STAFF REPORT TO COUNCIL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Transcription

1 i CTY OF PRNCE GEORGE STAFF REPORT TO COUNCL PLANNNG AND DEVELOPMENT 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, B.C., V2L 3V9 DATE: January TO: FROM: SUBJECT: MAYOR AND COUNCL JESSE DLL, PLANNER Development Variance Permit No. VP to vary Section of the City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 to increase the maximum gross leasable floor area of any office use in one tenancy from 280 m 2 to m 2. Applicant: B.C. Ltd., nc. No. BC Location: 760 Kinsmen Place ATTACHMENT(S): -Development Variance Permit No. VP Location and Existing Zoning Plan -Exhibit A to VP Supporting Documents RECOMMENDATON(S): 1. The Planning and Development Department recommends that Council DENY Development Variance Application No. VP for Lot 1, District Lot 937 and 2610, Cariboo District, Plan BCP40230 to vary Section of the City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, as follows: a. ncrease the maximum gross leasable floor area of any office use in one tenancy from 280 m 2 to m 2. PURPOSE: n 2012, the land owner constructed a three storey, 1135 m 2 commercial building on the subject property. The third floor and a portion of the basement are now occupied by a dental clinic. The building still has m 2 of leasable floor area available (ground floor m 2 ; basement m 2 ). The land owner would like to lease the entire m 2 of leasable floor area to one office tenant: Coastal Gas Link. To facilitate this, the land owner has applied for a variance to increase the leasable space for one tenancy in the C4: Local Commercial zone from 280 m 2 to m 2. Background: Current Use: Commercial Building Site Area: 3210 m 2 Official Community Plan: Neighbourhood, Residential Corridor, and Neighbourhood, Residential Zoning: C4: Local Commercial Servicing: Full City Services Document Number:

2 Surrounding Land Uses: North: South: East: West: 5 th Avenue, Detached and Duplex Residential Kinsmen Place, Kinsmen Hall, Single Residential Vacant Local Commercial Parcels, Stuart Drive Kinsmen Hall, Fire Hall Previous Applications Development Permit No. DP100365: ssued on September 27, 2011 for the construction of a three storey, 1135 m 2 commercial building on the subject property. POLCY / REGULATORY ANALYSS: The subject property fronts 5 th Avenue and Kinsmen Place within the Spruceland neighbourhood. Coastal Gas Link is proposing to lease m 2 of floor area on the subject property as their headquarters for approximately 20 office and field employees. The company is overseeing the development of a natural gas pipeline that transports natural gas across Northern B.C.. Their technical operations extend as far east as Dawson Creek, and as far west as Kitimat, B.C. A regional office use in this location is inconsistent with policy direction in the Official Community Plan, and the intent of regulations in the Zoning Bylaw, as described below. Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011 A fundamental objective of the Official Community Plan is to clarify distinctions between land uses, and to direct land uses to the most appropriate locations. With respect to office use, Policy states that: The City should allow and encourage office uses downtown, and restrict them outside the downtown. Office uses outside the downtown should be limited to those professional services that are regularly used by individuals, for who nearby access is important, such as insurance, banks, medical and dental offices On Schedule B-6 of the Official Community Plan, the subject property is intersected by the Neighbourhood Corridor designation fronting 5 th Avenue, and the Neighbourhood Residential fronting Kinsmen Place. At commercial nodes along neighbourhood corridors, Policy states that the City should permit retail, personal services, serviceoriented office uses (insurance, real estate, medical/dental, travel), and food & beverage establishments intended to draw residents from surrounding neighbourhoods. The operation of a regional office for Coastal Gas Link is not consistent with policy direction for local commercial and office uses that primarily service residents in the neighbourhood. Therefore, the variance application is not supported by the Official Community Plan. Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 The subject property is zoned C4: Local Commercial. This zone allows commercial and office uses that serve the surrounding neighbourhoods. To prevent larger, more regional services in the C4 zone, the maximum gross leasable floor area of any commercial, financial service or office use in one tenancy is 280 m 2. Therefore, at least two separate or self-contained tenancies would be required to lease out the m 2 of available floor area in the building. The land owner would like to lease m 2 of floor area to one office tenant. Approving this variance sets the precedent for larger office tenants, with regional business interests, to locate outside the downtown. The Department does not support the sprawl of larger office tenants in C4: Local Commercial areas that are intended to provide smaller-scale services for nearby residents. n addition, the application does not meet the intent of the Zoning Bylaw regulations. The Planning and Development Department does not support the variance request to increase the gross leasable floor area for one tenancy in the C4: Local Commercial zone from 280 m 2 to m 2 for the reasons stated above. Document Number:

3 OTHER CONSDERATONS: Parking The original variance application requested 24 hour parking for a fleet of pick-up trucks. Dedicated overnight parking of fleet vehicles is more of a light industrial use, and therefore, the applicant has temporarily secured fleet vehicle parking off-site. Lease agreements are in place for 7 vehicles at 1975 Robertson Road, and 8 vehicles at 1937 Ogilvie Street; both properties are in the Carter Light ndustrial Area approximately two km south of the subject property. The term of the leases are 5 years, commencing on March 1, Beyond this term, there is no certainty of the lease agreement continuing. ALTERNATVES: 1. Approve the permit 2. Approve the permit as amended 3. Refuse the permit 4. Defer or otherwise deal with the application The Planning and Development Department recommends that the applicant s request to increase the leasable floor area for one tenancy in the C4: Local Commercial zone from 280 m 2 to m 2 be denied. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSON: The applicant has applied for a variance to increase the gross leasable floor area for one tenancy in the C4: Local Commercial zone from 280 m 2 to m 2. The Planning and Development Department recommends that Council deny this application as it is inconsistent with policy direction in the Official Community Plan that aims to limit office uses outside the downtown to just those that service neighbourhood residents. Respectfully submitted: Jesse Dill, Planner Community Planning Division To: Mayor and Council Document Number:

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7 i CTY OF PRNCE GEORGE DEVELOPMENT VARANCE PERMT NO. VP ) This Development Variance Permit is issued to: Name: Address: B.C. Ltd., nc. No. BC C/O 6696 Westmount Crescent Prince George, BC V2N 6R3 2) This Development Variance Permit applies to: Address: 760 Kinsmen Place Legal description: Lot 1, District Lot 937 and 2610, Cariboo District, Plan BCP ) This permit is issued subject to compliance with all of the Bylaws of the City of Prince George applicable thereto, except as specifically varied by this permit. 4) This permit varies Section of the City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, as follows: a) ncrease the maximum gross leasable floor area of any office use in one tenancy from 280 m 2 to m 2. b) As a condition of the issuance of this permit, the City has required that the applicant provide security in the amount of $ N/A in the form of N/A, to guarantee the performance of the terms of the permit. 6) f the Building Permit for the development permitted by this permit has not been issued and construction substantially commenced within two years after the date of this permit s issuance, this permit shall lapse. 7) This Development Variance Permit is not a Building Permit. Authorizing resolution passed by Mayor and Council on day of, 201_ ssuance date: Authorizing Signature: Document Number: