It was expressed that there is concern that the recommended zoning changes would result in significant increases in building height. 

The draft Plan recommends that building height be re-evaluated to accommodate modern tenant needs and market realities.  The following are the recommended changes to the downtown height in the draft Plan:

First Floor Commercial use should range from a 14 foot minimum to 20 foot maximum floor height in order to encourage appropriately scaled non-residential uses.

Upper floors containing commercial or residential uses should range from 10 foot to 11 foot floor height in order to accommodate modern construction techniques and a product that is attractive to high-quality rental markets

Roof Height, which is non-inhabitable space, should allow for a 10 foot to 20 foot additional building height for architectural features that result in high-quality building design

Therefore, assuming a maximum first floor height of 20 feet, and not including any additional height from roof articulation, the following building heights are recommended by the draft Plan:

Current Height (for # of stories)                                           Plan Proposes (for # of stories)                                

4 stories: 45 feet                                                              4 stories: 44-53 ft                                                      

7 stories: 75 feet                                                              7 stories: 74-86ft                                                       

9 stories: 95 feet                                                              9 floors: 94-108 ft                                                      

12 stories: 145 feet                                                          12 floors: 124-141 ft                                                   

155 feet (recently amended CID ordinance)              14 floors: 144-163 ft                                                  

Any of the Plan’s proposed height increases would need to be reviewed in more detail in the context of a zoning amendment.  The recommendations for changes to the height in the draft Plan are similar to those recently proposed by the developer for the Fraser Centre.  This section of the plan discusses recommendations for changing building heights. 

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