Council Report: Rezoning Application 2014/07 – 100 Aldersmith Place

REZONING APPLICATION 2014/07 – 100 Aldersmith Place

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2014, Amendment Bylaw No. 907, 2014 be given first and second reading;

AND THAT a Public Hearing for Bylaw No. 907, 2014 be scheduled for October 21, 2014.

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER'S COMMENTS

I concur with the recommendation.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES' COMMENTS

I concur with the recommendation.

PURPOSE OF REPORT

The purposes of this report are as follows:

1. To present a bylaw for first and second reading to rezone the property at 100 Aldersmith Place to permit daycare use
2. To schedule a public hearing for the bylaw

BACKGROUND AND PROPOSAL

The 7007m² property is zoned Comprehensive Development: CD-1. The site is a small commercial centre known as Nelson Square. Nelson Square is comprised of three single storey commercial buildings totalling 1874 m² built in the late 1990s.

Bylaw 907, 2014 (see Attachment 3) proposes is to amend the Comprehensive Development (CD-1) zone to permit day care use on this specific parcel. Rather than creating a new zone, it is proposed that the CD-1 zone be modified with a notation to allow daycare use only on this parcel. Should Council deem that daycare use to appropriate throughout the CD-1 zone, the zone can be easily amended in the future.

The applicant's intent is to construct a 307 m² day care centre for child care within part of existing Building "C" previously occupied by Royal Palace Restaurant. No additional floor area is proposed to be built. Minor building upgrades to meet Building Code, Fire Code and Island Health requirements would be necessary.

A development permit application has been submitted to illustrate the applicants' concept for the site (Attachments 5-12) to address the form and character of the development. The development permit proposal for an outdoor play area in the current landscape area along west side of the site (Attachments 9 and 10) is proposed to be formally introduced at an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.

ANALYSIS

Key issues:

1. How does the proposal comply with Official Community Plan policies?
2. What are the potential land use impacts?
3. What are the potential traffic impacts?
4. What are the potential budget implications?
5. Public Hearing Date

1. Compliance with Official Community Plan

The proposed use would be in general accordance with policies of the Official Community Plan Bylaw 811, 2011. The parcel's land use designation is Commercial, which supports a range of commercial uses including retail, office, technology and services. Day care use is a service that is commonly found in commercial, institutional and mixed-use areas around the region and would provide an opportunity for child care to be conveniently located for local residents and workers. Providing such a service in this area would be a move towards becoming a complete community, so from a policy perspective the proposal can be supported.

2. Potential Land Use Impacts

While the site is located on a major road that already generates noise, one potential impact could be sounds from the outdoor play area. In practice however, outdoor play areas are typically only used intermittently during the daytime on weekdays.

3. Potential Traffic Impacts

A traffic study was not requested because no additional floor space is proposed and no significant impacts on current traffic patterns are expected. One challenge is automobile congestion on Admirals Road during rush hours. The 2007 Transportation Master Plan identifies a potential future traffic signal at the intersection of Aldersmith Place and Admirals Road to resolve this issue. In the interim, eastbound traffic from this parcel (turning left onto Admirals Road towards Craigflower Road, Craigflower Bridge or Island Highway), can either wait to be let in at the Aldersmith Place intersection or access Admirals Road at the Hallowell Road signalized intersection.

It should be noted that the parking requirements for day care use are lower than for other commercial uses and the parking demands would be lower than that of the previous restaurant tenant.

4. Budget Implications

There are no anticipated budget impacts for the Town resulting from the proposed rezoning.

5. Public Hearing Date

A public hearing date is proposed for October 21, 2014. If Council decides that significant further information is necessary to assist in consideration of the bylaw, staff will propose another date for a public hearing in 2015 once the requested information has been received.

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT Zoning Bylaw No. 900, No. 35, Amendment Bylaw No. 907, 2014 be given first and second reading;

AND THAT a Public Hearing for Bylaw No. 907, 2014 be scheduled for October 21, 2014.

SUBMITTED BY: Jeff Chow, MCIP, RPP, Senior Planner

REVIEWED BY: Lindsay Chase, MCIP, RPP, Director of Development Services

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Subject Property Map
2. Zoning Map
3. Draft Bylaw No. 907, 2014
4. Letter from Applicant – July 28, 2014
5. A100 – Title Page – Premium Urban Design (July 30, 2014)
6. A101 – Site Context and Photos – Premium Urban Design (July 30, 2014)
7. A102 – Site Plan (colour) – Premium Urban Design (July 30, 2014)
8. A103 – Site Plan – Premium Urban Design (July 30, 2014)
9. A104 – Proposed Site Materials – Premium Urban Design (July 30, 2014)
10. A105 – Proposed Play Area – Premium Urban Design (July 30, 2014)
11. A106 – Proposed Floor Plan – Premium Urban Design (July 30, 2014)
12. A107 – 3D Floor Plan – Premium Urban Design (July 30, 2014)
13. Project Sustainability Checklist – Applicant (8 pages)