An application has been made by SVM Developments to rezone a 23,923 SF site  at 6989-7029 Royal Oak Avenue in Burnaby from R5 to CD to allow a 3-storey, 23-unit stacked townhouse development with underground parking.

Royal Oak is an emerging area with predominantly ground oriented townhouse and 4-storey development. Prices are rising due to its walkable location to Metrotown and relative affordability compared to highrises closer in to the core.

A portion of the site at 7029 Royal Oak Avenue was purchased from the City of Burnaby in November 2013 for $112 per SF of land.

Further details include:

• a density of 0.9 FAR
• Total floor area of 20,684 SF
• 23 Two-bedroom townhouse units
• 41 underground parking stalls

Here is a list of rezoning applications headed for Burnaby City Council’s consideration on Monday:

1. 8850 University Crescent (SFU Univercity) – Highrise residential tower with mid-rise residential building
2. 5521-5525 Hastings Street – 4-storey mixed use building based on C2 and RM3 guidelines
3. Brentwood Mall Site Phase III – third highrise residential building by Shape Properties
4. 4453-4475 Hastings Street – 4-storey mixed use building  based on C8a guidelines and Heights Community Plan
5. 7911-7923 Edmonds Street – 4-storey mixed use buildings based on C9 guidelines and Sixth Street Community Plan
6. 4769 Hazel Street & 4758 Grange Street – This interesting proposal by Bentall Kennedy seeks to amend the existing CD zoning on a 2.4 acre highrise apartment site it owns in the Metrotown area. The proposal seeks to add additional apartment units on the site, depicted below.

Ledingham Mcallister is in the latter stages of rezoning approval for it’s second Aviara tower in the Brentwood are of Burnaby. Originally conceived as a 52-storey tower for which they received second reading in 2013, this second phase of the project has now been scaled back to 42-storeys, with 4-6 storeys fronting Gilmore Avenue and Douglas Road.

The report to council explains the change:

“Through this design work it became apparent to the applicant that the structure required to support the specific building form for the proposed 52 storey building would be inefficient and uneconomical. As a result, the applicant has redesigned the tower and reduced its height to 42 storeys, with a reduced development density. Given the change in form and density of the tower, the rezoning is required to be forwarded to a new Public Hearing.”

The previous proposal had 595 units in a 5.0 FAR density. The new proposal has 520 units and 4.41 FAR. There is a community amenity contribution of $73 per buildable SF, or $11,027,061.

This is not the first Burnaby highrise development that has not pursued maximum allowable height upon rezoning. The tallest towers at Station Square in Metrotown were also scaled down in 2014 after initially proposing towers as tall as 57-storeys (all towers are reportedly less than 50-storeys now). Shape Properties’ Amazing Brentwood project is envisioned as two 56-storey towers despite preliminary approval to go as high as 70-storeys.

These cases in Burnaby are an interesting contrast to the City of Vancouver, where taller buildings are more economically viable due to higher residential sales values for view units higher up in towers. In Vancouver however, building height limits are vigorously enforced by the City, particularly downtown where view cones now restrict heights on all but a few remaining sites.

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”