Development Permit No Government Road Amblepath Townhomes

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1 DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH REPORT TO: Council FOR: Business PRESENTED: May 15 th 2007 FILE: DP No FROM: SUBJECT: Planning Department Development Permit No Government Road Amblepath Townhomes Recommendation THAT the Council of the District of Squamish authorize issuance of Development Permit No. 257, issued to Amblepath Properties Limited on lands located at Government Road and legally described as Lot 1, Section 11, Township 50, New Westminster District, Plan BCP subject to the provision of bonding for landscaping works in the form of cash, certified cheque or an Irrevocable Letter of Credit in the amount of $ ; and THAT the Council of the District of Squamish authorize the variance of the rear setback from 9.15 metres to 7.6 metres and the front setback from 6.0 metres to 1.6 metres as illustrated on the plans. CAO Recommendation THAT the recommendation from the Planning Department be approved. K. Anema, CAO 1. Purpose To provide a development permit to allow the development of a 20 unit townhouse project at Government Road 2. Timeline The applicant has indicated a desire to undertake construction immediately in order to be ready for occupancy as soon as possible. 3. Background A Development Permit application has been submitted for a 20-unit townhouse project contained as part of the larger Amblepath development located at Government Road, as shown on Appendix A. Town homes are a permitted use within the Comprehensive Development Zone 35 (CD-35) and therefore only a development permit and a building permit are required for this development to proceed. The intention of the town house development is to provide a mix of units for low to middle income families. The owner, the Bethel Land Corporation, intends to retain ownership of the building

2 and therefore the project will be maintained as a rental property. 4. Project Information The proposed town homes are to be located on Lot 1, which is located at the northwestern corner of the larger Amblepath site. The development site backs onto a landscape preservation area bounded by the Spiral Trailer Park and the slough. The townhouse site is hectares (1.0 acre) in size and is zoned CD-35. With the exception of minor front and rear setback variances for the proposed development, all regulations, including height and the provision of parking stalls (visitors and owners stalls as well as the required accessible stalls), are being met by the proposed development. Setback relaxations from 6.0 metres to 1.6 metres and from 9.15 metres to 7.6 metres for the front and rear yards respectively have been requested in order to accommodate the proposed building siting. The intent is to allow for the building to address the street and adjacent single family homes in a more sensitive manner. A regulatory comparison matrix between the CD-35 zone and the proposal is included for reference. 5. Zoning Regulation Comprehensive Development 35 (CD 35) Lot Size Minimum parcel area square metres (2,960 square feet) Site Coverage Max 50% (2,025 square metres) Building Height Maximum meters (35 ft) Required Setbacks Front 6.0 metres Side 1.5 metres Rear 9.15 metres DP No. 257 Amblepath Townhomes Government Road Proposal.4050 hectares (1.0 acres) 32% (1,288.0 square metres) 9.29 metres (30 6 ft) Front 1.6 metres Side (west) 1.5 metres Rear (north) 7.6 metres Parking 36 spaces required 36 provided plus 4 visitor stalls Accessible Parking 1 required 1 provided 6. Policy Development Permit Area No. 7 Multi-Family Residential The Official Community Plan designates the lands as Development Permit Area No. 7 Multi-Family Residential. This designation has been established to regulate the form and character of multi-family developments outside of Downtown Squamish.

3 DP Area No. 7 Guidelines: Building materials indigenous to Squamish such as granite and wood will be encouraged. Building materials which do not convey a feeling of quality or permanence or which will not withstand extensive rain and wind should be avoided. This latter category generally includes stucco finishes and concrete construction block as opposed to architecturally faced block. DP Area 7 Objectives: ensure that character and design are compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood; and to improve the design quality of multiple family uses. 7. Form and Character A design brief outlining the nature of the intended development program is attached as Appendix B. A stated, the intent of the town homes is to provide a mix of unit types for low and middle-income families within the larger context of the Amblepath development and the wider community. Accordingly, the architecture is not fussy or elaborate, but simple and strong in character. The units consist of 2 and 3 bedroom units ranging from 1,100 square feet to 1,300 square feet. The units are stacked for efficiency and parking for owners and guest is provided under the building to preserve street frontage interaction between the units and the street. Pedestrian access to the units is off the front (strata road) and each entrance services 4 units (two up and two down). The development is two stories in height to integrate well with the surrounding single-family development. Materials proposed for the development include concrete, Brohm rock stone cladding, galvanized standing seam wall panels, Hardi board and batten siding, heavy timber posts, beams and braces, stained wood fascia and trim details, pre finished metal handrails, aluminum windows, and asphalt roofing. Regarding the simple building massing and character, the intent is to intentionally keep the building at two floors. The concept is to provide for units that address the street with front porches and decks rather than having a taller building that may lose connection with the street. As the Amblepath subdivision is targeted at entry and mid level housing with a clear focus on common areas and street activity, connection to the street is seen very important to the success of this development and of Amblepath as a whole. Further, the applicant has tried to keep the scale of the building low to enhance views overtop of the building and in contrast to the taller single-family homes. Finally, in keeping the volume of the building down costs can be reduced to a level that allows for better rental rates, ultimately benefiting the end users. DP No. 257 Amblepath Townhomes Government Road

4 8. Landscape The landscape design addresses both the areas immediately surrounding the development as well as the open space across the common strata road. Reduced sets of the landscape plans are attached as part of Appendix C. A crushed gravel pathway has been provided across the rear of the site to connect the underground access points and provide circulation on the site. This area also provides a small area of open space at the rear of the town homes. The open area located across the strata road from the proposed town homes (although still part of the same Block B) is proposed to be an unprogrammed open area and will be available to all users. 9. Advisory Design Panel This proposal was presented to the Squamish Advisory Design Panel at their April 19 meeting. The panel suggested a number of recommendations that have been addressed by the applicant. The recommendations were as follows. The ADP recommended that the project move forward and did not request that the project be represented to them. 10. Department Comments Staff is satisfied with the overall design intent, building siting, use of materials, landscape design and integration into the larger Amblepath development. Further, based on staff s technical review, there are no issues that have been identified as problematic with the proposal. Consequently, as the form and character of the building meet the Development Permit Area 7 guidelines, staff support issuance of Development Permit No. 257 for the development of the proposed 20 unit townhouse development. 11. Policy implications None. 12. Alternatives to Staff Recommendation Staff Recommendation THAT the Council of the District of Squamish authorize issuance of Development Permit No. 257, issued to Amblepath Properties Limited on lands located at Government Road and legally described as Lot 1, Section 11, Township 50, New Westminster District, Plan BCP subject to the provision of bonding for landscaping works in the form of cash, certified cheque or an Irrevocable Letter of Credit in the amount of $ ; and THAT the Council of the District of Squamish authorize the variance of the rear setback from 9.15 metres to 7.6 metres and the front setback from 6.0 metres to 1.6 metres as illustrated on the plans. DP No. 257 Amblepath Townhomes Government Road

5 Alternative 1 THAT the Council of the District of Squamish not authorize issuance of Development Permit No. 257, Alternative 2 Another direction/course of action as specified by Council. Chris Bishop Planner Appendix A: Location Plan Appendix B: Applicant s Design Brief Appendix C: Development Permit No. 257 DP No. 257 Amblepath Townhomes Government Road

6 APPENDIX A LOCATION MAP Government Road DP No. 257 Amblepath Townhomes Government Road

7 September 15,2006 Attn: Cameron Sinclair Director of Planning district of Squamish nd Ave. Squamish, B.C. Re: Design Brief, Amble Path Townhouses, Squamish, BC The Amble Path Townhouse project is intended as a rental townhouse project targeted to serve the low to mid range rental market. Commensurate with the spirit and intent of the entire Amble Path community the townhouse project compliments the single family subdivision and offers a rental type product within a new community of entry level housing. The 20 unit townhouse project is proposed to supply 2 and 3 bedroom units in a single building with underground parking. The structure is intended to be two stories of wood frame construction on a suspended concrete slab above the concrete underground parking structure. All tenant parking and visitor parking is proposed to be contained with the underground level. The compact, efficient footprint of the building has been pulled tight to the street edge to minimize site disturbance to the rear of the site adjacent more sensitive preservation areas. The units provide for shared street front access with 4 units sharing each entry area. Underground parking is accessed off the main strata road. Units are provided with storage within the units, and in a lockable space within the underground parking level. The lower level lockers are encouraged for bike storage rather than have owners store bikes on exterior decks. A garbage and recycling area is also provided within the underground parking level. The site itself is somewhat dog-legged with the short leg providing a larger exterior common area accessible to the whole Amble Path community. The units range in size from 1100 sf to 1312 sf in area, with 10 units per level. Units are generally stacked for effective planning and provide exterior decks and terraces to the front, sides and rear of the building with generous use of windows to maximize day-lighting and view opportunities on all sides. Significant effort has been made to highlight smart growth principles and sustainable design features, evident in the rainwater collection and redirection back into the landscape, local materials, in the local stone and wood products. Similarly interior and exterior materials have been selected for durability, performance and consistency with the Amble Path design guidelines. Hardy board materials, standing seam metal siding, asphalt shingle roof and heavy timber elements are used in a simple direct manner to provide interest, detail and contrast to the mostly simple two storey massing. Color and materials are varied to break up the massing and large overhangs are provided for all decks and terraces to make spaces more useable throughout the year. The entire building is intended as an efficient simple structure with high performance exterior materials appropriate to the Squamish climate. The inclusion of the townhouse project provides for an alternative housing type within the Amble Path community creating for a diverse, blended mix of residents consistent with the target market for the entire subdivision. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. Brent Murdoch, MAIBC,BCSLA,LEED A.P. Murdoch + Company Ltd. 1 of 1

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