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HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformation Report 07-2064 �f DICKERING Information Report to Planning & Development Committee Report Number: 07-20 Date: June 15, 2020 From: Catherine Rose, MCIP, RPP Chief Planner Subject: Official Plan Amendment OPA 19-005/P Zoning By-law Amendment Application A 15/19 Alireza Adjedani Lots 25 and 25, Plan 492 (1854 and 1858 Liverpool Road) 1. Purpose of this Report The purpose of this report is to provide preliminary information regarding applications for Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment, submitted by Alireza Adjedani, to facilitate a high density mixed-use condominium development. This report contains general information on the applicable Official Plan and other related policies, and identifies matters raised to date. This report is intended to assist members of the public and other interested stakeholders to understand the proposal. The Planning & Development Committee will hear public delegations on the applications, ask questions of clarification, and identify any planning issues. This report is for information and no decision on these applications is being made at this time. Staff will bring forward a recommendation report for consideration by the Planning & Development Committee upon completion of a comprehensive evaluation of the proposal. 2. Property Location and Description The subject lands are located on the west side of Liverpool Road, north of Kingston Road and south of Glenanna Road (see Location Map, Attachment #1). The subject lands comprise two properties, municipally known as 1854 and 1858 Liverpool Road. The lands have a combined area of approximately 0.29 of a hectare with approximately 55 metres of frontage along Liverpool Road. The lands municipally known as 1854 Liverpool Road are located within the City Centre and the lands municipally known as 1858 Liverpool Road are located within the Liverpool Neighbourhood. A detached dwelling currently occupies each lot with access from Liverpool Road. The existing dwellings are proposed to be demolished to accommodate the development (see Air Photo Map, Attachment #2). Surrounding land uses include: North: Immediately to the north is a detached dwelling, and further north is a veterinary clinic within a converted residential dwelling. At the southwest corner of Liverpool Road and Glenanna Road is a common element residential development consisting of 3 -storey townhouse units. Information Report No. 07-20 Page 2 East: Across Liverpool Road are commercial buildings with various uses, including but not limited to restaurants, a grocery store, retail stores, personal service uses, financial institutions and offices. South: Immediately south is a residential dwelling occupied by a daycare use. Further south is a single -storey multi -tenant commercial plaza with surface parking at the front and rear, and the Old Liverpool House, which is occupied by a restaurant tenant (Liverpool John's). The City has received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application for all three properties, municipally known as 1848 and 1852 Liverpool Road and 1294 Kingston Road, proposing to relocate and restore the Old Liverpool House, and permit the construction of a 25 -storey mixed-use building, a 12 -storey residential building and a row of seven, 3 -storey townhouses. The application is currently under review. West: Immediately west is an established residential community consisting of detached, semi-detached and townhouse dwellings. At the northeast corner of Kingston Road and Glendale Drive are two commercial buildings consisting of a restaurant with a drive-through facility, another restaurant and retail uses. 3. Applicant's Proposal The applicant has submitted applications for an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment in order to facilitate the construction of a 13 -storey mixed-use apartment building containing 98 units and approximately 460 square metres of commercial space on the ground floor (see Submitted Conceptual Site Plan and Submitted Conceptual Rendering, Attachments #3 and #4). A full -moves vehicle access is proposed from Liverpool Road. The proposal also includes 95 parking spaces for residents and visitors located within a two level below grade parking structure and 31 at -grade parking spaces for the commercial uses and visitors. The submitted application for Official Plan Amendment is to only re -designate 1858 Liverpool Road from "Urban Residential Areas — Medium Density Areas" to "Mixed Use Areas — City Centre" in order to be consistent with the land use designation for 1854 Liverpool Road. The Zoning By-law Amendment application is to rezone 1858 Liverpool Road from "Third Density Residential — R3" within Zoning By-law 3036 to "City Centre One — CC1" within Zoning By-law 7553/17 to match the existing zoning of 1854 Liverpool Road. The rezoning application also proposes the following site-specific exceptions to facilitate the proposal: • exempt the proposed building height from the 45 degree angular plane requirement that is adjacent to grade related dwellings (detached and townhouse dwellings) to the west fronting Glendale Drive and the residential property to the north fronting Liverpool Road • increase the maximum permitted tower floor plate requirements from 850 square metres to 950 square metres • decrease the minimum height of the podium from 10.5 metres (approximately 3 storeys) to 8.5 metres (2 storeys) Information Report No. 07-20 Page 3 Additional statistics regarding the proposal include the following: Number of Residential Units 98 apartment dwelling units Density 339 units per net hectare Floor Space Index 3.6 Tower Floor Plate Size 950 square metres Number of Storeys and Building Heights 13 storeys (44.5 meters) Unit Types 1 bedroom: 52 units 2 bedroom: 42 units 3 bedroom: 2 units Penthouse: 2 units Commercial Gross Floor Area 460 square metres Vehicular Parking Total: 126 spaces (95 spaces within a 2 -level underground parking structure, and 31 spaces at grade) Bicycle Parking Not provided at this time Landscaped Area Not provided at this time Amenity Area 185.8 square metres of indoor amenity spaces for a library, a recreation room and a party room Outdoor amenity area has not been provided The development will be subject to site plan approval. 4. Policy Framework 4.1 Durham Regional Official Plan The southerly and northerly portions of the subject lands have different land use designations within the Regional Official Plan. The southerly lot (1854 Liverpool Road) is designated as "Urban Growth Centre" in the Regional Official Plan. Urban Growth Centres (UGCs) are focal points for intensive urban development and the main concentrations of institutional, public services, major office, commercial, recreational, residential, entertainment and cultural uses. They also serve as major employment centres and shall accommodate a minimum density target of 200 persons and jobs per gross hectare and a floor space index (FSI) of 3.0. The built form in UGCs should be a mix of predominantly high-rise with some mid -rise development. Information Report No. 07-20 Page 4 The northerly lot (1858 Liverpool Road) is designated as "Living Areas" in the Regional Official Plan. Lands in the "Living Areas" designation shall be used predominately for housing purposes. The Plan also states that lands within the Living Areas designation shall be developed in a compact urban form through higher densities and by intensifying and redeveloping existing areas, particularly along arterial roads. Liverpool Road is designated as a Type B' Arterial Road. Type B' Arterial Roads are designed to carry large volumes of traffic at moderate to high speeds, connect with freeways, other arterial roads and collector roads. The right-of-way width requirement for Type B' arterial roads is 36 metres for an ultimate 4 -lane cross section. 4.2 Pickering Official Plan Similar to the Regional Official Plan, the south portion of the subject lands (1854 Liverpool Road) is designated "Mixed Use Areas — City Centre" within the Pickering Official Plan. The City Centre designation permits high density residential uses, retailing of goods and services, offices and restaurants, hotels, convention centres, community, cultural and recreational uses, community gardens and farmers' markets. The designation requires a minimum residential density of 80 units per net hectare and has no maximum density, and a maximum floor space index (FSI) of over 0.75 and up to and including 5.75. The designation also permits a maximum gross leasable floor space for the retailing of goods and services of up to and including 300,000 square metres. In July 2014, Council approved Official Plan Amendment 26 (OPA 26), which introduced various new policies for the City Centre Neighbourhood with respect to enhancements to the public realm; active uses at grade; performance criteria for tall buildings to minimize adverse impacts with respect to shadowing, sky view and privacy; transition to established low density development; and pedestrian network and mobility. The key policies within the City Centre neighbourhood as it relates to the proposal are summarized in Attachment #5 to this report. The north portion of the subject lands (1858 Liverpool Road) is designated as "Urban Residential Areas — Medium Density Areas" within the City of Pickering Official Plan. The designation is to be used primarily for housing and related uses, including home occupations and group homes. Other uses are also permissible such as parks, institutional uses, limited office development, limited relating of goods and services, limited employment uses and limited special purpose commercial uses. The Medium Density Area permits a density over 30 and up to and including 80 units per net hectare. The proposal has a density of 339 units per net hectare and a FSI of 3.6. The northerly lot (1858 Liverpool Road) is located within the Liverpool Neighbourhood. The neighbourhood polices state that City Council shall recognize the proximity of low intensity development in the Liverpool Neighbourhood to the high intensity development in the City Centre Neighbourhood and accordingly, shall consider the concerns of the nearby residents on Liverpool Road when preparing plans or development guidelines, and when considering development proposals, for lands in the City Centre. Information Report No. 07-20 Page 5 The purpose of the Official Plan Amendment is to designate the northerly lot (1858 Liverpool Road) from "Urban Residential Areas — Medium Density Areas" to "Mixed Use Areas — City Centre". The applications will be assessed against the provisions of the Official Plan during the further processing of the applications. 4.4 Pickering City Centre Urban Design Guidelines The southerly lot (1854 Liverpool Road) is subject to the Pickering City Centre Urban Design Guidelines. If the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications are approved, the Guidelines would also apply to 1858 Liverpool Road. The City Centre Urban Design Guidelines (UDG) provide design direction for intensification, to guide buildings and private development, as well as investments in public infrastructure in the City Centre. Some of the key guiding principles of the UDG include: • make the City Centre highly walkable, with new streets and pathways, a compact block pattern, traffic calming measures, and visually interesting streetscapes • encourage a mix of land uses to create vitality at all times of the day, by enhancing the range of activities, amenities and uses that will attract and serve all ages for all seasons • offer distinct living options, urban in format, and in close proximity to shopping, entertainment, culture, and work • create bold entry points to City Centre through design excellence in architecture, public art and public plazas at key gateway locations and areas of high visibility The key urban design objections with respect to built form, site design, landscaping, building design, and pedestrian connections as it relates to the proposal are summarized in Attachment #6 to this Report. 4.5 Zoning By-law 3036 The southerly lot (1854 Liverpool Road) is zoned "City Centre One — CC1" within the City Centre By-law 7443/17, as amended. Uses permitted include a broad range of residential and non-residential uses, such as apartment dwellings, townhouse dwellings, commercial, office, retail, community, recreational and institutional uses. The northerly lot (1858 Liverpool Road) is zoned "Third Density Zone — R3" within Zoning By-law 3036, as amended, which permits a detached dwelling. The purpose of the Zoning By-law Amendment is to rezone 1858 Liverpool Road from "Third Density Zone — R3" to "City Centre One — CC1" and request site specific exceptions to both properties in order to facilitate the proposal. The requested exceptions are listed in Section 3 of this report. Information Report No. 07-20 Page 6 5. Comments Received 5.1 Resident Comments As of the date of this report, the City has received 5 written comments from the public. The following is a list of key comments and concerns expressed by the area residents: • commented that development in this low density residential area should be limited to a 4 or 6 storey building • concerned that road infrastructure, highway access and general traffic movement around the area will be affected with an additional 100 units • concerned about loss of privacy due to overlook from the high rise apartment building • concerned that the development will increase unsafe driving and walking conditions in the area, and at the nearby intersection of Kingston Road and Liverpool Road 5.2 Agency Comments Region of Durham • due to traffic access issues, the Official Plan Amendment is of Regional Interest and is not exempt from Regional approval • the applications conform to the policies of the Regional Official Plan • the Region has reviewed the Noise Report and requires revisions to address noise impacts • sanitary sewer servicing and sufficient water supply are available for this development • Durham Regional Transit does not have any objections • Regional Works Department requires the applicant to convey sufficient road allowance to provide for a 36.0 metre right-of-way across the Liverpool Road frontage, which is identified as a Type "B" Arterial Road in the Region's Official Plan • the Region's preferred access location aligns with the existing north access of the plaza on the east side of Liverpool Road, which will allow for signalization • on-going review of the Transportation Impact Study is required to determine best access location for the site and coordination with the development of the lands to the south Metrolinx Durham District School Board • the subject lands are located greater than 300 metres from a GO Transit rail corridor and/or facility • no comments or concerns • no objections to the proposed development • students from this development will attend local schools Information Report No. 07-20 Page 7 Durham Catholic School Board • no objections to the proposed development • students from this development will attend St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Elementary School and St. Mary's Secondary Catholic School 6. City Department Comments 6.1 Engineering Services Department • no objection to the proposed development • submitted concept plan is to be revised to include, but not limited to, site statistics, floor elevations, curb radii, walkway widths, snow storage locations, fire route, truck turning analysis (fire, waste, and delivery vehicles), existing above ground infrastructure within the Liverpool Road right-of-way • confirmation is required that all proposed driveways and services (storm, sanitary, sewer) are to the satisfaction of the Region of Durham • technical revisions required to the Functional Servicing & Preliminary Stormwater Management Report and the Traffic Impact Study • tree compensation for the removal of existing tree is required as per the city of Pickering Tree Inventory, Preservation and Removal Compensation Requirements 6.2. Fire Services Department • siamese connections to be located within 45 metres of a fire hydrant 6.3 Planning & Design Section Comments The following is a summary of key concerns/issues or matters of importance raised to date. These matters, and others identified through the circulation and detailed review of the proposal, are required to be addressed by the applicant prior to a final recommendation report to Planning & Development Committee: • ensuring conformity with all applicable statutory policies of the Provincial Policy Statement (2020), the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017), and the Durham Regional Official Plan • ensuring conformity with the City's Official Plan and Neighbourhood policies and the City Centre Urban Design Guidelines • assessing the appropriateness of the Official Plan Amendment to include the northerly lot (1858 Liverpool Road) within the Mixed Use Areas — City Centre land use designation • assessing the overall design of the buildings with respect to building height, podium heights, building stepbacks, maximum tower floor plate sizes, landscaped areas, and amenity space • assessing the appropriateness of the request to exempt the proposed building height from a 45 degree angular plane requirement adjacent to residential properties to the west fronting Glendale Drive and the residential property to the north fronting Liverpool Road • assessing the appropriateness of the request to increase the maximum tower floor plate requirement from 850 square metres to 950 square metres Information Report No. 07-20 Page 8 • assessing the appropriateness of the request to decrease the minimum podium height • ensuring appropriate on-site resident, visitor and commercial parking spaces are provided along with bicycle parking • assess whether there is appropriate transition and relationship between this proposal and the proposed development located south of the subject lands • evaluating opportunities to provide for a shared vehicular access from Liverpool Road with the proposed development immediately to the south • evaluating the potential impacts of shadows, overlook and landscaping Further issues may be identified following receipt and review of comments from the circulated departments, agencies and public. The City Development Department will conclude its position on the application after it has received and assessed comments from the circulated departments, agencies, and public. 7. Information Received Copies of the plans and studies listed below are available for viewing on the City's website at pickering.ca/devapp or in person at the office of the City of Pickering, City Development Department: • Planning Justification Report, draft Zoning By-law and draft Official Plan Amendment prepared by Grant Morris Associates Ltd., dated November 8, 2019 • Site Plan prepared by Emilio De Leon, dated December 17, 2019 • Landscape Plan prepared by Marton Smith Landscape Architects, dated November 8, 2019 • Geotechnical Report prepared by Cambium Inc., dated November 8, 2019 • Site Screening Questionnaire prepared by Cambium Inc., dated November 8, 2019 • Hydrogeological Assessment prepared by Cambium Inc., dated November 8, 2019 • Functional Servicing and Stormwater Management Report prepared by Politis Engineering Ltd., dated November 8, 2019 • Traffic Impact Study prepared by Trans -Plan, dated November 8, 2019 • Environmental Impact Study prepared by Cunningham Environmental Associated, dated November 8, 2019 • Noise Feasibility Study prepared by SS Wilson Associates, dated November 8, 2019 8. Procedural Information 8.1 General • written comments regarding this proposal should be directed to the City Development Department • oral comments may be made at the Electronic Statutory Public Meeting • all comments received will be noted and used as input to a Planning Report prepared by the City Development Department for a subsequent meeting of Council or a Committee of Council • any member of the public who wishes to reserve the option to appeal Council's decision must provide comments to the City before Council adopts any by-law for this proposal • any member of the public who wishes to be notified of Council's decision regarding this proposal must request such in writing to the City Clerk Information Report No. 07-20 Page 9 9.0 Owner/Applicant Information The owner of this property is Alireza Adjenani and is represented by Grant Morris Associated Ltd. Attachments 1. Location Map 2. Air Photo Map 3. Submitted Conceptual Site Plan 4. Submitted Conceptual Rendering 5. City Centre Neighbourhood Policies 6. City Centre Urban Design Guidelines Prepared By: Elizabeth Martelluzzi Planner II, Heritage Nilesh Surti, MCIP, RPP Manager, Development Review & Urban Design EM:NS:Id Date of Report: May 19, 2020 Approved/Endorsed By: Catherine Rose, MCIP, RPP Chief Planner Attachment #1 to Information Report 07-20 L \PLANNING\01-MapFlles\OPA\2019\OPA 19-005P, A015-19 - Allreza Adjedan id0PA 19-005P_Location Map. mad -n \\ // Glengrove .< Park AM" co co crescent -- U /, O 11111111111111111 0 ,o Brands Cour 60 `° -CS /erO /1110co David Farr Park J Glenanna Road Illllr,, le ` MI Il r Ta 7:511 im II c MI � MI 11111 a : Et 1858 Liverpool P Rd = ►_•_�_�_� I 1854 Liverpool Rd .... Bronte Square 11111 Subject Lands lilli 111. •0-poc,Fz South Pineer Ravine ek barlo\- oad N A Location Map C44 File: OPA 19-005P, A 15/19 PICKERING Applicant: G. Morris City Development Property Description: Lot 24 & 25, Plan 492 (1854 & 1858 Liverpool Road) Department Date: Mar. 12, 2020 0 The Corporaeon of the City of Pickering Produced (In part) under ncense from: ©Queens Printer. Ontano Ministry of Natural Resources. All rights reserved.;0 Her Majesty the Queen In Right of Canada. Department of Natural Resources. All hghts reserved.; O Teranet Enterprises Inc. and Its su papers all rights reserved.; 0 Municipal Property Assessment Corporation and Its suppliers all rights reserved„ SCALE: 1:4,000 THIS IS NOT A PLAN OF SURVEY. L \PLANNING\01-MapFlles\OPA\2019\OPA 19-005P, A015-19 - Allreza Adjedan id0PA 19-005P_Location Map. mad Attachment #2 to Information Report 07-20 C44 Air Photo Map File: OPA 19-005P, A 15/19 PICKERING City Development Department Applicant: G. Morris Property Description: Lot 24 & 25, Plan 492 Date: Mar. 02, 2020 © The Corporation of the City of Pickenng Produced (in part) under license from: m Queens Pnnter, Ontano Ministry of Natural Resources. All rights reserved.;® Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, Department of Natural Resources. All rights reserved.; A Teranet Enterprises Inc. and its suppliers all rights reserved.; ® Municipal Property Assessment Corporation and its suppliers all rights reserved.; SCALE. .2,000 THIS IS NOTA PLAN OF SURVEY. L \PLANNING\01-MapFiles\OPA\2019\OPA 19-005P, A015-19-Alireza Adjedani OPA 19-005P_AirPhoto.mxd Attachment #3 to Information Report 07-20 PROPERTY LINE 178'-5" (54.42 m) 10'-0" 1(3.0m) LANDSCAPED AREA 1© STALLS 58'-9 114" (17.9m} EXT .NT OF BaSEMENT BELOW PROPOSED 13 -STOREY APARTMENT BLDG 14'- (4 w o: 0 0 1!2" 5m1 105'-0" (32m) PROPERTY LINE 178'5" (54.42 m) Liverpool Road PICKERING City Development Department Submitted Conceptual Site Plan File No: OPA 19-005/P, A 15/19 Applicant: G. Morris Property Description: Lot 24 & 25, Plan 492 (1854 & 1858 Liverpool Road) FULL SCALE COPIES OF THIS PLAN ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THE CITY OF PICKERING CITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. DATE: Mar 16, 2020 L:\Planning\01-MapFiles\OPA\2019 Attachment #4 to Information Report 07-20 PICKERING City Development Department Submitted Conceptual Rendering File No: OPA 19-005/P, A 15/19 Applicant: G. Morris Property Description: Lot 24 & 25, Plan 492 (1854 & 1858 Liverpool Road) FULL SCALE COPIES OF THIS PLAN ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THE CITY OF PICKERING CITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. DATE: Mar 16, 2020 L:\Planning\01-MapFiles\OPA\2019 Attachment #5 to Information Report 07-20 City Centre Neighbourhood Policies Related to the Proposal • Encourage the highest mix and intensity of uses and activates in the City to be in this neighbourhood. • Encourage development proponents to locate and integrate commercial uses such as cafes and bistros into development adjacent to the public realm to create social gathering places and vibrant street life. • Encourage street -facing facades to have adequate entrances and windows facing the street. • Encourage publicly accessible outdoor and indoor spaces where people can gather. • Encourage new development to be designed, located and massed in such a way that it limits any shadowing on the public realm, parks and public spaces in order to achieve adequate sunlight and conform in the public realm through all four seasons. • Require new development in close proximity to established low density residential areas to be gradually transitioned in height. • Consider in review of development applications for buildings taller than 5 -storeys, the following performance criteria: • that buildings be massed in response to the scale of surrounding buildings, nearby streets and public open spaces; • that upper levels of buildings be set back or a podium and point tower form be introduced to help create a human scale at street level; • that shadowing impacts on surrounding development, publicly accessible open spaces and sidewalks be mitigated/minimized to the extent feasible; • that sufficient spacing be provided between the building face of building towers to provide views, privacy for residents and to minimize any shadowing and wind tunnel impacts on surrounding development, streets and public spaces; • that buildings be oriented to optimize sunlight and amenity for dwellings, private open spaces, adjoining open spaces and sidewalks; • that living areas, windows and private open spaces be located to minimize the potential for overshadowing adjoining residential properties; • that informal or passive surveillance of streets and other public open spaces be maximized by providing windows to overlook street and public spaces and using level changes, floor and balcony spaces elevated above the street level to allow views from residential units into adjacent public spaces whilst controlling views into these units; and • that protection be provided for pedestrians in public and private spaces from wind down drafts. • Select transit junctions and related pedestrian connections as priority areas for design excellence and capital improvements including landscaping, public seating, weather protection and public art. • Require new development adjacent to the transit junction to be designed to frame the junctions with active uses at grade and entrances oriented towards them. Attachment #6 to Information Report 07-20 City Centre Urban Design Guidelines Related to the Proposal Site Design • Buildings shall be aligned to contribute to a consistent street wall with minimal gaps or courts between buildings, except to allow for pedestrian access to internal lanes, walkways. • Throughout the City Centre, the building face shall be articulated through recessions, projections and change of materials. • Buildings on Major Streets shall have a minimum of 40 percent of transparent windows at street level, with clearly marked building entrances connected to the public sidewalks in order to create visual interest for pedestrians. The ground floor shall be occupied by a mix of active uses such as restaurants, retail, personal service and other similar uses to animate the street edge. • Building setbacks could be increased to create public accessible open spaces such as court yards or plazas along a streetline. Setback areas with retail or commercial uses at grade should be designed to accommodate patios, seating, and other at grade animating uses over time. Where buildings are setback more than 1.0 metre, the area between the buildings and front property line may feature hard and soft landscaping, lighting, signage and seating that enhance the sense of place, amenity and way -finding to the building and within the City Centre. • For buildings 8 storeys in height or greater, a minimum building separation of 18.0 metres is required, but it may be reduced if there are no primary windows in the wall facing an abutting building. • Tower portions of a building (those over 12 storeys) are subject to a minimum tower separation distance of 24.0 metres, to provide outlook, daylight access and privacy for residents. • The design of pedestrian walkways on-site shall seek direct connectivity to adjacent public spaces, transit stops and amenities. • Pedestrian walkways between building entrances and the street shall have a minimum width of 1.8 metres, be barrier -free and provide curb ramps at grade changes with minimum cross gradient. Building Design • Structured underground parking is preferred over surface parking, where possible and feasible, to promote compact development and to reduce the urban heat-island effect. Structured above grade parking with high quality architectural and landscape treatment that is visually and physically designed to be part of a larger development, is also acceptable. • New development adjacent to low density residential neighbourhoods will be limited by a 45 degree angular plane measured at a minimum 7.5 metre setback from the property line at a height of 10.5 metres. • Design buildings with a defined base, middle and top section to emphasize human scale dimensions, reduce appearance of bulk and to create an interesting skyline. • Generally, a building's podium should be at least 3 storeys before any building step backs are introduced. • The shadow impacts of buildings on public open spaces and private amenity areas shall be minimized. • The floor plate for a residential tower, the portion of the building above the podium, shall generally not exceed 850 square metres. • Within the middle component of a building, balconies should be recessed and/or integrated into the building fagade. • The top of towers should be attractively designed using setbacks, articulation and other means to contribute positively to the skyline. This can be accomplished through the use of a small setback on the last 2 to 6 storeys, and distinctive and varied rooflines to contribute towards the built form character and unique appearance of the building. • Roof tops are encouraged to include green roof spaces for environmental sustainability, amenity space for residents or urban agriculture. • All buildings should be built with high-quality, enduring materials such as brick, stone, and glass. Materials that do not age well, such as stucco, vinyl, and highly reflective glass will be discouraged. • Large expanses of blank walls should be avoided by facade articulation (i.e., recessions or projections), fenestrations, cornices, vertical pillars, and prominent entrances that respond to the massing and architectural style of the building. • Tall buildings should be designed to consider views of all sides of the buildings. • Where tall buildings take the form of point tower above a podium, the proportion of the point towers must be designed to cast fewer and smaller offending shadows, open sky views to streets from neighbouring apartment buildings and to be easily absorbed in the skyline. • Point towers should be setback a minimum of 3.0 metres from the street wall of the podium of a building.