City of Vancouver

POLICY REPORT

BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT

TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director of Community Planning on behalf of Land Use & Development
SUBJECT: Heritage Revitalization Agreement for 2104-2110 East 19th Avenue and Designation of 2104 East 19th Avenue
 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

Council policy on heritage designation states, in part, that:

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council's approval of a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA), designation and three related registered agreements to protect the "B" listed heritage building at 2104 East 19th Avenue and compensate the owner for the hardship of moving, rehabilitating and protecting it by varying certain zoning regulations.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The site at 2104-2110 East 19th Avenue, located in a RS-1S District, is comprised of two parcels fronting onto East 19th Avenue and a third City-owned parcel at the rear of the site.

The west parcel is a corner lot facing Marshall Street. The owners have agreed to buy from the City the land at the rear of the site measuring 7 m x 20 m. (23 ft. x 66 ft.), which has been released by the Engineering Department. Once consolidated, both parcels will be standard RS-1S parcels measuring 10.06 m x 37.19 m. (33 ft. x 122 ft.). The heritage house currently straddles the two front parcels. The heritage house would be demolished and replaced with two one-family dwellings with secondary suites under a standard development scenario.

As an alternative to demolition, Paul Philips, the applicant, has submitted Development Applications DE402546 and DE402547 to revitalize this heritage site. The results of the neighbourhood response are described under the Notification section of this report. The Director of Planning, after considering the concerns of the neighbourhood, approved these applications subject to Council approval of the requisite HRA and designation, amongst other conditions.

(map)

DISCUSSION

Heritage Value: The house was built in 1916 and has been continuously owned by the Cahoon family from 1917 to 1997, when it was sold to the current owners, Mr. and Mrs. Feller. It is a fine example of the Craftsman Style featuring a gabled front and cross dormers on the hipped roof and flared eaves. It also features decorative brackets, a full width front porch with decorative columns and a recessed balcony on the second floor. This heritage house is a neighbourhood landmark in the Trout Lake area and is listed in the "B" category on the Vancouver Heritage Register.

Revitalization Program: The owners propose to retain the heritage house by moving it to the corner parcel (Lot 17) where it would be most visible to the public. To offset the additional costs of heritage conservation, the owners request zoning variances through the HRA to construct a compatible infill one-family dwelling at the rear of Lot 17 and construct a new complementary house on Lot 18 (interior parcel) which is slightly larger than permitted on an outright basis (see Table on p.5).

Compatibility with Community Planning Objectives: The site is located in a RS-1S zone in the Trout Lake area. The intent of the RS-1S District Schedule is, in part, to:

This proposal maintains and enhances the character of the area by preserving the heritage house, and adding two new houses similar in character, that together complete and enhance the existing streetscapes along both East 19th Avenue and Marshall Street (see Appendix B). Street trees are being retained by diverting the proposed driveway.

Zoning Variances: The recommended HRA would authorize the variances described below to assist with the preservation of the heritage house. Variances to the permitted height, yards, floor space, building depth, and site coverage are required to move the heritage house onto the corner parcel.

Use, floor space, yard setbacks, and height variances are required to construct the proposed infill one-family dwelling. Infill buildings in the RS-1S zone are only permitted on sites of 3,000 m¾ (32,293 sq. ft.) or more and must be used as a caretaker suite. This site is 374.0 m¾ (4,026 sq. ft.) and too small to qualify. A use variance is therefore required to permit a second dwelling unit, and to construct it separate from the principal building. Both the infill dwelling and heritage house would be limited to one-family dwelling use, providing two units in total on Lot 17. With two dwellings on Lot 17, we can expect the owner to seek permission to strata title the lot. This is an issue to be considered separately by Council at a later date.

For the new house on the east parcel, front yard and building depth relaxations are also required to allow a new house to be built which complements the heritage house and utilizes the requested "bonus" floor space. The new house is proposed as a one-family dwelling, and could add a secondary suite in the future as the lot meets the requirements in the RS-1S District Schedule.

The floor space calculations are described below:

 

Permitted

FSR

Proposed

FSR
Heritage House + Infill (Lot 17)

224 m¾

(2,415 sq.ft.)

0.60

367 m¾

(3,954 sq. ft.)

0.98*
New One-Family Dwelling (Lot 18)

224 m¾

(2,415 sq. ft.)

0.60

243 m¾

(2,612 sq. ft.)

0.65

Note: figures are approximate

* The floor space ratio for the heritage parcel drops to 0.64 FSR when the basement, porch area in excess of permitted exemptions, and attached garage areas are deducted. The front porch and basement of the heritage house have been retained to maintain the house's character and relationship with grade. These areas have limited re-sale value. Similarly, garage areas, not typically counted in floor space calculation, are counted for this project, because they are attached to the dwelling units.

Notification: A sign was placed on the site and a total of 32 neighbouring property owners were notified as part of the development application review process. Four letters were received, three objecting and the other neutral.

Two letters of opposition were from the joint owners of the property directly across Marshall Street. Staff met with one of these owners to clarify his issues and provide him with additional information on the proposal and Council's heritage policies. The meeting concluded with the neighbour supporting the project. Staff adhered to the neighbour's request to reduce the visibility of the carport to be added to the heritage house. The second owner did not attend the meeting and therefore, staff responded to their issues in writing. This second owner strongly supported the preservation of the heritage house, but felt the proposed scheme overcrowded the site and was not in keeping with the neighbourhood.

The last respondent recommended locating the new infill dwelling at the rear of the interior parcel (Lot 18), and proposed that the City owned land at the rear of the corner parcel be used for a public amenity, such as public parking. Staff responded in writing, thanking them for their constructive suggestion, and noted that this infill location would unnecessarily impact the resident of Lot 19. As proposed by the developer, locating the infill on the corner parcel would only impact the developer's second parcel, Lot 18, and not a third party property.

The City also received an eight signature petition dated December 29, 1997, objecting to the sale of the 7 m x 20 m (23 ft. x 66 ft.) piece of City owned property at the rear of the site. However, Council had already approved the sale of this land on November 18, 1997.

Condition and Economic Viability: Most of the original features of the heritage house are intact, but in need of restoration. The original cladding is in poor condition and has been covered with fibrous cement board. It will be replaced with cladding that replicates the original.  A letter of undertaking has been provided by Rockwell Engineering ensuring their involvement in the relocation of the house to its new foundation. A roof dormer and rear additions are proposed to make the house more liveable by today's standards and to provide a covered parking stall.

The Manager of Real Estate Services advises that the heritage development as proposed under DE402546 and DE402547, would not provide the applicant with an extraordinary profit based on staff's analysis and the financial data provided by the applicant. The owner is prepared to enter into the HRA and designate the heritage house. Enactment of the designation by-law will occur after the heritage house is moved onto Lot 17.

HRA and Designation: Designation and the requisite HRA would together achieve the following:

… secure the ongoing maintenance and long term protection of the exterior of the heritage building;

… require replication of the exterior if destroyed;

… require a Heritage Alteration Permit for future alterations to the heritage house and the two proposed new dwellings; and

… permit the City to install a heritage plaque on the building.

The registered agreements will ensure the parcels are not sold separately until the heritage house is relocated onto the corner parcel, ensure the heritage house is rehabilitated in a timely manner, and limit the heritage parcel to two units.

Comments of the Vancouver Heritage Commission: The Vancouver Heritage Commission reviewed and supported these development applications on October 14, 1997, provided the heritage building is designated and the applicant works with staff to revise the proposed colour scheme to create a greater delineation between the old and new buildings. The applicant subsequently revised the colour scheme to address this issue.

CONCLUSION

The heritage building at 2104 East 19th Avenue is an important neighbourhood landmark in the Trout Lake area and is in the "B" category on the Vancouver Heritage Register. The requested infill dwelling use, floor space increases and other zoning variances will ensure the conservation of the heritage building is economically viable. Staff's analysis is that the proposed revitalization scheme introduces the additional density and infill dwelling in a manner that maximizes fit with the surrounding streetscapes and one-family character of the area and minimizes impacts on existing neighbours. The majority of the additional density would be located in the infill building at the rear of the corner site. The other parcel owned by the developer (Lot 18) would serve as a buffer between the infill building and properties to the east. Therefore, it is recommended that Council support the HRA and designation to secure the retention, rehabilitation and long term protection of this neighbourhood heritage resource.

* * * * *

ph980408.htm

Comments or questions? You can send us email.

[City Homepage] [Get In Touch]

Last modified: January 28, 1998
(c) 1998 City of Vancouver