POLICY REPORT
BUILDING AND STRUCTURE
Date: April 7, 1997
Dept. File No. EGL/GMCG
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director of Land Use and Development
SUBJECT: Heritage Revitalization Agreement for
2237-2239 East Pender Street
RECOMMENDATIONS
A. THAT Council authorize the City to enter into a Heritage
Revitalization Agreement for the site at 2237-2239 East Pender
Street to allow an increase in the number of dwelling units
permitted in this RS-1A zoned area and to allow three Artist
Studios Class A without residential component, accessory to
the principal dwelling, in the heritage barn; to secure the
preservation of a building, listed in the "B" category on the
Vancouver Heritage Register; and to commemorate it with a
bronze heritage plaque;
B. THAT the Director of Legal Services bring forth the by-law to
authorize the Heritage Revitalization Agreement; and
C. THAT the Director of Legal Services be directed to prepare a
registered agreement to secure the prompt restoration of the
heritage barn.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A,
B and C.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council s Heritage Policies and Guidelines state that "buildings listed
on the Vancouver Heritage Register have heritage significance, and that
the City s long-term goal is to protect through voluntary designation as
many resources on the Register as possible".
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek Council s approval of a Heritage
Revitalization Agreement (HRA) that would secure the conservation of
this heritage barn. This conservation would be accomplished by allowing
a variance to the uses permitted by the Zoning and Development By-law
for a RS-1A zoned site.
BACKGROUND
The heritage barn is a secondary structure on this site and is currently
approved as a Garage for use as parking and storage. The principal
dwelling, which has no heritage merit, is currently approved as a
single-family dwelling. Development Application DE401332 was submitted
by Charlotte Murray, Architect proposing the adaptive reuse of the barn
and the conversion of the existing house into three units. The
application has been approved subject to certain conditions, one of
which is a Heritage Revitalization Agreement between the City and the
applicant.
site map
DISCUSSION
Heritage Value
The heritage building (1905 estimated construction date) is listed in
the "B" category on the Vancouver Heritage Register. Its interesting
features include original drop wood siding and a boomtown type false
facade. Its original use has not been established although it is
presumed it was either a barn or a stable, and one theory is that it
housed the neighbourhood fire hall horses. Whatever its original
purpose, it is an interesting use in a residential area suggesting an
earlier land use pattern.
Development Proposal and Zoning Variance
The development application includes the restoration of the heritage
barn and its conversion into three Artist Studios without residential
component, accessory to the principal dwelling (see selected drawings in
Appendix A). The existing principal residential structure will also be
retained and converted into three dwelling units.
The property is located in an area zoned RS-1A. The intent of the RS-1A
District Schedule is "to maintain the single family residential
character of the District, but also to conditionally permit in some
instances, one secondary suite or additional dwelling unit in a
single-family residence". This development application would therefore
require variance to the RS-1A District Schedule to allow the accessory
studio use in the heritage barn and to increase the number of dwelling
units in the house from two permitted to three proposed. A relaxation
of parking to one small car stall instead of the required three is also
requested.
Section 592 of the Vancouver Charter provides for a conservation tool,
referred to as the Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA). The HRA
allows variances to various by-laws including the Zoning and Development
By-law. The recommended HRA would provide the aforementioned variances
and secure the conservation of the heritage barn. It would also require
the repair or replication of the barn in the event that it is damaged or
destroyed.
In response to one neighbour's concern regarding the lack of parking,
staff have required the applicant to provide one small car stall in the
narrow opening between the existing house and the property line. To
require more parking on site would cause parking in the front yard,
which is not consistent with the street and the RS-1A open space
character. The Director of Land Use and Development is able and prepared
to relax the parking requirement.
Compatibility of Conservation with Community Planning Objectives
Although the number of dwelling units that will be created by this
development proposal exceeds, by one, the number of residential units
allowed in a RS-1A district zone, staff supports the proposal because it
will protect a heritage resource without adding to the existing built
form on the site.
As a requirement in the development application process, 132 letters
were sent on June 21, 1996 to neighbours within approximately one block
radius of the subject property. Two responses were received: one
indicated support and the other raised a concern about "not enough"
parking on site, which is discussed above.
Condition of the Property and Economic Viability of the Conservation
The heritage building is in fair physical condition and requires
restoration work. This includes: refurbishing of the original wood
siding, doors, windows and trim; repair and partial replacement of the
roofing; structural and code upgrading; and reconstruction of the
original barn doors. A legal agreement between the City and the
property owner will ensure the heritage barn is promptly restored.
It is the opinion of the Manager of Real Estate Services that the
applicant will not make an extraordinary profit from the proposed
project. His analysis indicates that the probable costs of the
applicant s rehabilitation and retention of the heritage barn exceed the
value of the benefits created by the zoning relaxations.
Comments of the Vancouver Heritage Commission
The Vancouver Heritage Commission, at its meeting on June 17, 1996,
commended the applicant for her proposal. It also gave its support,
under certain conditions, for the proposed relaxations with respect to
use, floor space and setback. However, subsequent to this review, staff
have determined that the floor space and setbacks noted in the
Commissions resolution are existing non-conformities and do not require
zoning by-law relaxations.
CONCLUSION
The conservation of this "B" listed heritage barn will be achieved by
the applicant s proposal to adapt and reuse it for three Artist Studios
Class A without residential component, accessory to the principal
dwelling and the latter s conversion into three dwelling units. One of
the conditions for the development application approval is a Heritage
Revitalization Agreement between the City and the owner. The agreement
referred to in RECOMMENDATION C will ensure prompt restoration of the
heritage building.
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