Royal Diamond Casinos

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: January 27, 1998
Author/Local: P. Teichroeb/7545

CC File No. 2633-1

TO:

Standing Committee on Planning and Environment

FROM:

Chief License Inspector in consultation

with the Director of Community Planning

SUBJECT:
Royal Diamond Casinos Inc. - Casino-Class 1
Building A, 770 Pacific Boulevard South

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment endorse the request by Royal Diamond Casinos Inc., to relocate their Casino-Class 1 to Building A, Plaza of Nations, 770 Pacific Boulevard South, as an interim use for two years having considered the opinion of the area residents and business operators as determined through the neighbourhood notification process.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

On October 7, 1997, Council adopted amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law, DD, ODP and Parking By-laws to permit Casino-Class 1 (without slot machines) in several districts as well as three CD-1 sites, including the subject site. Parking standards and guidelines for application approval were also adopted. The latter restricts the number of casinos in the city to five, limits the size to 1,500 sq.m. (16,150 sq. ft.) and established pre-site clearance procedures which require a pre-site clearance from the City before a development application is filed.

PURPOSE

This report recommends that Council endorse an application by Royal Diamond Casinos Inc. to change the location of their Casino-Class 1 within the Plaza of Nations to Building A, 770 Pacific Boulevard South from B106, (Building B) 750 Pacific Boulevard South as an interim use for two years.

BACKGROUND

The Royal Diamond Casino-Class 1 is presently located at B106, 750 Pacific Boulevard South, within the Plaza of Nations, and the lease expires on March 31, 1999. Development permit approval for this use was issued on April 8, 1994 for a two year period and has been subsequently extended to April 8, 1998. Should Council endorse this relocation, no further extension will be given for the existing development permit.

Within the terms of the lease, the landlord - Canadian Metropolitan Properties Corporation -has the right to terminate earlier by giving 12 months notice. The landlord has notified the applicant that the lease will terminate on April 15, 1998 but, as a further condition of the lease, Canadian Metropolitan Properties Corporation will provide interim alternative space in the Plaza of Nations until March 31, 1999.

This application is for an interim use and is on the basis that Royal Diamond Casinos Inc. will again relocate to a future permissible permanent site within the regulations of the Zoning and Development By-law.

The subject premises are located in a CD-1 zoning district where Casino-Class 1 is a permitted use. GM Place, B.C. Place complex and Expo Lands are within close proximity. The surrounding area is a mixture of retail, offices and residential apartments, although there are no residential buildings, schools, parks or churches within the 1000 ft. notification area.

The proposal is for 1,500 sq.m., which meets the City’s regulations, and the applicant has advised parking requirements will be fulfilled by a lease from Concord Pacific. The hours of operation will be from 12:00 noon to 2:00 a.m. seven days a week. Hours of operation are regulated by the Province of British Columbia.

The applicant has received a letter from the B.C. Gaming Commission indicating that it has carried out a preliminary review and is prepared to continue the relocation process when a Council resolution has been received.

COMMENTS

The Police Department has no comments.

The Planning Department has reviewed this application and notes that the current CD-1 By-law was enacted by Council on July 9, 1996, and is considered a temporary rezoning specifically to permit a Family Sports and Entertainment Centre to be located in an area of the existing Plaza of Nations complex.

An overall rezoning of the Plaza of Nations site was approved in principle by Council in May, 1995. However, enactment has been delayed, pending resolution of outstanding conditions. A development permit application (DE400186) is currently pending, in anticipation of the overall rezoning being enacted. This development permit, when issued, will include approval of all the existing occupancies in the Plaza of Nations that fit into the uses considered appropriate for this site, but which have never received formal approval.

Casino-Class 1 is a use included in the list of approvable uses in the overall rezoning. However, until this rezoning is enacted and DE400186 is issued, any formal approval of this use would require a separate development permit application and, should approval be granted, it would be considered an interim use only, in accordance with the present zoning of this site.

The Environmental Health Division of the Health Board has no concerns.

The Social Planning Department does not object as long as the casino and the Family Entertainment Centre, which is located in the same building, have separate entrances and there is no interaction between the two uses.

The Housing Centre has no comment.

A neighbourhood notification will be carried out within a 1000 ft. radius as shown in Appendix A. The results of this notification will be reported to Council at the Committee meeting.

CONCLUSION

Staff supports this application as it is a relocation of an existing casino within the same area and it complies with the Casino-Class 1 regulations and no neighbourhood impacts are anticipated. * * * * *

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TO:	Standing Committee on Planning and Environment
FROM:	Chief License Inspector in consultation with the Director of Community Planning
SUBJECT:	Royal Diamond Casinos Inc. - Casino-Class 1 Building A, 770 Pacific Boulevard South