Attachment 2. Letter from Applicant – Alan Lowe Architect, February 18, 2022

alan lowe architect inc.

#118-21 Erie Street, Victoria, B.C.
tel. 250.360.2888

February 18, 2022

Town of View Royal
45 View Royal Avenue
Victoria, British Columbia
V9B 1A6

Attention: Mayor Screech and Councillors

Re: Development Variance Permit Application – 280 Island Highway, Victoria, B.C

Dear Mayor Screech and Councillors,

On behalf of the Owners of Strata Plan EPS5170 for 280 Island Highway and the developer, Resthaven Residences Ltd., we would like to apply for a development variance permit to allow for a situation that has occurred where the bike storage room was converted into storage lockers and steel u-hooks were placed in front of 24 parking stalls underground to allow for bikes to be locked up in front of the parking stalls.

The attached petition shows the majority of the Owners of Strata Plan EPS5170 are supportive of this arrangement. Although storage lockers are not required in your bylaws, this is what has now been installed. A few residents use their storage lockers for their bicycles but the majority do not.

In order to allow bikes to be secured in the underground parking area, the developer has installed u-hooks in front of the parking stalls to allow bicycles to be locked to the u-hooks. This practice has also been done in other parkades within the region and is an effective way to secure bicycles.

On August 20, 2021, we were on site to determine how this affects the functionality and the circulation in the underground parking garage. We looked at the various situations on site to determine if it caused any safety issues, and we measured the length of all of the cars in the underground parking garage at that time to determine what the average length of the cars were.

The table below shows that 15 cars were parked in the building that morning, with the average length of the cars being 14’-10.9”. There were two large trucks that measured 18’-6” and 17’-6” in length. Even with these two large trucks parked in the underground parking level, they seem to be able to maneuver their trucks in and out of the stalls.

Length of cars measured in parkade on August 20, 2021

Average length of car = 2684 / 15 = 178.9” = 14’-11”

On January 28, 2022, we were on site again to review and measure the length of cars parked in the underground parking level.

The table below shows that 12 cars were parked in the building that afternoon, with the average length of the cars being 15’-7”. There was one large truck that measured 18’-10” in length. Even with this large truck parked in the underground parking level, there seem to be no safety issues with the drive aisle for other cars.

Length of cars measured in parkade on January 28, 2022

Average length of car = 2167 / 12 = 180.6” = 15’-7”

The complaint to the Town of View Royal by one of the residents stated that the installation of the bike loops has caused vehicles to protrude into the maneuvering aisle when parked in the vehicle parking spaces. These protrusions into the maneuvering aisle creates accessibility issues within the parkade, as there is not enough room for vehicles to maneuver within the parkade. Our maneuvering aisles are 6.7 metres ( 22’-0” ) as per parking bylaw and any cars needing to drive past a truck that may be sticking out of their parking space up to 1 metre is still sufficient for two cars to easily pass each other. The width of an average car is less than 8 feet and a width of 18 feet is more than adequate to have two cars pass each other at any given time. We would also submit that cars needing to pass each other within the underground parking area is very infrequent and should not cause a safety issue.

We have reviewed other options available to the Owners of Strata Plan EPS5170. There is a covered area in the common courtyard that could accommodate some bicycles should Council feel it is necessary to provide some options for the residents. If it is agreeable with the Owners of Strata Plan EPS5170 and to the Town of View Royal, we would install two bicycle racks accommodating 6 bicycles for a total of 12 bicycles as well as 12 wall hung racks this area. This would allow for those residents with larger trucks and other residents to lock their bikes up in this area so it does not further affect their parking space. The size of the parking space for the other smaller cars is more than adequate to park a car with a bike locked to the u-hook in front of the space.

The Owners of Strata Plan EPS5170 are more than willing to try and resolve this situation with the Town of View Royal. As noted, they are willing to create new areas within the building to allow for extra bike storage spaces and to use the bike loops in front of the standard sized car stalls. Some of the residents also use their storage units for their bicycles.

With the addition of 24 class 1 bike racks on the main level, the 24 u-hooks in the underground parking level, and the use of the storage lockers for bike storage for a few of the residents, we trust that this will meet the bike storage requirements for the building. As we need 37 class 1 bike racks in accordance with the bylaw, we are requesting that a bike parking variance of 13 stalls be granted.

We trust that this compromise might be workable for the Town of View Royal, the developer, and the Strata Owners.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours truly,

Alan Lowe, Architect AIBC
Alan Lowe Architect Inc.

cc. Owners of Strata Plan EPS5170
Resthaven Residences Ltd.