An interesting proposal has surfaced for a 33-foot lot on Commercial Drive at the corner of Napier Street. The site, which is improved with a 2-storey heritage commercial building built in 1908, is now being planned for heritage preservation with an infill apartment building at the rear lane.

Details of the proposal include:

• retaining the existing 2-storey Heritage B building (now occupied by Moja Coffee)
• a new 5-storey infill residential building with 8 rental apartment units at the rear of this site;
• a maximum height of 48.5 feet;
• a density of 2.70 FSR (10,108 SF);
• one-car share parking space having vehicular access from the lane;
• removal of one street tree on Napier Street.

Under the site’s existing C-2C1 zoning, the application is conditional and requires the approval of the planning department. For this project, relaxations would be required on building height and some setbacks. The application references incentives under the Rental 100 program.

View from Napier St – existing heritage building on the right

View from rear lane

The architect for the project is Cornerstone Architecture.

The property was listed for sale in 2013 and sold for $1,690,000, which equates to approx. $125 per buildable SF when the existing building is taken to account.

City of North Vancouver Council will be considering a draft Housing Action Plan (“HAP”) that has been prepared by CitySpaces Consulting.

The concept for the HAP was first brought forward in 2015 as a way to explore new housing policies to encourage more options and enhance affordability, with particular focus on renters, seniors and low to moderate income families.

Some of the specific policy and regulatory actions being proposed in the HAP include:

Family-Friendly Housing Policy

• Increase the number of family-friendly units within new multi-unit residential
  development projects
• Amend the Zoning Bylaw to require a minimum percentage of three or more bedroom units in all new multi-unit residential development.

Density Bonus and Secured Low-End of Market Rental

• To secure low-end of market rental units in new multi-unit residential development projects
• Update the Density Bonus and Community Benefits Policy to permit a 1.0 FSR density bonus to eligible rental housing in exchange for 10% secured low-end of market rental (10% below CMHC average)
• 100% purpose built rental not required to have low-end of market rental.

Housing on the Frequent Transit Network

• Encouraging the development of new rental housing and reducing construction costs for purpose built rental housing and non-market housing within close proximity to the Frequent Transit Network
• Reduced Parking Policy pilot project – 25% reduction for rental, 75% reduction for non-market if sites located within 400 metres of Frequent Transit Network.

Rental Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw

• Preserve the existing rental supply and improve livability of existing rental and social housing through a new Rental Housing Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw which would apply to new construction to be exempt from property taxes for up to 10 years depending on eligibility criteria

Fee Simple Townhouses

• Making townhouses more affordable and encourage movement of moderate-income households up the housing continuum and to alleviate pressure on the rental supply
• Create templates for Party Wall Agreements and Service Easement Agreements
• Explore areas to pre-zone for Fee Simple Townhouses

Explore Repurposing Bungalows

• Intensifying single detached lots while retaining neighbourhood scale and character; and reducing demolition waste and to bolster the existing coach house initiative
• Relocation of old bungalows to repurpose as coach houses
• Incentives for owners to repurpose bungalows

A copy of the full report can be downloaded here.

Here is an update for an interesting rental apartment project at Oak and West 14th Street. The project, by Aquilini Development, involved heritage retention of an existing 14-unit apartment building known as the Santa Fe Apartments.

As part of the heritage retention, Aquilini received approval for a 10-storey, 50-unit rental apartment building in behind the current structure, with a total density of 2.8 FSR under the RM-3 zoning. The project was unique in that only 14 units existed on a 12,500 SF site.

The project was approved at public hearing in May 2014.

The concrete tower is now topped out, although completion appears to be several months away yet.

courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/k9iCuZ via @imageshack

courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/9zUcFu via @imageshack

courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/2BrZjX via @imageshack

courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/RZscJv via @imageshack

The Vancouver Masonic Centre has submitted a rezoning application for their property at 1495 W 8th Avenue (between Granville Street and Hemlock Street). The plan the 23,983 SF site is to rezone from the current C-3A to a CD zone to permit a new four-storey building on West 7th Ave., connected to an 18-storey secured rental residential building on 8th Ave. The proposal includes:

• 159 rental apartment units (mix of non-market and market units);
• A neighbourhood restaurant on West 7th Ave.;
• A height of 174 ft;
• A total density of 5.96 FSR.

Here is a construction update on an interesting infill project in Chinatown that was approved under the Rental 100 program in 2013. 245 East Georgia St. is a 9-storey apartment being built on a 25-foot lot. As described on Gair Williamson Architect’s website:

“The design is for 40 studio apartments ranging in size from 320 to 360 square feet and a commercial unit at the ground level. All units have floor to ceiling glazing with either juliet windows or a balcony, there is also a communal roof deck providing opportunities for urban agriculture.”

There will also be retail on the ground floor.

Photo courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/GUBcQ6 via @imageshack

Photo courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/etb2h9 via @imageshack

Photo courtesy mcminsen http://po.st/etb2h9 via @imageshack

http://www.gwarchitects.ca/245-east-georgia-street/q9o9orelcnkzsotggn08ksgz4aniul

The site was sold by Colliers in 2012 for $1,150,000.