Lot description: Narrow lot 28 x 108, total site area 3,045 square feet (283 square metres) on dead end street in Southwest Fernwood bordering North Park.

Existing building: 1908 single storey home (SFD), 1033 square feet (100 square metres), situated at front of lot (located on the front lot line, west end of lot), with narrow side lot lines (north 1.2 feet and south 4.6 feet). 

Proposed Building Project- Renovation and Addition to Existing Building:

Project goals:

 Propose to renovate existing home for the purposes of:

Ÿ  Acquiring additional space in the home for greater flexibility in living arrangements and to accommodate a home office.  Specifically, by adding a two storey addition to the single storey home, homeowner proposes to add an additional bedroom, bathroom and office.

Ÿ  Increasing the security of the home and safety of the resident and her assets by securing access to rear yard, building a new, secure front entrance and steps, eliminating access to mudroom, enclosing bicycle storage and replacing horizontal landscaping in front of house with a vertical living wall to eliminate use of bushels/plants for discarding used needles. 

Ÿ  Increasing the value of the property to reflect current market rates of nearby homes by renovating the existing, deteriorating and inefficient building, and adding an additional bedroom and bathroom.  Current property is undervalued because house is 1000ft2 with only one bedroom and one bathroom and in need of update.

Ÿ  Restoring and building a high performance, healthy, durable, eco-efficient house that achieves LEED for Homes and BuiltGreen Certification.  This house is currently of poor quality with excessive air leakage, poor thermal performance, that is susceptible to mold and mildew from improper ventilation and poor insulation of crawlspace.  Retrocommissioning of the existing building will improve the building envelope by adding insulation to the exterior, replacing single-paned windows with energystar windows, and having crawlspace cleaned, lined, insulated and enclosed.

Project details:

1.                   Propose to deconstruct a 25 yr old single storey 250 ft2 ineffective addition at rear of house (18x13.9 ft) currently used for storage room and bathroom, and erect a 2 storey addition to rear of house, thereby increasing the size of the main floor’s bathroom (current bathroom is 63ft2, proposed 108ft2), adding a home office to the main rear of the building, and adding a second bedroom and bathroom on the upper floor.  Addition will increase the main floor footprint by 160ft2 and the upper storey will add approximately 560ft2 to the house.

2.                   Propose to build roof of addition to be south-facing at approximately 35-40 degrees to allow for solar panels to be added at a later date when economics allow.

3.                   Propose to construct green roof for remaining roof portion of main building not occupied by the second storey of addition to increase green space beneficial for thermal performance of building, stormwater management, urban heat island effect and beauty.  Structural engineer has indicated that existing building can support the increased load of the addition and green roof.  Building inspector and home insurance company have indicated they are amenable to green roof based on meeting certain requirements.

4.                   Propose to build staircase to upper storey along northern wall of existing building so as to minimize disruption of open space within the existing home and avoid expenses required to relocate windows, etc. if placed staircase anywhere else.  Furthermore, stairs on the northern wall will have the least impact on loss of daylight into the space.

5.                   Propose to build new exterior front entrance stairs.  Homeowner’s home insurer (Westland Insurance) has asked homeowner to build new exterior stairs as current stairs are deemed unsafe and too deteriorated.

6.                   Propose to relocate staircase and front entrance to align with stairs to new upper storey thereby minimizing loss of usable floor space to stairs and landings and traffic pattern to upper floor.  Propose this new entrance as a means to achieve more security at front of house.  Current mudroom is insecure and has resulted in people coming up the stairs and inside the mudroom which allows for full visibility into the house.

7.                   Propose to enclose existing staircase area for bike storage and thus eliminate access to mudroom which will become a sitting room accessible from the inside of the house only. 

8.                   Propose to install a living wall to maintain greenery at front of house, but to clear ground area of landscaping which has previously been a bed for used needles (3 needles on separate occasions have been found in this shrubbery in front of house).

Other project details:

This major renovation has been accepted into the LEED for Homes pilot program.  It is one of 45 case study home projects in the country registered in the Canada Green Building Council’s Case Study Program.  As such, in addition to renovating this home to add some much needed space, the design and construction of this home’s renovation will be a study in greening existing, affordable homes.  Homeowner is a LEED accredited professional and building has been designed to be energy efficient, (minimizing need for mechanical heating and artificial lighting systems) by way of taking advantage of passive solar heat gains and natural ventilation, and through the use of a thermally efficient building system for the addition comprised of prefabricated wall, floor and roof panels.  Construction using prefabricated panels is also intended to reduce site disturbance and facilitate deconstruction at a later date if desired. 

Summary of Variance Requests:

Section 1.2.6      Lot occupancy relaxation from 40% to 42% coverage.  By minimally increasing the size of the main floor bathroom and increasing the width of the home office (from 14 to 18.5 ft) in the rear of the main floor, the proposed design increases the footprint of the house by 160ft2 and lot occupancy becomes 42%.  Rooms were designed to maximize the efficiency of every square foot of this small house and to provide effective use of interior space while retaining the green space and rear yard of this small lot unaltered.  The home office in the rear of main floor is sized as required for the most beneficial working layout and to house the entire office’s contents.  Homeowner requires that office provide room for significant file storage and a large L-shaped desk for reading plans and housing desktop computer.  The addition was designed to be wider than the existing room by expanding into the unusable northern side yard in order to achieve the increase in office room size without encroaching on the rear yard (which remains the same as existing).

Section 1.2.7      Front yard setback relaxation from 7.5m (24.6’) to nil for the front entrance staircase and bike storage closet, consistent with current non-conforming and setbacks of abutting neighbourhood property.  As property is without a garage or driveway typical of most houses, secure and accessible bike storage at front of house is being sought for under the existing mudroom and with proposed enclosure of existing staircase).

Second storey of addition has been designed to meet front yard setback requirements of 7.5m (24.6’).  Front yard setback request included herein is based on current non-conforming issues.

Section 1.2.10   Side yard setback, south, relaxation from 3.0m (9.8’) to 1.4m (4.6’) equivalent to existing non-conforming house on this narrow lot.

Side yard setback, north, relaxation from 5’ to 1.2’ equivalent to existing non-conforming house on this narrow lot.  Please note, the northern setback relaxation request is ONLY for the staircase and landing to the upper storey addition, the remainder of the addition has been designed to achieve the required setback of 5’.

Total side yard setbacks relaxed from 4.5m (14.76’) to 1.77m (5.8’) for the existing footprint of the house, and to 2.93m (9.6') for the proposed addition of house, equivalent to existing non-conforming  house on this narrow lot.

Addition has been designed to meet side yard setback, north, requirement of 1.5m (5’) for all but the staircase and landing to the upper storey.  Side yard setback requests included herein are all based on current non-conforming issues.

Section 1.2.13   Side yards for habitable room windows , relaxation from 2.4m (8’) to 1.4m (4.6’) south and to 1.5m (5’) north,  equivalent to existing non-conforming house on this narrow lot.

Side yard habitable room windows requests included herein are all based on current non-conforming issues.

Basis for Variance Request:

1. Existence - House has multiple current non-conforming issues related to front and side setback zoning requirements due to house being situated on front lot line of small, narrow lot.  Virtually any alteration to the house will require requests for relaxation in some way or another.

Renovation and addition has been designed so as to be respectful of streetscape and neighbours.  For instance, only clerestory windows (non-view) are located on the north side for daylighting, cross-ventilation and cool air supply, maintaining privacy to/from northern neighbours.  Homeowner has, and will continue to, discuss renovation plans with Jean Nicholson, homeowner at 1607 Rebecca Street to ensure that homeowner’s renovations do not infringe on her rights and to ensure her continued privacy and enjoyment of her property both inside and out.

Homeowner has discussed BC building code requirements related to spatial separation/limiting distance with City of Victoria Building Inspector, David Marchment, and will assure unprotected openings, etc. are in compliance with fire safety regulations of BC Building Code. Windows in final design may vary slightly according to BC Building Code requirements which may require a reduction in the total size of unprotected openings on the south side.

Setbacks being requested are the minimum deemed necessary by the homeowner in order to achieve the project’s goals.  Wherever possible, the building renovation is being designed within the zoning requirements (note front setback of upper storey, side yard setback of addition).  Front yard setback requests are consistent with the existing house and do not vary from the established pattern of the streetscape.  Side setback relaxation requests do not adversely affect the privacy, sunlight or views of the adjacent property, nor restrain potential for the adjacent property for future development.

1. Size/Space – Homeowner is seeking more space than the current 1,000 ft2 home as she requires a separate office and an additional bedroom.  House is currently one bedroom, one bathroom with an open concept kitchen/living room and a storage room in rear of house.  Homeowner currently lives alone and has home-based business.  
1. Home office has overflowed into existing living area.  A large and efficient office is required to provide more significant work space, storage for growing files and division of living/work space. 
2. Homeowner requires a separate bedroom for her niece who sleeps over frequently, currently sharing bed with homeowner when she does so.  This bedroom could be used for other guests additionally which homeowner can’t currently provide visitation to. Finally a second bedroom could provide ability for homeowner to obtain a roommate if economic circumstances require it at a later date.
2. Affordability – Homeowner is single, self-employed professional with start-up business.  Equity in home has been leveraged to fund growth of business and home renovation.  Should business revenues not materialize or should interest rates and cost of living change, homeowner may be in a position where retaining ownership of her home becomes tenuous.  Increasing the size of the home to provide greater flexibility as to the use of the building – roommates, common law, etc is added security to the homeowner.  Currently, house is inappropriate for sharing with any other individuals including even a common law living situation because of the need for private and separate office space; homeowner is currently working at her dining room table and has files stored in her living room.  Off-site commercial rental is not required for conduct of business and would be cost prohibitive at this time.  Selling this house and moving to a larger house is also not an option given the current market prices of other homes and the current value of the homeowner’s.  The likelihood of the homeowner having a change in living arrangement in the short term is high and relocation is not an option for reasons of affordability and house’s status quo does not provide opportunity to homeowner to introduce a partner or child to this space. 
3. Safety and Security – House is situated in Fernwood/North Park near downtown Victoria, needle exchange, methadone clinic, Our Place, and Victoria High School.  On more than a few occasions, people have wandered into the homeowner’s rear yard or stumbled into the homeowner’s mudroom (separated from main house currently by locking french doors).  Most recently (June 7, 2008) a man crept into the homeowner’s mudroom at 9:30pm on a Saturday night and was seen to be peering through the glass doors.  When confronted by the homeowner, who was home alone, the man indicated that he was looking for work.  Homeowner needs to increase security of the house to reflect changing times of this neighbourhood.  The homeowner has acquired an alarm system, but feels other steps are required to increase her safety and prevent forced entry into the front or rear of the house.  Like her neighbour at 1607 Rebecca Street, homeowner proposes to block off rear yard access other than through the house by adding locking gates on both side yards.  Homeowner proposes to block off entrance to mudroom by relocating staircase of main entrance to other side of building and having secure entry door only (no mudroom).  Existing/former mudroom will  be used as a sitting room only accessible from the living room .  Finally, homeowner proposes to install locking bike storage at front of house (enclosure of existing stairway to mudroom), in order to secure bikes which are used daily for transportation and are currently locked up outside with a U-lock, which is not a great theft deterrent, nor good for the maintenance/longevity of the bicycles.