ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: December 22, 1995
Dept. File No. AH
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director of Land Use and Development
SUBJECT: Reapproval of Strata Title Conversion -
611 Main Street
RECOMMENDATION
THAT the application to convert the premises at 611 Main Street
(Lots 1 to 5, Block 18, D.L. 196, Plan 184) to strata title
ownership be reapproved in principle, but that pursuant to Section
9(1) of the Condominium Act, the Certificate of Approval (Form 10)
shall not be issued unless the following condition has been met
within one year of this reapproval:
Completion of all work required by the City Building
Inspector, under the required permits, at no cost to the City,
in order that this previously-occupied building substantially
complies with all relevant by-laws.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of
the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council policy is reflected in the City's Strata Title and Cooperative
Conversion Guidelines, which outline factors which Council will consider
in reviewing applications for converting previously - occupied buildings
to strata title or cooperative ownership.
PURPOSE
Council reapproval is requested for the application to convert the
previously-occupied building at 611 Main Street (Lots 1 to 5, Block 18,
D.L. 196, Plan 184) to strata title ownership.
BACKGROUND
The site is zoned HA-1 and is developed with a three-storey, 24-unit
commercial building, with two levels of underground parking, constructed
in 1970. The building consists of retail and office uses on the first
and second floors and a casino on the third floor. The location of the
site is shown in Figure No. 1, below.
Figure 1
On December 13, 1994, Council granted approval in principle to an
application to convert this building to 24 strata lots. Pursuant to
Council policy, the approval in principle lapsed on December 13, 1995.
The approval in principle was subject to completion of one condition,
which required that significant building, fire, plumbing, electrical and
structural upgrading be completed, in order to bring the building into
substantial compliance with all relevant City by-laws. Although some
minor work has been completed in the building, the substantial upgrading
this required has not yet been done.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The intent in establishing the one-year limit for completion of Council-
imposed conditions was not to necessarily expect that in every instance,
all conditions of approval could be completed within a year. Rather,
the intent was to terminate approvals in principle where applicants
clearly had no plans to proceed toward final approval by completing the
required works. Staff were concerned that either revisions to relevant
City by-laws or the possible introduction of new tenants who were not
aware of the strata title approval in principle, could make the approval
in principle passe.
In the case of 611 Main Street, the City Building Inspector reports that
an application for a building permit to complete the required upgrading
work was not submitted until July, 1995. That permit is now issuable.
It is reasonable to believe that the required work can be completed
within twelve months and on this basis, the City Building Inspector
supports the recommendation that this reapproval be valid for a further
one-year period.
CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing, the Director of Land Use and Development
supports this application for reapproval in principle and recommends
that a further one-year limit be imposed.
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