Council approved a rezoning application at a public hearing Tuesday night that will see the redevelopment of the old Avalon Dairy property at 5805 Wales St.
The residential development will include six three-storey stacked townhomes with 54 strata units — eight of which will have lock-off units, along with the restoration and Heritage A designation of the Craftsman-style 1900s-era farmhouse, which Avalon founder Jeremiah Crowley built in 1908.
The farmhouse will be converted into one residential unit with common amenity space on the ground floor.
Avalonna Homes bought the Avalon Dairy property for $6 million in 2011. It was zoned single-family residential, which would have allowed the owner to subdivide it into 10 or 11 lots. The city considered extra density to preserve the heritage farmhouse.
Robert Ciccozzi of Robert Ciccozzi Architects submitted the application.
Michelle McGuire, a rezoning planner with the City of Vancouver, presented the report on the project. Staff recommended approval subject to conditions outlined in the report.
McGuire told council that the application has evolved since it was first submitted in response to comments from the public, the Urban Design Panel and the Heritage Commission.
“Overall, public response to the proposal has been largely positive. Comments in support focused on support for the retention of the farmhouse and addition of townhouses,” she said. “Comments in opposition have focused mostly on concern about traffic and parking impacts associated with the proposed development.”
McGuire noted that the application is consistent with the Victoria Fraserview Killarney community vision and the city’s heritage policies and guidelines dealing with land use, density, height and form of development.
“The application, if approved, would provide ground-oriented multi-family townhouse units and would result in the restoration, rehabilitation and protection of the historic Avalon farmhouse,” she said.
Vision Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal questioned McGuire about concerns the Heritage Commission had raised earlier, dealing with open space and visibility of the farmhouse.
“In subsequent revisions to the application, the open space for around the farmhouse building is much more organized in a coordinated way that allows views from the Avalon greenway, as well as a more sort of slot view from Wales Street that is available now with the siting of the townhouses along Wales Street,” she said.
Only one resident spoke at the public hearing. He raised a concern about the entry into the parking area.
Since the application was referred to public hearing, the city received four emails in support of the project on one email on other aspects.
In closing comments, Deal said she fully supported the development plan and said it’s a great way to save “this incredibly important” site for Vancouver.
“It has a huge depth of meaning to this neighbourhood and the city as a whole,” she said. “So for it to come forward with this level of development and this little concern is a great success story as far as I’m concerned.”
Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr said it was wonderful to see protection of heritage, coupled with creation of family housing. She also praised the applicant for addressing Heritage Commission and UDP concerns “to make sure heritage is protected in a sensitive way.”
“And what it achieved in the end is 96 per cent public support,” said Carr. “I think that’s about as high as I’ve seen public support on an application.”
