TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COUNCIL REPORT - DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2013/14 – 1680-1708 ISLAND HWY
Staff report recommending approval of a Development Permit for the expansion, landscaping, and subdivision of the Great Canadian Casino property.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COUNCIL REPORT
TO: Council DATE: September 24, 2013 FROM: J. Davison, MCIP Planner MEETING DATE: October 1, 2013 FILE NO.: 3060-20-2013/14
DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2013/14 – 1680-1708 ISLAND HWY
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT Council approve DP2013/14 as per the plans attached to the report dated September 24, 2013 from the Planner.
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS:
I concur with the recommendation.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES’ COMMENTS:
I concur with the recommendation.
DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING’S COMMENTS:
I concur with the recommendation.
PURPOSE OF REPORT:
The purpose of this report is to present a Development Permit (DP) application for the expansion of the Great Canadian Casino property at 1680 and 1701 Island Highway. The application enables landscaping within a Commercial Form & Character DP Area and subdivision within a Natural Watercourse and Shoreline Areas DP Area for the parcel on the northeast side of Wilfert Rd. The proposed does not include alteration to the shoreline DP area, but the subdivision effectively creates a new parcel within that DP area.
UPDATE TO COMMITTEE REPORT:
Two Committee concerns were raised at the meeting on September 10, 2013:
- Ensuring access to the park
- Design of the fencing
Park Access
Access to the park will be assured by a statutory right of way over the portion of the Casino site, linking Wilfert Rd to the park property. The SRW will be for access to stormwater infrastructure. It is indicated on the attached sketch plan of the subdivision.
Fence Design
The applicant will be building a 1m high fence on the site as indicated in the updated drawings attached to the report. The fence will sit in front of the landscaping hedge and be of an industrial gauge chain-link with a black vinyl covering. It will only be put up along Wilfert Rd as indicated below.
From the architect:
“The intent is to stop people from cutting through the hedge and jay-walking, not to have a chain link fence as a design element. The design intent is that the fence will only be visible when it is first installed and that it will become completely enveloped by the hedge so that it will disappear over time. In the future, only if there were a hard shear, as illustrated by the attached image, would the fence be visible.”
BACKGROUND:
This application is the latest in an iteration of Development Permit applications for the Great Canadian Casino at 1680 and 1708 Island Highway. The parcels in question are the subject of subdivision and rezoning applications (awaiting approval) which collectively are working towards the expansion of the site originally described in DP 2007/05. Economic conditions delayed that project’s completion – the 541-space parking structure to the east was built but the main building and landscaping were postponed. DP 2009/02 amended DP 2007/05 and allowed for surface parking on the main Casino site and a more modest landscaping plan, but which also identified an eventual phased build-out of the site which significantly resembles the DP2007/05 plans.
Casino Development Development Permit Timeline:
- DP 2000/02: DP issued for construction of Casino
- DP 2007/05: DP issued for Casino expansion
- DP 2009/02: DP issued for amendment to DP 2007/05 to phase the Casino expansion
As part of DP2007/05 landscape security was taken in the form of a letter of credit for $217,600.00. That amount was increased by $482,400.00 in June 2008 totaling $700,000.00. The security represents the significant amount of landscaping improvements required for the completion of the Casino expansion identified in the final Phase 4 described in DP 2009/02.
The eventual Phase 4 build-out of the Casino reduces the surface parking available on the main casino site from 98 spaces to 4 handicapped spaces, in addition to the 541 spaces within the parking structure. Great Canadian Casino owns land to the northeast of Wilfert Rd (described in the attachments) for which a rezoning and subdivision application is being processed and which is the subject of this Development Permit.
The subdivision addresses both the property consolidation and road dedication required for the future use of the site. The site is proposed to be rezoned to the CD-6: Casino zone for a portion fronting onto Island Highway, and Park and Recreation (P-3) to the north backing onto Millstream Creek.
PROJECT INFORMATION:
Proposal
The subject property is subject to the requirement to obtain a Development Permit (DP) pursuant to the Form & Character Development Permit and Environmental Protection requirements set out in the Town of View Royal’s Official Community Plan.
The applicant has submitted the following information in support of their application:
- Overall Site Plan – Chris Dikeakos Architects – July 17, 2013
- Landscape Site Plan – Chris Dikeakos Architects – September 24, 2013
- Lot Grades – Aplin Martin Consultants – July 17, 2013
- Sketch Plan of Subdivision – McIlvaney Riley Land Survey Inc. – May 13, 2013
- Landscape estimate – Durante Kreuk – May 17, 2013
- Applicant’s Statement – Chris Dikeakos Architects – June 10, 2013
The proposed Development Variance Permit addresses the following aspects:
- Environmental Development Permit for subdivision
- Form & Character Development Permit for landscaping
ISSUES AND ANALYSIS
The existing parcel contains a Natural Watercourse and Shoreline Areas Development Permit Area and a Form & Character Development Permit Area. DP 2013/14 will permit the subdivision of the property, and will permit landscaping over the portion of the property to be rezoned to CD-6: Casino.
Subdivision
The proposed activities on the site do not include alteration to the shoreline DP area, but the subdivision effectively creates a new parcel within it. As such, the Environmental Development Permit is required and will permit the creation of a new lot within the DP area. The future use of the portion of the lot within the DP area is expected to be rezoned to P-3: Park and Recreation upon approval of the existing rezoning application, which is consistent with the OCP.
Landscaping
The areas which are the subject of the rezoning to CD-6: Casino are to be landscaped as per the plans attached to the report, and are therefore subject to a Form & Character Development Permit. The existing surface parking area will be landscaped to a standard consistent with the surface parking on the main Casino site, and the gravel parking area will be hydroseeded and maintained as a grassed area until such time as the eventual expansion of the Casino requires that this area be converted to surface parking. A future Form & Character Development Permit will be required to place parking and landscaping on the hydroseeded site.
Note that the Landscape Plan submitted also describes improvements to the main Casino site and will be included as part of the Development Permit.
Staff is of the opinion that the proposed is consistent with the phased planning of the overall Casino site, and is a positive step towards the eventual build-out of the plans within DP2009/02.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT Council approve DP2013/14 as per the plans attached to the report dated September 24, 2013 from the Planner.
ATTACHMENTS:
- Subject Property Map
- Subject Property Orthophoto
- Applicant’s Statement – Chris Dikeakos Architects – June 10, 2013
- Site Plan – Chris Dikeakos Architects – July 17, 2013
- Lot Grades – Aplin Martin Consultants – July 17, 2013
- Landscape Plan – Chris Dikeakos Architects – September 24, 2013
- Sketch Plan of Subdivision – McIlvaney Riley Land Survey Inc. – May 13, 2013
- Landscape Estimate – Durante Kreuk – May 17, 2013
- Site Photos – Staff – July 2013
Document Images
(4)
