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

Details about the new ‘Media Facade’ on the Telus Gardens office tower are emerging and it seems like it will be a distinctive feature. The screen is located on the west façade, between the 16th and 18th floors, and is approximately 26′ x 40′. It is only visible in one direction from both Georgia and Seymour Streets.

Here’s a description from the application:

“A simple and proven technology of back projection onto a retractable screen will provide a glare-free static image or full motion video. At dusk the screen descends, and the façade transforms.

When the performance is over, the screen ascends and the office tower is back to business. Content will be a mix of public art (including community messaging) and tenant exposure with the City of Vancouver reserving the right for special event programming.”

More details here.

Here’s the latest on a few projects at various stages of rezoning in the City of Burnaby:

• 2450 Alpha Avenue

An application was submitted last year for this 41,603 SF site in the Brentwood Town Centre area owned by Solterra. It is now moving toward public hearing next month. The plan calls for a 29-storey, 169 unit condo tower with ground oriented townhouses and below and above ground parking. It is currently zoned M-2, but is designated for high-density residential based on RM-4s. The total density is 3.6 FAR.

• 6050 Sussex Avenue

A preliminary rezoning application has been filed by Townline Homes for a triangular 30,237 SF site in Metrotown. The proposed rezoning is for a new residential highrise as well as a replacement of the existing Burnaby West United Church on site.

The maximum permitted density on the site would be 4.83 FAR.

• 6837-6875 Royal Oak Avenue

A preliminary application has been submitted for a site on the west side of Royal Oak Avenue south of Imperial Street. The site comprises two City-owned properties as well as a privately owned single family home. Under Sub-Area 7 of the Royal Oak Community Plan, the site can be rezoned under C9 Urban Village guidelines, which allows 2.2 FAR.

• Gold House (6280 Cassie Avenue)

This proposal by Rize Alliance for a 41-storey tower and 26-storey tower in Metrotown was give second reading and public hearing last summer, and has now met the prerequisite conditions imposed by the City of Burnaby. It will now move forward for final approval and should begin construction later this year. A registration site for the project is up already and says “Coming early 2015”