Planning, Development & Engagement Report – April 3, 2024

TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT REPORT

TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: April 3, 2024 FROM: J. Chow, RPP, MCIP, Senior Planner MEETING DATE: April 9, 2024

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2024-01 – 2001-2014 WEST PARK LANE – PHASE 6

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated April 3, 2024, from the Senior Planner titled “Development Permit 2024-01 – 2001-2014 West Park Lane – Phase 6” be received for information.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to introduce a Development Permit application to construct 13 townhouse units as Phase 6 in the “West Park at Thetis” mixed residential development.

TIME CRITICAL:

There are no time critical issues for the Town.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

A Development Permit (DP) application has been submitted for 13 residential dwellings units in three triplexes and two duplexes, which forms part of Phase 6 of the “West Park at Thetis” comprehensive residential development. The proposal generally complies with the Mixed Residential Development Permit Area form and character design guidelines; however, additional design considerations should be given based on what has been learned from previous phases. The site is also within the Sensitive Terrestrial Ecosystems Development Permit Area, but the relevant natural environment and hazard guidelines for the entire comprehensive development have been addressed in Development Permit 2020/10.

No variances are requested with this application, but the height of two proposed retaining walls at Block T should be confirmed. Additional data on zoning compliance is required prior to consideration by Council.

BACKGROUND:

Thetis Lake Campground operated for decades on the east half of the parent property until 2018. The west half of the property was primarily hilly, forested terrain, and features a rocky hilltop that is now preserved by a covenant.

The parent property was rezoned to CD-23: Comprehensive Development (Thetis Lake) in 2017 to permit a total of 350 residential units. It was then subdivided into the “West Park at Thetis” comprehensive development site parcel and the adjacent parcel at 1910 and 1920 West Park Lane (Capital Regional District Housing Corporation rental apartment buildings). To date, 251 dwelling units have been constructed on the 4.26 ha comprehensive residential development site north of Trans Canada Highway backing on to Thetis Lake Regional Park (Attachment 1). This application is for Phase 6 of West Park at Thetis...

Previously issued development permits relevant to this phase include:

• Development Permit 2019/02 - permitted subdivision to create this parcel and set out requirements for:
  • identification of environmentally sensitive areas to be protected;
  • a security deposit for any unsafe conditions or damage to the natural environment; and
  • interface fire hazard management.
• Development Permit 2020/10 - authorized site grading and clearing of this phase and future Phase 5. The DP also included requirements for:
  • geotechnical oversight;
  • covenants for safety inspection and maintenance of cut slopes and retaining walls; and
  • safety, scale, and timing of site blasting work to minimize offsite impacts on the earthen dam at Thetis Lake Regional Park.

DISCUSSION:

Project Overview

Phase 6 is comprised of 13 residential dwelling units in five buildings (three triplexes and two duplexes) in the center of the comprehensive development (refer to Figure 1). The buildings are two-storeys with garages and driveway parking (refer to Figure 2). Five on street visitor parking spaces would be provided. The form, character and massing of buildings is proposed to be similar to other dwellings in the earlier Phases 1 to 3.

Development Permit Area Design Guidelines

The development is subject to the guidelines of two development permit areas: Mixed Residential and Sensitive Terrestrial Ecosystems. The natural environment and hazard guidelines of the Sensitive Terrestrial Ecosystems development permit area have been addressed in Development Permit 2020/10 for the entire comprehensive development when it was cleared and graded, so this application will only need to consider the Mixed Residential Development Permit Area design guidelines.

Mixed Residential Development Permit Area Design Guidelines

The proposal complies with most of the Mixed Residential Development Permit Area design guidelines as detailed in Attachment 11. Comments are provided on the proposal and what has been learned from earlier phases to identify how the proposal can better meet the intent of the guidelines.

Specific details on how the proposal complies with the applicable development permit area design guidelines are as follows:

• The development will have a contemporary West Coast treatment through the arrangement of natural toned cementitious materials, mullioned window treatments, extensively glazed entry doors and windowed garage doors similar to previous phases that are shown in Figure 3.
• Cladding includes horizontal plank and board & batten to provide variety and texture. In Phase 6, stone type cladding elements are introduced on Blocks R, T and U, which provides higher quality finish (refer to Attachments 3, 5 and 6).
• The blocks are arranged to follow the central driveway, which has been designed to minimize steep gradients as it traverses the sloping topography.
• Building lighting will be dark skies friendly. Street lighting will be energy efficient LED.

Areas to improve alignment with the Development Permit Area design guidelines include:

• Reducing the amount of lawn by adding more garden beds and trees so that the site will look less bare (Figure 4).
• Paving materials should be indicated. Consider permeable surface treatment (i.e., pavers) in visitor parking as shown in Figure 4 to add visual texture and reduce impervious surfaces.
• Reconsider roof pitches as they are shallow for the building massing (see Figures 3 and 4).
• To minimize visual impacts of garages and wide driveways along the street frontage, the design would benefit from recessing the garage doors behind the main building line, accentuating the front entrances, and incorporating plantings to soften and frame driveways and garage entries.
• Adjustments to window placement and proportions for better curb appeal.
• The locations of pad mounted transformers must be shown or confirmed.
• A perspective or rendering to illustrate how this phase would relate to the neighbourhood context.

Zoning

Tables 1-3 summarizes data for the current phase (Phase 6). Table 4 shows the running cumulative data for the overall development comprised of 1910/1920 West Park Lane, Phases 1-4 of “West Park at Thetis”. Phase 5, an apartment building, remains to be developed in the future.

Table 1. Phase 6 Building Setbacks