CD-1 Amendment: 622-688 Southwest Marine Drive

• This report evaluates an application to amend the existing CD-1 (66) zone for 622-688 Southwest Marine Drive to permit the development of two mixed-use buildings at 28 and 32 storeys on top of two six-storey podiums.
• The proposal contains commercial at grade, a 37-space private childcare facility, and 573 secured rental units.
• Approximately 20% of the residential floor space will be allocated to 117 below-market rental (BMR) units. Of the 117 BMR units, the YWCA is anticipated to be the non-profit operator for 28 of the below-market units at deeper levels of affordability. A height of 96.2 m (316 ft.) and to 100.5 m (330 ft.) to accommodate a rooftop amenity space is proposed with a floor space ratio (FSR) of 6.84.
• Staff have assessed the application and conclude that it generally meets the intent of the Marpole Community Plan and the Issues Report – Addressing Housing Priorities for the Ashley Mar Housing Cooperative Site and Other Social Housing and Inclusionary Housing Sites in the Marine Drive Station Area.
• Staff recommend that the application be referred to Public Hearing, together with the recommendation of the General Manager of Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability, to approve it, subject to Public Hearing and subject to conditions in Appendix B

Green Buildings –

• The Green Buildings Policy for Rezonings requires that rezoning applications satisfy either the near zero emission buildings or low emissions green buildings conditions within the policy.
• This application has opted to satisfy the low emissions green buildings requirements.
• The low emissions green buildings pathway represents City priority outcomes, establishing limits on heat loss, energy use, and greenhouse gases, and drawing on industry best practices to create more efficient, healthy and comfortable homes and workplaces.
• The applicant has submitted preliminary energy modeling analysis detailing building performance strategies to meet the energy use intensity, greenhouse gas and thermal demand targets.
  

Natural Assets –

• The Urban Forest Strategy was developed to help preserve, protect and strengthen Vancouver’s urban forest and tree canopy for the future.
• The Protection of Trees By-law aims to maintain a healthy urban forest by requiring permission be sought to remove trees which meet certain conditions.
• The intent is to retain and protect as many healthy, viable trees as possible, while still meeting the challenges of development, housing priorities and densification.
• This is in keeping with City goals to achieve resilient and healthy natural systems in our urban areas.
• There are 15 trees on the site, 12 City street trees, and 18 trees on the boundary of the site that may be shared civic assets (to be confirmed by surveyor at development permit stage).
• The applicant has proposed retention of nine on-site trees along the southern edge of the site in addition to 49 new on-site and 27 city street trees.
• Further design development will occur at the development permit stage to finalize the street design and placement of new trees in coordination with the Engineering Department and the Park Board.