SUPPORTS ITEM 4
P&E COMMITTEE AGENDA
APRIL 10, 1997
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: March 13, 1997
C.C. File No.: 5653-1
TO: Standing Committee on Planning and Environment
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT: IMPOUND LOT RELOCATION
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT the General Manager of Engineering Services make application
to rezone Lot H, Block 122, District Lot 541, Plan 20641 (1407
Granville Street) from BCPED to CD-1 Comprehensive Development
District, to allow for the development of a parking structure to
accommodate the relocation of the vehicle impound facility
presently on the southeast corner of Granville and Pacific Streets.
B. THAT City staff be authorized to retain a consultant to prepare
preliminary designs and estimates for the parking structure at a
total cost of $150,000 to be funded from Parking Sites Reserve; and
FURTHER THAT staff report back for approval of the preliminary
design, project budget, source of funds, and on a financing plan to
pay for the parking structure and the relocation of the impound
facility onto this lot.
C. THAT Council direct staff to negotiate arrangements to lease
portions of the adjacent lands (Cominco and Concord lands, Appendix
D1) and to withhold Lot 4, Blk 123, DL 541 for use as an interim
impound facility until completion of the parking structure on Lot
H; and
FURTHER THAT Staff will report back on the cost for this interim
use and the source of funds.
The General Manager of Engineering Services, the General Manager of
Corporate Services and the General Manager of Community Services
recommends the approval of A, B, and C.
COUNCIL POLICY
There is no specific policy related to this matter.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to examine potential City-owned sites for
the relocation of the existing impound lot located on the southeast
corner of Granville Street and Pacific Street, and to make
recommendations on a permanent impoundment site.
BACKGROUND
On March 28, 1996, City Council approved the following recommendation to
grant a lease of the existing impound lot site located at Granville
Street and Pacific Street to the Vancouver Dance Centre, subject to the
relocation of the impound lot:
"THAT a City-owned site at the corner of Pacific and Granville
Streets be withheld from disposal or alternative use for a period
of up to three years, and subject to the Dance Foundation
(Vancouver Dance Centre) fulfilling the conditions outlined in the
Administrative Report dated March 21, 1996, to the satisfaction of
the City Manager, Council approve in principle a lease of the
subject site to the Dance Foundation and recommend to the Council
of the day that this lease of the subject site to the Dance
Foundation and recommend to the Council of the day that this lease
be provided for a term of 60 years at a nominal rate ($1)."
The site that Council reserved for the Dance Centre development is
currently occupied by the City s Vehicle Impound Lot. Assignment of
this property to the Dance Centre project will require that the lot to
relocated to a new site.
The existing impound site (Lots 2, 3, and 4, Block 123, District Lot 541
- Appendix A) located on the southeast corner of Granville and Pacific
Streets, is approximately 5,000 sq. metres (54,000 sq. ft.) in size and
accommodates approximately 150 vehicles. Access to the lot is provided
off Granville Street, and Transit is available on Granville Street and
Davie Street. The existing lot is currently operating at full capacity.
The lot provides storage space for vehicles towed under by-law
infractions issued by Parking Enforcement and the Police Department.
The lot is currently leased to Unitow Services as part of the City's
towing contract, but the contract has allowances for the relocation of
the impound lot.
Engineering Services and Real Estate Services have investigated
potential City-owned sites which might meet the requirements of the
impound lot. In February 1997, the Major Projects Steering Committee
requested that an Impound Lot Relocation Committee ("Committee") be
formed, with representatives from Engineering Services, Real Estate
Services, and Central Area Planning. The current impound contractor,
Unitow Services Ltd., was also consulted in the process to determine
site requirements and operational needs of the impound lot. The
recommendations of this Committee are incorporated into this report.
DISCUSSION
Impound Lot Requirements
The following general and specific requirements have been identified as
desirable for a replacement to the existing impound lot:
General Site Requirements:
- Must be in a central location in the downtown peninsula.
This is required from an operational standpoint to
effectively deal with the majority of the by-law
infractions, but is also required from a public service
standpoint to minimize the inconvenience and the travel
to the public when retrieving vehicles.
- Must be situated within a single site.
- Must be accessible by public transit for the public.
- Must be in a relatively safe area for the public and
staff for this 24 hour operation.
- Should have allowances for taxi / drop off areas.
- Must have good accessibility for tow trucks. During rush
hour, there is an average of 3 tow trucks queued up at
the entrance to drop off vehicles under normal
conditions, and up to 6 - 10 tow trucks queued up during
special circumstances. There must be an allowance for
this, without causing disruptions to traffic circulation,
or inconvenience to adjacent land uses.
- Must have an allowance for future expansion for long term
needs. This item, together with the growing traffic
concerns of the public, will result in future growth of
towing demand.
Specific Requirements:
- Lot Size (Short Term): 185 stalls including 15 oversized
double length stalls, or
approximately 6225 sq. m. (67,000
sq. ft.) See Appendix B.
- Overhead Clearance: 9'-0"for standard sized
vehicles
14'-0"for oversized vehicles
Min. headroom for tow truck - 6'-8"
- Parking Layout: Angled parking 45o or 60o,
preferably 60 o
- Site Office: 300 - 500 square feet office with
washrooms, which is easily accessible and
visible to the public.
- Security: Camera surveillance.
Potential Sites
The review of potential relocation sites was limited to City-owned
sites. Due to the requirement to provide a site within the downtown
core, the option to purchase an impound site was not pursued due to the
high land costs within this area. A number of City-owned sites have
been investigated, including vacant or existing short term lease sites
and existing parking facilities. Due to its limited use and lower land
values, lands beneath bridge structures in the downtown have been
identified as the best potential sites. The following sites were
identified and investigated for potential impound lot use (See Appendix
C):
City-Owned Lots
1. Lot H, Block 122, D.L. 541, Plan 20641: Southwest corner of
Granville and Pacific Streets, immediately across the existing
impound lot. (See Appendix D)
2. Police Impound Site - Lots 14 - 17, D.L. 2037, Plan 5568: Existing
police impound lot at the southeast corner of Union and Quebec
Streets, underneath the Dunsmuir viaduct. To accommodate the
impound lot needs, the existing police impound would need to be
expanded onto the adjacent P.E.F. Lot 18, D.L. 2037, Plan 5568.
(See Appendix E)
3. Burrard Bridge Site - Lot C: Northwest corner of Burrard Street
and Beach Avenue, underneath the Burrard Bridge; Currently a
surface parking lot.
4. Downtown Toyota Site - Lot C: Adjacent the Continental Hotel in
the east cloverleaf of the Granville Bridge; Currently leased to
Downtown Toyota for the storage of cars.
5. Carter Honda Site - Lot D: Northwest corner of Granville Street
and Fourth Avenue. Currently leased to Carter Honda for the
storage of cars.
6. Glen Drive Site - Lots 1-5, Lot 5: Glen Drive lot south of Malkin
Avenue.
All the sites listed above were reviewed by the Committee based on the
general and specific requirements for the impound lot. The lot
statistics and the results of the review are summarized in Appendix F.
The Burrard Bridge lot, the Downtown Toyota lot, Carter Honda lot, and
the Glen Drive lot were quickly dismissed since they do not meet the
minimum size requirements.
Existing Police Impound Site: The existing police impound lot was also
reviewed as a potential relocation site. This existing lot under the
Dunsmuir viaduct is not used by the public, and was determined to be
unsuitable due to the following:
- The site has poor public access and visibility, and there are
safety concerns for the public and staff at the lot.
- The site has very poor and circuitous access for tow trucks.(See
Appendix E) With the current street configuration, tow trucks
arriving from the downtown area would need to circle around Main
Street and National Avenue to gain access to the Quebec Street
entrance. The current towing contractor, Unitow, has expressed
that the site would not function well as a high volume, public
impound lot.
- Queuing of tow trucks on Quebec Street will cause significant
traffic disruptions. Quebec Street is a major access route for
Chinatown and Gastown. Quebec Street northbound at this point is
only one lane, and the lineup of tow trucks will back up traffic.
- Future expansion for long term needs cannot be accommodated on this
lot
- This site would necessitate the relocation of the police impound
lot, for which there is no obvious alternative.
City-Owned Parkades
The Committee also reviewed the suitability of two City-owned parkades,
both of which were considered inappropriate:
7. City Carpark 5 - 520 W. Georgia Street
- Overhead clearance of 8'-2" does not meet the clearance
requirements for standard or overheight vehicles.
- Site has high property value and high redevelopment potential.
- Loss of gross revenues currently in excess of $550,000 annually.
8. Woodwards Parkade - 125 W. Cordova Street
- Overhead clearance of 8'-0" and one level of 14'-0" does not meet
the clearance requirements for an impound facility.
- Woodwards parkade was purchased to supply the Woodwards building
redevelopment and the Gastown residents and businesses with
parking. The relocation of the impound facility to this parkade
would compromise the needed supply of public parking.
- The City is pursuing commercial and retail development on the
ground level of the Cordova Street frontage. This would not be
achievable with the impound lot operation in the garage.
- Loss of gross revenues currently in excess of $200,000 annually.
The Proposed Alternative: Parking Structure on Lot H
The construction of a parking structure on Lot H (southwest corner of
Granville and Pacific Streets) represents the best solution for a long
term impound facility for the City. The proposed arrangement would
provide a 4 level parkade on the south two-thirds of Lot H, the creation
of a east-west lane through the site, and a small surface lot for
overheight, oversize vehicles. Three levels of the parking facility
would provide for the current impound needs, and the fourth level would
be used as community parking or future impound expansion. This proposal
is recommended by the Impound Lot Relocation Committee due to the
following advantages:
Impound Lot Operation: The Lot H proposal represents the best site from
an operational standpoint. The lot is near the existing site, which is
centrally located with good, safe public access and familiarity. The
site also provides excellent access and queuing for tow trucks without
impacting traffic circulation. Future expansion for long term needs can
be accommodated by either providing a level for community parking in the
interim, or designing the parking structure to accommodate additional
levels in the future.
Neighbourhood Integration: The Lot H proposal provides the opportunity
to complete this portion of the Granville Slopes Neighbourhood plan.
The concept plan anticipated industrial/automotive uses on the majority
of this lot, with the possibility of residential uses on the Beach
Avenue frontage if this portion could be consolidated with the lot
across the lane. Because the majority of the lot falls underneath the
Howe Street on-ramp of the Granville Street bridge, this type of
structure represents the best use for this lot. Repairs or replacement
of the on-ramp can be conducted in the future without substantial
service or financial hardships to the tenants if the structure is under
the control of the City. The Beach frontage can be designed with office
space, landscaping, and other measures to help mitigate noise and
impacts on the neighbourhood. The creation of a lane mid-block will
reduce tow truck traffic and circulation for the residential
neighbourhood, and provide an improvement over the existing situation. -2-
Community Parking: It would be beneficial at this time to incorporate
of an extra level of parking in the structure to meet future expansion
demands of the impound facility. The interim benefit of this added
level would be the provision of some community parking to meet parking
shortfalls in the area. This extra level of parking would also provide
some capacity for overspill parking during large events at the Dance
Centre, and serve the parking needs of the adjacent neighbourhood,
George Wainborn Park, and the seawall walkway. This option will be
pursued in the design process of the parking structure. The supply of
community parking would depend on the future increased demands for
impounds.
TIMING AND INTERIM NEEDS
The Dance Centre has indicated a desire to commence development as early
as August 1997. This will require that the impound lot be relocated
onto an interim site pending successful completion of the rezoning,
design and construction of the parking structure on Lot H. The rezoning
of the site, the design process, and the Development Permit / Building
Permit process is expected to be 16 months under normal circumstances.
The construction of the parking facility is expected to take 8 months.
An interim site for this 24 month period is required.
An interim impound lot operation can be accommodated on the surrounding
sites near the existing impound lot until this structure is completed.
These interim sites include Lot 4, Lot V (Cominco site), and preferably
the intervening narrow strip of Concord land, as shown in Appendix D1.
Lot 4 is a City-owned site, and the City is close to finalizing the
acquisition of the Cominco site. Staff will negotiate arrangements to
lease these lands from the P.E.F. and Concord for use as an interim
impound lot until completion of the parking structure on Lot H.
There are 3 structures on Lot H which need to be demolished before
development of a parking structure can occur on this site. These
buildings include a restaurant at the southwest corner of the site, a
metal shop at the north end, and a industrial live/work building at the
north end. The restaurant and the live/work building have 12 month
cancellation policies on their lease, while the metal shop is on a
month-to-month basis. Long term lease cancellations and negotiations to
secure shorter term arrangements (i.e. month-to-month) for these
buildings can occur during the rezoning and design process.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
It is difficult to build a business case for the relocation and
construction of an impound facility on Lot H based on the current
revenue generated from towing impounded vehicles.
Lot H is currently owned by the Property Endowment Fund and is valued at
$1,500,000. The costs for developing an impound facility on Lot H would
include site preparation, demolition of existing buildings including
asbestos removal, allowance for soils remediation, and the construction
of a parking structure and surface lot.
The preliminary estimated costs (before development of plans) for these
works are approximately as follows:
Construction of a 3 level impound parkade:$4,350,000
Additional level for community parking/
future impound expansion: $1,400,000
Surface lot: $ 250,000
Total Facilities Costs: $6,000,000
Land Costs: $1,500,000
Total Estimated Costs: $7,500,000
There is currently no funding source for this replacement. It is
proposed that project financing be provided by the Parking Sites
Reserve. However, the costs of financing the proposed facility on terms
acceptable to the Director of Finance would be well beyond the lease
payment on the current impound site. Unitow currently pays the P.E.F.
$10,985 per month for use of the existing lot but financing for the
proposed project would require a monthly cashflow on the order of
$85,000 monthly for a 10 year payback at 6.5%. There is the potential
to increase lease payments for use of the facility by the towing
contractor, which would translate into increased towing rates. However,
in order to generate sufficient revenues to support project financing,
it is projected that towing rates would increase from the current $21.95
to about $50.00, even after providing for net revenues from the
community parking component of the project. By comparison, private
towing charges are significantly higher at approximately $70.00.
Unless Council is prepared to see increases in towing fees to this
extent, funding from another source will have to be provided to make
this project economically viable, or the payback period will have to be
relaxed and extended. A subsidy could come from a capital contribution
from a source such as the Parking Sites Reserve.
A more detailed architectural, engineering and technical design analysis
needs to be conducted to firm up development costs and to ensure the
design is appropriate to its urban context. Design aspects to be
reviewed at that time should include, among others, the following:
vehicular and pedestrian access and circulation; built form and
building/site character and treatment; environmental mitigation
measures; potential other non-parking uses that may be required to
integrate the site in its context; and landscape treatment. Funding of
$150,000 for this initial design work, including consultant costs, can
be funded by the Parking Sites Reserve and will be considered as part of
the overall financing package to be reported back.
Staff will report back to Council on more detailed costs following the
preliminary design process along with the options for financing the
project and the implications on City towing fees.
CONCLUSION
It is the conclusion and recommendation of the Impound Lot Relocation
Committee that the existing impound lot be relocated on Lot H across
Granville Street from the existing site, and that a parking structure be
constructed for the new facility. Engineering Services has been
reviewing a long term impound site for many years now. With the
relocation now necessitated by the Dance Centre Rezoning, and with the
scarcity of suitable sites in the downtown peninsula, this important
City function needs be relocated in a new permanent long term site which
meets all the existing and future towing demands in a safe, accessible
location for the public. In addition, this option allows for the
completion of the block with a design integrated with the neighbourhood,
and provides the potential for community parking. The development of a
parking structure is the only viable long term solution for the storage
of impounded vehicles.
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