Planning and Development Report

TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL

TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: April 4, 2018 FROM: J. Chow, Senior Planner MEETING DATE: April 10, 2018 FILE NO.: 3090-20-2018/01

Development Variance Permit 2018/01 – 117 View Royal Avenue

RECOMMENDATION: THAT the April 4, 2018 report from the Senior Planner titled “Development Variance Permit 2018/01 – 117 View Royal Avenue” be received.

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS: I concur with the recommendation.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES’ COMMENTS: I concur with the recommendation.

PURPOSE OF REPORT:

To introduce a development variance permit application to vary the maximum permitted fence height from 2.0m to 3.7m to enclose a sport court on a detached residential lot.

PROPOSAL:

A detached residential dwelling the 1497m² parcel has undergone an extensive addition and renovation. Finishing work is now being completed. As part of the landscape renovations, a sport court was constructed in the side yard as shown in Figure 1. The request is to vary the maximum permitted fence height from 2.0m to 3.7m to enclose the sport court as shown in Attachments 3 and 4.

The fence would be chain link to allow visual permeability and would not exceed 3.1m height above the sport court surface, which is 0.6m above grade at the south end. The north end is recessed into a slope. Bamboo has been planted along the west property line for screening between properties.

As indicated in the applicant’s letter (Attachment 2), the purpose of the fence is to minimize errant balls from the sport court escaping into the owner and neighbours’ yards.

Figure 1. Sport court. View from rear yard looking north.

ANALYSIS:

The height of a fence on top of a retaining wall is measured from the elevation at the base of the retaining wall as shown in Figure 2. From a planning perspective, it is difficult to support a 3.7m fence height (3.1m chain link fence on top of a 0.6m retaining wall). A lower fence should be considered to balance the sports court function and visual impact. Options that Council may consider include the following: a. Approving the application b. Declining the application c. Approving a variance for a different fence height.

Fence and retaining wall height measurement diagram

Figure 2. Fence and retaining wall height measurement

NEXT STEPS:

Subject to comments from review of the proposal by the Committee of the Whole, public notice would be conducted for a Council meeting to consider the application.