Richmond Court Apts. 1082 Richmond razed?
#1
Posted 21 June 2009 - 09:05 AM
Victoria's new planning and land use committee is recommending against a plan to bulldoze a 1800s-vintage Rockland rental apartment building to make way for new condos.
"I will not be supporting it when it comes to council," said Coun. Pam Madoff, who chairs the city's new planning committee.
"We've fought so hard to find mechanisms to preserve rental housing and discovered that the tools are just not available to us. So all I can do in terms of living with myself is not enable developments that take away rental housing," she said.
Although the proposal meets existing zoning requirements, Abstract Developments Inc. needs a development permit in order to demolish the five-suite Richmond Court Apartments at 1082 Richmond Ave. to make way for a 12-unit condo project. The company is seeking some minor variances in setbacks and site coverage.
City planning staff are recommending the development permit be issued. They note the variances are supportable as they are in keeping with nearby
properties, and while the building has heritage character, without designated status, the application should be considered on its merits.
The existing building, constructed in the late 1800s as the original St. Michaels University school, was converted into rental apartments in 1972. It is not on the city's list of heritage registry or heritage designated buildings.
"I think it's going to be a really sad day for Victoria when the only buildings with heritage value that are going to be preserved and recognized are ones that are on the registry or have heritage designation. This is an extremely rare building in this part of town. There are very few buildings from the 1800s," Madoff said.
"Although I cannot tell a property owner to keep it I would hope that our community values would recognize the landmark quality of that building on that corner."
Abstract president Mike Miller told the committee he did his due diligence when he bought the property 18 months ago and could find nothing regarding the building's history and legal impediment to the redevelopment plans. He said the economics do not justify remediating the existing building. The property could be redeveloped without the siting variances but would not be as well aligned with the neighbouring properties.
He said he understands the city's desire to save rental.
"I myself would be willing to forego the application as it is and walk away from the property, at the cost, if the city could figure out some way of saving that building and the apartment units for rental," Miller said.
In October last year, city council gave third reading to but did not adopt a housing emergency bylaw. The bylaw -- which would have a six month life -- would prevent the demolition of rental housing unless certain conditions were met such as the provision of non-profit rental housing.
Earlier this year the council directed staff to amend the city's official community plan to encourage the protection of rental housing. The development permit process, however, does not allow council to mandate rental housing.
bcleverley@tc.canwest.com
© Copyright © The Victoria Times Colonist
Mod, this is not a heritage building so please move if needed.
#2
Posted 21 June 2009 - 10:04 AM
#3
Posted 21 June 2009 - 11:31 AM
"I think it's going to be a really sad day for Victoria when the only buildings with heritage value that are going to be preserved and recognized are ones that are on the registry or have heritage designation..."
"Although I cannot tell a property owner to keep it I would hope that our community values would recognize the landmark quality of that building on that corner."
Indeed.
#4
Posted 21 June 2009 - 12:02 PM
#5
Posted 21 June 2009 - 12:10 PM
Still looks lovely.
#6
Posted 21 June 2009 - 01:37 PM
Has anyone noticed that Mike Miller's projects all seem to have the same dial-a-design look?
#7
Posted 21 June 2009 - 02:51 PM
-City of Victoria website, 2009
#9
Posted 21 June 2009 - 06:47 PM
#10
Posted 21 June 2009 - 09:02 PM
#11
Posted 21 June 2009 - 09:52 PM
He's also trying to market it as OB Village, as an OB resident Mike Miller knows its a healthy walk from the corner of Richmond to the village.
Bad design+marketing lies = NO!
#12
Posted 22 June 2009 - 07:59 AM
I have no issue with the conversion to market condo's though.
#13
Posted 22 June 2009 - 08:41 AM
I have no issue with the conversion to market condo's though.
Especially since there is a good chance that at least half the condos would become rental properties anyway.
#14
Posted 22 June 2009 - 09:03 AM
Even Saanich itself is doing more interesting stuff these days.
Edit: and so is this particular developer. So what gives?
#15
Posted 24 June 2009 - 09:38 AM
Mike Miller has published a letter to editor in today's TC about this project.
#16
Posted 24 June 2009 - 11:22 AM
#17
Posted 24 June 2009 - 11:25 AM
#18
Posted 24 June 2009 - 01:12 PM
Mike Miller has published a letter to editor in today's TC about this project.
Here it is (I bolded the bit where he's hitting back at Counc. Madoff; interesting, that he refers to her "personal" beliefs):
City should not stop legitimate development
Times ColonistJune 24, 2009
Re: "Developer wants to raze rental building from 1800s," June 21.
This property at 1082 Richmond Ave. was specifically rezoned in the mid-1980s -- long before I purchased it -- to encourage redevelopment. Today, my plans for a 12-unit condominium are supported by neighbours, city staff and the city's advisory design panel.
One councillor, though, has expressed opposition, citing her personal belief in its heritage value and her concerns about the loss of rental housing.
The city maintains a registry of heritage buildings, the point of which is to protect those buildings that are considered to have value to the city as a whole. As someone who has built a career not just on building new homes but on restoring existing ones, I recognize the value of heritage properties and of the heritage registry.
The building in question, however, is not on the city's heritage list and is not identified in any of its documents or plans. Nevertheless, if council were to decide that the property has been overlooked and does indeed belong on the registry, I have offered to sell it to the city at fair market value.
In regard to the loss of rental housing, my company owns and manages a number of rental units and I sit on the regional housing affordability task force.
I recognize the need for affordable rental housing, and I offered several strategies to address the loss of housing for the existing tenants.
Stopping legitimate developments as a way of protecting affordable housing will not help to build partnerships with the development community or to provide solutions.
Mike Miller
president
Abstract Developments
Victoria
#19
Posted 24 June 2009 - 01:13 PM
#20
Posted 24 June 2009 - 02:00 PM
Use the page links at the lower-left to go to the next page to read additional posts.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users