ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: August 30, 2000
Author/Local: Anne Bancroft-Jones / 7422

RTS No.: 01673

CC File No. 1203/8201

Council: September 12, 2000

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Real Estate Services, in consultation with the General Managers of Engineering Services and Park Board
SUBJECT:	Concord Pacific Place Lands - Early Roundhouse School Construction

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the Director of Legal Services, in consultation with the City Manager, be instructed to make the necessary amendments to the Beach Neighbourhood Shoreline Protection Works Agreements and the Beach Neighbourhood Park Works Agreements to accommodate the items listed below, on the condition that Pacific Place Holdings Ltd. (‘PPHL”) terminates their occupation of the lands, legally described as Lot 214 False Creek Plan LMP10733 and noted in Appendix A as “School”, by March 1, 2001:

(a) defer completion of the portion of the shoreline and open space works as shown in Appendix B, until December 31, 2008; and

(b) grant PPHL a licence to occupy the portion of the City’s dedicated street (as shown hatched in Appendix B) for access and parking use until December 31, 2008, at a nominal fee.

CITY MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The City Manager is of the opinion that the early construction of a much needed elementary school in the Roundhouse Neighbourhood warrants deferral of a portion of the permanent shoreline and open space works in the Beach Neighbourhood. The City Manager therefore RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

In 1993, the rezoning for the Roundhouse Neighbourhood (Area 2) was enacted which required the applicant to provide for a daycare and school.

City Council approved the rezoning of the Beach Neighbourhood East-Area 1B in 1996, and rezoning of Beach Neighbourhood West-Area 1A in 1999, which required the applicant to construct various shoreline, park and open space works.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to request Council approval of an arrangement with PPHL to relocate presentation centres, requiring a portion of City street in the Beach Neighbourhood, in order to accommodate early construction of the Roundhouse Area 2 school.

BACKGROUND

In 1996, City Council approved an arrangement for the Roundhouse school and daycare which contemplated them being a combined facility. The daycare was built in advance, opening in 1998, and staff have been working with the Vancouver School Board (“VSB”) to finalize parking and construction issues arising from separate facilities on the same site.

PPHL constructed 2 presentation centres to conduct their marketing activities which are located in the Roundhouse Neighbourhood; the original 8,000 sf facility is at 150 Drake Street, and a smaller building has recently been located at 1300 Marinaside Crescent. The Drake centre is situated on the future Roundhouse Area 2 school location along with the City daycare facility (refer to Appendix A), and PPHL was given a licence to occupy until September 20, 2002. At the end of the term, PPHL is required to remove the improvements and landscape the property. The licence can only be terminated early, on 36 months prior notice, if the VSB determines there is sufficient demand to proceed with the capital planning processes and school construction commences at the end of the notice period.

The VSB confirmed that Provincial approval was granted on May 9, 2000 to construct a kindergarten to Grade 7 elementary school on this site. In order for the school to be open for the September 2002 year, access to the site is required by March 2001. An additional school is urgently needed to accommodate the increased enrolment in the downtown peninsula; the two downtown schools are already oversubscribed.

DISCUSSION

PPHL has indicated that the early relocation of their main presentation centre will cause additional relocation costs (due to the shortened time frame to plan) and impact their marketing efforts (since they are moving from an established neighbourhood to an area without completed buildings).

The only location that accommodates their marketing and sales operation, while minimizing impacts to shoreline and open space works, requires use of a portion of City street. As noted in Appendix B, staff propose that PPHL relocate both of their Roundhouse presentation centres to a future residential site in the Beach Neighbourhood if a portion of future Beach Avenue could be used for access and parking. PPHL would be granted a licence of the road portion until December 31, 2008 at a nominal fee. A pedestrian connection from Homer Street to the water would be provided.

This arrangement would also involve deferral of a portion of the permanent seawall and open space works by PPHL until December 31, 2008. Under the existing legal agreements resulting from the rezoning, these works are required to be completed at the earlier of occupancy of the first building in the Beach Neighbourhood or December 31, 2006. First occupancy could be as early as 2002 or 2003. This proposal would maintain the existing temporary bicycle path, and the seawall would remain continuous. The walkway (shoreline pathway) between Beach Avenue and the seawall would be realigned slightly to its permanent configuration but as temporary works. On completion of the Quayside marina, PPHL would relocate the temporary ferry dock from the foot of Davie Street to the Beach Neighbourhood.

CONCLUSION

The proposal has been discussed with Park Board staff, and the City Manager is of the opinion that the construction of a much needed elementary school 18 month early warrants the deferral of a portion of the permanent shoreline and open space works.

NOTE FROM CLERK: APPENDICES A&B (SITE DRAWINGS) NOT AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC FORM - ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver