Letter from Realstar Management Re: Christie Point Rezoning Application 2016-05 Community Amenity Contribution

RE: Christie Point Rezoning Application 2016-05 Community Amenity Contribution

Realstar Management submitted an application to the Town of View Royal for the rezoning of Christie Point on December 13, 2016. Since that time, we have been working collaboratively with Town staff, residents of Christie Point and key stakeholders, to refine the proposal, including submitting correspondence to the Town on March 27, 2017, in response to the 76 technical comments regarding the initial application received from staff.

As a rental housing owner and operator, Realstar has a long term approach to development. The Christie Point redevelopment is a long term investment and we will be a part of the community for the long term. It is widely known and acknowledged that more housing, specifically rental housing, is desperately needed in View Royal and the rest of the Capital Region.

The redevelopment of Christie Point responds directly to this need. We acknowledge that this redevelopment represents significant change. The nature and scale of this evolutionary change is a consequence of the accommodation of population growth on Southern Vancouver Island. The redevelopment of Christie Point enacts by investment and action, a part of the local and regional growth strategy, by providing a significant part of the rental housing pool for the area. The additional rental housing proposed will be a positive contribution to the housing affordability spectrum of the Town, and of the Greater Victoria Area.

From the outset, Realstar and the project team focussed on two major aspects of the development.

First, how can Realstar support residents through the necessary transitions to permit redevelopment? To this end, we committed to meeting and exceeding the requirements of the BC Residential Tenancy Act, and with input from our residents, we created a comprehensive Tenant Relocation Support Package at an approximate cost to the project of $850,000. This is an increase from the originally proposed Relocation Package valued at $500,000, achieved by reallocating some funds from the proposed contribution to the CRD’s Regional Housing Trust Fund (RHTF). Realstar is a market rental housing provider, and the project proposed will provide a significant increase in the number of rental housing units in the area. While this alone can be considered a public amenity, we recognize that redevelopment will have an impact on current residents of Christie Point. We remain committed to supporting our residents as part of the development process.

Second, a fundamental ethic of the project from a design perspective is to minimize the impact of intensification, to improve, enhance and protect the natural and cultural features of the site. To do so, the project limits development to within the existing disturbed areas of the site, resulting in buildings of up to six storeys in height in order to achieve a viable project, although at a density that is in fact below (28 percent less than) that contemplated in the Town of View Royal’s Official Community Plan. Further, LADR Landscape Architecture, Swell Environmental and Talbot Mackenzie Associates Consulting Arborists have outlined a program for the redevelopment of the site that will:

1. Focus on the preservation of native trees: As outlined in the report from Talbot Mackenzie and Associates, submitted in December 2016, with additional information submitted in March 2017, 18 native trees will be removed to accommodate the development, with over 500 new native trees planted as part of the landscape design developed by LADR Landscape Architects.
2. Protect natural vegetation and cultural heritage sites: Also in the LADR Landscape Architects landscape plan, submitted in December 2016, with additional information submitted in March 2017, a publicly-accessible new trail system is proposed for the property. A designated pedestrian trail system will minimize the impact of residents and the public creating informal pathways through the forested areas of the site; it will also protect cultural heritage sites and areas of sensitive vegetation.
3. Prioritize bird safety: The site is located within the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary. A key feature of the project is enhancing the natural environment to support a variety of bird life. Swell Environmental has developed a detailed plan to protect and encourage bird life on the site, outlined in their Environmental Overview Assessment, submitted in December 2016, with additional information submitted in March 2017. In addition, an extensive program will be undertaken to ensure that the building design is bird friendly, following the bird-safe guidelines developed by the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada (www.flap.org).

As outlined in our correspondence dated March 27, 2017, our focus for the proposed $2.450 million Community Amenity Contribution is threefold:

1. Resident Support: $850,000

Realstar has proposed an extensive Relocation Support Package, including:

• Providing residents with 12-months’ notice of the estimated date of the demolition, this is greater than the six months' notice originally proposed. During that period the two months’ notice required by the BC RTA will be provided.
• In addition to payment of one months’ rent required by the BC RTA, either providing a moving allowance of $1,000 or providing moving services (including providing packing supplies (boxes, tape)) through a company contracted by Realstar.
• In addition to the $1,000 moving allowance or moving services, for residents that have a physical disability and or a household with no able-bodied adults in the household, providing assistance with packing through a company contracted by Realstar.
• Compensating residents for the disconnection and reconnection of cable, internet, hydro and telephone services.
• Paying for mail forwarding through Canada Post for up to 12 months.
• Giving Christie Point residents first right of offer to rent apartments in the new development, at the new rental rates.
• Giving residents returning to the new development a rental rebate equivalent to two months’ free rent in the first year. This represents a 16% reduction in the rental rates for the year and is a new addition to the proposed Relocation Support Package.

2. Housing Affordability: $750,000

The project proposes a significant increase to the amount of rental housing in View Royal, replacing the current 161 rental units and adding 312 units of market rental supply. This represents a significant amount of rental supply for the area, which creates affordability.

In addition to new, long term supply, Realstar will make a contribution of $750,000 to the CRD’s Regional Housing Trust Fund (RHTF). Realstar has reallocated a portion of the originally contemplated RHTF contribution to additional support for existing Christie Point residents, in recognition of a need for housing affordability support not only for the region as a whole, but also for Christie Point residents experiencing disruption and financial pressures resulting from the redevelopment process. The impact of Realstar’s proposed contribution is described in a memorandum addressed to the Town of View Royal from the CRD dated January 31, 2017, a copy of which is enclosed.

3. Transportation: $850,000

Working with Town staff, Bunt and Associates Transportation Planners and Engineers, as well as Opus International, the transportation consultant engaged by the Town of View Royal, Realstar has agreed to contribute $850,000 towards the cost of the following off-site transportation improvements:

• Island Highway improvements: A 120m extension of Island Highway’s two lane westbound profile extending west from its intersection with Shoreline Drive, plus an 80m taper lane. This is the maximum length permitted by the current configuration of Island Highway west of Shoreline Drive, which is limited by the location of the bus layby and the pedestrian bridge on the west side of the school property.
• Installation of traffic signal at Shoreline Drive and Island Highway: This includes the introduction of a traffic signal at the Shoreline Drive and Island Highway intersection. The signal would have an advanced warning light for westbound traffic, as well as a pedestrian crossing on the west leg of the intersection, aligned with the new sidewalk on Shoreline Drive to allow pedestrians to cross Island Highway safely and promote walkability to nearby retail and community amenities.
• Shoreline Drive improvements: These include the extension of the sidewalk on the west side of Shoreline to Christie Point, as well as enhanced pedestrian lighting and painted bike lines on both sides of the road. The Town will continue to explore the option of having sidewalks on the east side of Shoreline Drive; however, a cost for sidewalk installation on the east side is not included here.
• Improvements to cycling connection to E&N Trail: This consists of paving the existing gravel/woodchip pathway to provide a better connection to the E&N Trail and the westbound bus stop on Island Highway.

We look forward to working with you to more particularly define the timing of the contributions and terms of our proposal which we understand will be incorporated into a formal agreement to be executed and delivered prior to the Public Hearing.

In the Town of View Royal’s 2011 Official Community Plan, Council recognized that the existing rental units at Christie Point are nearing end of life, and that redevelopment is imperative to ensure that this much needed rental housing supply is maintained. The redevelopment and intensification of Christie Point represents a significant investment by Realstar in the housing supply for the region. We strongly feel that we have addressed the technical requirements of the application as part of our comprehensive application package and subsequent response to comments from Town staff. Rezoning is the first step in the overall development approvals process and will establish the use and density regulations to be implemented at subsequent Development Permit and Building Permit applications.

We look forward to continuing to working with you and the staff at the Town of View Royal collaboratively on this exciting project throughout the development process.

Yours very sincerely,

REALSTAR MANAGEMENT

Heather Grey-Wolf Vice President, Development

encl.

cc. Mayor David Screech (mayorscreech@viewroyal.ca) Councillor Ron Mattson (rmattson@viewroyal.ca) Councillor Heidi Rast (hrast@viewroyal.ca) Councillor John Rogers (jrogers@viewroyal.ca) Councillor Aaron Weisgerber (aweisgerber@viewroyal.ca)