Agenda Index City of Vancouver

POLICY REPORT
DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING

 

Date: January 20, 1999

 

Author/Local: MD’Agostini/7727

 

RTS No. 00490

 

CC No. 5308

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: Director of Central Area Planning, on behalf of Land Use & Development

SUBJECT: CD-1 Rezoning - 1302-1322 East 12th Avenue

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

On July 21, 1998, City Council approved the Kensington-Cedar Cottage (KCC) Vision Directions and indicated that these directions be used to help guide policy decisions.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report assesses an application to rezone this site from CD-1 Comprehensive Development District that would permit a multiple dwelling to RT-5N Two-Family Dwelling District. Staff recommend that the application be referred to Public Hearing and that it be approved.

DISCUSSION

History: This site was rezoned to CD-1 in 1992 to permit the development of 15 units in a multiple dwelling. Prior to this, the City had purchased three C-1 zoned lots at the southeast corner of Clark Drive and East 12th Avenue. The westernmost lot was established as road in 1990 and the two remaining lots were sold by tender in 1991 to the current owner who also owned an adjoining lot that was zoned RT-5N. These three lots were consolidated as a requirement of the CD-1 rezoning in 1992 (the current site). Since that time the marketing of the property for multiple dwelling use has not been successful and the property owner now feels that development of two-family dwellings, permitted as a conditional use under RT-5N, would be more viable.

MAP

Use: Determining the most appropriate use for this location has been a challenge. This is a difficult site given its location at the intersection of two busy streets. Consideration was given to the possibility of allowing some commercial development on the site but was not supported due to the difficulty of providing access for automobiles and the lack of demand for commercial space in the immediate area. Furthermore, this site was not identified in the KCC Vision for future commercial development.

Staff do have some concern with the loss of a housing alternative and the resultant reduction in the number of residential units that would occur if the current rezoning application is approved. However, the fact that the property owner has been unable to sell or develop the property for five years indicates that there is not a strong demand for multiple dwelling development at this location.

Given these circumstances, staff support the proposed residential use as contemplated in the current rezoning application for the following reasons. First, the properties immediately south and east of the subject site are also zoned RT-5N and developed with grade-level residential buildings. Second, noise mitigation to address the livability of dwelling units, particularly those closest to the intersection, will be required as part of the development permit approval. In addition, design guidelines require that noise impacts for habitable areas be minimized. Finally, there are no other feasible uses for the site at this time.

It should be noted that RT-5N also conditionally permits multiple dwellings (townhouses) and various cultural and institutional uses, any of which could be pursued through a development permit process once the site is rezoned.

Density: The density permitted in the RT-5N district is 0.60 FSR. The floor space ratio can be relaxed to a maximum of 0.75 FSR where the design of a new building reflects the character of the streetscape and is compatible with the design and siting of buildings on adjoining sites. This would be the same density as is permitted on neighbouring sites to the south and east which also have the same zoning.

Form of Development: The form of development is prescribed by the RT-5N Zoning District Schedule and Design Guidelines. All new development in the RT-5N zones is subject to design review for compliance with the Design Guidelines which emphasize that the external design of new buildings be compatible with the historical character of the area and be neighbourly in scale and character. The actual form of development for this site will be determined by the plans that are approved at the development permit stage.

The applicant intends to subdivide the property into three parcels in order to facilitate development if the rezoning is approved.

Compliance with Kensington Cedar Cottage Community Vision: The subject site is located near the northwestern boundary of the Kensington Cedar Cottage (KCC) Community Vision area. This rezoning application was also assessed against pertinent directions contained in the KCC Community Vision. The proposed rezoning generally meets KCC

Vision Direction 21.1 of providing more housing variety in the form of rowhouse, four- and sixplexes, and/or duplexes. The Vision calls for more planning before the addition of housing through rezoning, except in the case of seniors designated housing. This provision relates specifically to sites where rezoning would result in an increased density. However, staff feel that since this application proposes to reduce the permitted density on the site and since the previous zoning (prior to the 1992 rezoning to CD-1) permitted the same amount of residential development as is contemplated in the current proposal, this reservation does not sensibly apply. Furthermore, the proposed zoning would be the same as that which is permitted on adjacent sites. The fact that all development in RT-5N is subject to design review means that community concerns about building design will be met. In terms of future uses, this site was not recognized as a key commercial area in the KCC Community Vision.

CONCLUSION

Staff recommend that this rezoning application be referred to Public Hearing on the basis that the proposal is consistent with adjacent uses and density and that it meets the general intent of Kensington-Cedar Cottage Vision Directions. Livability and noise mitigation for the residential units will be addressed through the zoning district schedule and design guidelines.


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APPENDIX A

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Site, Surrounding Zoning and Development: This site has a total area of 1058.4 m2 (11,392.41 sq. ft.), is located on the south east corner of East 12th Avenue and Clark Drive and slopes down from south to north approximately six feet. The site has a frontage of 30.19 m (99.03 ft.) and a depth of 35.07 m (115.04 ft.) and is presently vacant.

Surrounding lands to the south and east are zoned RT-5 and RT-5N, both two-family dwelling districts, and are developed with one-family, two-family and multiple conversion dwellings. The other corners of the intersection are zoned for local commercial use. Two are occupied by gasoline service stations and the third by a cluster of small commercial buildings with upper storey residential use. There have been extended vacancies in the commercial space.

Public Input: A notification letter was sent to 333 nearby property owners on October 16, 1998 and a rezoning information sign was posted on the site on October 19, 1998. Three phone calls were received from residents. Concerns focused on the livability of the residential units. One letter expressing opposition was received from a nearby residentstating principal concerns with the livability of the units and indicating that a commercial form of development would be more appropriate at this location.

Staff believe these livability issues are addressed through sound proofing requirements of the RT-5N schedule and the applicable design guidelines.

Comments from Engineering Services:

“Engineering Services has reviewed this application and has no objections to the proposed rezoning.”

Environmental and Social Implications: The proposed rezoning neither contributes to nor detracts from the objective of reducing atmospheric pollution. There are no major positive or negative social implications to this proposal. There are no implications with respect to the Vancouver Children's Policy or Statement of Children's Entitlements.

Comments of the Applicant: The applicant has been provided with a copy of this report and has provided the following comments:

“We wish to confirm that we have reviewed the draft copy of the Policy Report of January 20, 1999, and that we concur with the contents of the same report with no further comments.”

APPENDIX B

APPLICANT, PROPERTY, AND DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL INFORMATION

APPLICANT AND PROPERTY INFORMATION

Street Address

1302-1322 East 12th Avenue

Legal Description

Lot H of A, Block 17, District Lot 264A, Plan LMP11981

Applicant/Architect

Urban Design Group Architects Ltd.

Property Owner/Developer

A.L. Sott Financial (Clark) Inc.

SITE STATISTICS

 

GROSS

DEDICATIONS

NET

SITE AREA

1 056 m2 (11,367 sq. ft.)

none

1 056 m2 (11,367 sq. ft.)

DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS

 

DEVELOPMENT PERMITTED UNDER EXISTING ZONING

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

ZONING

CD-1

RT-5N

USES

Multiple Dwelling

Two-Family Dwelling

DWELLING UNITS

15

6

MAX. FLOOR SPACE RATIO

1.10 FSR

0.75 FSR (conditional approval)

MAXIMUM HEIGHT

11.3 m (37 ft.)

10.7 m (35 ft.)

MAX. NO. OF STOREYS

3

2 1/2

PARKING SPACES

22

as per Parking By-law

FRONT YARD SETBACK

3.3 m (11 ft.)

20% and no less than 5.5 m (18 ft.)

SIDE YARD SETBACK

Exterior 3.1 m (10.2 ft.)
Interior 1.7 m (5.5 ft.)

10% to maximum of 1.5 m (5 ft.)

REAR YARD SETBACK

n/a

30% and no less than 8.2 m (27 ft.)

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