But a staff report going to the city services and budgets committee today (June 30) claims that upzoning yields significant positive outcomes for the community.
Written by the director of planning, Brent Toderian, the “2010 Annual Report on Public Benefits Achieved Through Approvals of Additional Density” states that 23 approvals of additional density last year generated nearly $27 million toward public benefits.
Approximately half related to the on-site preservation of heritage or the purchase of density, which enables property owners to preserve the historic character of their buildings.
Another 17 percent of the benefits have not yet been assigned to Southeast False Creek and the East Fraserlands areas. Public art and affordable housing each received 11 percent of the benefits, with the rest going to public realm and greenway improvements, parks and open spaces, and cultural and child-care facilities.
The 23 rezonings last year will result in 2.2 million square feet of additional density.
Of course, this will eventually lead to more residents using city services, such as policing and fire protection, as well as community facilities, including libraries and community centres.
According to Toderian’s report, the rezonings will add 249 units of social housing, 141 units of supportive housing, and 15 units of low-income seniors housing. In addition, there will be improvements to one neighbourhood house and two youth-resource centres.
In return for land being rezoned, a developer is often required to make community-amenity contributions to the city, which take the form of cash or in-kind contributions.
Toderian’s report notes that council approved 116,000 square feet of density last year for not-for-profit projects. This is in addition to the $27 million in public benefits achieved through the community-amenity contributions.
The annual document touting the benefits of rezoning is coming forward on the same day that council will vote on staff recommendations to refer three proposals to public hearings.
The first is an application by the Wolverton Foundation to change the designation of its site at 138 East 7th Avenue from industrial to CD-1, which is a site-specific zoning. This would allow for increased office use and the creation of a music school run by the Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach program.
A city staff report states that the applicant “may have future intentions to pursue construction of an additional floor on the building”. Because there is no additional floor area being requested over what’s permitted under current zoning, staff have concluded that a community-amenity contribution is “not economically feasible”.
The second rezoning application concerns the controversial Marine Gateway project at 8440 Cambie Street. Perkins + Will Architects wants to rezone this site by the Marine Drive Canada Line station from industrial use to CD-1 to allow for 26- and 35-storey residential towers. In addition, the applicant wants to build a 14-storey tower and podium for office, retail, service, and entertainment uses.
If approved, this mixed-use project would include 418 strata units and 46 affordable-market-rental units. Public benefits would include a budget of nearly $1.6 million for public art and a 4,600-square-foot bicycle-mobility centre—valued at $834,000—below the Marine Drive station. In addition, the developer could contribute $6.6 million in a community-amenity contribution, according to a staff report.
Council will also deal with a staff recommendation to refer a Perkins + Will Architects rezoning application regarding Shannon Mews to a public hearing. Wall Financial Corp. hopes to increase the number of housing units from 162 to 735 on this four-hectare site west of Granville Street and north of West 57th Avenue.
According to a staff report, public benefits associated with this proposal include nearly $1.2 million in public art, a possible cash community-amenity contribution of $20 million, and $9.4 million worth of heritage upgrades for this historic property, which was developed in the early 20th century by sugar magnate Ben Rogers.
The Marine Gateway and Shannon Mews proposals have attracted intense opposition from neighbours. While Toderian is certain to emphasize the benefits in his presentations to council at the two public hearings, don’t be surprised if the nearby residents focus most of their attention on the costs—most notably regarding traffic, the scale of the projects, and the impact of higher density on community facilities and services.
No comments:
Post a Comment