CITY OF VANCOUVER

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

OCTOBER 30, 1997

A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, October 30, 1997, at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall, for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing to consider proposed amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law.

PRESENT: Mayor Philip Owen

Councillor Don Bellamy

Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario

Councillor Jennifer Clarke

Councillor Alan Herbert

Councillor Lynne Kennedy

Councillor Daniel Lee

Councillor Don Lee

Councillor Sam Sullivan

ABSENT: Councillor Gordon Price

Councillor George Puil

CLERK TO THE

COUNCIL: Nancy Largent

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Kennedy,

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Owen in the Chair, to consider proposed amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1. Area Rezoning: Kitsilano RS-1S Area

An application by the Director of Land Use and Development was considered asfollows:

Summary: The proposed rezoning of the Kitsilano RS-1S Area to RS-5S would encourage the design of new houses to be compatible with adjacent houses.

The Director of Community Planning recommended approval on behalf of Land Use and Development.

Staff Opening Comments

Peter Burch, Planner, reviewed the application, noting the Kitsilano RS-1S area was the twelfth area of the City to undergo the RS-1 interim rezoning process. The objectives of the interim rezoning process, the RS-5 and RS-6 options, and the public process followed were all reviewed. Mr. Burch advised Kitsilano supported a change in zoning by a clear majority, with a clear preference for RS-5. The level of support was fairly consistent across the area.

Summary of Correspondence

Council received no correspondence on this item.

Speakers

The following speakers opposed the application:

Yolande Proctor, 3500 Block West 15th Avenue

Bert Loehner, 3000 Block West 14th Avenue

Bob Wilson, 2800 Block Waterloo Street.

The foregoing opposed the application on one or more of the following grounds:

·the taller roofs and increased floor space allowable under RS-5S could result in loss of some residents' views;

·property owners' quality of life and property value may be arbitrarily decreased if the proposed rezoning is approved, by allowing others to build taller, bulkier houses;

Cont'd

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

·Kitsilano has smaller lots than those of the prototype RS-5 neighbourhood, Shaughnessy, so that the larger houses which might have been appropriate there will not be appropriate in Kitsilano;

·documentation provided with the first phase survey was inadequate, and the neighbourhood was not fully aware that the proposed options could result in larger houses; translation was not always provided;

·where the primary concern of the neighbourhood is mega-houses, it does not make sense to propose, as an alternative to RS-1S, options which could result in still larger houses;

·the City should be protecting the neighbourhood rather than providing incentives for developers with results detrimental to the neighbourhood;

·it was questioned why the City considers it necessary to provide incentive for developers, who should simply be expected to adhere to City regulations;

·the Planning Department should not be deciding what is aesthetically appropriate in Kitsilano -- the residents should;

·rather than using a zoning developed for a different neighbourhood, the City should be applying design controls to RS-1;

·too many big ugly houses are being built in slap-dash fashion with poor quality materials, and the addition of tacky "heritage-style" trim or roof gables will not solve the problem.

The following speakers supported the application:

Greg Weber, 3300 Block West 14th Avenue

Lorne Whitehead, 3015 West 12th Avenue.

The foregoing speakers supported the application on one or more of the following grounds:

·the status quo is clearly not working, as confirmed even by those speakers opposed to the application;

Cont'd

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

·the design of new buildings will be required to take into account the design of the neighbourhood under RS-5, or be smaller;

·it needs to be made clear to developers that Kitsilano is a neighbourhood with a history and existing residents who deserve some consideration;

·the offer of RS-5S is appropriate as an interim measure, and additional controls can be brought to bear later after the neighbourhood has gone through the visioning process;

·the planning process was fair and appropriate, with good information provided and ample opportunity for discussion;

·there can be no change without some damage, but basically, RS-5S will be good for the neighbourhood.

The Mayor called for any further speakers, and none came forward.

Staff Closing Comments

Bob McGilvray, Planner, provided clarification as to information materials provided, at what stage materials were available in translation and other components of the public process; how building heights are calculated; the genesis of RS-5 zoning; the RS-5 design review process; and future opportunities for more neighbourhood-specific design controls. Mr. McGilvray also commented on some of the issues raised by speakers:

·RS-5 actually results in smaller houses above ground, and although they may be taller or have a larger floor plate, quality design makes them appear smaller;

·under RS-1, many houses were being built from off-the-shelf plans for quick sale, whereas under RS-5, more houses are being built by architects for clients who intend to live in them, and are more sensitive to their surroundings.

Jacquie Forbes-Roberts, Director of Community Planning, referenced information on the cost of development permits.

Cont'd

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

Council Discussion

The majority of Council felt that survey results clearly supported the proposed rezoning. Further, it was suggested that the low turn-out for this hearing was a clear indication of the Kitsilano community's support for RS-5S, since that community can be relied upon to make its views clear to Council whenever there is significant opposition to a plan. This initiative is based on neighbourhood demands that the City "do something!" It was hoped this interim rezoning will serve as a holding action to promote retention of the existing character of the area.

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the application by the Director of Land Use and Development to rezone the Kitsilano RS-1S Area to RS-5S be approved.

- CARRIED

(Councillor Don Lee opposed)

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED BY Cllr. Kennedy,

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted, and the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare and bring forward the necessary by-law amendments.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Special Council adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

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(c) 1997 City of Vancouver