The District of West Vancouver voted to deny an application to bring a new real estate office to the 1500-block of Marine Drive April 23, despite the objections of two councillors and one of the site's landlords.
Soroush Babaeian, a managing broker with Royalty Group Realty had applied for a variance permit to open a realty office at 1502 Marine Drive.
Ground floor financial institutions and real estate offices must be greater than 18.2 metres from the Marine Drive property line. Because the layout of the building wouldn't allow for that setback, the applicant had to go to the district for approval.
But in a report to council, municipal staff recommended the application be denied, citing the diversity called for in the Official Community Plan.
The south side of the 1500-block of Marine Drive currently consists of 20 per cent banks and financial institutions, according to the report. Allowing the real estate office would bring the percentage to 36, which is inconsistent with the Official Community Plan as well as the Ambleside Village Centre Strategy. With two banks sandwiched between 16th and 15th Streets, the real estate office would "deaden the pedestrian experience," according to senior community planner Lisa Berg, who wrote the report.
But landlord Donna Este, speaking on behalf of the applicant, argued the site was built for a bank and is unsuitable for a retailer.
"We've had a string of vacancies," she said. Coun. Nora Gambioli and Coun. Bill Soprovich expressed sympathy for the applicant, but were ultimately out-voted.
The motion to deny the application passed with only Soprovich opposed.
Gambioli attempted to abstain, only to discover that an abstention counts as a vote in the affirmative.
