Rezoning hearing, 745 Thurlow
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
for an amendment to the CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) By-law for 745 Thurlow Street (West End)
745 Thurlow Street, at the corner of Alberni Street, is the site of a parking structure/retail complex that is currently in the process of being demolished to make way for construction of a new office building. The site was rezoned in 2010 from Downtown District (DD) to a CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District (no. 493) to allow increased floor space for a 25-storey office building. At the time of the rezoning application (2008), the developer requested that the CD-1 By-law retain residential as a permitted use. They were uncertain about the viability of an office development and wanted to be able build a residential tower instead of an office tower, if market conditions warranted it. Market conditions are currently favourable for office development, so the developer is proceeding with construction of the office tower. They have applied to amend the CD-1 By-law to remove “dwelling uses”.
City staff support the removal of dwelling uses from the CD-1 By-law. Comprehensive Development districts are site-specific zones where the land uses and the regulations for building height and massing are tailor-made for a given development proposal. Since an office development is proceeding at 745 Thurlow Street, the residential option can be removed from the site’s CD-1 By-law.
The site is within the area under review as part of the West End Planning Program. An application to amend the text of a CD-1 By-law can be considered during the planning program if the amendment is not related to height or floor space. The application for 745 Thurlow Street is to amend only the land use section of the by-law. The height and floor space of the office tower, now under development, is unchanged from that approved in 2010. While the site is technically within the West End, its location close to the downtown core is ideally suited for office development. Increased office development in the core area is a City priority.
Further information about this rezoning application, including the Council report, can be found at: former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/745thurlow_ta/index.htm
The application will be considered by City Council at the Public Hearing of October 16, 2012, beginning at 7:30 pm in the Council Chamber of City Hall.
If you have any questions about this application, please contact Michael Naylor at:
____________________________
Michael Naylor
Senior Rezoning Planner
tel 604 871 6269
e-mail michael.naylor@vancouver.ca
Does anyone know why the developer would want to remove residential from the zoning for this site? Normally, the more flexibility the better – eg. 20 years from now if the owner wanted some residential uses, they would already have it in the zoning. What’s the benefit to the owner of removing the use? Also, is the removal of residential as a permitted use really a “minor” change and is this something that should be going forward under the “no rezoning” policy during the West End Community Plan process?