HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLN 02-14 o0 Report to
Planning & Development Committee
PICKERING G Report Number: PLN 02-14
Date: March 3, 2014
From: Thomas Melymuk
Director, City Development
Subject: Consultant Selection for Urban Design Review Services
Recommendation:
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1. That Report PLN 02-14 of the Director, City Development, be received;
2. That the proposal RFP No. 8-2013, submitted by John G. Williams Limited,
Architect, to undertake Urban Design Review Services for a period of 18 months
commencing April 1, 2014, and expiring on September 30, 2015 be accepted;
3. That the Urban Design Review Services Program as outlined in Section 2.3 of
this report be approved; and
4. Further, that the appropriate Staff be authorized and directed to take all actions
necessary to give effect to this resolution.
Executive Summary: As the City continues to evolve and mature, it is anticipated that
new and more complex development projects and initiatives will be proposed that will
raise the City's profile in Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Region. These
projects will include a greater variety and range of built forms and uses that will
contribute to creating vibrant mixed use nodes and corridors and an exciting City
Centre. In order to achieve and uphold high standards of planning, urban design and
architecture, the City would benefit from the services of an Urban Design Consultant to
provide objective and professional advice. To this end, in January 2013, Council
authorized staff to prepare terms of reference and issue a request for proposals for the
provision of Urban Design Review Services.
In response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on October 9, 2013, five qualified
proposals were received. A staff Evaluation Committee reviewed the proposals against
the criteria outlined in the RFP, and the three highest scoring proposals were selected
to proceed to the interview process. Following the interview process, the consulting firm
of John G. Williams Limited, Architect, received the highest average score and best met
the City's needs in providing Urban Design Review Services.
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Subject: Consultant Selection for Urban Design Review Services Page 2
John G. Williams Limited, Architect is a multi-disciplinary firm specializing in planning,
urban design and architectural design control. They have extensive experience
reviewing a variety of built forms including mixed use developments, medium and high
density residential projects, as well as commercial and industrial buildings on behalf of
municipalities within the Greater Toronto Area.
This report recommends that Council approve the Urban Design Review Services
Program as set out in Section 2.3 of this report and accept the firm of John G. Williams
Limited, Architect, to provide Urban Design Review Services for a period of 18 months
commencing April 1, 2014, and expiring on September 30, 2015.
Financial Implications: There are no financial impacts to the City as a result of
retaining the services of an Urban Design Consultant. The Pickering Official Plan and
User Fee By-law include provisions requiring an applicant to be responsible for the cost
of the City peer reviewing studies and drawings, including site plan and architectural
drawings.
The 2014 budget for the Planning & Design section of the City Development
Department identifies an expenditure line item for Urban Design Review Services in the
amount of$100,000.00 (Account Code 2611.2392.0003) and a corresponding revenue
line item (Account Code 2611.9990.0000) funded by developers, also in the amount of
$100,000.00.
1. Background
1.1 Need for Urban Design Review Services
With the on-going transformation of Pickering from a suburban to an urban
community, there will be a greater variety and range of built forms and uses
proposed and built in the City. The intensity and scale at which intensification is
projected to occur, particularly within the City Centre and along key corridors,
poses unique challenges and requires specialized urban design review skills.
Urban design is about creating sustainable neighbourhoods and places through
greater attention to the aesthetic and functional relationships that exist between
public and private spaces. Well designed buildings that respond well to their
location within the community create a high quality urban realm and instill a
positive community design image which contributes to the City as an attractive
place to live and work.
As the City continues to mature, it will be essential to establish new and higher
standards for planning, architecture and urban design. To help achieve and
uphold these standards, the City would benefit from the services of a qualified
Urban Design Consultant to provide objective and professional advice on
architecture and urban design, and any related implications on planning approvals.
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Subject: Consultant Selection for Urban Design Review Services Page 3
The Urban Design Consultant will provide comments on development proposal.
to:
• establish a positive visual image for built form and urban design within the
City
• create harmonious and attractive developments through attention to site
planning, placemaking, and the exterior architectural quality and appearance
of new development
• create a built form which results in safe, active and pedestrian-friendly
communities
• establish a variety of attractive, innovative and environmentally sustainable
building designs which combine the best of contemporary and traditional
architectural design principles; and
• ensure new buildings enhance existing communities/neighbourhoods and
further the development of a distinctive urban identify for the City
In January 2013, Council authorized staff to prepare terms of reference and issue
a request for proposals to retain a qualified Consultant to provide Urban Design
Review Services for the City.
2. Discussion
2.1 A Request for Proposal (RFP) for Urban Design Review Services was
issued
On October 9, 2013, the City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Urban
Design Review Services. The RFP was an open proposal call. A number of
consulting firms were forwarded a copy of the RFP based on their experience
with similar projects in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). In addition, a notice of
the RFP was placed on the City's website. The RFP closed on October 31, 2013.
Five proposals were received from the following multi-disciplinary consulting
teams:
• MMM Group
• Urban Strategies Inc.
• The Planning Partnership
• Dialog Ontario Inc.
• John G. Williams Limited, Architect
2.2 John G. Williams Limited, Architect is recommended for selection
On November 7, 2013, an Evaluation Committee consisting of the Director,
City Development; Chief Planner; Manager, Development Review& Urban
Design; Senior Planner— Site Planning and Senior Buyer, Supply & Services
reviewed the proposals against various criteria, as outlined in the RFP.
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Subject: Consultant Selection for Urban Design Review Services Page 4
Although the Evaluation Committee was impressed by the quality of all five
teams, the proposals of MMM Group, Urban Strategies Inc. and John G. Williams
Limited, Architect scored highest, and these three teams were selected for
interviews.
The Evaluation Committee held interviews with the three firms on December 5th
and 6th, 2013. During the interview, each of the three firms provided a detailed
overview of a sample urban design plan, and responded to a set of questions.
Following the interview process, the three teams were again evaluated. The team
that received the highest score and best met the City's needs in providing Urban
Design Review Services, was John G. Williams Limited, Architect.
John G. Williams Limited, Architect is multi-disciplinary firm specializing in
planning, urban design and architectural design control. This firm is one of the
few that is'active as an Urban Design/Control Architect Consultant in several
municipalities within the GTA, including Brampton, Markham, Mississauga,
Hamilton, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Whitby. They have extensive
experience reviewing a variety of built forms including mixed use developments,
medium and high density residential projects, as well as commercial and
industrial buildings. The firm employs a solution oriented approach to
development projects and will work collaboratively with planning staff to continue
to raise the level of planning, urban design and architecture within the City while
balancing the City's goals against the applicant's requirements.
Staff therefore recommends that Council accept John G. Williams Limited,
Architect to provide Urban Design Review Services for the City.
2.3 Council approval of an Urban Design Review Services Program is
recommended
The primary goal of the Urban Design Review Services Program is to establish
new and higher standards for urban design and architecture in the City. To help
achieve this goal, the Urban Design Consultant will be engaged in the review of
all significant new development and redevelopment of existing properties and
buildings that are prominently visible from a public street or highway, as well as
any other proposals requested by the Site Plan Committee. Certain minor
projects or additions to existing buildings not visible from the street would
generally be exempted.
For most proposals, a maximum three week review period will be given to the
Urban Design Consultant to provide comments to City Development staff. The
Urban Design Consultant will review the proposal and provide their comments
and suggested changes with respect to, but not limited to, overall site layout, the
pedestrian realm, building placement and massing, architectural design, and
building material and colour. The Urban Design Consultant may also attend.
meetings with the applicants and municipal staff to further discuss their
comments, as well as work with the applicants to resolve any concerns or issues
with their suggested changes. 15
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Subject: Consultant Selection for Urban Design Review Services Page 5
The Urban Design Consultant may also attend Site Plan Committee meetings to
provide advice with respect to architecture and urban design pertaining to a
specific application or project.
There will be no financial impact to the City as a result of retaining the services of
an Urban Design Consultant. The City's Official Plan and the User Fee By-law
require applicants to be responsible for the peer review cost of studies and
drawings, including site plan and architectural drawings. The Urban Design
Consultant will bill the City for the services, at the hourly rate noted in their
proposal, and in turn, the City will bill the development proponent. Therefore,
although the City retains the service of the Urban Design Consultant, the City is
reimbursed by the developer for the cost of the service. The 2014 budget for the
City Development Department - Planning & Design section, identifies expenditure
and revenue line items each in the amount of$100,000.00 in order to implement
the Urban Design Review Services Program.
All planning application forms will be revised to include a section requiring
applicants to acknowledge that they agree to reimburse the City of Pickering the
full cost of undertaking peer review of any studies or drawings submitted in
support of the application.
For most development proposals, the additional cost incurred by an applicant as
result of the City retaining the services of the Urban Design Consultant will be in
the range of$2,500.00 to $4,000.00. For larger scale and more complex
projects, the cost could be approximately $5,000.00 to $10,000.00. Staff are
sensitive to the additional cost incurred by the applicant and will work with the
Urban Design Consultant to minimize the costs of the Urban Design Review
Services were possible:
3.0 Conclusion
It is the recommendation of staff that Council approve the Urban Design Review
Services Program and retain the services of John G. Williams Limited, Architect,
to undertake the Urban Design Review Services in accordance with their
proposal.
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Report PLN 02-14 March 3, 2014
Subject: Consultant Selection for Urban Design Review Services Page 6
Prep:red y: Approved/Endorsed
Nilesh Surti, MCIP, RPP Catherine Rose, MCIP, RPP
Manager, Development Review & Chief Planner
Urban Design
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Thomas Mely k, MCIP, RPP
Director, City Development
NS:jf
Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering Cit Council
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Tony Prevedel, P.Eng.
Chief Administrative Officer
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