SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 1
                                           P&E COMMITTEE AGENDA
                                           MARCH 13, 1997

                                 POLICY REPORT
                           DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING

                                           Date: February 12, 1997
                                           Dept. File:  PEM-95017
                                           CC File: 5308-1

   TO:       Standing Committee on Planning and Environment

   FROM:     Director of Land Use and Development

   SUBJECT:  Proposed Rezoning of 6691-6699 Victoria Drive


   RECOMMENDATION

        A.   THAT the application to rezone the site at 6691-6699 Victoria
             Drive (Lots 24 to 26, Block 2, D.L. 735, Plan 3421) from RT-2
             to CD-1, for a three-storey, mixed-use development providing
             commercial floor space at grade and dwelling units above, be
             REFUSED.

        B.   THAT the Director of Land Use and Development report back with
             a recommended policy pertaining to the rezoning of
             residentially-zoned lands outside the Central Area for
             commercial uses and development.  

   CONSIDERATION

        C.   THAT Council is prepared to consider a new application to
             rezone the site at 6691-6699 Victoria Drive from RT-2 to CD-1,
             for a three-storey, mixed-use development providing a reduced
             amount of commercial floor space at grade, dwelling units
             above and an adaptable dwelling unit at grade designed to
             accommodate persons with disabilities.

   GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

             The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval
             of A and B and presents C for CONSIDERATION.

   COUNCIL POLICY

       RT-2 Two-Family Dwelling District Schedule and RT-2 Multiple
        Dwelling Guidelines.

   PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

   This report assesses an application to rezone three lots at 6691-6699
   Victoria Drive from RT-2 to CD-1, to allow a mixed-use, three-storey
   development containing commercial uses at grade and dwelling units
   above. (See map below and additional information in Appendix A, plans in
   Appendix D and statistical information in Appendix E.)


























   Staff recommend that this application be refused, principally because
   there is no shortage of commercial development potential in the
   adjoining commercial district.  Staff also believe that the proposed
   floor space ratio and residential unit density are too high for this
   location, resulting in a form of development which would be incompatible
   with the adjoining RS-1S and RT-2 Districts.  Neighbours who telephoned,
   or came in to look at the plans of proposed development, did not
   indicate any support for the application but expressed various concerns
   about it.

   Staff also recommend a report back on a policy pertaining to the
   rezoning of residentially-zoned lands outside the Central Area  for
   commercial uses and development.  The absence of an explicit City policy
   to discourage such rezoning applications has led to some ambiguity in
   staff recommendations and Council decisions on such applications in
   recent years.  In light of this, and given the history of the present
   application, staff offer for Council consideration an instruction that
   staff process a new application in the usual manner.

   DISCUSSION

   Background:  In October 1996, after an earlier report on this
   application had been on hold for a year, the original applicant, Ken
   King, Architect, was replaced by Edward de Grey, Architect (see
   additional background information in Appendix A).  The new applicant s
   subsequent comments have raised issues which have led staff to re-write
   the report on this application.

   The applicant s client presently operates retail stores in the adjoining
   development, at 6645 and 6653 Victoria Drive.  Against Planning staff
   advice, he purchased the site which is the subject of this application.

   General Over-supply of Commercially-zoned Land:  The city outside the
   Central Area generally has an over-supply of commercially-zoned land as
   a result of historic commercial strips located along previous street-car
   lines.  Consequently, stretched-out or  ribbon  commercial development
   and a preponderance of under-developed sites frustrates the evolution of
   more intensive local-serving commercial districts.  To add more
   commercial potential, when a surplus exists, would simply add to
   over-supply and further extend already-long commercial strips.  

   These observations were made in City studies of commercial land use
   outside the Central Business District (1961-1971) and since then staff
   have generally discouraged the rezoning of residential land for
   commercial uses.  There have been a very few exceptions, notably the
   filling in of small gaps within established commercial strips. 
   Additional commercially-zoned land has also been supported in growing or
   under-served neighbourhoods (e.g., Champlain Mall on a site rezoned from
   RS-1 and First Avenue Marketplace on a site rezoned from C-1).

   Applicant s Rationale for Permitting Commercial Use on this Site: 
   Previous enquirers and the original applicant on this site were advised
   of the need to provide a rationale for rezoning which addressed City
   concerns about the over-supply of commercial land.  The original
   applicant submitted information and analysis about the adjoining small
   C-2 commercial district centred at East 49th Avenue and Victoria Drive
   which concluded that  the proposed retail space is supported by
   population estimates and the review of existing and potential
   development" in the adjoining commercial area.  He also subsequently
   provided an appraiser s study of vacancy rates and development potential
   in this commercial strip.

   Staff reviewed this material and concluded there is no shortage of
   commercial development potential in the area.  Existing development has
   an overall FSR of only 0.5 in a district which has a maximum FSR of 3.0,
   or six times the amount of existing development.  Most of this potential
   will likely be developed in multiple dwelling use (in upper storeys of
   mixed-use developments), but there would still be potential to double
   the amount of grade-level commercial space.  The available potential is
   so large that extending the area cannot be justified, particularly as
   the population in the surrounding census tract has been increasing at a
   rate of no more than 1.2 percent per year since 1981.  (See Further
   Discussion and map in Appendix C.)

   Staff also note that while a 827.5 m2 (8,904 sq. ft.) site might be an
   insignificant addition to the district, rezoning would be seen as a
   precedent and this would have repercussions for many other residential
   sites elsewhere in the city which are next to commercially-zoned lands.

   Need for Council Policy on Rezoning Residential Land for Commercial Use: 
   There is no explicit City policy to discourage the rezoning of
   residentially-zoned lands outside the Central Area for commercial uses
   and development.  As a result, enquirers and applicants are frustrated
   by inconsistencies they perceive in staff recommendations and Council
   decisions in recent years supporting the rezoning of residential land
   for commercial use.

   Staff recommend a short report back on a policy pertaining to the
   rezoning of residentially-zoned lands outside the Central Area.  It is
   not proposed that in-depth study and public consultation be undertaken
   for this purpose but simply a policy review in the context of CityPlan
   rezoning policy and other relevant City plans and policies.  This would
   be an interim measure prior to the review of commercial land supply and
   related issues in Community Visioning programs.

   Applicant s Rationale for Proposed Density and Form of Development:  The
   rationale offered for the density, form and at-grade commercial space is
   that proposed development would provide a more gradual mid-block
   transition between potential development on the C-2 site to the north
   (3.0 FSR, 12.2 m maximum height and 100 percent site coverage) and
   development in the adjoining RS-1 and RT-2 districts (0.6 FSR, 9.2 m
   maximum height, and 45 percent site coverage).  The original applicant
   also stated that rezoning would complement adjacent retail and service
   uses and consolidate the block face, that a three-building would be more
   in scale with the width of the street and with adjoining C-2 zoning, and
   that proposed development could more properly interface with the blank
   wall of adjoining C-2 development.

   Staff disagree with this rationale.  Mid-block zoning boundaries are not
   unusual in the city and result in a variety of mid-block changes in land
   use, density and building height.  The differences between C-2 and RT-2
   are not so great or unique to justify extending commercial uses to the
   south end of the block in order to obtain a more gradual transition
   between the two districts.  Furthermore, extending commercial use would
   place an incompatible land use across the street from residential use
   (RT-2 on the east side of Victoria Drive).  Staff also note that there
   is a 0.76 m (2.5 ft.) sideyard on the abutting C-2 site which would
   probably have to be gated for crime prevention purposes, as no sideyard
   is proposed on the subject site.

   Staff do not support the proposed FSR of 1.7 which is almost three times
   the maximum (0.60) in the adjoining RT-2 and RS-1S Districts:

       the proposed development would have significantly more bulk than
        buildings in the adjoining RS-1S and RT-2 Districts, resulting in a
        form of development which is not in scale and character with
        surrounding residential buildings; and

       the proposed development would not maintain the open space
        character of surrounding residential development (the site coverage
        would far exceed the maximum in the RT-2 District and most of the
        undeveloped site area would be used for surface parking rather than
        providing landscaped open space).

   Staff reached this conclusion with advice from the Urban Design Panel
   which did not support the application (see additional comments in
   Appendix C, page 1).

   Proposed Revisions:  The new applicant requests that Council refer the
   application to a Public Hearing with the following revisions that he
   proposes to make beforehand:

       reduction in commercial floor area (amount unspecified),
       reduction in FSR (amount unspecified),
       revision of form of development according to Urban Design Panel
        advice, and
       provision of a dwelling unit  with modifications to accommodate
        persons with special needs  (i.e. disabilities).

   Staff have not supported requests from either the original applicant or
   the new applicant to be given an opportunity to revise the application,
   because the proposed revisions would not address the issue of increased
   commercial potential.  Multiple dwelling development, at maximum FSR of
   0.75, is permitted in the RT-2 district.  Although the criteria for this
   conditional approval use are not met on this site, a case might be made
   for multiple dwelling development stepping down from the C-2 district to
   East 51st Avenue.  However, neither applicant wished to remove the
   commercial component from the proposed development.

   Staff have also not supported requests to revise the application because
   a revised application would have be reviewed anew, as if a new
   application, including re-notification of surrounding neighbours and
   another  review by the Urban Design Panel but with no fee being
   collected to recover these additional costs.

   If Council is prepared to consider a revised proposal with some
   commercial floor space, staff suggest that the applicant should submit a
   new application which would then be processed in the usual manner. 
   (Note: A new application which proposes less commercial space, a reduced
   floor space ratio, increased open space provision, and an
   accessible/adaptable dwelling unit would be sufficiently different from
   the present application that Council would have the legal authority to
   consider it within a year s time of its refusal of the present
   application.)

   CONCLUSION

   Planning staff do not support the commercial use, density and form of
   development proposed in this rezoning application and therefore
   recommend that it be refused.  Staff further recommend a report back on
   a policy pertaining to the rezoning of residentially-zoned lands outside
   the Central Area for commercial uses and development.

   If Council wishes to consider a revised application, as requested by the
   present applicant, staff suggest that Council refuse the present
   application and advise staff that it is prepared to consider a new
   rezoning application as proposed by the present applicant.


                               *   *   *   *   *
                                                                                                                     APPENDIX A
                                                                                                                    Page 1 of 3

     ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     Background:  The application  and drawings  reviewed  in this  report  were  submitted in  April,  1995 by  Kenneth  King,
     Architect.  A staff report recommending  refusal of this application  was completed and given  to Mr. King for comment  on
     September 8, 1995.   He requested that the application be put  on hold  while he and the property owner considered staff s
     non-support.

     In April 1996, the original applicant and the property owner met with  staff to propose some revisions to the application,
     but with commercial space retained  at grade.  A  Retail and  Occupancy Study  was also submitted in an effort  to provide
     further support of the proposed  commercial space.  After a review  of this study, staff concluded there was no  basis for
     changing the conclusion and recommendation of the 1995 staff report.  (See Further Discussion in Appendix B.)

     In August 1996,  staff were informed  that another architect  would take over  the application.   This was confirmed in  a
     letter dated  September 24, 1996  from Edward de Grey, Architect,  and a letter dated  October 23, 1996  from the original
     applicant, Kenneth E. King,  Architect.  Mr. de Grey provided an applicant s  comment on the staff report in letters dated
     October 8 and  October 16, 1996   (on file in the  Planning Department).  In  response to the change in  applicants, staff
     updated their  report, now dated November 6, 1996.  Mr. de Grey subsequently  requested that that report be withdrawn from
     the agenda of Council s Planning and Environment Committee meeting of November 28, 1996 in order to have  more opportunity
     to review the  revised report.  On January 13, 1997, Mr. de  Grey provided extensive comment on the report (on file in the
     Planning Department).   Due to the nature of  these comments, which addressed issues beyond  the scope of the  report, the
     staff report has been revised again to address the principal issues raised by Mr. de Grey.

     Site, Surrounding  Zoning and Development:   The  site is developed with  two one-family dwellings,  but consists of three
     lots, each being 7.9 m (26 ft.)  by 34.4 m (113 ft.) in size,  with a total width of 23.8  m (78 ft.). The site is  at the
     north-west  corner of Victoria  Drive and East  51st Avenue.  It  abuts a C-2  district which extends north,  to East 48th
     Avenue on the east side of Victoria Drive and East 47th Avenue on the west side.

     The surrounding area is generally zoned  RS-1 east of this corridor,  and RS-1S to the  west.  Gordon Park is  located one
     block  to the west  between East 49th Avenue  and East 53rd  Avenue.  South  Vancouver Neighbourhood House  is located two
     blocks to the north at 6470 Victoria Drive.   Census data for the years  1981, 1986 and 1991 indicate that  population and
     households in the census tract (# 14) surrounding the site have increased at a rate of about 1.2 percent per year.

                                                                                                                     APPENDIX A
                                                                                                                    Page 2 of 3

     The abutting site  to the north, which occupies the balance  of the block-face, was rezoned  from RT-2 to C-2  in 1959 and
     developed with  a two-storey building containing commercial uses at grade with dwellings  above and surface parking at the
     rear.  This development has provided a 0.76 m (2.5 ft.) sideyard setback from the south property boundary.

     Proposed Development:  A three-storey,  mixed-use development is proposed, containing  commercial floor area at  grade for
     retail, service, and office  uses and 12  dwelling units in two  upper storeys.   A building height  of 9.2 m (30 ft.)  is
     proposed and a floor space ratio (FSR) of 1.7.  Underground and surface parking would provide 31 parking spaces.

     About 36 percent of the  total floor space, or 509.4 m2  (5,483 sq. ft.), would be for commercial uses.  This  floor space
     would  be oriented to Victoria Drive while the dwelling  units on the upper two floors would have their street entrance on     East 51st Avenue. The commercial floor space is intended to  be occupied by the property owner, who presently operates two
     retail premises in the adjoining development,  Teemway Seafood Co. and Teemway Meat Market Ltd. at 6645  and 6653 Victoria
     Drive respectively.

     A 2.43 m (8 ft.) sideyard setback is proposed on  East 51st and a 6.1 m (20 ft.) setback at the rear.  The rear yard would
     provide surface parking as would  a portion of the sideyard  near the lane.   No sideyard from the north  property line is
     proposed although the adjoining development has a 0.76 m (2.5 ft.) sideyard.

     Proposed Revisions:  In April 1996, the original applicant proposed some revisions to the original application:

             the proposed commercial floor space would be reduced to 371.6 m2(4,000 sq. ft.),
             the FSR would be reduced from 1.7 to 1.5,
             the form of development would be revised according to Urban Design Panel Advice,  including a reduction in surface
              parking and increased underground parking so as to provide more open space, and
             an assured rental, accessible/adaptable dwelling  at grade for the physically disabled (entry on East 51st Avenue)
              would be provided.

     As  this proposal  still  contained  some commercial  floor  space  at grade,  staff  were not  prepared  to  reassess the
     application.

                                                                                                                     APPENDIX A
                                                                                                                    Page 3 of 3



     In October 1996, the new applicant requested an opportunity to make the following revisions:

             reduction in commercial floor area (amount unspecified),
             reduction in FSR (amount unspecified),
             revision of form of development according to Urban Design Panel and staff advice, and
             provision of a dwelling unit                                            with modifications to accommodate persons with special needs   (i.e. disabilities).

     Staff  do not  support  this request  because  the proposed  revisions still  would  not address  the  issue of  increased
     commercial potential,  and also because a  revised application would have  to be reviewed  anew, as if  a new application,
     including  re-notification of  surrounding neighbours  and a  review by  the  Urban Design  Panel, but  with no  fee being
     collected to recover staff costs.

                                                              * * * * *
                                                                                                                     APPENDIX B
                                                                                                                    Page 1 of 5

     FURTHER DISCUSSION

     Commercial Feasibility Study  (1995):  The original applicant  provided information and analysis  to demonstrate the  need
     for additional commercial space in this neighbourhood.

     1.       Existing Commercial  Floor Space:   The original  applicant identified  9 935 m2 (106,943 sq.  ft.) of  commercial
     floor area in the small C-2 commercial strip centred at East 49th Avenue and Victoria Drive (see map  on next page).  Most
     of  this space  consists  of small  premises providing  convenience  retail or  services catering  to the  daily needs  of
     surrounding residents.  These include  pharmacy, grocery stores, produce stores, delicatessen, barber shop,  beauty salon,
     coffee shop,  restaurant, dry-cleaning, and video  store.   There are  also two gasoline  stations and  a large,  1 384 m2
     (14,900 sq. ft.), Value Village discount store which serve a wider city area.

     Most of the  commercial space, 8 656.6 m2  (93,181.9 sq. ft.)  or 87 percent, is  provided at grade,  but not all  of this
     grade-level space  is occupied  by retail  and service  uses.   About 29 percent  is occupied  by office  and other  uses,
     including South Vancouver Neighbourhood House and Elizabeth Fry Society Family Support Services.

     2.       Potential for  Additional Commercial Floor Space:  The  original applicant identified two of  the 24 sites in this
     district as  having good potential  for redevelopment.   They would  provide a net  increase of 800 m2  (8,611 sq. ft.) in
     grade-level  commercial floor  space.   In April  1996, the  applicant submitted  a  further study,  by Burgess,  Austin &
     Associates (Real Estate Appraisers and Market Analysts), which concluded:

              ... the area in question is not fully developed with regards to the available retail/commercial space which  could
              be  constructed, (but) there is very  little opportunity ... to construct a  modern contiguous retail unit of some
              4,000 sq. ft.,  given  the patterns  of  ownership, present  property  usage and  the  general  economic viability
              associated with existing uses.

     The appraiser  deemed any site  less than 6,000 sq. ft.  to be unsuitable for  commercial redevelopment and  also any site
     with near 100 percent site coverage.  These criteria removed  from consideration all but three of the 25 sites in this C-2
     district.   The appraiser in turn judged these  three sites to be uneconomical to redevelop for at  least 10 years.  Staff
     believe these criteria are overly restrictive.

                                                                                                                     APPENDIX B
                                                                                                                    Page 2 of 5


     Victoria Drive and East 49th Avenue 
     C-2 Commercial District (showing building outlines)
                                                                                                                     APPENDIX B
                                                                                                                    Page 3 of 5

     It  is  possible that  one or  both  gasoline service  station sites,  at  49th &  Victoria, could  be redeveloped  with a
     mixed-use,  four-storey building providing  up to 1 139  m2 (12,260 sq.  ft.) commercial space  at grade.   There are also
     opportunities  in this area  of small  one-storey buildings to  assemble a number  of lots for redevelopment  (such as the
     four-storey development  with commercial uses at grade and dwelling units above which  was recently completed at 6201-6255
     Victoria  Drive).  By the criteria used  in the study, it could  be argued that most small, local-serving commercial areas
     throughout the city should be enlarged by rezoning adjoining residential sites to commercial use.

     3.       Longer-Term  Potential: The total  site area of  the C-2 properties  in this area  is 19 916 m2 (214,378 sq. ft.).
     Given the  applicant s data,  borne out by  the building  outlines on the  map on the  previous page,  development in this
     district has an estimated overall FSR of 0.5.  The maximum FSR of 3.0 in the  C-2 District represents a total potential of
     about 60 000 m2 (645,000 sq. ft.), which is six times the amount of existing development.

     Most of this potential  will likely be developed  in multiple dwelling use  (in upper storeys of  mixed-use developments),
     but there  would still be potential to  double the amount of grade-level commercial space.   In this circumstance there is
     no  justification for enlarging the  commercial district.   While a 827.5  m2 (8,904 sq. ft.)  site might appear  to be an
     insignificant addition to the district, rezoning would be  seen as a precedent and this would have  repercussions for many
     other residential sites elsewhere in the city which are next to commercially-zoned lands.

     4.       Vacancy Rates:  The original applicant identified 656 m2 (7,060 sq. ft.) of floor space as  vacant as April, 1995,
     a vacancy  rate of 6.6 percent.  The  study by Burgess, Austin & Associates subsequently  reported that vacancies declined
     to 4.7 percent in  November, 1995 and that the  vacancy rate should be  between 5 and 8 percent to be  considered  healthy
     and balanced .   The applicant further advised staff  in June, 1996 that  the vacancy rate had fallen still further,  to 3
     percent.

     Staff believe  that the amount  of vacant commercial space in  any area will naturally  fluctuate, from year  to year, and
     possibly on  a seasonal basis as  well.  If  vacant space remains scarce,  it will likely  stimulate some redevelopment of
     under-utilized sites.   As low as the  vacancy rate might fall, staff do not  believe this should be a  signal to increase
     the supply  of commercial  land but  rather that property  owners and developers  will sooner  or later  be stimulated  to
     redevelop some under-utilized sites.

                                                                                                                     APPENDIX B
                                                                                                                    Page 4 of 5

     Applicant Concerns:  The new applicant has raised three principal objections to staff s recommendation  that this rezoning
     application be refused:

     1.       The City should  not regulate supply and  demand:  The applicant  considers staff s attention to  commercial floor
     space in the  adjoining commercial area as  an attempt to  regulate supply and  demand, and he  questions the legality  of
     this.

     Staff believe that the City has a  duty to govern the land use demands on infrastructure, particularly transportation, and
     that this is a both a paramount and legitimate objective of  land use control.  As stated in its preamble,  the Zoning and
     Development By-law has among its purposes  to conserve  and stabilize the value of property  and  to  lessen congestion on
     city streets .

     A  review of the vacancy rate,  the amount of existing floor space,  and development potential is  the means whereby staff
     can  assess whether or not there is an  undersupply  of commercial space in a neighbourhood which might justify additional
     commercially-zoned  land.  It  is therefore  irrelevant that there  is a declining  or low vacancy rate,  or that proposed
     development would increase the  vacancy rate very  little.  Rather,  an applicant must demonstrate  that an area has  very
     little commercial development potential.

     2.       The proposed rezoning is not  contrary to any explicit Council-adopted policy:  The  applicant questions why staff
     have taken such a firm position on the matter of commercial land supply and imply it is a City  position, when there is in
     fact no official policy on this matter.

     Staff acknowledge  there is no Council-adopted policy concerning commercial space outside the  Central Area.  However, the
     assessment of rezoning applications includes a variety of matters and issues that  may or may not be addressed in specific
     City policies.  Rather, staff  reports to Council will incorporate any  and all factors which might have a bearing  on the
     merits and demerits of an application.  The desirability of an explicit policy  in the case of commercial land over-supply
     is considered more closely in further discussion below.

     3.       Some rezoning  applications approved  in recent  years suggest  inconsistent application  of this   policy                                                                                                                        :   The
     applicant sees an  inconsistency between the recommendation that  this application be refused  and the approval of several
     other  rezoning  applications  in  recent   years  in  which  commercial  use  and   development  has  been  permitted  on
     residentially-zoned lands outside the Central Area.

                                                                                                                     APPENDIX B
                                                                                                                    Page 5 of 5

     Staff have reviewed the rezonings cited by the applicant, as follows:

             CD-1 #347 at 2897  West 41st (from RS-1) approved  at Public Hearing on March  12, 1996.  This rezoning  created a
              site for a medical offices with a dwelling above.   Staff recommended this application be refused as there was  no
              documented  need for any commercial potential  at this location, and staff  were concerned about the precedent for
              other similar non-commercial intersections across the city.

             CD-1 #303 at 737  West 16th (from RM-4 and  C-2) approved at Public Hearing  on February 18, 1993.   This rezoning
              actually reduced the commercial potential that had been available on the C-2 portion of the site.

             CD-1  #302 at  3545 Kingsway (from  RT-2) approved  at Public  Hearing on  June 23,  1992.  This  rezoning allowed
              commercial uses at grade and dwelling units above on an isolated site in an otherwise unbroken commercial strip.

             CD-1 #294 at 5305  Victoria Drive (from RT-2) approved at  Public Hearing on October 22, 1992.   Same rationale as
              CD-1 # 302.

     The applicant  also observes  that the  abutting site  to the  north, which  occupies the  balance of the  block-face, was
     rezoned from RT-2 to C-2  in 1959.  Staff note that very little information  is available about that rezoning, but that it
     does pre-date the 1961-1971 commercial land use studies.

     Staff acknowledge that the reports assessing the applications at 3545 Kingsway and 5305 Victoria Drive did not raise as  a
     significant issue  the amount of  additional commercial space  which was proposed.   By comparison,  staff s assessment of
     this  application, and reluctance to consider proposed revisions to it, may be perceived to be heavy-handed.  However, the
     fact is  that there remain very,  very few isolated residentially-zoned  sites within commercial  districts by contrast to
     the many, many residential sites throughout the city which abut or adjoin a commercial district.

                                                              * * * * *

                                                                                                                     APPENDIX C

     COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, REVIEWING AGENCIES AND THE APPLICANT

     Urban Design Panel:  In its review of  the application on June 7, 1995, the  Urban Design Panel felt that  commercial uses
     at grade  could be compatible with surrounding uses but the Panel did not  support the application because it "had serious
     concerns about the  form of development and the density  being proposed" and "felt that  a reduction in density would lead
     to a more interesting form that would be more responsive to the residential neighbourhood."

     The  Panel recommended  some specific  improvements: provision  of a  dwelling unit  at grade  fronting East  51st Avenue,
     provision of a larger  setback from 51st Avenue,  removal of parking  from this setback area,  and setting back  the third
     storey from the front property line.  Interior dens and bedrooms without windows must also be avoided.

     Public Input:  An  application information sign was installed on the site on June 8, 1995.  On June 14, 1995, staff mailed
     a notification letter to 256 property owners in the surrounding area.

     The original applicant undertook some  public consultation prior to submitting the  application, including interviews with
     immediate  neighbours and an Open House on  April 4, 1995.   The application states that   results indicate generally that
     the neighbourhood is supportive of the proposal. 

     Planning staff  have received  telephone calls  from several residents  and some  have come  in to  look at  the plans  of
     proposed  development.   All  have  expressed concerns  about  the increased  traffic  and  on-street parking  which  they
     anticipate from the proposed commercial and  residential development.  Planning staff have not received any  communication
     from neighbours in support of the application.

     Applicant's Comment:  The following comment has been provided by Mr. Edward de Grey, Architect:

               The  applicant for this rezoning has read this amended report  (dated February 12, 1997) and still disagrees with
              the  report                         s recommendations and the analyses leading to those recommendations.  Accordingly, we wish to have the
              opportunity to discuss the merits of our proposal with Council.                                                                             



                                                              * * * * *
                                                                                                                     APPENDIX E

       APPLICANT AND PROPERTY OWNER INFORMATION

       APPLICATION BY                    Edward de Grey, Architect (Present Applicant)
       PLANS BY                          Kenneth E. King, Architect (Original Applicant)

       PROPERTY OWNER                    Teemway Holdings Ltd.

       DEVELOPER                         n/a


       SITE INFORMATION AND STATISTICS

       STREET ADDRESS                    6691-6699 Victoria Drive
       LEGAL DESCRIPTION                 Lots 24 to 26, Block 2, D.L. 735, Plan 3421

       SITE AREA                         827.5 m2(8,904 sq. ft.)

       WIDTH                             23.8 m (78 ft.)          [3 lots x 7.9 m (26 ft.)]

       DEPTH                             34.4 m (113 ft.)


       DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS

                                         DEVELOPMENT               PROPOSED                     RECOMMENDED
                                         PERMITTED UNDER RT-2      DEVELOPMENT                  DEVELOPMENT
                                         ZONING
       FLOOR AREA                                                   
         Commercial (At Grade)                                      509.4 m2( 5,483ft2)         STAFF
         Residential (Above)                                        902.9 m2( 9,719ft2)
       TOTAL                             496.5 m2(5,344ft2)        1412.3 m2(15,202ft2)         RECOMMEND

       MAX. FLOOR SPACE RATIO            0.60 (see NOTE 1)         1.7                          THAT
                                                                                                 
       DWELLING UNITS                    3 (see NOTE 2             12                           THIS
       MAXIMUM SITE COVERAGE             45 percent                61.5 percent
                                                                                                APPLICATION
       MAXIMUM HEIGHT                    9.2 m (30 ft.)            9.2 m (30 ft.)
                                                                                                BE
       FRONT YARD SETBACK                7.3 m (24 ft.)              0 m ( 0 ft.)
                                                                                                REFUSED
       REAR YARD SETBACK                 7.6 m (25 ft.)            6.1 m (20 ft.)with
                                                                   surface parking
       SIDE YARD SETBACKS
       from south property line          3.7 m (12.1 ft.), may     2.43 m (8 ft.) but with
                                         be relaxed to             surface parking near lane
                                         1.5 m (4.9 ft.)
       from north property line
                                         1.5 m (4.9 ft.)           0 m (0 ft.) abutting site
                                                                   provides 0.76 m
                                                                   (2.5 ft.)setback

       PARKING                                                     31

       NOTES: (1) The maximum FSR is 0.75 for multiple dwellings, but the site does not meet the requirements for approval of
       this conditional approval use as set out in the RT-2 Multiple Dwelling Guidelines.
                (2) The three individual lots are restricted to one-family dwelling develop-ment as they do not meet the
       minimum site area requirements in the RT-2 District for two-family dwellings.