A liquor license and a heritage project requiring a small lot subdivision are up for consideration at a March 22 public hearing.
The city has received an application for a heritage revitalization agreement and a heritage designation bylaw for 221 Townsend Pl. in the Queen’s Park neighbourhood, where the applicant is proposing to subdivide the lot, retain the existing 1907 house and build a house on the new lot. Variances are required for both houses for lot size, increased density and reduced parking setbacks, and relaxations are also required for site coverage, rear yard projection, and front and rear setbacks for the existing house.
In exchange for bylaw relaxations, the applicant will restore the existing heritage house and legally protect it with a heritage designation bylaw.
A staff report states the existing 1,684-square-foot house has three bedrooms and the new 1,641-square-foot house would have four bedrooms. No secondary suites or laneway houses are included in this application.
According to a staff report, the 1907 Davey House is deemed to have historic, social, cultural, esthetic and scientific values.
The house is one of only eight surviving British Columbia Mills Timber and Trading Company ready-made houses in New West and possibly the company’s only surviving Design H cottage in the Lower Mainland. Manufactured in Vancouver between 1904 and 1910, BCMTT buildings were made of pre-cut lumber and labelled, insulated and pre-painted panels that were shipped across western North America and later reassembled.
A staff report states the subdivision would result in two lots that are 39% smaller than the city’s small lot zone and 44% smaller than most typical heritage revitalization agreements involving subdivisions, but they’re similar in size to the city’s compact lot zones, such as those in Queensborough.
“Under the heritage program, compact-lot subdivisions are generally considered reasonable in exchange for protection and restoration of a heritage asset,” said the report. “In this case, given the rarity and historical value of the heritage building (BCMTT’s ready-made house), the conservation work proposed and the fact that the intended density and building bulk of the houses will be similarly compact, these lot sizes are considered reasonable.”
Liquor request
In another item being considered Monday night, The Metro is hoping to receive the city’s support for a zoning amendment bylaw that would permit a liquor primary licensed establishment to operate at 759 Carnarvon St. The license would allow The Metro to serve liquor daily from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
“The applicant has a 13-year history of holding complaint-free events at the site,” said a staff report to council. “The LCRB and police have no expressed concerns regarding the operation of the banquet hall.”
The report says the use of the building would be the same as it is now, but the owner would no longer need to apply to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch for permits to serve alcohol at each of its events. Each year, the business obtains more than 100 special event permits to hold events with liquor service, including wedding receptions, birthday parties and holiday events.
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch requires a motion from council before approving liquor primary applications.
Follow Theresa McManus on Twitter @TheresaMcManus
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