REQUEST FOR DECISION
MEETING DATE: September 9, 2026 Report No. DRC-26-008
TO: Members of the APC Design Review Committee
FROM: James Davison, Manager of Development Services
SUBJECT: Development Permit Application - 734 Sea Terrace - Staff Report No. DRC-26-008
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Design Review Committee recommends Council either approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application for a development permit authorizing the form and character of the proposed multi-family residential development consistent with the architectural plans provided by dHKarchitects and landscape plan provided by MDI Landscape Architects, to be located at 734 Sea Terrace, including reasons for the chosen recommendation.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The application proposes a 17-unit townhouse development under the CD No. 159 zone. The application addresses DPA 1: Natural Environment, DPA 6: Multi-family Residential, DPA 7: Energy Conservation and Greenhouse Gas Reduction, and DPA No. 8: Water Conservation.
BACKGROUND:
Applicant: Chris Wolfs, Hyland Properties
Owner: 1491319 B.C. LTD., INC.NO. BC1491319, 110-33973 GLADYS AVE, ABBOTSFORD, BC, V2S 2E8
Zone: CD-159
Permitted Uses: Dwelling - Multiple Family, Home Occupation
Lot Area: 909m2
Floor Space Ratio (FSR): 1.44
Lot Coverage: 70% first storey/parking, 58% above the first storey
Building Height: 14.9m
Dwelling Units: 17
Principal Buildings: 1
Front Yard Setback: 6.3m
Rear Yard Setback: 4m
Rear Yard Setback P1: 0m
Side Yard Setback (Dunsmuir Rd): 1.9m
Side Yard Setback (Interior): 3.2m
Side Yard Setback (Interior, L4): 5.0m
Side Yard Setback (Interior East, P1): 0.2m
Vehicle Parking Spaces: 14
Bicycle Parking Spaces: 29
Chronology
October 7, 2024: Adoption of Amendment Bylaw to rezone the property to CD No. 159
ANALYSIS:
Trees
The attached Arborists’ Report (Appendix D) states that all trees on site (and with root zones on the site) are to be retained with the exception of a cherry tree (#7).
A brief summary of the Development Permit Area (DPA) guidelines is below, in cases where the guidelines and the site proposal may warrant consideration:
DPA 1 Natural Environment
18.5.2 Natural Features
Natural features and areas to be preserved, protected, restored, and enhanced where feasible:
1. Retain existing healthy native trees, vegetation, rock outcrops, and soil wherever possible.
2. Light spillage on to waterways is strongly discouraged.
3. Preservation of natural topography is favoured over blasting or building of retaining walls.
4. Narrower maneuvering aisles, fewer and smaller parking spaces can be considered where natural areas are being conserved.
18.5.3 Biodiversity
Landscaping features that will protect, restore and enhance biodiversity. Where feasible:
1. Landscaping should include native plant and tree species, non-invasive species, and drought tolerant species. Where feasible, at least 30% of plants should be native plants.
2. Choose trees and plants for site conditions; consider shade, sunlight, heat, wind-exposure, sea spray tolerance, and year-round moisture requirements in their placement.
3. Consider the habitat and food needs of birds, pollinators, and humans in tree and plant species selection and placement; native plantings and food gardens compliment each other.
4. Avoid monoculture plantings, especially expanses of turf grass outside of playing field sites.
5. Snags, logs, driftwood and rock cairns may be used as interesting landscaping features that also provide habitat for native flora and fauna.
6. Incorporate a vertical vegetation structure (vertical habitat) including layers of ground cover, shrub, understorey and canopy in landscape design.
18.5.4 Drainage, Erosion, Stormwater, and Absorbent Materials
1. Incorporate rain gardens, bio-swales, rain barrels, and small depressions into landscaping.
2. Prioritize planted and pervious surfaces and design paved areas to direct water towards vegetated areas.
18.5.6 Bird Biodiversity and Better Buildings
Incorporate architectural features that limit collisions between birds and windows:
1. Avoid the use of monolithic glass, clear glass, mirrored glass, tinted glass, polished stone, and polished metal that can be highly reflective.
2. In locations where vegetation or the environment is likely to reflect on surfaces, reduce the mirror effect by using ultraviolet patterned glass (fritted or acid etched), frosted glass, exterior louvers, external blinds, sunshades, spandrel panels, mullions, shutters, grilles, and canopies.
3. When using patterns on glass to increase visibility to birds, ensure that the patterns are affixed to the exterior surface of the glass, and are high contrast and spaced no more than 50 mm apart.
4. Limit outdoor lighting and direct light toward pedestrian areas. Consider use of shielding, timers, motion sensors, and down-lighting. Use International Dark-Sky Association approved lighting fixtures in outdoor locations. Outdoor lighting should be no brighter than necessary, be fully shielded (directed downward and designed to serve pedestrian needs), have minimal blue light emissions and only be on when needed. Avoid vanity lighting, and lighting directed into the night sky and trees tops.
5. Cap and screen all ventilation pipes and grates. Avoid openings greater than 20 mm x 20 mm.
6. Encourage increased front yard habitat along quieter streets to reduce bird vehicle conflicts.
7. Choose a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees to enhance bird species diversity.
DPA 6 Multi-family Residential
23.5.1 General
The following guidelines apply to all multi-family and mixed-use buildings, including townhouses where there are more than 4 units per parcel:
1. The size and siting of buildings should reflect the size and scale of adjacent development and future development and complement the surrounding uses. To achieve this, height and setback restrictions and/or relaxations may be imposed as a condition of the development permit.
2. Site and orient buildings to overlook public streets, parks, walkways, and communal spaces, while ensuring the security and privacy of residents.
3. Design all street facing façades to appear like front façades. Use architectural emphasis to define street corners. Design front elevations with pronounced entrances oriented to the corner and/or primary streets.
4. New buildings should be designed and sited to minimize visual intrusion on to the privacy of surrounding homes and minimize the casting of shadows on to the private outdoor space of adjacent residential units.
5. Landscaping should emphasize the creation of an attractive streetscape, as well as provide privacy between individual buildings and dwellings, screen parking areas, and break up large expanses of paving.
6. Parking should be located behind buildings or underground. Above ground structured parking is discouraged. Wrap any above ground structured parking with active (residential or commercial) uses to buffer parking from public spaces.
7. Recess parking garages and entrances from the front face of buildings.
8. Outdoor storage, garbage, and recycling areas should be screened from view, wherever possible.
9. Site lighting should provide personal safety for residents and visitors and be of the type that reduces glare and does not cause the spillover of light on to adjacent residential sites.
10. Provide direct pedestrian access from the public sidewalk to residences, storefronts, and businesses. Residential entries should be clearly visible and identifiable from the fronting public street. Recessed entrances to buildings from the sidewalk or property line are encouraged.
11. Provide for slightly raised entrances to ground floor residences. Residential entrances should be emphasized by incorporating a front patio or stoop.
12. Encourage more universally accessible housing for people with mobility limitations on the ground floor of buildings. Consider including an access point that is accessible by wheelchair.
13. Apartment lobbies should have direct sight lines into them from the fronting street, and where possible, multiple access points, to enhance building access and connectivity with adjacent open spaces.
14. A landscaped transition zone between the entryway and public sidewalk should be considered.
15. Locate active uses at grade and at or near the sidewalk.
16. Avoid blank walls and retaining walls adjacent to public streets. When blank walls and retaining walls are unavoidable, use an appropriate design treatment, such as the following:
• Install a vertical trellis in front of the wall with climbing vines or other plant material.
• Set the wall back slightly to provide room for evergreens and conifers to provide year-round screening. Township of Esquimalt | Official Community Plan 101
• Provide art (a mosaic, mural, relief, etc.) over a substantial portion of the wall surface.
• Employ quality materials of different textures and colours to make the wall more interesting visually.
• Provide special lighting, canopies, awnings, horizontal trellises, or other human-scale features that break up the size of the blank wall surface and add visual interest.
• Incorporate walls into a patio or sidewalk café space.
• Terrace (step down) retaining walls.
17. Exposed stairways and hallways on the exterior street facing portion of the building are discouraged.
18. Ensure natural sunlight is provided for in all bedrooms.
19. Provide usable private amenity open spaces that are adequately sized for the scale of the development. Locate them in highly visible areas, overlooked by housing units.
DPA 7 Energy Conservation Form Submission
24.5.1 Siting of buildings and structures
Where it is feasible:
1. Orient buildings to take advantage of site-specific climate conditions, in terms of solar access and wind flow; design massing and solar orientation for optimum passive performance.
2. Build new developments compactly, considering the solar penetration and passive performance provided for neighbouring sites, and avoid shading adjacent to usable outdoor open spaces.
3. In areas with taller developments, vary building heights to strategically reduce the shading on to adjacent buildings.
4. Provide green space and pedestrian pathways between buildings.
5. Strategically site buildings to sustain and increase the community’s urban forest tree canopy cover.
6. Provide space for significant landscaping including varying heights of trees, shrubs, and ground covers. Design retaining wall spacing and landscape planting areas of sufficient width and depth to support plantings.
7. Provide intuitive pedestrian access to storefronts and businesses with site connectivity to nearby amenities and services to help promote walking and the use of other active transportation modes.
8. Provide outdoor amenities such as seating, food gardens, mini-libraries, and play spaces in semi-public areas to enhance the experience of walking and recreating in the neighbourhood.
24.5.2 Form and exterior design of buildings and structures
1. Orient larger roof surfaces to the south for potential use of solar panels or photo-voltaic roofing.
2. Skylights are discouraged as they decrease insulating values and can interfere with solar panel installation.
3. Use roof designs that reduce heat transfer into neighbouring buildings.
4. Place more windows on the south side of buildings to increase solar gain, and use well-insulated windows on the north side to minimize heat loss, balancing daylighting, views, and ventilation needs.
24.5.3 Landscaping
Where it is feasible:
1. In residential locations plan for ‘nature out front’; for new landscaping in front and exterior side yards use a variety of site-appropriate, native species thereby contributing positively to pedestrian friendly urban streets, future greenways, and habitat enhanced corridors.
2. Choose open space and landscaping over dedicating space to the parking and maneuvering of motor vehicles.
3. Strategically place taller deciduous trees and vegetation on the south and west sides of buildings where there is more direct sun exposure.
4. As context and space allow, plant trees that will attain a greater mature size.
5. In residential neighbourhoods and along roadways, parking areas, and sidewalks, provide space for larger trees with a larger canopy cover as this will enhance the pedestrian experience.
24.5.4 Machinery, equipment, and systems external to buildings
Where it is feasible:
1. For external lighting:
• Choose efficient low-energy and long life technologies;
• Design lighting to reinforce and compliment existing street lighting;
• Use motion-sensitive or solar-powered lights whenever possible;
• Layer lighting for varying outdoor needs; and
• Provide lighting systems that are easily controlled by building occupants.
2. Limit outdoor lighting and direct light toward pedestrian areas. Consider use of shielding, timers, motion sensors, and down-lighting. Use International Dark-Sky Association approved lighting fixtures in outdoor locations. Outdoor lighting should be no brighter than necessary, be fully shielded (directed downward and designed to serve pedestrian needs), have minimal blue light emissions and only be on when needed. Avoid vanity lighting, and lighting directed into the night sky and trees tops.
3. Use heat pumps, solar panels, green (living) roofing, or an innovative system to improve a building’s energy performance.
4. Use durable, vandalism, and graffiti resistant materials where neighbourhood surveillance may be limited.
5. Design for on-site heat recovery and re-use of water.
6. Design bicycle parking facilities to be inviting for cyclists. Locate bike racks near the main building entrance, with adequate lighting and weather protection.
7. Provide car sharing facilities that are well lit, available for residents and the public, and easily accessed from the public street and not behind a gate.
24.5.5 Special Features
Where it is feasible:
1. Use wood for construction as a means to sequester carbon dioxide - North American grown and sustainably harvested wood is preferable for building construction.
2. Select local and regionally manufactured building products whenever possible.
3. Reuse of existing buildings and building materials is encouraged.
4. Choose materials that have a high likelihood of reuse or recycling at end of life.
DPA 8 Water Conservation Form Submission
25.5.1 Building and Landscape Design
Where it is feasible:
1. Provide space for absorbent landscaping, including significantly sized trees on the site.
2. Design underground parking structures to allow space for significantly sized trees.
3. Incorporate rainwater collection systems into roof design; consider using green roofs, living roofs, and walls as part of a rainwater collection system.
4. Intersperse paved surfaces with drought resistant vegetation that will provide shade on those surfaces and design the paved surfaces to drain into the vegetation.
5. Design landscaping with more planted and pervious surfaces than solid surfaces.
6. Direct stormwater towards rain gardens/bioswales.
25.5.2 Landscaping - Retaining Stormwater on Site (absorbent landscaping)
Where it is feasible:
1. Preserve and restore treed areas.
2. Use pervious landscaping materials to enhance stormwater infiltration; permeable paving is preferable for surface parking areas.
3. Avoid disturbing, compacting and removing areas of natural soil, as these are naturally absorbent areas.
4. Use good quality topsoil and compost for the finish grading of disturbed areas to contribute to the water holding capacity of newly landscaped areas.
5. Plant at densities that will ensure vegetated areas have 100% plant canopy coverage after two full growing seasons. Consider that understory native plants are adapted to local climates, absorb seasonal soil moisture and reduce compaction due to foot traffic.
6. Group plants with similar water needs into hydro-zones.
25.5.3 Landscaping - Water Features and Irrigation Systems
Where it is feasible:
1. Use automated high efficiency irrigation systems where irrigation is required.
2. Incorporate stormwater retention features into irrigation system design.
3. Use recirculated water systems for water features such as pools and fountains.
4. Install plantings and irrigation systems to the Canadian Landscape Standard
DPA 11 West Bay
Residential Buildings
1. Site and orient multi-plex, townhouse and apartment buildings to overlook public streets, parks, walkways and communal spaces, while ensuring the security and privacy of residents.
2. Incorporate individual entrances to ground floor units in residential buildings that are accessible from the fronting street. This provides easy pedestrian connections to buildings, encourages street activity and walking, and enhances safety.
3. Residential entries should be clearly visible and identifiable from the fronting public street to make the project more approachable and create a sense of association amongst neighbours.
4. Emphasize front doors by incorporating a front patio or stoop and orienting front entryways prominently towards public streets and open spaces.
5. Incorporation of a semi-elevated front entry way (1 m - 1.5 m) is encouraged to create a semi-private entry or transition zone to individual ground floor units. For these units, ensure an alternate access point that is accessible by wheelchair.
6. Locate off-street surface parking behind or underneath buildings. Off-street surface parking located between the front of the building and the public sidewalk or adjacent to other public open spaces is strongly discouraged and should be avoided. When parking is accessed from the fronting public street, recess parking garages and entrances from the front face of buildings.
7. A landscaped transition zone in between the entryway and public sidewalk should be considered on streets with high traffic volumes.
8. Apartment lobbies and main building entries should be clearly visible from the fronting street with direct sight lines into them. Where possible, apartment lobbies should have multiple access points to enhance building access and connectivity with adjacent open spaces.
Visual & Physical Connections to the Harbour
1. Physical and visual connections to landmark buildings, landscape features, the harbour, seascape, and other surrounding natural features are important components of West Bay’s character and identity and therefore should be preserved and enhanced.
2. New development and landscaping should frame rather than block public views of parks and open spaces, natural features, prominent buildings, public art and the harbour.
3. Locate and design buildings to preserve public street-end views (and where possible private views) to the harbour.
4. Where possible, create new public connections to harbourfront uses and activities at the waters edge, specifically Sailor’s Cove, Hidden Harbour, and West Bay Marina.
5. Mark/celebrate corners and street-end views through building and open space design.
6. Water access and views to the West Bay harbourfront and upland neighbourhood from the water are equally important elements of West Bay’s identity. Therefore future development must consider visual and physical connections to the neighbourhood from the water in considering future development.
7. New development adjacent or near to the harbourfront should respond to relevant sections of the provincial “Flood Hazard Area Land Use Management Guidelines.”
Neighbourliness
1. New projects should provide a sensitive transition to nearby, less intensive zones or areas with different uses. Projects on zone edges should be developed in a manner that creates a step in actual or perceived height, bulk and scale between the anticipated development potential of adjacent zones.
2. Buildings and groups of buildings should step down to be similar in height to adjacent buildings. This allows for an effective transition in scale and adequate sunlight penetration into open spaces and adjacent properties.
3. In a mixed use project adjacent to a less intensive zone, the more compatible use and building type should be sited near the zone edge.
4. Face similar uses across the street and at compatible scales; avoid building scale differences of more than 2 storeys across streets.
5. Locate development to minimize view impacts on existing and planned future development.
6. Buildings should be positioned and scaled to minimize the impact of shadows on adjacent open spaces, buildings, and within the project.
7. Locate open space (plazas, parks, patios, cafes, etc.) south of permanently shading structures.
8. Locating off-street surface parking in front of buildings, at prominent corners or intersections, immediately adjacent to public sidewalks and open spaces, and other public oriented active open spaces is strongly discouraged and should be avoided.
9. Minimize impacts from sloping sites on neighbouring development. Examples of treatments to minimize impacts include using terraced retaining walls of natural materials, or stepping a building to respond to the slope.
10. Views from upper stories of new buildings should minimize overlook into adjacent private yards, especially in less intensive areas. Following are some strategies which can be used to achieve this guideline:
1. Increase building separation so that the face of the building and hence the windows are setback farther from the property line.
2. Take advantage of site design that reduces impacts by using, for example, an adjacent ground floor area for an entry court.
3. Stagger windows to not align with adjacent, facing windows.
4. Primary windows into habitable spaces should not face interior side-yards.
General Guidelines
1. The design of new buildings and renovated existing buildings should express a unified architectural concept that incorporates both variation and consistency in façade treatments (for example, by articulating façades into a series of intervals).
2. Design buildings to express their internal function and use.
3. Incorporate into building façades a range of architectural features and design details that are rich and varied to create visual interest when approached by pedestrians.
4. Examples of architectural features include:
1. Building height, massing, articulation and modulation;
2. Bay windows and balconies;
3. Corner features accent, such as turrets or cupolas;
4. Decorative rooflines and cornices;
5. Building entries; or
6. Canopies and overhangs.
Examples of architectural details include:
1. Treatment of masonry (ceramic tile, paving stones, brick patterns, etc.);
2. Treatment of siding (for example, the use of score lines, textures, and different materials or patterning to distinguish between different floors);
3. Articulation of columns and pilasters;
4. Ornament or integrated artwork;
5. Integrated architectural lighting;
6. Detailed grilles and railings;
7. Substantial trim details and moldings; or
8. Trellises and arbors.
4. Locate and design entrances to create building identity and to distinguish between individual commercial and residential ground floor units. Use a high level of architectural detail and, where appropriate, landscape treatment to emphasize primary entrances and to provide “punctuation” in the overall streetscape treatment.
5. Design balconies as integral parts of buildings and to maximize daylight access into dwellings through the use of glazed or narrow metal spindle guardrails.
6. Clearly distinguish the roofline from the walls of buildings (for example, through the use of a cornice, overhang, or decorative motif).
7. Windows can be used to reinforce the human scale of architecture by incorporating individual windows in upper storeys that:
1. Are vertically proportioned and approximately the size and proportion of a traditional window;
2. Include substantial trim or molding;
3. Are separated from adjacent windows by a vertical element;
4. Are made up of small panes of glass; or
5. Are separated with moldings or jambs but grouped together to form larger areas of glazing.
8. The use of figured or frosted glass or tinted glazing is discouraged for windows facing the street except for compatible use of stained glass or where figured or frosted glass comprises a maximum 20% of the glazing. This creates a welcoming, visually interesting and transparent street frontage.
9. In general, new buildings should incorporate natural building materials into façades to avoid a “thin veneer” look and feel, and combined with more modern treatments, such as glass, concrete, and steel.
10. Vinyl siding, large expanses of stucco, swirl type stucco, and vinyl for window frames are generally discouraged.
Green Healthy Buildings and Open Spaces
1. Building design and site planning should reduce the overall “ecological footprint” (energy use, waste, and pollution) of new development while also maximizing livability. This can be achieved by maximizing passive lighting, heating and cooling, providing usable outdoor amenity spaces and being responsive to the existing ecosystems and natural context.
2. Design residential buildings to receive daylight and natural ventilation from at least two sides of the building, or from one side and a roof. Where possible, dwellings should have a choice of aspect: front and back, or on two sides (for corner units).
3. Dwelling units with exterior access on only one side should always face a good view or the direction of the sun (ideally both) and are most suitable as wide frontages with shallow floor plans to allow adequate penetration of daylight.
4. New buildings should not block significant views or solar access to adjacent buildings and open spaces.
5. Incorporate courtyards, greenways, gardens and other common areas as defining elements of projects.
6. Where at-grade space is limited, rooftop patios, gardens and courtyards are encouraged.
OPTIONS:
1. That the Design Review Committee recommends to Council that the development permit application be approved including reasons for this recommendation.
2. That the Design Review Committee recommends to Council that the development permit application be approved subject to conditions, including reasons for this recommendation.
3. That the Design Review Committee recommends to Council that the development permit application be denied including reasons for this recommendation.
COUNCIL PRIORITY:
Housing
REPORT REVIEWED BY:
1. Bill Brown, Director of Development Services, Reviewed
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix A Aerial Map
Appendix B Architectural Drawings
Appendix C Landscape Drawings
Appendix D Arborists’ Report
Appendix E Engineering Drawings
Appendix F Survey
Appendix G DPA 1 Applicant Checklist
Appendix H DPA 6 Applicant Checklist
Appendix I DPA 7 Energy Conservation and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Applicant Checklist
Appendix J DPA 8 Water Conservation Applicant Checklist
Appendix K DPA 11 West Bay Applicant Checklist
Appendix L Green Building Checklist
Appendix M Applicant Presentation