Attachment 5: Letter from BC Transit Regarding Rezoning Application

Project Description

The proposed project would be located at 2401 Burnside Road West, in the Town of View Royal, within the Burnside Neighbourhood. The property is currently zoned as Parks and Recreational (P-4), bordered by:

• Neighbourhood Commercial zone (C-4) to the north.
• Regional Institutional zone (P-4) and Duplex residential zone (R-2) to the east.
• Parks and recreational zone (P-3) to the south across Trans-Canada Helmcken Road highway.
• The development lot flanked by Trans-Canada highway Boundaries to the west.

The eight-acre site has a limited development potential due to:

• the statutory right of way of BC Hydro (Transmission tower and lines)
• CRD Water Main
• CRD Galloping Goose Trail
• restricted access to Island Highway
• the south portion of lands intersected by Craigflower Creek
• strong land slope to the south and east toward Craigflower Creek.

The application is to rezone 2401 Burnside Road to I-1 Light Industrial zone and develop the land to provide an administrative building and maintenance facilities, as part of the BC Transit Victoria Transit Future Plan to increase handyDART service levels over the next 25 years. The principal building is a two-story building located on the east side of the property. A wash bay and fuel station would be located to the west. The entrance to the development is off Burnside Road, with a possible secondary entrance for emergency egress, located off Watkiss Way. On-site bike and vehicle parking will be provided for staff and the handyDART fleet. The proposal retains much of the existing greenspace, in particular around the perimeter of the site.

Official Community Plan Compliance:

The project strives to meet the specific physical, environment, land use, and urban design goals outlined in the Official Community Plan (OCP) and specifically aims to increase regional transit service for those with mobility and cognitive challenges.

Furthermore, the proposal is also consistent with the following goals that set the framework for the OCP:

1. Create an inclusive community that provides housing, transportation and healthy living options, and services and facilities for families and individuals of diverse backgrounds, cultures, ages and economic means.
2. Confirm View Royal as an environmentally responsible community committed to becoming a more sustainable place and planning for global climate change.
3. Identify suitable land areas and development incentives for commercial, institutional and mixed-use activities as a means of supplying local employment opportunities, broadening the municipal tax base, and promoting View Royal as a business-friendly community.
4. Recognize the regional role of the community as a link in major transportation and environmental systems, and cooperate with other municipalities and governments to address regional issues, while also protecting local values and promoting long-term sustainability.

The proposal is also consistent with the recommendation within the View Royal Transportation Master Plan to work with BC Transit to improve transit service through View Royal and Integrate land use and transportation policies. Particularly Policy TR1.4 "Transit Services: Promote transit use as a viable alternative to car travel. Advocate for increased transit service and options to meet the diverse needs of the community, including youth, working adults, seniors and people with mobility challenges. Continue to work with BC Transit to improve the level of service to View Royal's neighbourhood".

Although the land use for zone P-3 does not list service commercial, the project complies with Land Use Policy LU4.2 "Support Walking, Cycling and Transit, Encourage higher density and mixed-use development at neighbourhood centres and along major transit corridors to promote walkability, cycling and transit use. Support higher residential density, commercial intensity and reduced parking requirements in areas well served by transit." The development project complies with the guidelines of Zone I-1 for the lot size, height, density, and setbacks.

Specifics of Proposal:

• The main building will be located on the east portion of the site, with the longer elevation parallel to Watkiss Way, creating a continuous public realm and reducing negative and dead spaces. This central location in the middle of the eight-acre site minimizes impacts to within the Burnside neighbourhood.
• The Galloping Goose trail provides an excellent noise and visual barrier between the building and the adjacent residential properties, as does the Trans-Canada highway to residential properties to south.
• Existing mature trees and vegetation will be maintained along the boundaries of the property, and over 80 new trees will be added, creating a natural screening for the majority of the property.
• The frontage of Burnside Road will be landscaped, using low maintenance native species, which together with mature trees flanking both sides of the property would provide an attractive buffer to the building and operations.
• The visitor entrance will be clearly defined for safe and easy access and will comply with Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) and Safe Design guidelines.
• The proposal ensures that environmentally sensitive features, including trees and Craigflower Creek, on the property are protected.
• The mass of the building will be broken down by different heights and use various tones of finishes to provide an interesting street view elevation. The architectural finishes will further provide aesthetic distinction to the principal building to avoid an industrial look.
• The main building design will include West-Coast style design elements, guiding colours and materials, including glulam/heavy timber posts, trim and accent panels (to resemble wood siding) and two tone grey cladding (to resemble unfinished concrete). These elements provide another level of response to the local context and neighbourhood character.
• In response to public and Town input, Watkiss Way sidewalk and curbs may be considered for improvement to enhance the public realm. Trees and traffic calming measures will also be considered.

As a potential future neighbour, since November 2017, BC Transit has done in-person outreach to all properties within 400 metres of the property twice, as well as reached out to key stakeholder groups. An information session is planned for Tuesday, February 20, 2017 and BC Transit looks forward to sharing what was heard and how the proposal responds to public feedback.

Relocating handyDART to a larger, centrally located property in Greater Victoria provides long-term sustainability to an important regional transit service and has potential to provide improved streetscape, increased tax base, and positive economic impact to the town of View Royal.

We trust that this proposal will enhance the neighbourhood and meets the vision and spirit of View Royal's Official Community Plan. We look forward to discussing the application further with Council and the Burnside community.

Sincerely,

ARCHITECTURE49 INC.

Ban Kubba, Architect AIBC, RAIC Senior Architect T: 604.736.5329 E: ban.kubba@architecture49.com

BC Transit.

Tyson Loreth Project Manager, Asset Management BC Transit T: 250-995-5736 Tyson_loreth@bctransit.com