SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 2
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
NOVEMBER 16, 1995
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: November 3, 1995
Dept. File No. GL
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: Director of Land Use and Development
SUBJECT: Proposed Amendment to Subdivision By-law No. 5208 - Site
Reclassification of the East Side of the 8400-8500 Block
Adera Street
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council approve the application to reclassify the properties
along the east side of the 8400-8500 Block Adera Street from
Category 'C' to Category 'A' of Schedule A, Table 1, of
Subdivision By-law No. 5208.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of
the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council policy regarding amendments to the subdivision categories in
RS-1, RS-1S, RS-3, RS-3A and RS-5 zoned districts is reflected in the
Manager's Report as approved by Council on October 28, 1987. As well
as establishing seven parcel size categories for subdivision in the
RS-1 District, the report provided for possible future changes in the
categories in cases where property owners seek to classify their
parcel category either up or down, to facilitate or prevent
subdivision.
PURPOSE
This report addresses a proposal to reclassify the properties along
the east side of the 8400-8500 Block Adera Street (Lots 11, 12 and 13,
Lots A, B and C of Lots 9 and 10, and Lots D, E and F. All of Blocks
6 and 7, D.L. 325, Plans 2262, 7330 and 20330) from Category 'C' to
Category 'A' for the purpose of subdivision in accordance with the
minimum parcel size require-ments of Schedule A, Table 1 of
Subdivision By-law No. 5208.
BACKGROUND
On January 19, 1988, Council enacted an amended Schedule A to the
Subdivision By-law by introducing seven categories of minimum parcel
width and area to govern the subdivision of lands zoned RS-1.
Subsequently, lands zoned RS-1S, RS-3, RS-3A and RS-5 have been
included as well. All lands in these five zoning districts are
classified on a block-by-block basis, as shown on 279 sectional maps,
which are on file with the City Clerk and which form part of Schedule
A.
As shown in Appendix A, the east side of Adera Street between the lane
south of West 68th Avenue and S.W. Marine Drive, which contains the
subject parcels, is now classified as Category 'C', which prescribes a
minimum width of 15.240 m (50.00 ft.) and a minimum area of 464.515 m›
(5,000.00 sq. ft.) for each parcel created by subdivision. The
properties on the west side of Adera Street are also classified as
Category 'C'.
In 1988, when Council was considering the new subdivision categories,
a petition was submitted from several property owners in the 8400-8500
blocks of Adera and Cornish Streets, requesting that Category 'A' be
established for these blocks instead of Category 'C'. As the petition
was signed by only a minority of the Adera Street property owners at
that time, Council denied the request and established the Category 'C'
boundary in the lane between the streets. It was noted, however, that
if a clear majority of owners in the area were in favour of a
reclassification to a smaller parcel size category in the future, it
would be considered.
ASSESSMENT
This reclassification application proposes to allow for consideration
of parcels no less than 9.144 m (30.00 ft.) in width and 278.709 m›
(3,000.00 sq. ft.) in area, thereby allowing consideration of
subdivision proposals for the east side of Adera Street.
Under Category 'C', none of the subject parcels can be sub-divided
individually. If Lots 11, 12 and 13 were to proceed together,
however, it would be possible to create four new parcels from three,
under the minimum standards for Category 'C'.
For the purpose of achieving consistency in the block, the three
parcels at the corner of Adera Street and S.W. Marine Drive, shown
hatched in Appendix A, which were subdivided in 1984 and have been
subsequently redeveloped, have also been included in this proposal for
reclassification. No subdivision
potential will accrue to those parcels as a result of the proposed
reclassification, unless all three of these parcels agree to proceed
together, in which case four parcels could be created from three.
This proposal to amend the By-law, as it applies to the shaded parcels
in Appendix A, would enable them to subdivide to create a total of
eleven parcels, generally as depicted in Appendix B.
An additional relevant concern relating to future subdivision, should
this reclassification be approved, is that the existing dwelling at
8468 Adera Street (Lot 12) is listed as Category 'A' on the Vancouver
Heritage Register. Based on the approximate location of this dwelling
relative to existing property lines, this parcel could conceivably be
subdivided while still allowing retention of the heritage dwelling,
with the aid of a Heritage Revitalization Agreement, should it be
necessary to vary or supplement provisions of the Zoning and
Development or Subdivision By-laws. Therefore, a future subdivision
should not jeopardize retention of this building.
Thirty-seven property owners, excluding the applicants, were notified
in writing of this reclassification request. Only eight responses
were received from owners other than the applicants. The location of
the respondents is illustrated in Appendix A.
Based on comments included with responses to the notification, the
Cornish Street subdivision (lands across the lane to the east of the
subject parcels, approved in 1993), and that subsequent redevelopment,
serves as an example to residents of how this reclassification, if
approved, would ultimately manifest itself on the local area. Having
witnessed the complete transformation of that streetscape within the
last two years, several respondents expressed considerable trepidation
over the prospect of a recurrence of this process on Adera Street. Of
the owners who opposed this proposal, two (Lots 3 and A) qualified
their opposition by indicating they would favour the proposal if it
included both sides of Adera Street.
The option to initiate a reclassification of the west side of Adera
Street will continue to exist for these owners, regardless of the
outcome of this proposal. Two others in opposition currently own
parcels which maintain dimensions typical of Category 'A' minimum
standards. Two additional owners indicated a preference for rezoning
both sides of Adera Street to allow for low-rise, multi-family
dwellings, reasoning that the resultant developments would be
architecturally superior to the Cornish Street redevelopment, and that
preservation of green space and significant trees might be achievable
under that scenario.
Six of the nine owners along the east side of Adera Street support the
reclassification (one is opposed and two did not respond to the
notification). In addition, as noted above, two owners from the west
side of the street have indicated qualified support for the proposal.
CONCLUSION
The Cornish Street subdivision is representative of the existing,
predominant pattern of subdivision in the area from West 63rd Avenue
to S.W. Marine Drive, east of the C.P.R. Right-of-Way to the lane west
of Granville Street. Approval of this proposal would allow for the
extension of this Category 'A' pattern to the east side of Adera
Street.
Given that a majority of owners on Adera Street have expressed support
for the proposal, and despite the objections of some of the
neighbouring property owners, the Director of Land Use and Development
supports the reclassification of the east side of the 8400-8500 Block
Adera Street.
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