P2
POLICY REPORT
DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
Date: October 7, 1996
Dept. File No. MBR
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Chairman of the Development Permit Board
SUBJECT: Preliminary Development Application No. DE401430, 428 West 8th
Avenue for Commercial and Artist Live/Work Studio Uses.
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT the Development Permit Board be advised that Council
supports the artist 'live/work' studio use proposed in
Preliminary Development Application No. DE401430, located at
428 West 8th Avenue.
B. THAT staff report back to Council on amending the Cambie
Street (East Side) C-3A Guidelines to allow consideration of
artist 'live-work' studios under appropriate conditions,
whereas conventional residential use would continue to be
unacceptable.
CONSIDERATION (Instead of A and B, above)
C. THAT the Cambie Street (East Side) C-3A Guidelines regarding
the unacceptability of residential be reaffirmed,
acknowledging that this includes artist 'live/work' studios.
DEVELOPMENT PERMIT BOARD COMMENT
The Development Permit Board, in supporting this referral to
Council for advice, notes that this application for additional
artist 'live/work' studio units is adjacent to a stable industrial
area. Furthermore, there are a number of similar large sites in
the vicinity which could be the subject of more applications for
artist 'live/work' studios. This could result in a significant
'live/work' residential enclave in an area that Council previously
considered "unacceptable" for residential use. Accordingly,
Council advice is sought before this application is fully
processed.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council Policy, as reflected in various by-law provisions and
guidelines, has been to accommodate development of artist 'live/work'
studios in most zones. On September 10, 1996, Council enacted by-law and
guideline amendments to artist 'live/work' studio uses, mostly relating
to industrial zones.
In 1988, Council adopted the Cambie Street (East Side) C-3A Guidelines
which apply to this development application and which state;
"Because of the importance of the industrial enclave to the east,
industrial uses are encouraged to form part of the land uses in
this area. Residential uses are considered to be unacceptable in
this C-3A district."
In 1991, Council adopted the Central Area Plan which removed the Cambie
Bridge South area from the Central Broadway "Uptown Office District" and
retained it for support services.
In 1995, Council approved the Industrial Lands Strategy retaining the
Mount Pleasant I-1 district for industry and service businesses.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek Council advice in confirming that
Council has no objection to consideration of artist 'live/work' studio
use in this sub-area of C-3A, given its proximity to the I-1 industrial
area, and to give consideration to amending the guidelines accordingly.
This will also confirm the Development Permit Board conditional approval
of a preliminary development application for such use at 428 West 8th
Avenue.
BACKGROUND
The C-3A zone allows dwelling uses, including the residential unit
associated with an artist studio, as a conditional use and these are
generally approved throughout the C-3A zone. The Cambie Street (East
Side) C-3A Guidelines relate specifically to this site, stating that
residential uses are considered unacceptable in this sub-area due to the
industrial I-1 district to the east.
Two artist 'live/work' studio projects have been approved in this
sub-area:
- On November 30, 1995, Development Application No. DE 400003,
located at 453 West 6th Avenue in the Cambie Street (East Side)
sub-area was issued for commercial and 12 artist 'live/work' studio
uses. This application was reported to Council on September 12,
1995, noting that, although the guidelines for the area did not
encourage residential uses, staff supported the artist 'live/work'
studio use given the industrial/artistic production as an integral
part of the residential unit. Council supported this by advising
staff to process the application in the normal manner.
- On September 19, 1996, Development Application No. DE
400979,located at 2150 Cambie, adjacent to the above noted
application, in the Cambie Street (East Side) sub-area, was
approved by the Director of Planning for commercial and 31 artist
'live/work' studios.
DISCUSSION
Preliminary Development Application No. DE 401430
This application, located in the C-3A zone at 428 West 8th Avenue
(previously occupied by Mountain Equipment Coop - see map in Appendix A)
and submitted by Timothy Ankenman Architects, proposes a new building
with 6,660 sq. ft. of commercial use on the ground floor and 81 artist
'live/work' studios on the second to ninthfloor. The artist 'live/work'
studios are proposed to be strata-titled and double height volumes have
been counted twice for floor space ratio (FSR), resulting in a total
proposed FSR of 3.0. Traffic and industry noise will be mitigated
through acoustical measures in accordance with the by-law. As part of
this application the developer has also offered to take part in an
Artist Studio Rental Program for one unit, for a period of 15 years,
whereby a chosen artist will be offered occupancy at lower than market
rent.
Development Permit Board Concern
The preliminary development application for 428 West 8th Avenue was
dealt with by the Development Permit Board on September 23, 1996. The
Board tentatively approved the project, with an array of conditions that
will make it compatible with its setting and the City's policies
(including a lowering of its height), subject to Council's concurrence
that artist 'live/work' studios are suitable for this area, even if
conventional residential is not. Minutes of the Development Permit Board
are attached in Appendix B.
The Board felt Council review of this application is timely for three
reasons.
- This application, along with previously approved artist 'live/work'
projects nearby, could foster further such developments in the
sub-area. Is this compatible with Council's views of the area?
- The guidelines regarding residential in this sub-area when applied
to artist 'live/work' studios are open to varying interpretations,
such that the intent of Council needs to be clarified.
- The specific application on West 8th Avenue might be seen by
Council as negatively affecting the I-1 industrial uses to the
east, and therefore might not be supported by Council, even though
previous such projects in the area have been supported by Council
or the Director of Planning. This is why normal practice is to have
Council review each proposal unless the guideline changes to allow
consideration of this use.
Notification
Two signs were erected on the site on August 1, 1996, and 141 letters of
notification were sent to neighbouring property owners. Four letters
have been received noting the following objections:
- excessive height creating view blockage and negative shadowing;
- parking and increased traffic; and
- the proposal is not in character with the Mount Pleasant
Neighbourhood.
Staff response to these objections are:
- view analysis showed that view blockage will be minimal but a
condition to lower the building and improve views through the
building massing was imposed by the Development Permit Board;
- proposed parking exceeds the parking by-law requirement and is
located underground with access off Yukon Street; and
- the site is located on the edge of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood
and staff consider that the proposed response to character of this
sub-area is appropriate.
Staff Assessment of the Cambie Street (East Side) C-3A
Guidelines Regarding Residential Use
The artist 'live/work' studio use has evolved significantly since 1988,
when the Cambie Street (East Side) guideline was adopted by Council. At
the time the guideline was written, the reference to residential uses
being unacceptable in this sub-area was considered by staff to relate to
conventional residential use. Artist 'live/work' studios, by the
nature of the industrial studio
occupancy as an integral part of the residential unit, are a unique form
of dwelling use which are showing a tolerance to industrial processes
both from studio to studio as well as from surrounding industrial areas.
Therefore, staff considered artist 'live/work' studios would provide a
good transition between conventional housing and commercial to the west
and the industrial to the east. While there may be particular
circumstances where artist 'live/work' studios are not suitable, it
seemed appropriate that they be considered in this sub-area.
Nonetheless, staff have the following concerns of extensive approval of
future artist 'live/work' studios in this sub-area;
- complaints from residents on the impacts from surrounding
industrial uses, including noise, smells and traffic, thereby
eroding the viability of the I-1 industrial enclave to the east;
- the area has few residential support services, which limits general
livability; and
- intensive development could limit land assembly options at some
specific locations, for a future north/south rapid transit line,
although there is currently no policy on this that can be used in
regulating development.
Therefore staff propose to review and report back on a guideline
amendment which would allow consideration of artist 'live/work' studios
with appropriate guidelines at appropriate locations in this C-3A
sub-area, while continuing to restrict conventional residential use. In
the interim, any applicants for artist 'live/work' studios in this
sub-area will be advised that clarification may be required from
Council.
CONCLUSION
The guideline for this sub-area of C-3A suggests that residential uses
are unacceptable. Staff consider that artist 'live/work' studio is not a
conventional residential use in recognition of the industrial/artistic
occupancy integral to each residential unit. On this basis, two previous
development applications in this sub-area have been approved. The
Development Permit Board approved-in-principle a preliminary development
application for 428 West 8th Avenue subject to confirming that Council
supports the artist 'live/work' studio use in this location. Staff
propose to review an amendment to the Cambie Street (East Side) C-3A
Guidelines which would allow artist 'live/work' studios while
conventional residential use would remain unacceptable.
* * *