Proposed Rezoning of 1100-1114 Burnaby Street

POLICY REPORT
DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING

Date: September 15, 1995
Dept. File No. 95012
RZ. 1100-1114 Burnaby Street

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: Director of Land Use and Development

SUBJECT: Proposed Rezoning of 1100-1114 Burnaby Street

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the application by Brook Development Planning to rezone the
site at 1100-1114 Burnaby Street (Lot A [Explanatory Plan 7995]
Block 26, DL 185, Plan 92) from RM-5A to CD-1, to permit a 225-bed
international hostel, be referred to a Public Hearing, together
with:

(i) draft CD-1 By-law provisions, generally as contained in
Appendix A; and

(ii) the recommendation of the Director of Land Use and Development
to approve the application, subject to conditions contained in
Appendix B.

FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to
prepare the necessary by-law for consideration at the Hearing,
including an amendment to the Sign By-law to establish regulations
for this CD-1 in accordance with Schedule B (FM-1).

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of
the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

In December 1987, Council approved the following policy for residential
areas in the West End:

Facilitate the retention and upgrading of existing hotels in the
residential areas but do not permit new hotels.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report assesses an application to rezone the site at 1100-1114
Burnaby Street from RM-5A to CD-1, to reuse two buildings, formerly used
as a seniors' care facility, for a 225-bed hostel (hotel use)to be
operated by Hostelling International-BC Region, a non-profit
association. There are no exterior modifications proposed for the
existing buildings other than those that may be necessary for building
upgrading requirements. Parking would be provided for 19 cars, with
provision for nine more off site or through other arrangements.

While the retention of these buildings would maintain the streetscape
character, open spaces, views, sunlight access and privacy already
offered, the proposed use is not consistent with the existing West End
residential area policy which does not allow new hotels. Although some
neighbours and one of the community groups have concerns about parking
and traffic impacts, staff conclude that hotel, limited to an
international hostel, is an appropriate reuse of this site. Staff
anticipate that the additional traffic should not be significant, the

parking impacts can be mitigated, and the use should not have a negative
impact on the neighbourhood. This proposal is considered to be a
special case, and is supported on that basis.

Staff recommend that the application be referred to a Public Hearing,
with a recommendation that it be subject to conditions.

DISCUSSION

Land Use International hostel is not listed as a specific use in the
Zoning and Development By-law but fits under hotel use, which is not
permitted as a new use under RM-5A. The West End Residential Areas
Policy Plan does not support new hotels due to concerns about the non-
traditional residential character of short-term tenancy. Nevertheless,
several aspects of this application lend support to this proposed use.

Staff consider the site as appropriate for the proposed rezoning because
it is located on a corner near the edge of the residential area, and it
is adjacent to a busy street (Thurlow Street). Furthermore, the site is
strategically located in the downtown peninsula as it is within easy
walking distance of English Bay and Stanley Park, near a range of
stores, restaurants and other services (on Davie Street) which would
meet visitors' daily needs, and easily accessible to public transit
along both Burrard and Davie Streets.

Under the existing zoning, the two buildings could be reused as a
special needs residential facility or a rooming house, or they could be
demolished and the site could be redeveloped according to the RM-5A
District Schedule. However, the existing buildings offer a unique
opportunity. The two buildings were purposely designed as a personal
care facility, cannot be reused for this purpose, but are relatively new
and in good condition. (Further details about these buildings are
provided in Appendix C.)

The buildings are well-suited for use as an international hostel. They
contain a total of 71 rooms that would easily accommodate the needs of
travellers. Each bedroom could accommodate three beds and includes a
sink, closet and dresser. A few rooms would be available for families
or groups of four people and include a private bathroom. A total of 225
beds are proposed. The buildings also include a variety of common areas
where guests would be able to meet and participate in activities, such
as watching television or playing games. The hostel would not offer
meals or beverages; therefore, the existing kitchen and dining areas
would be available for hostellers who want to prepare meals for
themselves. In addition, a security entrance and reception desk would
allow the staff to control access to the hostel. The buildings are also
wheelchair accessible.

The proposed international hostel differs from a typical hotel use in
ways which would make it more compatible with a residential
neighbourhood. International (tourist-oriented) hostels tend to appeal
to different users than hotels. Normally, accommodation in an
international hostel is shared with other people and the guests are
provided with cooking, eating and other communal facilities.The average
stay in an international hostel is for 3-4 days. These hostels provide
a low-cost form of accommodation (average $17/day) and consequently
attract travellers on limited budgets. Experience at the Jericho
Hostel, which is also operated by Hostelling International, has shown
that the majority of visitors travel around the City using public
transit, by bicycle or on foot. (Further details about Hostelling
International and the Jericho Hostel are provided in Appendix C.)

Some of the neighbouring residents and property owners are concerned
that the hostel will be disruptive to the area because it will attract
young visitors who will be noisy and untidy. However, eighty percent of
the visitors to international hostels are over twenty-one years of age.

Hostelling International also anticipates that the facilities and
location of this hostel will especially appeal to members of the
Elderhostel program because the rooms will offer greater privacy than
dormitory style accommodation (as offered by the Jericho Hostel). The
proposed hostel would have staff on duty at all times to monitor
activities in and around the buildings. Only hostel members and their
guests would be allowed to stay at the hostel. As indicated by many of
the letters of support from Hostelling International's members, people
using hostels normally respect their environment and their neighbours.
Staff believe that the self-policing nature of the hostel's environment
will minimize disruption to the neighbourhood.

Although the West End Residential Areas Policy Plan does not allow for
any new hotels, staff consider this application for an international
hostel as a special case for the reasons discussed above and in this
instance support a proposal that is not consistent with established
policy. Hostels and similar proposals are relatively rare, and there
are few other buildings in the West End's residential areas that could
be easily converted for this type of use. If approved, the CD-1 by-law
would permit hotel use on this site, limited to an international hostel
operated by a non-profit association.

Parking The application proposes 19 parking spaces (14 underground and
5 surface spaces) which is well below the standard for hotel use (i.e.,
a minimum of one space for every two sleeping or housekeeping units);
however, other "tourist-oriented hostels" in the City, such as the
Jericho Hostel have been allowed to provide less parking without adverse
effect. A parking study, undertaken by the applicant during peak
periods in July, found that less than two-thirds of the Jericho hostel's
parking spaces were occupied. Furthermore, International Hostels in
other cities have demonstrated that lower parking standards are
appropriate as the majority of the guests arrive by plane, train or bus,
and, while visiting, primarily travel by public transit, bicycle or on
foot.The applicant's parking study estimated that the proposed Burnaby
Street hostel could have a shortfall of five parking spaces during the
peak period (July and August); however, staff's review anticipates a
shortfall of nine parking spaces. The neighbourhood has expressed some
concerns about the additional pressure that the hostel's guests may
place on the limited on-street parking in the area. To address these
concerns, staff recommend that the applicant either:

- secure nine additional spaces in a nearby parking lot to
accommodate the additional parking demand; or

- operate a shuttle service between the Jericho facility and the
Burnaby Street hostel to allow up to nine cars of guests to park at
the Jericho Hostel.

The applicant has also offered to stream guests with cars to the Jericho
location through Hostelling International's world-wide reservation
service.

The hostel would also be providing a secured bicycle storage area for 50
bicycles and provide rental bicycles for use by the guests. Large
groups, which normally arrive by bus, will continue to be accommodated
at the Jericho Hostel.

CONCLUSION

Planning staff support the proposed reuse of these buildings as an
international hostel. Besides benefitting visitors to Vancouver by
providing affordable accommodation, the proposal also contributes to the
neighbourhood by reusing two existing buildings and thus retaining the
open spaces, views and sunlight access. Although some neighbours are
concerned about the use and expect traffic and parking impacts, staff
anticipate that the hostel will be neighbourly and that the parking

concerns can be addressed. In addition, staff suggest that the unique
characteristics of this application support consideration of a hotel
(limited to international hostel) use at this location. Staff therefore
recommend that the application be referred to a Public Hearing with a
recommendation from the Director of Land Use and Development to approve
it, subject to draft CD-1 by-law provisions generally as shown in
Appendix A, and to proposed conditions of approval as listed in Appendix
B.

* * * APPENDIX A

DRAFT CD-1 BY-LAW PROVISIONS
1100-1114 Burnaby Street

USES

Hotel, limited to an international hostel operated by a non-profit
association.

Accessory Uses customarily ancillary to the foregoing.

FLOOR SPACE RATIO

The maximum floor space ratio will be 1.80, generally based on the
calculation provisions of the RM-5A District Schedule.

HEIGHT

The maximum height will be 13.4 m (44 ft.).

PARKING

A minimum of 28 off-street parking spaces must be provided, developed
and maintained in accordance with the applicable provisions of the
Parking By-law, except that the number of parking spaces can be reduced
to 19 spaces if nine additional parking spaces are provided off-site or
arrangements are made to provide a shuttle service between the Burnaby
Street hostel and the Jericho hostel.

APPENDIX B

PROPOSED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL

(a) That the form of development be approved by Council as illustrated
in plans prepared by Harry LeBlond, Architect and approved by the
Director of Planning in Development Permit No. 30363 issued
October 27, 1964 and as illustrated in plans prepared by Harry
LeBlond, Architect and approved by the Director of Planning in
Development Permit No. 94456 issued March 3, 1983, and any
subsequent minor amendments approved prior to April 28, 1995, and
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:

(i) provision of adequate garbage and recycling facilities, to the

satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services;

(ii) provision of 19 parking spaces, to the satisfaction of the
General Manager of Engineering Services;

(iii) arrangement for providing either an additional 9 parking
spaces off-site or a shuttle service between the proposed
hostel and the existing Jericho Hostel, to the satisfaction of
the General Manager of Engineering Services;

(iv) provision of bicycle storage spaces for 50 bicycles, to the
satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services.

(i) make suitable arrangements, to the satisfaction of the General
Manager of Engineering Services, for under-grounding of all
new electrical and telephone services within and adjacent the
site from the closest existing suitable service point.

APPENDIX C
Page 1 of 3

SITE, SURROUNDING AREA, PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND NON-MAJOR ELEMENTS

Site The site is a 1 606 m2 (17,292 sq. ft.) single lot containing two
buildings and is located at the southwest corner of Burnaby and Thurlow
Streets. The building at 1114 Burnaby Street was built in 1964, and the
building at 1100 Burnaby Street was built in 1983. Until March 1995,
these buildings were operated as a licensed personal care facility, Duke
Residence, by the Missionary Sisters of Christ the King. After changes
to the Provincial government's Continuing Care Program and the
introduction of more stringent multi-level care guidelines, it was no
longer possible for the facility to continue operating due to its small
size (49 rooms) and the significant costs that would be required to
upgrade the buildings. The buildings are currently occupied by a few
staff and Sisters who maintain the buildings and property.

Surrounding Area The site is in the RM-5A Multiple Dwelling District of
the West End. The surrounding area is developed with residential
buildings which range from 2-storey multiple conversion dwellings to 22-
storey multiple dwellings. The majority of the buildings are 3 to 4-
storey multiple dwellings. Most of the buildings immediately adjacent
to the site provide rental accommodation. Two exceptions are:

- the Sunset Inn, a 10-storey residential hotel with self-contained
one bedroom suites, located to the north of the site; and

- a 4-storey, 14 unit strata-titled multiple dwelling located to the
east of the site across Thurlow Street.

A half block north of the site is the C-5 Commercial District along
Davie Street which provides a wide variety of retail and service
activities. A block to the east are two CD-1 zoned sites with mixed
commercial and residential development, and the Downtown District.

Proposed Development The application proposes to reuse the existing two
buildings as a 225-bed international hostel to be owned and operated by
Hostelling International, a non-profit organization. Hostelling
International is proposing no alterations or additions to the building
other than those that may be necessary to meet upgrading requirements
and to accommodate wheelchair accessibility to the roof deck. All
existing landscaping will be retained. APPENDIX C
Page 2 of 3

The application requests an FSR of 1.80, which is slightly more than the
buildings' existing FSR of 1.60, in order to allow for minor alterations
that may be necessary for wheelchair access or required upgrading. This
is less than the maximum 2.20 FSR achievable under RM-5A. The
application also requests a height of 13.4 m (44 ft.), which is 10
percent greater than the buildings' existing height of 12.2 m (40 ft.)
but less than the 18.3 m permitted under RM-5A. The additional height
is requested to allow for potential upgrading and wheelchair access to
the existing roof garden.

The existing parking of 14 underground and 5 surface spaces would be
maintained, and secured bicycle storage space would be provided for 50
bicycles. Hostelling International also intends to encourage bicycle
use by providing rentals for guests.

Recent Site History The closure of Duke Residence was precipitated by
the January 1992 changes to the B.C. Ministry of Health Multilevel Care
Design Guidelines. The changes increased the floor space required per
personal care resident to the extent that the facility would need to
provide at least 80 beds to operate economically. The existing site was
considered too small to accommodate the Provincial requirements.

In February 1994, the Missionary Sisters of Christ the King notified the
Vancouver Health Department that as of March 31, 1995, the Duke
Residence would no longer provide personal care. During that period,
residents of Duke Residence were relocated to other facilities such as
Haro Park Lodge and Dogwood Lodge. In March 1995, the property was
listed for sale.

Hostelling International Hostelling International-BC Region (HI-BC) is
a non-profit association, and is part of the International Youth Hostel
Federation (IYHF) which has over four million members and operates over
5,000 hostels worldwide. International hostelling associations promote
travel for people of all ages by providing quality, affordable
accommodation around the world. Through its affiliation with the IYHF,
HI-BC is connected to an international computerized reservation system
which allows hostel accommodation to be reserved anywhere in the world.

HI-BC operates five hostels and licenses and inspects 11 independently-
owned associate hostels. Since 1971, HI-BC has operated the Jericho
Hostel which is the largest and busiest hostel in Canada. During the
peak season, the Jericho Hostel regularly turns away hostellers seeking
accommodation. HI-BC's lease with the Vancouver Board of Parks and
Recreation for the Jericho Hostel expires in 2003; however, it is the
intention of HI-BC to retain this facility and Park Board staff can see
no reason at this time why the lease would not be renewed. APPENDIX C
Page 3 of 3

The Jericho Hostel provides 285 beds in 14-bed dormitories and in 10
family/private rooms, and it is not wheelchair accessible because the
building does not include an elevator. Besides providing guests with a
communal kitchen and dining area, the hostel also operates a cafeteria
between the months of April and October. The Jericho Hostel provides 65
parking spaces and although the hostel's location is somewhat remote
from services, and a few blocks from public transit, the parking has
been more than adequate for the number of guests with cars.

Landscape Resources and Open Space The site has mature landscaping,
courtyards and a roof garden (on the eastern building), all of which
would be retained. The landscaping and open spaces provide a positive
contribution to the neighbourhood.
Social Implications The proposed rezoning would provide additional
affordable accommodation for visitors who in the past have had to rely

on budget hotels in the downtown. If the rezoning is approved, these
budget hotels will have more capacity to serve the local population's
temporary housing needs. There are no implications with respect to the
Vancouver Children's Policy or Statement of Children's Entitlements.
APPENDIX D
Page 1 of 2

COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, REVIEWING AGENCIES, AND THE APPLICANT

Public Input On April 26 and April 27, 1995 the applicant held
information meetings prior to submitting the application. Notices were
distributed to 620 neighbouring residents and merchants and 25 people
attended the two meetings. The major areas of concern were the
appropriateness of a hostel in a residential area, and the perceived
impacts of the hostel, such as noise, crime and panhandling.

Two information signs were installed on the site on May 16, 1995. On
May 25, 1995, staff mailed a notification letter to 449 surrounding
property owners and to local community groups. Several residents and
nearby property owners have telephoned (five calls) or written (13
letters) staff with questions and concerns about the application.
Concerns were raised about the hostel use and its perceived impact on
traffic, parking, crime and noise. A member of one of the community
groups stated that he did not support a change in the policy of no more
new hotels in the area. There were also 4 letters of support from
nearby property owners.

Hostelling International also notified members, many of whom reside in
the West End, and other supporters, such as the Tourism Association of
Southwestern B.C. and the Vancouver Volunteer Centre. Over 60 people
responded with letters of support for the proposal.

Deputy City Engineer's Comments "Engineering Services has no objection
to the proposed rezoning, provided the following concerns are addressed
prior to by-law enactment:

1. Provision of 19 parking spaces and 50 bicycle spaces (as
proposed).

2. Arrangements to the satisfaction of the General Manager of
Engineering Services for providing an additional 9 parking spaces
or a shuttle service between this hostel and the existing hostel
at Jericho Beach.

3. Any new electrical or telephone services are to be undergrounded
within and adjacent the site from the closest existing suitable
service point.

4. Provision of adequate garbage and recycling facilities."
APPENDIX D
Page 2 of 2

Housing Centre Comments "The reuse of these buildings for hostelling
is supported by the Housing Centre. Currently potential hostellers
wishing a more central location than the Jericho hostel must rent rooms
in the Downtown SROs. This has resulted in the conversion of some of
these SROs into backpacker hotels. Developing a hostel in the downtown
peninsula should relieve this pressure from the Downtown SROs and offer
travellers on modest incomes accommodation in a safe part of the City.
As well, there are few rooming house buildings of this scale and type
outside the downtown, and preserving this stock, which is difficult to

replace, is worthwhile in itself."

Police Department Comments Police Department staff do not anticipate
any impact on crime as a result of this use.

Applicant's Comments

Hostelling International intends to run a shuttle service between the
Jericho facility and the Burnaby Street site during the Peak Season,
which can be defined as months where average occupancy exceeds 80
percent. Based on experience with the Jericho Hostel, this would be the
months of June through October.
APPENDIX E

APPLICANT, PROPERTY, AND DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL INFORMATION

APPLICANT AND PROPERTY OWNER INFORMATION

APPLICATION BY Chuck Brook Development Planning
PLANS BY N/A

PROPERTY OWNER Missionary Sisters of Christ the King

DEVELOPER Hostelling International - BC Region (HI-BC)

SITE INFORMATION AND STATISTICS

STREET ADDRESS 1100-1114 Burnaby Street
LEGAL DESCRIPTION Lot A (Explanatory Plan 7995) , Block 26, D.L. 185, Plan 92

SITE AREA 1 606 m� (17,292 sq. ft.)

WIDTH 40.0 m (132 ft.)

DEPTH 40.0 m (131 ft.)

DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED RECOMMENDED
PERMITTED UNDER DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT
EXISTING RM-5A ZONING (if different than (if different than
permitted) proposed)
MAX. FLOOR SPACE RATIO 1.00 1.80
up to 2.20

MAXIMUM SITE COVERAGE 50 %

MAXIMUM HEIGHT 18.3 m (60 ft.) 13.4 m (44 ft.)
up to 58.0 m (190
ft.)
FRONT YARD SETBACK 3.7 m (12 ft.)

REAR YARD SETBACK 2.1 m (7 ft.)

SIDE YARD SETBACK 2.1 m (7 ft.)

PARKING 19 28, or 19 with
alternative
arrangements.