ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: October 9, 1996
Dept. File No. GMcG
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director of City Plans
SUBJECT: Heritage Designation of Grauer House
(364 West 10th Avenue)
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT the Grauer House, located at 364 West 10th Avenue,
listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register in the "A"
evaluation category, be designated as a Protected Heritage
Property;
FURTHER THAT the interior features of the vestibule (including
the stained and varnished fir wall wainscotting, the beamed
and coffered ceiling, the two stained glass windows) and the
staircase and the stone retaining wall near the periphery of
the site facing 10th Avenue be included in the designation.
B. THAT the Director of Legal Services bring forward for
enactment an amendment to the Heritage By-law.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A
and B.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council policy on heritage designation states, in part, that legal
designation will be a prerequisite to accepting certain bonuses and
incentives.
PURPOSE
This report seeks Council's support for the designation of the building
at 364 West 10th Avenue and certain interior and landscape features, as
Protected Heritage Property in exchange for zoning and parking
relaxations.
BACKGROUND
The Grauer House is located on the eastern half of the property at the
corner of 10th Avenue and Yukon Street. It is listed on the Vancouver
Heritage Register in the "A" evaluation category and is a neighbourhood
landmark. The site is zoned RM-4 and borders the RT-6 Mount Pleasant
zone to the south.
Development Application Number DE401251, received on May 6, 1996,
proposes to convert Grauer House into three residential units. The
exterior of the building and the interior vestibule and staircase will
be preserved. The proposal also includes construction of a
thirteen-unit, three-storey multiple dwelling, with one level of
underground parking, and a two-unit 'coach house'. Inasmuch as the
relaxations are considerable, the Director of Land Use and Development
has made heritage designation a condition of development application
approval. (See Appendix A for selected Development Application drawings
- on file in City Clerk's Office).
MAP
DISCUSSION
Heritage Value. The Grauer House, listed in the "A" evaluation category
on the Heritage Register, was originally designed and built by J.C.
Turnbull, who occupied it briefly. It was later acquired by Jacob
Grauer, a postmaster at Eburne, whose two sons became public figures:
one was Reeve of Richmond, and Dal, served as president of the B.C.
Electric Company.
The Grauer House, a replica of 1829 Parker Street in Grandview-Woodland,
is a very good example of the Queen Anne style. The front elevation
includes an outstanding combination of forms and Edwardian Builder
ornamentation, unique third storey porch with curved walls and an
original ashlar granite retaining wall near the periphery of the
property. Its interior is an example of the best of the middle class
homes of the early turn-of-the century Vancouver. The carefully
detailed and dynamic entrance hall represents the transition from the
complex asymmetry of the Victorian era to the evolving formality of the
Edwardian era. All walls are panelled with fir wainscotting and the
ceiling is wood beamed in a coffered pattern. The dark stained and
varnished woodwork gives the entry a sombre formality but is enlivened
by the bright stained glass windows on two walls. The interior entrance
hall is in excellent condition.
Compatibility with Community Planning Objectives. The application meets
the intent of the RM-4 zoning in every aspect: "to permit medium density
residential development, including a variety of multiple dwelling types,
to encourage the retention of existing buildings and good design, and to
achieve a number of community and social objectives through permitted
increases in floor area".
The applicant designed the westerly elevation of the multiple dwelling
to respect the existing RT-6 streetscape which begins south of the lane
along Yukon Street.
Condition and Economic Viability. Virtually all of the original exterior
finishes of the Grauer House have survived intact, although some are in
immediate need of restoration.
The Manager of Real Estate Services has reviewed and supported the
applicant's financial proforma and concluded that the developer's profit
will not be excessive due to the additional costs of refurbishing the
heritage aspects of the existing dwelling. He further concluded that no
extra-ordinary financial benefit will be inherent in this development
proposal.
Support Required to Enable Conservation. The additional floor space and
other requested relaxation, if approved, would enable the owner to
restore and designate the Grauer House including the interior entrance
hall and stone retaining wall. Prior to enacting the designation by-law,
a letter from the owner will be submitted to the satisfaction of the Law
Department, stating that they accept the relaxations to be granted under
Development Application Number DE401251 as just and fair compensation
for the designation and that they waive future compensation demands.
Therefore, no additional support to achieve appropriate conservation of
the heritage property is required.
Zoning Considerations. Irrespective of heritage, the RM-4 District
Schedule allows the Director of Planning to approve relaxation of any
RM-4 regulation, including the floor space ratio to the maximum of 1.45.
In addition, because the proposed development will contribute to the
conservation of heritage property, the Director of Planning can relax
the parking requirement and further relax the floor space regulation,
subject to designation of the property.
Relaxations include:
Permitted/Required Approximate Proposed
FSR* 1.45 1.6 (10% increase)
Floorspace* 1,684 m2 (18, 125 1,858 m2 (20,000
sq.ft.) sq.ft.)
Parking* 29 20
Minimum rear yard 7.65 m (25.1ft.) 0.61 m (2 ft.)
Minimum west side yard 6.00 m (19.7 ft.) 1.83 m (6 ft.)
Minimum east side yard 1.80 m (6 ft.) 0.61 m (2 ft.)
Minimum front yard 6.10 m (20 ft.) 4.72 m (15.5
ft.)
Maximum height new building 10.7 m (35 ft.) 11.3 m. (37 ft.)
Max. height existing 10.8 m (35.5 ft.) 12.2 m. (39.9 ft)
building
Number of principal 1 3
buildings*
Side yard containing angle 135 degrees 175 degrees
Garage entrance ramp width 7.0 m 3.66 m
(23.0 ft.) (12.0 ft)
*heritage relaxations requested
Notification. As part of the Development Application review process, 28
neighbours were notified. Five responses were received. A 10th Avenue
neighbour called supporting the project, subject to the preservation of
the interior entrance hall, which was not identified in the original
application submission. The other four respondents were concerned the
garage ramp will result in the loss of the street character along 10th
Avenue and increased traffic. The parking garage ramp is proposed on
10th Avenue because the 3.7 m (12 feet) grade difference between the
lane and the Avenue makes it unworkable to ramp down from the lane. To
minimize the ramp's impact and to ensure the project enhances the strong
10th Avenue street character, the ramp width has been reduced from the
City standard of 7.0 m (23 feet) to 3.66 m (12 feet), planting has been
added along the street edge, and the following measures have been
required as "prior to" conditions of development permit issuance:
- redesign of the ramp to significantly reduce its impact on the
existing street trees and on the Brewery Creek commemorative
station;
- retention of the ashlar granite retaining wall along 10th Avenue
and Yukon Street except where ramp and walkway openings are
proposed;
- addition of a planting trellis over the ramp to enhance the
aesthetics of the ramp opening; and
- retention of the historic Grauer House.
The Director of Legal Services has prepared the necessary Heritage
By-law amendments and requirements have been met for notification, as
specified in the Vancouver Charter.
Comments of the Vancouver Heritage Commission. The Vancouver Heritage
Commission reviewed this application on June 3, 1996. It supported the
requested relaxations in exchange for the heritage designation of the
Grauer House. The Commission, however, expressed concerns over the
proposals to raise the house and to move the front door and requested
the applicant investigate whether any interiors of the house were worth
conserving.
CONCLUSION
The development proposal for 364 West 10th Avenue is compatible with the
community planning objectives, with the intent of the zoning and with
Council's long-term goal to protect heritage resources through
designation. The requested floor space increase and other relaxations
will ensure the conservation of the heritage building and other
identified heritage features is economically viable. Therefore, it is
recommended that Council amend Schedule A of the Heritage By-law to
designate the Grauer House, including its interior vestibule hall and
staircase, and the stone retaining wall near the periphery of the site,
as a Protected Heritage Property.
* * *