is also proposed near the bio-filtration pond towards the northeast corner of the development.

Retail Impact Study: In accordance with the HOR rezoning policies, the applicant paid for a retail impact study which was directed and managed by City staff. In February 2005, the City hired a consultant team to undertake the study based on terms of reference developed by staff. The consultant team consisted of Lewis Silberberg (Commercial Marketing) and Paul Ardagh (Development Consulting Group).

(a) Methodology

The consultants' methodology utilized both quantitative and qualitative analyses to assess potential impacts on neighbourhood shopping area. Their research included

· quantitative analyses of retail supply and demand for stores selling clothing.

(b) Analysis

The trade area was determined based on the configuration of the local road network, the size of the proposed development, the drawing power of its anchors, and the size and location of competing commercial developments. The results indicated that the trade area boundaries would extend between 29th Avenue and 54th Avenue in the north to the Fraser River in the south and from Kerr Street in the east to the University Endowment Lands in the west.

Map 2: Trade Area of Proposed Retail Development

An inventory was taken of ten neighbourhood shopping areas and shopping centres located in the general vicinity of the site and found 28 055 m² (302,000 sq. ft.) of clothing store space.

The proposed development includes 6 970 m² (75,000 sq. ft.) of retail space without definite tenants, so the consultants considered 2 scenarios for the impact on the trade area of potential clothing sales on the site. Scenario A includes a Marks Work Wearhouse [1 115 m² (12,000 sq. ft.)] and 929 m² (10,000 sq. ft.) of other clothing sales and Scenario B includes a Marks Work Wearhouse and 3 715 m² (40,000 sq. ft.) of other clothing sales. The consultant's analysis also takes into consideration the 929 m² (10,000 sq. ft.) of potential clothing store space in the rezoning application for 86 SE Marine Drive (Wal-Mart).

The consultants observed that

· in Scenario A, there is capacity for 2 695 m² (29,000 sq. ft.) of new clothing store space warranted in the trade area up to 2006 and a total of 5 760 m² (62,000 sq. ft.) of new clothing store space warranted in the trade area up to 2021. The analysis indicates that the trade area will be able to support the Marks Work Wearhouse store plus 929 m² (10,000 sq. ft.) on the subject site and 929 m² (10,000 sq. ft.) on the Wal-Mart site by 2007/2008;
· in Scenario B, there is capacity for 4 275 m² (46,000 sq. ft.) of new clothing store space warranted in the trade area up to 2006 and a total of 7 340 m² (79,000 sq. ft.) of new clothing store space warranted in the trade area up to 2021. The analysis indicates that the trade area will be able to support the Marks Work Wearhouse store plus 3 715 m² (40,000 sq. ft.) on the subject site and 929 m² (10,000 sq. ft.) on the Wal-Mart site by 2012/2013;
· almost all of the proposal's impact on clothing sales in the trade area would be felt by competing stores in Oakridge; however, the impact is not significant because of the exceptional sales performance of apparel stores at Oakridge;
· a large portion of the sales loss will accrue to department stores, and clothing stores outside the trade area; and
· of the 17 large apparel stores in the trade area, 16 will be virtually immune to competition, with the one exception being the Fields store on Fraser Street. However, closure of Fields would not significantly impact the marketing appeal of the Fraser Street shopping area.

The consultant's findings that the trade area can accommodate more clothing retail space under Scenario B can be explained by noting that, as the retail floor area grows in the trade area, more customers within the trade area will shop within the area because of the increased shopping opportunities.

The consultant's executive summary is attached as Appendix E. The full impact study is on file in the Planning Department.

Public Input: A notification letter was sent to 363 nearby property owners on November 4, 2004 and rezoning information signs were posted on the site on November 5, 2004. Three phone calls requested additional information. A public open house on February 1, 2005 was attended by over 50 residents and business owners/operators and 26 comment forms were submitted. Seventeen (65%) of the forms indicated support for the proposal, seven (27%) indicated non-support and two (8%) were neutral. Those who supported the proposal commented that it would improve the area, decrease driving to suburban stores and create jobs. For those who didn't support the proposal, the issues were opposition to "big box" type development and concern about increased traffic on Marine Drive.

Public Art: The City's Public Art Program requires all major new private developments seeking a rezoning from industrial to commercial/residential use where the increase in floor space is 15 000 m² (161,463 sq. ft.) or greater to allocate funds to public art to be sited in publicly accessible areas. The value of the public art based on a formula of $10.23 per m² ($0.95 per sq. ft.) of area contributing to the total FSR (floor space ratio). Based on the floor space information provided in the application, the public art budget would therefore be $494,988.78.

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 C.

Urban Design Panel Comments: The Urban Design Panel reviewed this proposal on two occasions. On November 24, 2004, the proposal was not supported due to concerns about the form of development, the proposal's response to the heritage building, and use of the front lawn. On January 19, 2005, the current, revised proposal was reviewed by the Panel who supported the use, density and form of development and offered their consensus on key aspects needing improvement. The Chair noted the following key issues arising from the Panel's commentary:

Vancouver Heritage Commission Comments: The Vancouver Heritage Commission reviewed and supported this proposal on two occasions. At the second review, on January 31, 2005, the Commission unanimously resolved:

Environmental Implications: The proposal includes sustainability features, such as on-site water storage and treatment to reduce stormwater run-off, clerestory windows to allow daylight into upper level retail units, and roof treatment to reduce cooling requirements.

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:

"We have reviewed the report and are in agreement with the majority of the recommendations. However, the applicant has not had an opportunity to review the market study and may wish to address the recommended clothing limitation at the public hearing.

The applicant team has spent over a year working with staff, the advisory design panel and the heritage commission to develop the best response for the Marine Drive HOR area. The resulting proposal provides for a high quality urban form of development including a high level of architectural resolution with consideration to integration of the Chrysler facade. The proposal received the unanimous support of urban design panel and the heritage commission.

In addition to delivering an architectural response consistent with the goals and expectations of the HOR guidelines, significant site amenities have been incorporated. The team is especially pleased to be providing for the preservation of the landmark Chrysler building facade and its integration into the development. The proposal also incorporates considerable effort to work with staff and advisory boards in recognizing and appropriately integrating the lawn and the vista of the façade. Further site amenities include a bio-filtration pond, a bike hub resting area along the Ontario Street bikeway, various improvements to respond to traffic management, and the incorporation of sustainable design principles. These principles include consideration of indoor air quality, energy efficient design, water use reduction and water treatment.

Canadian Tire looks forward to the opportunity to improve upon their existing involvement in the immediate neighbourhood by providing a new updated retail opportunity for residents. They are also pleased to be integrating sustainable design principles and heritage preservation as part of their commitment to the City of Vancouver."

APPENDIX E
 

RETAIL IMPACT STUDY: 26 SW MARINE DRIVE PROJECT: VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
(Prepared by Commercial Marketing Inc. and Development Consulting Group Ltd.)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Development Consulting Group and Commercial Marketing have been retained by the City of Vancouver Planning Department to prepare an impact study for a proposed highway oriented retail development located at 26 Southwest Marine Drive in the City of Vancouver. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact that this project will have on existing clothing stores located in a number of neighbourhoods in the City of Vancouver.

The principal findings of this report are summarized in point form below.

1. According to a site plan provided by the developer, the project will have a total store area of approximately 262,000 sq. ft. Anchor tenants for the project include a 134,000 sq. ft. Canadian Tire store, a 39,000 sq. ft. Best Buy consumer electronics store and a 12,000 sq. ft. Marks Work Wearhouse clothing store. Based on discussions with the developer, it has been assumed that these three anchor tenants will open in the fall of 2006.

2. An inventory of ten neighbourhood shopping precincts located in the general vicinity of the subject site was undertaken by the consultants. These ten neighbourhood shopping precincts contain 302,000 sq. ft. of clothing store space.

3. The trade area for the proposed project extends from 29th Avenue in the north to the Fraser River in the south and from Kerr Street in the east to the University Endowment Lands in the west (refer to the trade area map following page 8 of this report). The boundaries of the trade area reflect the location of existing and proposed Canadian Tire, Best Buy and Marks Work Wearhouse stores in Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby.

4. The trade area population is projected to increase from 120,500 in 2006 to 127,600 in 2021.

5. Per capita incomes levels in the trade are virtually identical to the average for the City of Vancouver and slightly above the average for the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area.

6. Under scenario A, the highway oriented retail project planned for the subject site will include a Marks Work Wearhouse store and 10,000 sq. ft. of other clothing store space. In this case, the amount of new clothing store space warranted in the trade area is projected to increase from 29,000 sq. ft. in 2006 to 62,000 sq. ft. in 2021. The results of the market analysis indicate that the trade area will be able to support the Marks Work Wearhouse store plus 10,000 sq. ft. of other clothing store space proposed for the subject site plus 10,000 sq. ft. of other clothing store space in the Walmart project by 2007 or 2008.

7. Under scenario B, the highway oriented retail project planned for the subject site will include a Marks Work Wearhouse store and 40,000 sq. ft. of other clothing store space. In this case, the amount of new clothing store space warranted in the trade area is projected to increase from 46,000 sq. ft. in 2006 to 79,000 sq. ft. in 2021. The results of the market analysis indicate that the trade area will be able to support the Marks Work Wearhouse store plus 40,000 sq. ft. of other clothing store space proposed for the subject site plus 10,000 sq. ft. of other clothing store space in the Walmart project by 2012 or 2013.

8. For the purposes of the analysis, impact is defined as the difference between what sales are projected to be at an existing store and what they were prior to the opening date of a new competitor such as Marks Work Wearhouse without adjustment for inflation.

9. The sales volume for the 12,000 sq. ft. Marks Work Wearhouse store is projected to increase from between $3.0-$3.6 million in 2007 (the first full year of operation) to between $3.6-$4.2 million in 2008 and to increase by 3% per annum thereafter.

10. In 2008, sales losses for clothing stores in the trade area attributable to Marks Work Wearhouse are projected at between $1.3-$1.5 million; the remainder of sales losses will accrue mostly to department stores such as Zellers and The Bay at Oakridge and to clothing stores located outside the trade area. After 2008, the impact of the proposed Marks Work Wearhouse store begins to decline due to a combination of population growth in the trade area and increasing per capita apparel store expenditures. By 2010, impacts on competing clothing stores in the trade area are projected to disappear entirely.

11. Almost all of the trade area impacts (between $1.3-$1.4 million in 2008) will be felt by competing clothing stores at Oakridge. The average productivity factor for apparel stores at Oakridge is expected to exceed $700 per sq ft. in 2005. Given this exceptional performance, the maximum projected impact of between $1.3-$1.4 million in 2008 (between 1-2% of total apparel sales) should not be a concern for any competing clothing store at Oakridge.

12. In 2008, sales losses for clothing stores in the trade area attributable to the other clothing stores in the highway oriented retail project planned for the subject site are projected at between $1.2-$4.9 million. Once again, a significant portion of sales losses will accrue to department stores such as Sears, The Bay, Zellers and Walmart at nearby malls and to clothing stores located outside the trade area. After 2008, the impact of the proposed other clothing stores begins to decline once again due to a combination of population growth in the trade area and increasing per capita apparel store expenditures. By 2010, impacts on competing clothing stores in the trade area are projected to disappear entirely.

13. The inventory presented in Section 3.4 of this report identified a total of 17 large apparel stores in the trade area. Of this total, eight are located at Oakridge, two are located in Kerrisdale, four are ethnic stores in the Punjabi Market area of Main Street, two are thrift stores and one is a family apparel store on Fraser Street. By virtue of their location and/or merchandising mix, 16 of these 17 large apparel stores will be virtually immune to competition from the highway oriented retail project proposed for the subject site. The one obvious exception is the 6,000 sq. ft. Fields store on Fraser Street.

14. The combined impact of Marks Work Wearhouse plus up to 40,000 sq. ft. of other clothing store space at the subject site and Walmart plus another 10,000 sq. ft. of other clothing store space may well be enough to depress the sales volume of Fields to below the breakeven point. If so, the company could decide to close this store either immediately or upon expiry of the lease. In our opinion, the closure of the Fields store on Fraser Street would not have any significant impact on the marketing appeal of this shopping precinct.

APPENDIX F

BUILDING EVALUATION AND STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE (Prepared by Robert Lemon Architect Inc.)

"CHRYSLER CANADA PARTS DISTRIBUTION CENTRE
26 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver

HERITAGE VALUE ASSESSMENT
revised 2 November 2004

Historic Place Description
The former Chrysler Canada Parts Distribution Centre is a very large single storey industrial warehouse building fronted by an office wing set far back from a major arterial road in south Vancouver near the Fraser River. It is designed in a late Art Moderne / International style of modernism and dates from 1955-56. It was identified in the City of Vancouver Recent Landmarks survey but is not listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register.

Heritage Value
The former Chrysler Canada Parts Distribution Centre is an important aspect of Vancouver's industrial history and represents a post WW2 expression of modern architecture in the southern part of the city. Surrounded by highway oriented retail, car dealerships, industrial operations, fast food restaurants and gas stations, the building represents one of the last phases in the evolution of the Fraser River's transition from forest to farmland at the turn of the 20th century, gradually becoming industrial in use with numerous sawmills and steel plants by mid century. To the north of Marine Drive, a mix of small scale residential dwelling and apartment buildings are part of the what was once the eastern edge of Marpole.

The deep setback and broad front lawn of the building presents a strong presence to SW Marine Drive and enhances its visibility and prominence. The setback, symmetry and formal, yet restrained, modernism of the building and siting speaks to importance of Chrylser as an industrial entity, one of the Big Three automakers in North America. With this, their western regional office and parts distribution warehouse, the desire to create an impressive, yet conservative, presence in the community is evident. The front door is on axis with the long sidewalk from Marine Drive and the doorway is emphasized by being set in a stone surround and being centred in a projecting frontispiece. This strong presence was further highlighted by the giant scale of the 3'6" high stainless steel "CHRYSLER" letters above the main entrance (now removed). Mature street trees frame the site and contribute to the corporate formality of the site.

The building's architecture is a conservative modernist composition of strong horizontality and linearity rendered in brick with stone trim. With its streamlined modernism, it is related more to the late Art Moderne style than the more structurally expressive international style. A single band of strip windows of aluminium with stone trim and a strong central projecting frontispiece with stone surrounds mark the powerful north facade facing the large lawn north of the building.

There is a deft hand in the design of the transition from the sobriety of broad brick mass of the office section to the vast warehouse block to the rear, with its crisp delineation of clear upper clerestory glazing - relating to the steel truss structure of this wing - and its brick base.

Designed as the parts plant and regional offices for Chrysler Corporation of Canada (later Chrysler Canada Corp. and now Daimler Chrysler), the architect was William R. Souter and Associates, Architects of Hamilton, Ontario with associated architects McCarter Nairne & Partners of Vancouver. Souter's firm had a long history in Hamilton, designing schools, churches banks and large residences including several buildings at McMaster University and the General Motors Assembly Plant in Oshawa (1927). While the contribution of each firm to the building design is uncertain, McCarter Nairne & Partners were one of Vancouver's notable and profilic architectural firms whose Vancouver General Post Office on West Georgia Street (1953-58) is contemporary with the Chrysler building. An expansion of the warehouse section at the Chrysler building was designed in 1965 by Giffels Associates Consulting Engineers of Toronto and Windsor Ontario.

Post Script
While no direct connection has been established, there is a striking similarity of the office wing of this building to the office wing of the Canadian Timken Ltd. Plant in St. Thomas Ontario of a decade earlier (1946, Prack and Prack Architects of Hamilton). The similarity shows a preference of corporate offices of the automobile industry for a conservative style of modernism and suggests that Souter's Hamilton practice lead the design of this west coast building.

Character Defining Elements
· Broad front lawn and deep set back from Marine Drive
· Mature street trees
· Axial alignment of sidewalk, front door and facade frontispiece
· Long low linear single storey expression
· Brick wall cladding with stone trim and detailing
· Former stainless steel CHRYSLER sign (removed)
· Aluminium windows in long horizontal banding
· Clerestory glazing along east and west elevation

References
· Original architectural drawings, 1955 and 1965
· Daimler Chrysler Canada Inc.
· Luxton, Donald, Building the West, Vancouver Talonbooks, 2003
· Macdonald, Bruce, Vancouver at Visual History. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1992
· Ontario Association of Architects register listing of Wm. Russell Souter (1893-1971)
· City of Vancouver Recent Landmarks files
· Canadian Timken Ltd.

ROBERT LEMON ARCHITECT INC."

APPENDIX G
 

Total 9 Pages of Plans under "pdf" file.

APPENDIX H
 

APPLICANT, PROPERTY, AND DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL INFORMATION

APPLICANT AND PROPERTY INFORMATION

Street Address

26 SW Marine Drive (Canadian Tire)

Legal Description

Lot A, Except part in Ref. Plan 6793, N Pt of Block 11, DL 322, Plan 8878, N.W.D.

Applicant/Architect

Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning.

Property Owner

Canadian Tire

SITE STATISTICS

 

GROSS

DEDICATIONS

NET

SITE AREA

29 768 m² (320,430 sq. ft.)

0.975 m² (10 sq. ft.)

29 767.025 m² (320,420 sq. ft.)

DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS

 

DEVELOPMENT PERMITTED UNDER EXISTING ZONING

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

RECOMMENDED
DEVELOPMENT (if different than proposed)

ZONING

I-2 & RS-1

CD-1

  

USES

Manufacturing, Service, Transportation and Storage, Utility and Communication, and Wholesale; Accessory Retail limited to 1 000m² (10,765 sq. ft.)

Manufacturing, Service, Transportation and Storage, Utility and Communication, Wholesale, Retail (Minimum size of 929 m² [10,000 sq. ft.]) and Accessory Uses

 

MAX. FLOOR SPACE RATIO

3.00 FSR

1.62 FSR, except
Retail limited to 0.79 FSR
Retail (clothing) limited to 2 045 m² (22,000 sq. ft.)

  

MAXIMUM HEIGHT

18.3 m (60 ft.) (outright)
30.5 m (100 ft.) (conditional)

18.3 m (60 ft.)

  

PARKING SPACES

Per Parking By-law

Per Parking By-law, minimum 608 parking spaces

  

LANDSCAPED SETBACKS

RS-1 = 12.1 m (40 ft.) along Marine Drive

58.5 m (190 ft.) along Marine Drive

  

* * * * *

ag20050412.htm

Comments or questions? Send us e-mail at info@city.vancouver.bc.ca
© 2002 City of Vancouver