An application has been filed for a 90 x 132 ft., C-2 zoned property at 540 Victoria Drive in the Grandview Woodlands area of East Vancouver. The proposed plan includes:

• a new 4-storey building
• 2 CRU’s on the main floor (one for a new Bosa Foods store)
• 27 rental apartment units on the 2nd to 4th floors
• A density of 2.38 FSR (1.75 residential)
• 1 level of underground parking

Cornerstone Architecture explains the rationale for the project:

“This development provides a mixed-use residential and commercial building that will stand as a legacy project for the Bosa Foods company, which has been a long term part of the community. The development is to provide a mixture of  1, 2 and 3 bedroom rental suites across the upper 3 storeys.”

A development application has been made for an RM-4 zoned site at the corner of Victoria Drive and Frances Street in the Grandview-Woodlands area. This site are was not identified for increased density in the any version of the Grandview Woodlands Community Plan. The project calls for the following:

• one three-storey and one four-storey multiple dwelling building containing a total of 15 apartment units
• a total density of 1.43 FSR or 17,006 SF (RM-4 allows 1.45 FSR)
• a total of 17 underground parking spaces

Further, the City is requesting that the site dedicate about 7’ of land along Victoria Drive for possible future reconfiguration of the street to provide dedicated bike lanes. It is noted that further assembly was not feasible.

More info can be found here: http://former.vancouver.ca/devapps/pc649victoria/index.htm

A rezoning application has been filed for a site a land assembly at 1325-1335 Draycott Road, a cul-de-sac off Lynn Valley Road just north of Lynn Valley Mall. The project by Milori Homes, consists of 35 condo units in a five storey building.

The site is currently zoned commercial C2, but is designated as Residential Level 5 & 6 in the Official Community Plan. RES5 envisions lowrise apartments up to approximately 1.75 FSR and RES6 envisions medium rise apartments up to 2.5 FSR. A blended density of 1.91 FSR has been calculated for this project based on the site area of each designation.

The units will be a mix of 2 & 3 bedrooms. A proposed CAC of $53,557 is being charged to the developer.

Here’s a quick rundown on rezoning applications that go before Vancouver City Council next week. Most of these applications were introduced last year and are seeking council approval to move forward to the final stage at public hearing:

1. 5030-5080 Quebec Street

This rezoning by Boffo Homes for 5-storey, 38-unit building in the Little Mountain neighbourhood is seeking to move to public hearing. The site is currently an assembly of single family homes that was re-designated in the Little Mountain Adjacent Area Rezoning Policy.

2. 2095 West 43rd Avenue

This rezoning application was first introduced in early 2014 as a larger 56-unit 6-storey rental building, but was scaled back later in the year. The proposal now calls for a 4-storey building with 17-market condos and retail at grade to 2.30 FSR. The next step will be public hearing.

3. 408-488 West King Edward Avenue

This project, referred to as The Gardens at Villa Royale, was proposed last year and is now looking to proceed to public hearing. This is a 6-storey seniors development comprised of 32 community care beds and 103 assisted living units. 47 of these units will be strata titled with the balance being rental. The 57,537 SF site falls within the Cambie Corridor Plan and has a density of 2.27 FSR. The project is being built by Care Pacific.

4. 1090 West Pender Street

A higher-profile project looking to proceed to public hearing is Bentall Kennedy‘s proposed new 31-storey, 562,135 SF office tower at West Pender and Thurlow. The density is 17.5 FSR. The site currently has a 12-storey office building that will be demolished. No word yet on any pre-leasing activity on the project.

5. 1600 West 6th Avenue

This application was originally made in February 2014 and calls for a 99-unit, 12-storey rental apartment building and a total density of 4.37 FSR under the City’s Rental 100 program. The site is currently home to an older 3-storey office building. The property is owned by Austeville Properties.

6. 450 Gore Avenue

This proposal for a 6-storey mixed use building on the downtown Eastside for GMC properties was introduced last year. It includes a density increase from 0.6 to 4.5 FSR and 61 rental units, of which 10 are “micro-suites”. The rezoning is under the guidelines in the Downtown Eastside Plan.

7. Marine Gardens

Perhaps the most contentious of the proposals going before council this meeting is Marine Gardens, a 100,000 SF townhouse complex that is slated for development by Concord Pacific for 582 units (including 70 rental replacement units). The project will be two towers of 27 and 31-storeys and will include a daycare. Total density is 4.21 FSR.

A rezoning application in North Vancouver provides a glimpse of what’s to come in the City North Vancouver’s apartment zones and offers some ideas for other municipalities struggling with issues surrounding housing affordability and densification in existing older apartment areas.

The application for 1549 St. George’s Avenue is seeking renovation and expansion of the existing two-storey walkup apartment building built in 1957. The property is located in the Central Lonsdale area and is zoned RM-1 with an OCP designation of Residential Level-5 (allows 1.6 FAR). The proposal includes:

• Full renovation of existing two floors
• Addition of new third and fourth floors
• Increase from 13 units to 29 units
• Total density of 2.06 FSR
• 0.46 FSR bonus in exchange for rental (under 2015 OCP guidelines)
• Tenant relocation plan including first opportunity to move to nearby building of same owner
• Reduction in parking requirement by the equivalent of 9 stalls

More info: http://www.cnv.org/attach/2015%2001%2026%20item%2010.pdf