DENSITY - 14 acres not 19 acres.
The developer's proposal for Block F speaks of maximizing the allowable density from a standard 1.00 FSR to a maximum FSR of 1.45 - a 45% increase in density. The bigger question remains what area will be used for this calculation. The UEL building bylaw speaks of the FSR ratio being applied to a "site". In this case, we have 22 acres of what used to be Pacific Spirit Park. From that we subtract at least 3 acres for park space and another quarter or 5 acres for access roads and sidewalks. This would bring the total area of all available building sites to 14 acres. It is important that the developer is clear on this point - that the UEL building bylaws apply to sites, not the entire neighbourhood.
HOTEL - Financially sustainable?
F Block developer would like to build a hotel the size of the Pan Pacific Whistler hotel.
The success of any hotel lies in occupancy. Occupancy rates need to be high for a hotel to be financially viable. UBC provides multiple accommodation options already. During the summer months - a quarter of a year - they significantly increase the number of hotel spaces making it very difficult for a competitor to fill its hotel rooms. It would be a shame if in a couple of years the UEL will be scarred by a boarded-up, bankrupt hotel. It would be equally unacceptable if a developer - realizing that plans were not materializing - wanted to create additional revenue sources such as by adding a casino to the hotel already on the slate.
SCHOOL - Schools and hotels do not mix.
Bordering F Block is the site of the renovated and expanded U-Hill school. It is inconsistent with best practices to have an elementary school in a residential area, placed next to a hotel.
