400 West Georgia Street Urban Design Panel Rezoning Policies · 400 West Georgia Street design...

Re

400 West Georgia Street

Urban Design Panel

Rezoning Policies

400 West Georgia Street | Urban Design Panel12

Central Business District / Downtown District

400 West Georgia Street design project responds to the numerous Downtown and Central Business District Zoning Policies while providing Architectural Design Excellence in celebrating West Georgia as a “Ceremonial” Street.

The property at 400 West Georgia consists of 4 separate properties (400 West Georgia, 725 Homer Street (linked sites) and 735 Homer Street) totaling a 175’ x 120’ site. A Budget Rent-A-Car currently operates on site, and as part of their operations, the existing building located at 418 West Georgia Street is used as an office / rental / pickup and drop off component of the business. Immediately to the east of the existing building along West Georgia Street is a large open air parking lot where cars are parked and stored for customers. On the southern area of the site and immediately adjacent to 777 Homer Street - the Westside Church (former Ford Centre for the Performing Arts), is a service centre component of the Rent-A-Car operations where cars are cleaned, washed and filled

with fuel / gas for customers.

To the west of the project site and across a City of Vancouver Lane are 6 properties (450 West Georgia Street (linked site), 712 Richards Street (linked site) and 732 Richards Street) totaling a 200’ x 120’ site. These lots are currently used as an open air parking lot with the exception of 2 smaller existing buildings located on the 732 Richards Street site. To the west and across Richards Street at 510 West Georgia Street, is the recently completed Telus Gardens development.

The 400 West Georgia Site is located in an important and vibrant area currently transforming into a precinct of cultural, arts, business, residential and new large scale developments (proposed and existing)

as indicated on the Site Context illustration drawing. The proposed office development at 400 West Georgia Street consisting of a creative industry business, aligns with the Policies, Guidelines and Uses of the Downtown and Central Business Districts.

The building’s iconic architectural design exemplifies a fresh and modern aesthetic in an evolving downtown precinct soon to be adding and cementing the future Vancouver Art Gallery and the Adaptive Reuse of the former Post Office. This solidifies the area as an exciting cultural, arts, recreational, commercial and institutional district.

Existing

Future

BC Place

Rogers Arena

Georgia Viaduct Removal (Future NE False Creek Plan)

Oxford Expansion

Proposed

Creative Energy

Development

Existing Project Site

Future

EXISITING USE OF SITE / ADJACENT NEIGHBOURS

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Site Plan

HapaCollaborative

604 909 4150 hapacobo.com

Landscape ArchitectureUrban Design

403-375 West Fifth Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6

400 WEST GEORGIA | REZONING APPLICATION2017-04-24 1

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HOMER STREET

CIP CONCRETE LANE SURFACE RETAIN TWO (2) EXISTING MAPLE TREES CONCRETE UNIT PAVING TO MATCH LIBRARY SQUARE AND HOMER STREET

LANE GEORGIA STREET HOMER STREET

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BOLLARDS BETWEEN LANE AND PLAZA PATTERNED CIP CONCRETE PAVING PER WEST GEORGIA STREET TREE AND SIDEWALK DESIGN GUIDELINES

RAISED TERRAZZO PLATFORM FOR PERFORMANCES AND GATHERINGSWATER FEATURE & MOSS WALL

IN GROUND GRATING FOR MECHANICAL VENTS

EXISTING BUS STOP NEW STREET TREES (7) IN GRATES WITH BOOK QUOTES PER DD CHARACTER AREA DESCRIPTIONS(3) PROPOSED NEW STREET TREES

SUNKEN PATIO AT INTERIOR GRADE PLANTED WITH MEADOW GRASSES

NEW AND UPGRADED PEDESTRIAN STREET LIGHTING

EXISTING STREET TREES - TO BE REMOVED

400 WEST GEORGIALANDSCAPE PLAN GROUND FLOOR


City of Vancouver Policies

Downtown Official Development Plan 2015Downtown District (DD) Land Use, Form of Development

Existing Policy Proposed CD-1

Section 1: Land Use

• In the areas denoted by letter “C1” the following uses may be permitted:

• (a) Hotel;

• (b) Light Industrial;

• (c) Office Commercial;

• (d) Other Commercial, including a Body-Rub Parlour;

• (e) Parking Area and Parking Garage, subject to the provisions of section 5;

• (f) Parks and Open Space;

• (g) Public and Institutional;

• (h) Retail Commercial;

• (i) Social, Recreational and Cultural, including Casino - Class 1 and Bingo Hall.

Section 1: Land Use

• The 400 West Georgia Street project proposes retail / commercial uses at grade with commercial office use on the upper floors.

Section 2: Retail Use Continuity

• Retail, retail-commercial, or service uses shall be required on the ground floor of street frontages greater than 75 feet.

• 25 percent of the frontage must contain retail, retail-commercial uses

Section 2: Retail Use Continuity

• The project incorporates a majority of the ground level to be retail / commercial use, including cafes complete with outdoor seating to provide a “lively” and “animated” pedestrian streetscape.

Section 3: Density

• Vancouver’s Downtown is and will remain the highest-density commercial area within the City and within the Greater Vancouver Region.

• For area C1, the total density for all permitted uses must not exceed a floor space ratio 7.00

Section 3: Density

• The 400 West Georgia street project supports the high density initiative of the Downtown Core while providing a high quality architectural design along the “ceremonial” West Georgia Street.

• The proposal for 400 West Georgia Street is to rezone the property above the standard 7.00 FSR

Section 4: Height of Buildings

• The purpose of this section is to ensure that the height of new development is compatible with the height of existing development

• The height of a building in Area 5 must not exceed 91.4m and after considering criteria the Development Permit Board may increase the basic maximum height to no more than 137.2m.

Section 4: Height of Buildings

• The proposed building height of 91.82 m is slightly above the Area 5 building height of 91.4m but is within the discretionary zoning height of 137.2m.

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Section 6: Parking

• As permitted in downtown District Map 5 of the DODP

Section 6 Parking

• Minimum number of parking stalls based on Gross Floor Area is 235 parking stalls.

• Physical parking stalls: 174

• Credits:

• Disability Stalls 14

• Care Share (5 vehicles / spaces) 15

• Bike Parking (113) 9

• Provided Stalls (Calculated) 212

• TELUS Gardens Parking: 7 stalls to be used in the 400 West Georgia calculations from TELUS Gardens existing overage in parking stalls

• Parking Payment in Lieu: 16 stalls

• *(See Bunt and Associates letter / report for calculations of parking stalls.)

Section 7: Social and Recreational Amenities

• Provide in the Downtown area social and recreational amenities primarily for the enjoyment of downtown residents

Section 7: Social and Recreational Amenities

• 400 West Georgia will provide public art space, an animated public realm streetscape with café seating living / vegetative walls, and landscaping as per the Library Square guidelines. Its location is in a highly walkable and prominent neighbourhood that is evolving into a district to be known for the arts, culture, business and social interaction and the 4 storey high space above the ground level allows sunlight to filter into the seating areas at grade.

Section 8: Public Realm Design

• Help create distinctive areas and neighbourhoods in the Downtown through the enhancement of the public realm with special treatment of the streetscape – specifically the Library Precinct (No.4 per the Downtown District Map 6 – Public Realm Areas of the DODP.

Section 8: Public Realm Design

• The streetscape surrounding 400 West Georgia is a prominent feature in the public realm design and focuses on creating an active and animated ground level by incorporating café seating , “living” walls and wet moss walls with falling water captured by reflecting pools at grade. The intent is to enliven the pedestrian experience at grade while respecting and enhancing the distinctive area and neighbourhood district of Library Square.

Existing Policy Proposed CD-1


Development Statistics

Present/Permitted DD Proposed CD-1

Civic Addresses 400 West Georgia Street

725 and 731 Homer Street

TBD

Legal Addresses Lot 34, Block 55 District Lot 541 Group 1 NWD Plan 210 (PID: 004-994-108)

Lot 35, Block 55 District Lot 541 Group 1 NWD Plan 210 (PID: 004-994-027)

The south ½ of Lot 36, Block 55 District Lot 541 Group 1 NWD Plan 210 (PID: 004-994-051)

Lot D, Block 55 District Lot 541 Group 1 NWD Plan 16921 (PID: 003-909-409)

TBD

Site Size 53.316m x 36.583m x 53.309m x 36.577m Same

Site Area 1950.2sm (20992.465sf)*

*See submitted Matson Peck and Topliss survey dated March 16, 2017

Same

Zoning Central Business District (CBD) – Area C1

DD - Character Area L (Library Square)

CD-1

Uses Area C1 - the following uses may be permitted, subject to such conditions and regulations as may be prescribed by the Development Permit Board:

(a) Hotel;

(b) Light Industrial;

(c) Office Commercial;

(d) Other Commercial, including a Body-Rub Parlour;

(e) Parking Area and Parking Garage, subject to the provisions of section 5;

(f) Parks and Open Space;

(g) Public and Institutional;

(h) Retail Commercial;

(i) Social, Recreational and Cultural, including Casino - Class 1 and Bingo Hall

Office Commercial

Parking Area and Parking Garage

Public and Institutional

Retail Commercial

Social, Recreational and Cultural

Conditional Uses N/A N/A

Height Basic Maximum Height allowed: 91.4m - as per Section 4 / Area 5 of the Downtown Official Development Plan*

(Development Permit Board may increase the Basic Maximum Height to no more than 137.2m)

*Also as dictated by View Cones 9.1, 9.2.2 and 3.2.3

91.82m

*As dictated by View Cones 9.1, and 9.2.2.

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Setbacks Front (Georgia St.): 5.5m from back of curb

Side (Homer St.): 6.0 m

Side (Lane): 0 m

Rear: 0 m

Front (Georgia St.): 5.5m from back of curb

Side (Homer St.): 6.0 m

Side (Lane): Varies (See plan drawings)

Rear: Varies (0 m from Ground to Level 4 / .305m from Level 5 to L23)

Floor Space Ratio (FSR) Maximum permitted: C1 - the total density for all permitted uses must not exceed a floor space ratio of 7.00;

17.87 Proposed

Total proposed area: 34,845m2

Office: 31,845m2

Retail: 558.1m2

Storage: 884.9m2

Open Balconies: 612m2

Mechanical Rooftop : 158.9m2

FSR Exclusions Patios / Roof Gardens

Off Street parking access at grade

At grade ramps / stairs / elevators / corridors providing access to below-grade

Loading Bays

Exterior wall exclusions per Downtown Official Development Plan 6(g)

In buildings with commercial, retail or service use at grade, the area occupied by interior commercial kitchen exhaust shafts, to a maximum exclusion of 3.7 m² for each floor above the commercial, retail or service use.

Below grade parking Levels

Atrium spaces open to above beyond 3.7m height

See Merrick Plan Drawings and FSR Calculations

Storage Counted in FSR both above and below grade Counted in FSR both above and below grade

Site Coverage N/A N/A

Non-Residential Parking Minimum 1 space for each 145sm of gross floor area (235 spaces);

Maximum of one parking space for each 115sm of gross floor area (296 spaces)

Per CoV Parking Bylaw (Bylaw 6059, Section 4)

Minimum number of parking stalls based on Gross Floor Area is 235 parking stalls

Physical parking stalls: 174

Credits:

Disability Stalls 14

Care Share (5 vehicles / spaces) 15

Bike Parking (113) 9

Provided Stalls (Calculated) 212

TELUS Gardens Parking 7 stalls to be used in the 400 West Georgia calculations from TELUS Gardens existing parking stall overage.

Total calculated parking 219

Parking Payment in Lieu 16 stalls

Loading Parking 5 Class A Loading Spaces

6 Class B Loading Spaces (4 Office and 2 Retail)


5 Class A Loading Spaces 2 Class B Loading Spaces*

*See Bunt and Associates letter / summary in Rezoning submission booklet



Bicycle Parking Class A - Office and Retail Use: Minimum 1 space for each 500sm of gross floor area (65 total spaces)

Class B - Office Use: 6 spaces for any development containing a minimum of 2000 sm of gross floor area

Retail Use: 6 spaces for any development containing a minimum of 1000 sm of gross floor area


Class A - Office Use: 113 total spaces provided (accounting for 9 parking spaces)*

*See Bunt and Associates letter / summary in Rezoning submission booklet

Class B - Retail Use: 12 spaces provided*

Retail Use Continuity As per Section 2 of the CoV - Downtown Official Development Plan

As per Section 2 of the CoV - Downtown Official Development Plan

Social/Recreational Amenities/Facilities As per Section 7 of the CoV - Downtown Official Development Plan

1.Exclusion from Floor Space Ratio: The following ancillary facilities are excluded from the floor area measurement provided that the area of such excluded facilities contained in this section does not exceed 20 percent of allowable floor space ratio or 10,000 square feet, whichever is the lesser.

List of Excluded Uses:

(i) saunas;

(ii) tennis courts;

(iii) swimming pools;

(iv) squash courts;

(v) gymnasiums and workout rooms;

(vi) games rooms and hobby rooms;

(vii) day care centres;

(viii) libraries (public);

(ix) other uses of a public service, social or recreational nature, which, in the opinion of the Development Permit Board, are similar to the above.

See Merrick drawings

Public Realm Design Library Precinct

As per Section 8 of the CoV - Downtown Official Development Plan

See Merrick drawings

View Cones Applicable View Cones 9.1, 9.2.2, 3.2.3 View Cone 9.1 is most stringent, however, as part of our rezoning submission analysis, it should be noted that view shadowing exists from other adjacent buildings located in front of, and behind our site.

Development Statistics

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OTHER POLICIES

The proposed site is located in the CBD (Central Business District) and is zoned as Downtown District (DD). As part of the Rezoning Policy for the Central Business District (CBD) and CBD Shoulder: (Areas A, B, C1, and F / and Areas C3 and H) Development Policies and Guidelines, the 400 West Georgia site is located in the C1 area of the Downtown Official Development Plan (DODP) in which the CBD and CBD Shoulder Rezoning Policy applies.

The intent of the Rezoning policy is to:

• Provide guidance for the commercial (non-residential) intensification of the CBD and CBD Shoulder as these areas are fundamental to meeting the long-term demand for job space.

• Require that new development is non-residential use and also stipulates the conditions by which market residential uses may be permitted, in very limited instances, to achieve public objectives

• Adhere to policies and guidelines related to the DODP and other relevant council-approved policies, while providing additional opportunities to strengthen the commercial character of the area.

As stated in the Rezoning Policy for the Central Business District (CBD) and CBD Shoulder, Rezonings for non-residential development may be considered throughout the CBD and CBD Shoulder such as for the creative industry business sector which aligns with the Policies, Guidelines and Uses of the Downtown and Central Business Districts such as:

• Rezoning Policy for Central Business District

• Downtown (Except Downtown South) Design Guidelines

• Downtown Official Development Plan

• Green Building Policy for Rezoning

• Public Realm Treatment – Library Precinct

• Solar Shading Device and Yard Protection

• Metropolitan Core Jobs and Economy Land Use Plan* (See objectives listed below)

• View protection guidelines

• Greenest City 2020 Action Plan

• West Georgia Street Tree and Sidewalk Design Guidelines Land Use / Density, Parking requirements, Public Realm design, View Cone requirements, and Sustainable design initiatives to be be integrated and designed in accordance with the above policies.

*Affirm the Metro Core’s role as a major employment and cultural centre of the region and to ensure adequate job space for future job growth, while meeting other City objectives such as affordable housing, sustainable transportation, cultural amenity and heritage revitalization. The downtown core can support sustainable transportation objectives by focusing job growth in areas well served by public transit, and by maintaining a balance between jobs and housing.

*Most of the downtown peninsula’s sites for major commercial (office) development (i.e. likely to be available over the next 25 years) are located in the CBD Extension areas and it is important to maintain and/or increase the commercial capacity on these sites for the long-term viability and expansion of the CBD.

*Continue to prohibit market residential development except in limited situations to achieve other City objectives such as heritage revitalization, affordable housing or cultural amenity. The commercial capacity of the site must be maximized before any market residential would be considered.

*Increase permitted commercial densities and heights in the Central Business District (CBD). Review view cones, where necessary.


Responses to City of Vancouver LOE Response Letter dated April 12, 2017Heritage

• The heritage evaluation submitted for the 1913 building meets the City's requirements. At this point the applicant is not required to develop an SOS, nor does the City insist on retaining the building or its components. However, should the developer decide to consider some historic façade retention that could be supported, albeit not required.

Since the Heritage Evaluation for the building at 418 West Georgia Street responds to / meets the City’s Heritage Requirements, the project will not incorporate any of the historic façade in the design.

Architectural Expression

• You are commended for proposing such an architecturally interesting building at this important location in the CBD core portion of Georgia Street. Georgia and Burrard streets, being the wider ceremonial rights-of-way through the downtown, call for this sort of distinctive architectural treatment on the buildings that front them.

We are pleased to propose an iconic architectural design in the CBD core and specifically along West Georgia Street because of it being considered a “ceremonial” street. As we have noted in all meetings with City Hall Staff and Management, this exciting "out-of-the-box" architecture is dependent on "out-of-the-box" thinking around "business as usual" approaches to such zoning elements as setbacks. We look forward to continued discussions with you to ensure that this exciting architecture can be realized through creative and innovative approaches.

Homer Street Frontage

• DD Character Area Descriptions (Character Area L - Library Square) requires a 20-foot setback along Homer St.

After our meeting on April 12th, 2017 with key City of Vancouver staff regarding the our LOE submission, we have reviewed and redesigned the Ground to Level 4 plans to not encroach into the 6m (20’-0”) setback along Homer Street even though Staff confirmed that this request is a result of a guideline rather than a strict requirement (and indeed, it has already been substantially varied on the block in question). This initiative increases the public realm area for café seating and incorporates the DD Character Area Descriptions (Character Area L – Library Square) landscaping initiatives into our current design.

• There should be no encroachment into this 20-foot setback for the entire building, except that the south portion of a podium element can transition to meet the neighbouring mid-rise building to the south on Homer St., which appears to have a 10-foot setback.

The ability to have portions of the building encroach into the setback in a "setback averaging" approach has been the basis of several early conversations with staff as well as upper management. As noted on several occasions, the proposed architecture is completely dependent on such an averaging approach, which as we have illustrated in the previous meetings, provides both encroachment as well as "relief" in a way that is both visually interesting and balanced in its providing of both massing and void in an enhanced setback area. We have provided multiple drawings to illustrate this affect, which as discussed in previous meetings, is intended to result in a "net positive" experience from an urban design perspective, while also facilitating this exciting architecture as an alternative to a standard "box" .

We had provided some additional 3D perspective views to you / staff at our LOE meeting illustrating our proposed building design overlayed on top of a zoning compliant building design. When comparing the massing of the 2 buildings, it is evident that our proposed design is further back at all corners of the site (even though the tower portion is encroaching into the 6m setback line). Locating the buildings massing away from each corner of the site, specifically at West Georgia Street, allows more expansive views towards the Vancouver Public Library / Library Square when travelling east along West Georgia street, and to the lane / adjacent site and Telus Gardens when travelling west along West Georgia Street. We have included these sketch drawings within our Rezoning Submission Booklet for your consideration in response to maintaining a 6m setback for the entire building façade along Homer Street which we do not feel is warranted. The tower portion along Homer Street remains the same as our LOE submission.

As mentioned in your LOE response, our buildings lower levels (Ground to L4) are allowed to transition and meet with the neighbouring mid-rise building to the south on Homer Street (Westside Church) by maintaining a 3m (10’-0”) setback.

For these reasons, our submission continues to propose strategic encroachments into the enhanced setback reflecting the "averaging" approach. We look forward to discussing the urban design advantages and implications of this with you further throughout the application review process, with the hopes of coming to an agreement that this can provide an outstanding result for both public realm design and exciting architecture.

400 WEST GEORGIA STREETLetter of Enquiry01 March 2017

2 –8 Gloucesterwestbank design department

2 –8 Gloucesterwestbank design department

Letter of Response submitted March 1, 2017

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• Also called for in Character Area L is a further setback of 15 feet for a tower element above 60 feet in height. This will not be required to allow for the "stacked box" architectural expression. A distinct 60-foot podium is therefore not required. The building form may otherwise reference the library cornice line in a legible, three-dimensional way, in keeping with the proposed architectural expression.

We note that the further 4.572m (15’-0”) tower setback is not required per your LOE Response and our design does not reflect this additional setback along Homer Street.

• Vehicular access from Homer St. is not supported. All vehicular access should be from the lane.

We have deleted the vehicular access from Homer Street on our current design proposal and all vehicular access will be from the Lane as requested.

• The public realm treatment along Homer should be consistent with the Guidelines to provide a uniform treatment in the library precinct (i.e. pavers to match Library Square plaza and sidewalk, double row of tulip street trees, tree grates and book tile icon to be provided).

The public realm treatment along Homer Street is now shown consistent with the Guidelines to provide a uniform treatment in the library precinct such as matching the Library Square plaza and sidewalk, double row of tulip street trees, street lighting, tree grates and integration of book tile icon.

• Seating areas outside of street-fronting uses are encouraged in the guidelines, such as those provided at the Westin Grand Hotel to the south.

Our Rezoning submission proposal has been redesigned to avoid encroachment into the 6m setback along Homer Street as requested. We have moved our building back on the Ground to Level 4 floors respecting the 6m Public Realm setback along Homer Street to provide café seating and a larger public realm area and as per the DD / Library Square guidelines. We have also incorporated higher quality paving / materials matching the Westin Grand Hotel lane treatment to promote an additional outdoor café seating area or a potential amenity space at the northwest corner of the site off the Lane. This initiative will provide more outdoor activity / amenity public realm space extending further back into the Lane from the sidewalk along West Georgia Street.

Georgia Street Frontage

• There are no area guidelines or a building line requiring a setback along Georgia St., however a 5.5 m setback from back of curb to building face is required for sidewalk purposes. A surface statutory right of way will be required for any portion on the property needed to achieve the 5.5 m sidewalk width. If an SRW is provided, there should be no encroachment into it for the upper portions of the building. Provide a survey plan which dimensions the distance from the existing curb face to the PL.

We have moved the Ground to Level 4 floors back to accommodate the 5.5m sidewalk setback from the back of curb to building face along Georgia Street as requested. The upper tower portion of the building has not changed from the LOE submission on West Georgia Street. As part of our Rezoning submission, we have submitted a revised signed and sealed survey plan which dimensions the distance from the existing curb face to the property line along both West Georgia and Homer Street.

• Provide highly transparent ground-floor elevations to provide pedestrian interest.

Our Rezoning submission design proposal incorporates a 4 storey high volume of the lobby / reception space complete with highly transparent glazing. A significant 4 storey high green wall extends from the exterior of the building transitioning from the south (Westside Church), through the highly transparent interior lobby / reception glazing, and re-emerges once again as a 4 storey exterior green wall extending out towards West Georgia Street. These design initiatives, plus the inclusion of outdoor sidewalk café seating enhances the public realm area providing pedestrian interest at the streetscape level.

• Entry level and plaza at the corner should be level with sidewalk, not sunken.

Our Rezoning submission design proposal utilizes floor levels consistent with the existing slopes of the sidewalks / site. Due to the slope of the site, our ground level incorporates multiple floor levels to allow level access into the building from West Georgia and Homer Streets.

Lane

• Explore a higher quality lane treatment adjacent the rear of the building. For example, as the Westin Hotel has done at the south end of the lane to enhance their porte-cochere entrance.

Our design intent at the lane is to provide higher quality lane treatment using similar materials as at the Lane adjacent to the Westin Grand Hotel.

• Street Design Branch to provide direction on the proposed lane paving material.

Our Landscape Architects have proposed a material / design palette similar to the Westin Grand Hotel at the Lane entry / exit off West Georgia Street. We are intending to occupy this space also with café tables and chairs.

View Cones

• Reduce height by one storey to remove encroachments into View Cone 9.1.

We are aware (and staff have confirmed in previous meetings on this project) that city practice with regard to view cones allows consideration for some flexibility in the context of a "feet not floors" approach, and also allows for consideration of the "view shadow" of existing/previously approved developments. Our current design in this submission involves an encroachment into view cone 9.1 with the elevator overrun penthouse as well as a small portion of the level 24 roof. As illustrated in this submission, we believe that the view cone blockage implications of this proposal are minor and in keeping with discretion previously used by staff and Council, given the nature of both they public view to be protected, and the nature of the proposed intrusion. Furthermore, and critically importantly, the proposed intrusion is within the view shadow of existing projects located at 928 Beatty St., 233 Robson, 401 W. Georgia and the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel with a minor incremental addition of view cone blockage anticipated and illustrated in this submission. Given this, we would appreciate the opportunity to continue to discuss an appropriate approach to address the view cone through the application review process.


Additional Engineering Comments

• A PBS Station is sought for this site.

Locating a minimum16m x 4m PBS (Public Bike Share) Station fully located on private property / within our site is extremely difficult. As per our LOE meeting, we understand the City of Vancouver’s intent of providing a PBS station on private property when possible, but due to the many site constraints such as:

• the requested 6m setback along Homer Street,

• adherence to the Library Square landscaping design guidelines such as double rows of trees,

• the provision of café seating and open public realm space,

it appears extremely challenging, if not infeasible, to locate the station within our property. Were we to do so, it would very likely result in a weakening of our ability to meet other urban design objectives and benefits on-site. We understand that the staff request is being driven by Council direction to achieve portion of stations on private lands. Although we appreciate such an objective in general, we note that in this particular case, the large, public open space at the northern side of the Vancouver Public Library site across the street represents a much better location for a station from a public interest and urban design perspective. There is ample (indeed, almost excessive) room for the station there, and opportunities exist close to the intersection on the same side of the street as the existing bike lane, resulting in both a more convenient and safer condition.

• Removal of the existing driveway crossings and reconstruction of a standard curb and gutter on Georgia and Homer Street. To improve the pedestrian environment the proposed crossing and bollards on Homer Street are not supported. All access and loading should be from the lane.

All existing driveway crossings on both West Georgia and Homer Streets will be reconstructed to a standard curb and gutter based on CoV designs. The proposed drop off and crossing onto Homer Street has been deleted and all parking and loading access will be from the Lane.

• 5.5 m public realm treatment will be required along both street frontages. An SRW will be required to secure this and space where it overlaps with private property. The SRW will be free of any encumbrance as structure, stairs, door swing, landscape and bicycle parking at grade.

A 5.5m public realm treatment has been provided along both street frontages as requested. A SRW will be free of any encumbrances such as structure, stairs, door swings, landscape and bicycle parking at grade and the SRW will be secured where it overlaps with private property as requested in the CoV LOE response letter.

• Removal of proposed street trees along Georgia St to accommodate transit stop. The tree closest to lane entrance may remain.

Our team would like to discuss this issue with the relevant City of Vancouver Engineering and Planning departments as we feel it conflicts with the planning and urban design intent to create a “ceremonial” streetscape. We feel the trees spaced equally across our property line along West Georgia Street would make for a better bus stop waiting experience for pedestrians. The trees would not conflict with bus doors opening and closing based on buses stopping at the sign post as shown on the West Georgia Street Elevation Landscape drawings.

• Provision of signal modifications and upgrades at Georgia and Homer

Westbank will take part in the provision of signal modifications and upgrades at the corner of West Georgia and Homer Streets. Westbank will meet / correspond with the City of Vancouver Engineering Department to determine how this issue will move forward and what is proposed by the CoV.

• Provision of upgraded street lighting on Georgia and upgraded street lighting and new pedestrian lighting on Homer Street to current standards including a review of the existing lighting to determine its adequacy and a lighting design as required.

Our current design proposal incorporates upgraded street lighting on West Georgia Street and upgraded street lighting and new pedestrian lighting on Homer Street conforming to current CoV Engineering and Library Square guidelines. The existing lighting will be reviewed to determine its adequacy and a lighting design is required.

• The parallel parking spaces in the parking levels do not appear to have sufficient length to function adequately. Parallel parking spaces should be 6.4 m long. No disability parking is shown.

Our current design proposal includes all levels of underground parking - P2 to partial P6. Parking Level P2 incorporates all Disability and Class A Loading stalls and must maintain the required 2300mm (7.55’) clear height. The P1 level does not include parking but incorporates mechanical and electrical service spaces, emergency generator and fuel storage, bicycle parking and change rooms, building maintenance room, and storage spaces. Please note that our current parkade design as submitted for Rezoning no longer incorporates parallel parking stalls.

• Application to include a study from a transportation engineer to support any proposed alternative approach to parking, loading and bicycles.

Bunt and Associates Transportation Planning Engineering will provide a study to describe and support any proposed alternative approaches to parking loading and bicycle parking.

• A traffic study should be included for the development assessing traffic impacts on adjacent intersections at opening day.

The City of Vancouver’s Engineering Department is requesting an abbreviated traffic study for 400 West Georgia given that they have already extensively studied the area as part of the Viaducts study. This study is required to include information summarizing the parking, and loading provisions for the project, as well as describing the site access and circulation for general vehicles and loading vehicles. In addition to this the City has requested information regarding existing traffic conditions and the expected trip generation for the site with the development in place.

See also Bunt and Associates letter and report as submitted in the Rezoning documentation.

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View looking east on West Georgia Street

400 West Georgia Street Urban Design Panel Rezoning Policies · 400 West Georgia Street design...

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