REQUEST FOR DECISION
DATE: August 22, 2018 Report No. DEV-18-063
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Karen Hay, Planner and Bill Brown, Director of Development Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Housing Agreement - 1379 Esquimalt Road / 520 Foster Street (St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church)
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
1. That Council resolves to rescind second and third reading of Housing Agreement (1379 Esquimalt Road/ 520 Foster Street) Bylaw, 2018, No. 2935, attached as Appendix ‘A’ of Staff Report DEV-18-063, for 1379 Esquimalt Road / 520 Foster Street, [PID 024-848-905; Lot A (DD EP75276), Suburban Lot 27, Esquimalt District, Plan 5092]; and
2. That Council resolves that Housing Agreement (1379 Esquimalt Road/ 520 Foster Street) Bylaw, 2018, No. 2935, with the revised schedule attached as Appendix ‘B’ of Staff Report DEV-18-063, for 1379 Esquimalt Road / 520 Foster Street, [PID 024-848-905; Lot A (DD EP75276), Suburban Lot 27, Esquimalt District, Plan 5092], be amended and read anew a second and third time.
Body
RELEVANT POLICY:
Local Government Act
Official Community Plan Bylaw, 2018, No. 2922
Zoning Bylaw, 1992, No. 2050
Development Application Procedures and Fees Bylaw, No. 2791, 2012
STRATEGIC RELEVANCE:
This Request for Decision does not directly relate to a specific strategic objective.
BACKGROUND:
Appendix A: Housing Agreement (1379 Esquimalt Road/ 520 Foster Street) Bylaw, 2018, No. 2935
Appendix B: Housing Agreement (1379 Esquimalt Road/ 520 Foster Street) Bylaw, 2018, No. 2935 with an amended Schedule ‘A’
Purpose of the Application
CitySpaces Consulting, on behalf of the owner of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church (the Anglican Synod of the Diocese of British Columbia), is requesting an amendment to the Official Community Plan and a change to the property’s zoning to facilitate the subdivision of the subject property into four separate parcels and the construction of a new building on the site. Twenty-four new, affordable, non-market rental housing units for seniors and persons with disabilities would be located in a proposed new building above a new ministry centre.
The owners have offered the housing agreement to assure Council that the twenty-four units will be rented at an ‘Affordable Rent’. In the amended Schedule ‘A’ they have further clarified how the affordable rent would be calculated, with the average of all rented dwelling units in the building to be not more than 85% of the average rental rates for Victoria. This would permit some units to be above 85% provided others were lower than the 85%.
The proposed amendments also include provisions that would allow “Immediate Family Members” to reside in the units even though they may not be “Seniors” or “Persons with Disabilities”.
Should this Housing Agreement Bylaw be adopted, a Notice of this Housing Agreement shall be placed on the title of the subject property.
ISSUES:
1. Rationale for Selected Option
Registration of this Housing Agreement would ensure that the twenty-four non-market rental housing units, for seniors and persons with disabilities, would be rented at rents equal to or less than 85% of the market rent for a comparable sized dwelling unit in Victoria, British Columbia, and calculated as an average rate over the total occupied dwelling units rented.
Should Council read Housing Agreement Bylaw, 2018, No. 2935 a second, and third time as amended, it would enable Staff to return the Housing Agreement Bylaw back to Council for consideration of adoption at the same time that Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 2932 and Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2933 could be considered of adoption.
2. Organizational Implications
This Request for Decision has no organizational implications.
3. Financial Implications
This Request for Decision has no financial implications.
4. Sustainability & Environmental Implications
This Request for Decision has no environmental implications.
5. Communication & Engagement
A housing agreement to secure the rental of affordable housing units is offered as part of the rezoning application. The Local Government Act does not require that notification be provided when a municipality is considering approval of a Housing Agreement Bylaw.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. That Council give second and third readings to amended Housing Agreement Bylaw, 2018, No. 2935.
2. That Council defeat Housing Agreement Bylaw, 2018, No. 2935.