PRESENTATION: DEVELOPMENT VARIANCE PERMIT 2021/03 - 373 Island Highway

DEVELOPMENT VARIANCE PERMIT 2021/03

373 Island Highway

Development Variance Permit to change the definition of grade for a detached dwelling

Aerial photo with property lines and topography overlaid, showing the subject property and the original parcel prior to 2021 subdivision

Detailed BC Land Surveyors Site Plan for 373 Old Island Highway showing lot dimensions, easements, and the proposed building envelope

PROJECT INFORMATION

Building permit submitted for 278.2m² two-storey dwelling over a crawlspace as shown
The design includes a secondary suite.

Requested Variance

A variance to the definition of Grade within Section 2 of Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2014 is requested as follows:

From	To
“the weighted average of the existing grade or finished grade, whichever is lower, immediately adjoining or immediately below each exterior wall of a building, except: • localized natural depressions, • localized depressions no wider than 10m for vehicle entrances, or • localized depressions no wider than 5m for pedestrian entrances”	“13.53m geodetic or finished grade, whichever is lower”

Architectural drawings showing the front and right elevations of the proposed dwelling

Site photograph indicating the shared access, property line, and the proposed main floor elevation relative to Island Highway

DISCUSSION

Approval of variance would reduce steepness of access from shared driveway

Request to effectively increase grade by 1.5m is not as extreme as it may appear:

The existing grade is lower than the natural grade because of excavation to stable ground for a level site.
The depth of excavation is as much as 1.4m below natural grade on the high side.

The application can be supported in this case because:

the 13.53m geodetic main floor elevation would still be lower than the 14.95m main floor elevation of the dwelling at 369 Island Highway
Owners of the property at 369 Island Highway, who would be the most affected, have provided a letter in support
The building would have no direct visual impacts on other adjacent dwellings that are higher up the slope and further away

If the application is approved, the following is recommended as a condition to ensure that the permitted floor space ratio will not be exceeded:

The height of the crawl space between the floor and the underside off the floor joists above may not exceed 1.5m at any point.

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT Development Variance Permit 2021/03 be approved as per the report dated October 14, 2021 from the Senior Planner titled "Development Variance Permit 2021/03 – 373 Island Highway";

AND THAT Development Variance Permit 2021/03 include the following variance:

Variance to the definition of ‘grade’ within Section 2 of Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2014 as follows:
- From: “the weighted average of the existing grade or finished grade, whichever is lower, immediately adjoining or immediately below each exterior wall of a building, except:
  - localized natural depressions,
  - localized depressions no wider than 10m for vehicle entrances, or
  - localized depressions no wider than 5m for pedestrian entrances”
- To: “13.53m geodetic or finished grade, whichever is lower”

AND FURTHER THAT Development Variance Permit 2021/03 include the following condition:

The height of the crawl space between the floor and the underside of the floor joists above may not exceed 1.5m at any point.