4408-4488 Fraser St and 707-709 E 29th Ave rezoning application

Staff consider all feedback and concerns raised to inform (where appropriate) our reviews, recommendations and potential development conditions. As well as this Q&A, additional written comments have been summited and staff also have spoken on the phone to a number of neighbours. 

The Affordable Housing Choices Interim Rezoning Policy (AHC IRP) supports consideration of a 6-storey building at this location. The proposed building height is 24.1 m (79 ft.), which is within the height range of a 6-storey building that includes double height commercial. The proposal is similar to another AHC rezoning on Fraser Street between 22nd and 23rd Avenues, however no two buildings are the same as they respond to the site context, including slope.

Within the height required to accommodate the commercial units, five townhouses have been included at the south-east corner of the property. The addition of the townhomes does not increase the building height, however the townhomes do increase the building’s street level connection to the surrounding neighbourhood as they provide ground orientated residential entrances. Accessible green roofs are encouraged, and can make excellent amenity areas for residents. This proposal includes an outdoor amenity on the roof and an adjacent indoor amenity. The massing that incorporates the elevator overrun, entrance to the roof and residential indoor amenity is substantial setback from the sides of the building and will not be visible from street level.

As mentioned in response to other questions, Engineering staff are in the early stages of reviewing this rezoning application, and as part of the review they will be considering public feedback about existing conditions. If transportation impacts are identified during Engineering’s review, development conditions may be include for off-site requirements to improve transportation operations and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. If required, this could include improvements on 28th Avenue, 29th Avenue and Fraser Street.

Yes, 100% of the residential units will be rental. Rezoning applications considered under the Affordable Housing Choices (AHC) policy must provide 100% of the residential floor area as secured rental housing. As a condition of rezoning the applicant will be required to sign a Housing Agreement that will be registered on title and prevents the stratification and/or separate sale of individual units. The Housing Agreement is for 60 years or the life of the building (whichever is longer).

Under the AHC policy there are no requirements to have rent limits or a percentage of units at different income levels. However, there are a couple of potential options that could limit rents of all or some of the units. 

• As the project would create 100% secured rental housing units, the project is eligible for a Development Cost Levy (DCL) waiver for the rental housing portion of the development in return for agreeing to limiting initial rents and not exceed maximum unit sizes. See Table 1 on page 3, and Table 3 on page 6 of the Rental Incentive Programs Bulletin for these maximums. The applicant has indicated that they are currently intending to seek the waiver.
• The application is also subject to a Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) evaluation, as per our Community Amenity Contributions Policy for Rezonings. In addition to the public benefit provided by the secured rental units, if a CAC is also offered it could be made through either on-site amenities or a cash contribution towards other public benefits. On-site amenities could be in the form of providing deeper levels of affordability for some units, that would be secured through the same Housing Agreement.

However, reviews of the rezoning application are still at an early stage, so starting rents and CACs have not been confirmed. Prior to referral to a Public Hearing, the applicant is required to confirm whether they are seeking a DCL waiver. If they do seek the waiver, the starting rents will be included in a rezoning referral report which will be posted publicly on our website prior to a Public Hearing.

Engineering staff are in the early stages of reviewing this rezoning application, and as part of the review they will be considering public feedback about existing conditions. If transportation impacts are identified during Engineering’s review, development conditions may be include for off-site requirements to improve transportation operations and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. If required, this could include improvements on 28th Avenue, 29th Avenue and Fraser Street.

The development will also be required to meet the minimum requirements of the Parking By-law on-site, which may include additional Transportation Demand Management measures to further reduce vehicle and parking demand.

Thank you for your additional comment about commercial tenants. This “ask a question” section is reserved for questions to staff, and our responses to them. Therefore please submit comments through the “send your comments” tab, so this question section remains easy to use for everyone. All comments are read and considered by staff as part of the rezoning application review. We will include a summary of all comments received in a Council report that will be made available on our website prior to a Public Hearing.

The proposal includes 100 secured rental housing units of which there are 

• 4 three-bedroom units 
• 42 two-bedroom units 
• 38 one-bedroom units
• 16 studios

Starting rents have not been finalized yet. As the project would create 100% rental housing units that would be secured through a housing agreement, the project is eligible for a Development Cost Levy (DCL) waiver for the rental portion of the development. The DCL waiver regulates maximum starting rents by unit type, and the maximum rents can be found in Table 1 on page 3 of the Rental Incentive Programs Bulletin. Prior to referral to Public Hearing, the applicant is required to confirm whether they are seeking a DCL waiver. If they do seek the waiver, the starting rents will be included in the rezoning referral report which will be posted publicly on our website prior to the Public Hearing.

Within 1 km of the project is the elementary school and the secondary school that the site is within the catchment of, four licensed child care facilities, two supermarkets, a park with a playground, and a commercial street with restaurants, cafes, pharmacies and other shops and services. Within 1.5 km there are also two libraries, a community centre with a swimming pool and a skating rink, a neighbourhood house, and many more shops and services on Main Street. The site is also well served by public transit. Fraser Street is part of TransLink’s Frequent Transit Network, and has bus stop within 100 m of the site in both directions. 

More than half of Vancouver's households are rental households and Vancouver has exhibited historically low vacancy rates during the last 30 years. Therefore we consider the supply of new permanently secure rental housing to be a community asset, as it helps provides housing for a diversity of incomes and households.

Pre-construction the site developer is required to meet with and coordinate construction (including street use) with our Engineering team. Appropriate permits are required to secure street space and any closures must be permitted in advance with proper traffic management plans approved. Construction impacts on City streets, including through private development, are tracked on our website here.

The City also has a Noise Compliance By-law which regulates construction-related noise for private development (between 7.30am-8pm on Weekdays, 10am-8pm on Saturdays, and not permitted on Sundays/holidays). For more information see our website here.

Residents are encouraged to file complaints of any prohibited activity for staff to investigate, by phoning 311.

The site plan, floor plans and elevations can viewed in “Applicant boards” which can be found directly below the location map in the section labelled “Virtual open house”. Specifically see pages 13-28 of the applicant boards.

As part of the rezoning process, Engineering staff review the application with respect to transportation impacts and consider public feedback of existing conditions. The Engineering review is still at any early stage for this project. If transportation impacts are identified, development conditions may be include for off-site requirements, including on 28th and 29th Avenues, to improve transportation operations and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

The proposed development is in close proximity to frequent transit, and is well-sited to encourage reduced vehicle and parking demand. The development will also be required to meet the minimum requirements of the Parking By-law on-site, which may also include additional Transportation Demand Management measures to further reduce vehicle and parking demand.

As part of the rezoning process, Engineering staff review the application with respect to transportation impacts and, if identified, may include development conditions for off-site requirements, including on 28th and 29th Avenues, to improve transportation operations and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. 

The development is required to provide parking as per the requirements of the Parking By-law, which requires that new development permit applications include provision of electric vehicle charging for every residential parking stall, excluding visitor stalls, and 10% of commercial parking stalls with an increased requirement of 45% of commercial stalls after June 1, 2022. 

The primary tool we use to deal with parking spill-over is the Resident Permit Parking Program. Residents can request new resident parking zones or changes existing resident parking zones either on our website or by calling 3-1-1. If a majority of residents on a block support installing permit parking, the City will install a zone.

East 28th, 29th and 30th Avenues between Fraser Street and Prince Albert Street, already include Resident Parking Permit zones. However, on-street parking demand is monitored through the Resident Permit Parking program and if there continues to be concern, additional parking restrictions can be explored.

City of Vancouver policy requires rezoning projects include a minimum 35% family housing units. The proposal includes 42 two-bedroom units and 4 three-bedroom units, accounting for 46% of all units. 

The proposed development is situated in close proximity to transit (transit routes along E King Edward Ave, and Fraser St, with a bus stop adjacent to the development), cycling infrastructure (bikeways on Prince Edward St, Windsor St, and E 31^st Ave), and proposes to meet the minimum vehicle requirements of the parking bylaw, which includes provisions for bike spaces. In addition, as part of the rezoning process, Engineering staff review the application with respect to transportation impacts and, if identified, may include development conditions for off-site requirements to improve transportation operations and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists adjacent to the site. This will promote the use of alternative modes of transportation to and from the site.