Serracan Properties have submitted a rezoning enquiry for a site at 725 SE Marine Drive, at the corner of Fraser and Southeast Marine Drive. Currently occupied by a 6-storey, 100-room Super 8 Motel, and formerly known at the Blue Boy Motor Hotel since it was originally built in 1963; the 1.77 acre site is currently zoned CD-1.

As the existing CD zoning only allows hotel and retail uses, Serracan is now seeking a rezoning to allow a mix of uses, including residential. The site falls under the Sunset Community Vision, which allows site-specific rezoning only after preliminary planning work and community consultation is completed. Serracan, in conjunction with planning consultancy Brook Pooni, have already been consulting with the surrounding neighbourhood since 2013 and appear to have positive feedback from the community.

City council need to confirm that they will consider a rezoning application for the site before it goes to the application process.

Early concepts for the site include:

• Commercial, community uses and residential
• Towers ranging from 15 to 26 storeys
• A neighbourhood food store
• Public benefits including: childcare, community facilities, affordable housing
• Negotiated community amenity contribution (as opposed to fixed rate)

Site today

The controversial project at Helmcken and Richards whose permits were cancelled by a BC Supreme Court judge in January, is now heading back to public hearing.

The City of Vancouver is now reconsidering the application by Brenhill Development that was submitted on April 26, 2013, to rezone the site for a 36-storey mixed-use building including:

• 448 residential units, of which 110 would be market rental and 338 strata-titled,
• a private pre-school and kindergarten, and
• commercial space on the ground floor.

As a public benefit associated with this rezoning application, Brenhill negotiated a deal with the City to provide social housing in a new building on a site it owned at 1099 Richards Street as part of a land swap to replace housing for the residents of Jubilee House presently located at 508 Helmcken Street. The site at 1099 Richards was already above ground with construction at the time of the judge’s ruling in January.

The decision (Community Association of New Yaletown v. Vancouver (City), 2015 BCSC 117) resulted in By-law 10870, which rezoned 508 Helmcken Street, being quashed and directed that a new Public Hearing be held.

Stay tuned for additional documents that will be considered by Council…

A rezoning application has been submitted for a 12,011 SF site in the Norquay Village area of East Vancouver. The site consists of three single family lots located at 2312-2328 Galt Street. It is currently zoned RS-1 single family and is being proposed for a 4-storey apartment building. It is located in an area of the Norquay Village Plan that is considered an apartment transition area. The proposal includes:

• 28 secured market rental units;
• a density of 2.25 FSR
• a building height of 41.5 ft.
• 24 underground parking spaces.

This application is being considered under the Norquay Village Apartment Transition Area Rezoning Policy and the Secured Market Rental Housing (Rental 100) Program.