A controversial rezoning application for the West End's iconic Beach Towers has been given the support of both main advisory groups to city council over the past week. The Vancouver Heritage Commission, missing four of its 11 members (including chair Richard Keate), voted unanimously Nov. 14 to support a revamped proposal by Devonshire Properties for the four-building waterfront highrise complex on Beach Avenue. The Urban Design Panel followed suit two days later with only one member voting against the application.
Some critics of the project, which would see luxury rental mid-rise apartments and townhouses built between the towers under the city's Short Term Incentives for Rental Housing (STIR) program, are questioning the timing of the meetings.
"I am disappointed in that we saw two new meetings scheduled almost back to back during the week of the election," said Godfrey Tait, who was at the packed Wednesday night meeting at city hall. "The writing was on the wall that these panels would favour the proposal. We've seen a steady march towards the idea of more infill. Density is king on the second densest site in all of the West End even when it is luxury rental. "
Brent Toderian, the city's director of planning, said the new proposal is substantially different from the one both panels rejected previously, particularly regarding the spacing between proposed buildings.
"The previous design had raised some concerns about what I would call breathing space between the new buildings and the old buildings," said Toderian. "Both panels felt that the proposal was cramping the heritage buildings and not providing good separation, good views and perspectives. The new design significantly increases the separation from about 40 to 45 feet."
Toderian said the new design has made changes to better respect the heritage value of the half-century old towers. "The heritage commission felt that some of the details were too close and it makes it harder to distinguish the heritage features and that had improved in the new design."
Although disappointed with the decisions, Tait said there is still hope the proposal will be rejected if the makeup of city council is dramatically different after the election. "There is some hope but I would say that if there is still a majority of COPE/Vision Vancouver at city hall, this will get voted through. They are not going to squash STIR."
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