Industrial Lands Strategy Implementation:
Summary of I-2 Zoning Changes
November 1996

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Index

Introduction
Background
Updating Industrial Zoning
For More Information

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Introduction

On November 26, 1996, Council gave final approval to a new I-2 industrial district schedule for about 1,000 acres of industrial land. Other amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law, including the Mount Pleasant I-1 and Still Creek CD-1 schedules, were also enacted.

Background

On March 14, 1995, Council adopted the Industrial Lands Strategy and approved a work program to update industrial zoning in Vancouver. Council-adopted policies are available from the Planning Department in a document titled "Industrial Lands Policies."

The overall objective of the Strategy is to retain most of the city's existing industrial land base for industrial and service businesses. The work program proposed a review of the zoning schedules to achieve the following:

a) updated definitions of industry to better accommodate service businesses;

b) revised outright height and bulk limits to ensure compatibility with nearby residential areas; and

c) revised provisions for conditional uses (i.e. cultural, recreation, education) to determine which uses can locate in industrial areas and which uses should be excluded.

The I-2 zoning initiative deals with items a) and b) above. Additional work related to the Industrial Lands Strategy is now underway, including a review of conditional uses (item c) and the creation of highway-oriented retail/industrial zones along the Grandview Highway and Marine Drive industrial area frontages.

Updating Industrial Zoning

The following sections describe the zoning changes that were recently approved by Council.

1. Increase the allowable floor area for service industrial uses

a) For the I-1, I-2, and Still Creek CD-1 district schedules:

Manufacturing uses, transportation and storage uses, and Wholesaling - Class A continue to be permitted the maximum allowable floor area - 3 FSR;

The maximum floor area was increased from 1 FSR to 3 FSR for Utility and Communication uses; other Wholesale uses; and the following service uses: Laboratory; Laundry or Cleaning Plant; Production or Rehearsal Studio; Repair Shop - Class A; and Work Shop;

The maximum floor area is 1 FSR for each of the following service uses: Catering Establishment; Motor Vehicle Repair Shop; Photofinishing or Photography Laboratory; and Sign Painting Shop; and

The maximum floor area is 1 FSR for all other uses combined.

Existing policies regarding retail uses, other than vehicle dealers, have not changed. New provisions for accessory uses and general office uses are described below, in section 3.

b) Vehicle dealers are now permitted throughout the I-1, I-2, and Still Creek CD-1 districts (an arterial street location or vehicle repair space are no longer required in these districts). The 1,000 m2 (10,000 sq. ft.) size limit for vehicle dealers does not apply in the I-2 and Still Creek CD-1 districts. Vehicle dealer is still a conditional use.

2. Create new definitions

A number of existing definitions were amended and some new definitions were added to Section 2 of the By-law. All the industrial district schedules were amended to include some or all of these new uses.

a) A new definition was created for "Software Manufacturing", which means the bulk production and packaging of computer programs. By contrast, software programming is a general office use.

b) "Works Yard or Works Shop" was separated into two definitions: "Work Shop" and "Works Yard". The purpose is to facilitate the approval of indoor work shops for various trades services.

c) "General Office" was amended to include computer programming and desktop publishing.

d) "Paper or Pulp Manufacturing" was separated into two definitions: "Paper Manufacturing" and "Pulp Manufacturing". The purpose is to permit small-scale manufacturing of specialty papers in I-2 districts.

e) In a separate report, retail and wholesale uses were amended to include wholesale clubs. The purpose is to define wholesale clubs, which sell to members of the public, as a retail use.

f) In another report, "Artist Studio" was amended to "Artist Studio - Class A" and "Artist Studio - Class B". "Artist Studio - Class B" only is permitted in industrial districts, up to 1 FSR, for rental units, in buildings existing as of September 10, 1996.

3. Increase the amount of accessory and office space allowed

a) In the I-1 district schedule, the limit on accessory space was increased from 25 percent to 33 1/3 percent of the gross floor area of the principal and accessory uses combined. This is the limit in the M-1, M-2, and I-2 district schedules.

In addition to the changes in 2e) regarding wholesale clubs, accessory retail in conjunction with wholesaling was made a conditional use in all industrial district schedules. The purpose is to ensure that retail floor area limits are applied and a proper dividing wall is constructed.

b) The limit on General Office floor area was increased from 25 percent to 33 1/3 percent of the total gross floor area in the I-2 and Still Creek CD-1 district schedules.

Notary public was added to the list of general office uses not permitted. The use now reads: "General Office, but not including the offices of accountants, lawyers and notary publics, nor the offices of real estate, advertising, insurance, travel and ticket agencies."

4. Reduce height and bulk provisions

In the I-2 and Still Creek CD-1 district schedules, the outright building height was reduced from 30.5 m (100 ft.) to 18.3 m (60 ft.). Increases up to 30.5 m (100 ft.) are permitted provided there are no shadow or visual privacy impacts on developments in residential districts.

In the I-2 and Still Creek CD-1 district schedules, the maximum allowable floor area was reduced from 5 FSR to 3 FSR. This change affects manufacturing uses, transportation and storage uses, and Wholesaling - Class A.

5. Replace "heavy" industrial zoning with "light" industrial zoning

a) Conditions of use were included in sections 2.3 and 3.3 of the I-2 district schedule to control the storage of goods and materials. The purpose of these conditions of use is to:

Prohibit the bulk storage of hazardous goods, such as explosives, except for trans-shipment purposes;

Ensure that other potentially dangerous goods, such as industrial chemicals or flammable liquids, are properly stored;

Restrict the keeping of live animals; and

Ensure that outdoor storage yards are suitably enclosed.

b) The I-2 district schedule does not permit "heavy" industrial uses that are no longer suitable for inner-city industrial areas, e.g. saw mills, raw ore foundries, pulp mills. However, junk yards existing as of November 26, 1996 are permitted to remain. Also, waste disposal stations are limited to the sorting and transfer of garbage.

c) The following industrial lands were rezoned from M-1 or M-2 to I-2: Clark Drive; False Creek Flats; Grandview/Boundary; Marine Drive (north of Kent or 75th Avenue); Bridgeway Street M-1; and Semlin Drive M-1.

The following two CD-1 areas were rezoned to I-2: CD-1 (6) 1300-1598 S.E. Marine Dr.; and CD-1 (166) 1570 Kootenay St.

The M-2 zoning is retained for "heavy" and water-dependent industry in the following industrial areas: Burrard Waterfront Port Lands; the Port back-up lands in the Powell Street area; and the Fraser River waterfront.

The City has about 1,700 acres of industrial land: 1,000 acres zoned I-2, 500 acres zoned M-2, and 200 acres zoned I-1 or some other light industrial zoning.

6. Facilitate "change of use" in inner-city industrial areas

A parking pilot project has been approved for the Mount Pleasant I-1 district. On a trial basis, manufacturing uses will be permitted in buildings existing as of November 26, 1996, without requiring additional parking if it cannot be provided. The parking exemption is limited to four spaces for every 15.24 m (50 ft.) of site frontage.

Engineering staff will monitor parking impacts for one year and then report the results of the pilot project to Council. Depending on the outcome, changes to the Parking By-law could be recommended following an examination of parking needs in other industrial areas.

For More Information

If you have any questions, please contact Christina DeMarco at 873-7684 or e-mail her.

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Last Modified: February 24, 1999
(c) 1999 City of Vancouver