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).





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   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.

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