Attachment 7: Applicant's Statement - Jeff Sutherland

Re: Upcoming Application For Rezoning of 280 Wilfert Road From Residential to Commercial.

Dear Mayor and Council Members,

This letter is to make you aware of our intent to submit an application for rezoning of the property located at 280 Wilfert Road (fronting the Coho development) from residential to commercial. While a formal application will be submitted early in the New Year, it is our hope that this informal notification may help expedite the process. Upon rezoning approval, it is our intention to then submit a development proposal for the renovation of the property for use as a specialists’ medical clinic. The resulting wheel chair accessible office would operate as the “The View Royal Specialists’ Clinic” and would include an office, three examining rooms, handicap-accessible washroom, waiting room, storage area and reception area with five legal parking stalls.

Benefits To The Community

1. With respect to the Official Community Plan, there are a number of benefits to the community but the major one will be local access for patients to medical specialists. Currently there are very few medical specialists with offices located west of Royal Jubilee hospital. This is because generally specialists spend only 4-6 days per month (depending on the specialty) seeing patients in an office environment and to this point there are no specialist-specific offices on the West Shore where overhead costs can be shared. There has already been interest from both Obstetricians and Mid-Wives in seeing patients in this setting.

2. As it relates to the creation of neighborhoods, turning this into a commercial property would make it more consistent with the nearby properties (the Coho apartments to the north, the Burger King fast food franchise to the west and the new multi-use building to be built across the street).

3. As it relates to economic benefit, the office would employ 1 to 1.5 full-time equivalent employees.

4. With respect to ease-of-access for patients and the concept of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), the area has a high degree of “Walkability” and is safe, comfortable and accommodating for pedestrians with a major bus route less than 100 metres away. There is also easy bicycle access and renovations would include the construction of a secure bicycle storage area to encourage use of non-carbon based transport.

5. Finally The Town of View Royal would receive increased tax revenues associated with the rezoning.

The Property's History Through To Our Purchase

The building on the site was purpose-built in 2010 by the developer of the Coho Apartments as a sale centre and show rental suite. The Town of View Royal then conferred a temporary 18 month C-7 Commercial designation on the property. At that point, the zoning reverted to residential and the title transferred to the original pre-Coho owner of the property who put the property up for sale last June. Marketed as being suitable for home occupation (i.e. a living space with home business) after more than 100 days on the market, there had been little interest and no offers.

We saw its potential as a dedicated destination commercial space and initiated consultation with your planning department about its possible rezoning and use as a medical clinic. Our #1 aim was to ascertain how likely rezoning was before purchasing the property and it was apparent from the outset your planning department was already well aware of the property and its zoning inconsistencies with respect to other nearby properties.

A site meeting followed where your staff identified two major potential issues that would need to be addressed:

1. the number of legal parking spots required for a medical office (five) and
2. the need for a sprinkler system.

In a clear case of foreshadowing, your building inspector recalled suggesting to the developer to put in a sprinkler system during construction in 2010 believing that the property would eventually end up being rezoned commercial in any case. Based on the confidence we felt after these meetings, we decided to proceed and completed the purchase of the property taking possession at the end of November.

Current Situation

Since taking possession, we have undertaken an interior renovation design and an exterior survey that addresses how five legal parking spots can be located on the site. The next step is to gain the rezoning approval after which a redevelopment permit will be sought.

In closing, we would like to thank you for taking the time to review this letter and look forward to submitting a full rezoning application for your planning department's and Council's review early in the New Year.

Sincerely,

Jeff Sutherland Business Manager Sherri Hancock, M.D., Inc.