ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: March 10, 1998

Author/Local: M.Cho/6496

CC File No. 2605

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Community Planning, on behalf of Land Use and Development
SUBJECT:	Form of Development: 3088 West 41st Avenue DE402672 - CD-1 By-law Number 7834 Owner of Development: Polygon Development 101 Ltd.

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the form of development for the CD-1 zoned site known as 3088 West 41st Avenue be approved generally as illustrated in the Development Application Number DE402672, prepared by Neale Staniszkis Doll Adams Architects, and stamped "Received, City Planning Department December 16, 1997 and February 24, 1998", provided that the Director of Planning may approve design changes which would not adversely affect either the development character of this site or adjacent properties.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

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

COUNCIL POLICY

There is no applicable Council policy except that Council did approve in principle the form of development for this site when the rezoning was approved, following a Public Hearing.

PURPOSE

In accordance with Charter requirements, this report seeks Council’s approval for the form of development for the above-noted CD-1 zoned site.

SITE DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND

At a Public Hearing on March 25, April 8 and 28, 1997, City Council approved a rezoning of this site from RT-2 Two-Family Dwelling to CD-1 Comprehensive Development District. Council also approved in principle the form of development for these lands. CD-1 By-law Number 7834 was enacted on January 6, 1998.

The site is located on the south side of West 41st Avenue between Balaclava Street to the west and Carnarvon Street to the east. The site and surrounding zoning are shown on the attached Appendix A.

Subsequent to Council’s approval of the CD-1 rezoning, the Director of Planning approved Development Application Number DE402672. This approval was subject to various conditions, including Council’s approval of the form of development. The latter condition is one of the few outstanding prior to permit issuance.

DISCUSSION

The proposal involves the construction of two four-storey multiple dwellings with a total of 58 units for households in which at least one resident would be 55 years of age or older, and one additional unit for a caretaker. Units have been designed with consideration to the needs of seniors and aging-in-place. To address regional priorities regarding ground-oriented alternatives to one-family dwellings, twenty-one of the units will have direct grade-level access.

At the time of rezoning, a condition of approval required the applicant to reduce the scale of the south face of the buildings to minimize overlook and improve the scale relationship with single-family homes across the lane. It was required that the design be refined to read more substantially as a three-storey building from the south.

This has been accomplished through the following design refinements:

·The eave line of the roof has been brought down to the third floor along the length of the four principle building forms. In this way, the development on the top floor is completely contained within the roof form as viewed from the south. The scale of the buildings has been further reduced by bringing the eave line down to the second floor between the principle building forms and at the westernmost ends of the two buildings.

·The main ridge line heights of the roofs have been reduced by between one and four feet.

·The roof decks, dormers, and building walls on the fourth floor have been pulled back into the mass of the roof, becoming further removed from the south, more discreet, and less visible particularly from grade level.

·The floor area on the top floor has been reduced from 18,855 square feet to 17,652 square feet.

·The number of units on the top floor facing south has been reduced from eight to six.

·The number of primary rooms on the top floor facing south has been reduced from 24 to 20.

The Director of Planning believes that these refinements represent an appropriate and substantive response to this condition, and that the proposed development responds to the stated objectives of the CD-1 By-law.

Simplified plans, including a site plan and elevations of the proposal, have been included in Appendix B.

CONCLUSION

The Director of Planning has approved Development Application Number DE402672, subject to various conditions to be met prior to the issuance of the development permit. One of these conditions is that the form of development first be approved by Council.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver