ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 14,1998
Author/Local:Y.McNeil/7582
CC File No. 5051

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Community Planning, on behalf of Land Use and Development
SUBJECT:	Heritage Designation of 1550 Balfour Avenue

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT the property at 1550 Balfour Street, listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register in the "A" evaluation category, be designated as a Protected Heritage Property;

B. THAT Council instruct the Director of Legal Services to bring forward for enactment an amendment to the Heritage By-Law;

C. THAT the Director of Legal Services be directed to prepare a registered agreement to secure the prompt restoration of the heritage house;

D. AND THAT Council approve an increase in Floor Space Ratio (FSR) from the permitted 0.45 to the requested 0.70.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A, B, C, and D.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council policy on heritage designation states, in part, that legal designation will be a prerequisite to accepting certain bonuses and incentives. Where an FSR increase exceeds 10% of the allowable, Council's approval is required.

PURPOSE

This report requests Council approve the designation of the building at 1550 Balfour Street and approve an FSR relaxation, to enable the conservation and protection of the building.

SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND

Development Application No. DE403077 proposes the restoration of an existing single family dwelling located in the First Shaughnessy District (see Map), and the construction of a garage. (See Appendix A). Further improvements include changes to the landscaping to allow new planting, and a reduction in the amount of hard surfacing on site. The building is listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register in the "A" evaluation category.

The Official Development Plan (ODP) for First Shaughnessy allows a maximum density of 0.45 FSR. Until recently, the existing floor area ratio was 0.71. The building was constructed in 1912 at an FSR greater than permitted under the present zoning. It is believed by staff that this condition was exacerbated in the 1970s when in 1975 a permit was obtained by the previous owners to construct a "roof deck" at the rear of the building. Subsequent to that, the area below was enclosed without City approval. Permits for the work in question would not have been issuable as the enclosure created an FSR beyond what the ODP allows. Enforcement action was not taken as the City was unaware of the changes to the property until recently. Further to this, in 1990, the previous owners removed the "Cotswold" Dutch-weave cedar shingle roof, and replaced it with metal roof tiles. The neighbourhood and staff expressed concern over the change as the work removed an aspect of significant heritage value. After consultation with other departments, staff concluded that replacement of materials was not in the jurisdiction of the Director of Planning. Although in contravention of the First Shaughnessy Design Guidelines, re-roofing did not require a Development Permit. Other unsympathetic changes that occurred included changing trim details and painting the building.

Recently the present owners undertook to re-construct their garage. They demolished the garage and an existing carport prior to obtaining Demolition or Development Permits. This reduced the FSR on site from 0.71 to 0.64. Although smaller in size than the original, the proposed garage requires Council's approval, as it would further increase the non-conforming FSR from the existing 0.64 FSR to 0.70.

The proposal is to legitimize the FSR overage in exchange for the owner investing in returning this "A" listed house to its former splendour. It is not staff's practice to use heritage incentives to rectify past illegal work. However, in this particular instance, the community, staff and owners feel it is a win-win approach to rectifying the two abuses by the previous owner and protect the heritage building in the future.

DISCUSSION

Heritage Value: Completed in 1912, this 1½ storey house is an excellent example of the Tudor Revival style. Notable design features include its large projecting hipped gables, extensive half-timbering and cross-hatched brick cladding, and wood casement windows. The house features symmetrical massing with a central entry and a porte cochere projecting from its east side. A unique feature of the original was its "Cotswold" thatched roof, making it a rare example of the style. Its moderate setback and mature landscaping contribute to a strong and positive street presence. The house is located in the First Shaughnessy District and is listed in the "A" evaluation category on the Vancouver Heritage Register.

Compatibility With Community Planning Objectives: The intention of the First Shaughnessy Official Development Plan and the Design Guidelines is to retain pre-1940 buildings wherever possible. Similarly, a goal of Council's Heritage Policies and Guidelines is to retain and provide appropriate incentives for buildings listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register. The development application fully meets the Community Planning Objectives as it proposes the retention, restoration and protection of the "A" listed heritage house. The restoration work includes:

· replacing the roof material with the original "Cotswold" cedar shingle roof;
· reconstructing the original entry details;
· painting the building in a historical colour scheme;
· repairing and replacing of deteriorated exterior brick;
· changing the railings and trim of the rear addition; and
· enhancing the landscaping and reducing the amount of hard surfacing on site.

The proposed changes will enhance the appearance and life of the building, and comply with Council policy regarding retention and restoration of heritage buildings.

Zoning Considerations: The Director of Planning is prepared to support this application and requested relaxations, subject to certain conditions. Council's approval of the designation of the heritage building and the increase in FSR, are two of those conditions.

The following is a list of the relaxations requested:

	PERMITTED	EXISTING	PROPOSED
Floor Space Ratio (FSR)	0.45 563.7 m² (6,068.25 sq. ft.)	0.64 801.7 m² (8,630.4 sq. ft.)	0.70 879.9 m² (9,439.50 sq. ft.) *
Side Yard Setback for Accessory Buildings	1.5 m (4.92 ft.)	1.5 m (4.90 ft.)	.85 m (2.79 ft.) **
Max. Floor Area for Accessory bldg.	62.4 m² (671.69 sq. ft.)	82.9 m² (892.89 sq. ft.)	63.1 m² (679.33 sq. ft.) **
Site Coverage	35% 438.4 m² (4,719.7 sq. ft.)	36.7% 460.6 m² (4,958.44 sq. ft.)	35.1% 440.7 m² (4,744.88 sq. ft.) **

* Council-adopted Heritage Policies and Guidelines, requires Council's approval for relaxations of FSR beyond 10% permitted under the ODP.
** The Director of Planning supports the relaxations proposed, as provided for underSection 3.2.5 of the Zoning and Development By-laws.

Notification: As part of the Development Permit process, 19 neighbouring households were notified for comment. Staff did not receive a response.

Conditions and Economic Viability: To assure the prompt restoration of the heritage building, RECOMMENDATION C requires the owner to enter into an agreement to secure the restoration of the heritage house.

Real Estate Services reviewed the application, and determined that the value of the "overage" in FSR, at current land values, equates to the expenditures proposed by the owner to restore the heritage characteristics of the house, and legally designate the property. Further, that the property owner would not receive a gain in market value by reconstructing the garage.

As required for enactment of the Heritage By-law, the owner has agreed to support the designation of the house and has submitted a letter to that effect.

Comments of the First Shaughnessy Neighbourhood Design Panel: The proposal went to the Neighbourhood Design Panel on two occasions, once as an inquiry on December 11, 1997, and the second time as an application on March 5, 1998. The Panel responded with the following motion:

"The Panel supports this application with our comments addressed and commends the applicants for their interest in restoring this outstanding property."

The Panel's comments regarded changes that have now been made by the applicant, and reflect the description of restoration work described earlier in this report. In addition, the Panel supported the additional FSR on site in return for the designation of the building.

CONCLUSION

The proposed restoration and designation of the house at 1550 Balfour Avenue, complies with the intent of the zoning and Council's long term heritage goals. Work without permit is essentially being legitimized through this application, but as determined through Real Estate Services analysis, the value of the increase in FSR is off-set by the cost in restoring the heritage characteristics of the building. Therefore, it is recommended that Council amend Schedule A of the Heritage By-law to designate 1550 Balfour Avenue as a Protected Heritage Property and approve the increase in floor space ratio.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver