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HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformation Report 01-22 Information Report to Planning & Development Committee Report Number: 01-22 Date: January 10, 2022 From: Catherine Rose, MCIP, RPP Chief Planner Subject: Zoning By-law Amendment Application A 11/21 Greyrock Consolidated Holdings Corporation Part Lot 21, Concession 1 1. Purpose of this Report The purpose of this report is to provide preliminary information regarding an application for Zoning By-law Amendment, submitted by Greyrock Consolidated Holdings Corporation, to facilitate the construction of a high-density residential condominium building. 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 application, ask questions of clarification, and identify any planning issues. This report is for information and no decision on this application 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 property is located north of Bayly Street, at the southwest corner of Sandy Beach Road and future Celebration Drive within the City Centre (see Location Map, Attachment #1). The site has an area of approximately 0.52 of a hectare with approximately 45 metres of frontage along Sandy Beach Road and approximately 49 metres of frontage along future Celebration Drive. The site currently contains a surface parking lot that was formerly owned by Metrolinx to serve the Pickering GO Station. The surrounding land uses are as follows (see Air Photo Map, Attachment #2): North: Across future Celebration Drive is a surface parking lot owned by Metrolinx, which is currently being used for the Pickering GO Station. South: Immediately to the south is Phase 6 of the Universal City mixed-use development, with a building height of 27 storeys. An application for Site Plan Approval is currently under review and final site plan approval is anticipated to be issued in the first quarter of 2022. Information Report 01-22 Page 2 East: Across Sandy Beach Road is an industrial building occupied by FedEx and further east are multi-tenant industrial buildings. West: To the west are Phases 1, 2, and 3 of the Universal City mixed-use development, with building heights ranging between 17 and 31 storeys. Site Plan Approval for Phase 1 was granted in December 2020 and construction is now underway. Applications for Site Plan Approval have been submitted for Phases 2 and 3, and final site plan approval is anticipated to be issued in the first quarter of 2022. A conditional building permit has been issued for Phase 2 to permit the construction of footings, foundation and slab on grade, under slab and garage roof slab, above-grade structural walls and floor slabs, including plumbing within and below the parking garage. 3. Applicant’s Proposal The applicant has applied for a Zoning By-law Amendment to facilitate the construction of a 37-storey residential condominium building with a 4-storey podium, consisting of 472 units (see Submitted Conceptual Site Plan, Attachment #3, and Submitted Conceptual Renderings, Attachments #4, #5 and #6). The proposal will form Phase 7 of the Universal City development (see Universal City Master Plan, Attachment #7). The table below summarizes the key details of the proposal: Provision Proposal Gross Floor Area (GFA) 34,508 square metres Net Floor Area (GFA) 29,688 square metres Number of Residential Units 472 residential units Floor Space Index (FSI) 5.75 Tower Floor Plate Size 841.8 square metres Number of Storeys and Building Height 37 storeys 114.4 metres Unit Types 1 Bedroom: 118 units 1 Bedroom plus Den: 190 units 2 Bedroom: 98 units 2 Bedroom plus Den: 45 units 3 Bedroom: 45 units Vehicular Parking Resident – 310 spaces at a ratio of 0.65 parking spaces per unit (all located within a 3-level underground parking garage) Visitor – 71 spaces at a ratio of 0.15 parking spaces per unit (29 surface spaces and 42 spaces within the underground parking garage) Total – 381 spaces Information Report 01-22 Page 3 Provision Proposal Bicycle Parking 236 spaces Amenity Area Indoor – 944 square metres Outdoor – 944 square metres Total – 1,888 square metres Privately-Owned Public Space 213 square metres The ground floor consists of a residential lobby; 7 residential units with associated outdoor private amenity space facing future Celebration Drive and Sandy Beach Road; indoor bicycle storage, garbage and loading areas; a pet spa; 2 indoor amenity areas; and an outdoor amenity area within the southern portion of the property. On Levels 2, 3 and 5, the applicant is proposing to include green roofs as a sustainable development feature. Indoor and outdoor amenity spaces are proposed on the 5th floor, including an outdoor swimming pool. A 213 square metre privately-owned public space (POPS) is proposed within the northwestern portion of the site, fronting future Celebration Drive. The POPS will be accessible to residents, visitors and members of the public. Vehicular access to and from the site is proposed through a private driveway from future Celebration Drive. The private driveway provides access to the main pedestrian entrance located on the west side of the building, the surface visitor parking spaces, loading area, and entrance to the underground parking garage. To facilitate the proposal, the applicant is requesting site-specific exceptions to the City Centre Zoning By-law. A list of the requested amendments as outlined in Section 4.4 of this report. The development will be subject to site plan approval. 4. Policy Framework 4.1 Durham Regional Official Plan The subject property is designated 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 minimum 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. The proposal generally conforms to the Durham Regional Official Plan. 4.2 Pickering Official Plan The subject lands are designated “Mixed Use Areas – City Centre” within the Pickering Official Plan. This designation permits high-density residential uses, retailing of goods and services, offices and restaurants, hotels, convention centres, community, cultural Information Report 01-22 Page 4 and recreational uses, community gardens and farmers’ markets. The designation permits a minimum net residential density of 80 units per hectare and no maximum density; a maximum gross leasable floorspace for the retailing of goods and services of up to and including 300,000 square metres; and, a maximum FSI of over 0.75 and up to and including 5.75. The City Centre Neighbourhood also includes specific policies with respect to enhancements to the public realm; active uses at grade; performance criteria for tall buildings to minimize adverse impacts concerning shadowing, sky view, privacy and 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 #8 to this report. Future Celebration Drive is identified as a collector road in the City’s Official Plan, which is intended to provide access to individual properties, to local roads, to other collector roads and to Type C arterial roads, and carry greater volumes of traffic than local roads. Future Celebration Drive will have a right-of-way width of 20 metres and will have 2 travel lanes; a minimum 2.1 metre wide sidewalk and a 1.5 metre wide buffered cycling lane on both sides of the street; limited on-street parking; and boulevards for street trees, landscaping, and utilities. The applicant’s proposal will be assessed against the policies and provisions of the City’s Official Plan during the further processing of the application. 4.3 Pickering City Centre Urban Design Guidelines 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; and • offer distinct living options, urban in format, and in close proximity to shopping, entertainment, culture, and work. The key urban design objectives with respect to built form, site design, landscaping, building design, and pedestrian connections as it relates to the proposal are summarized in Attachment #9 to this report. 4.4 City Centre Zoning By-law 7553/17 The subject lands are zoned “City Centre Two – CC2” within the City Centre By-law 7553/17, 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 property is also subject to an “H6” Holding Symbol, which requires the following conditions to be satisfied before the holding symbol is lifted: Information Report 01-22 Page 5 • a block development plan, approved by City Council, has been prepared to demonstrate the orderly development of the lands providing details regarding such matters as: street and block pattern; pedestrian, landscape and open space connections; parking strategy; community uses such as parks, community centres and other public uses; conservation and enhancement of natural features; public and private street right-of-way design; and phasing of the proposed development; • a comprehensive transportation study has been conducted to assess the impact on the transportation system and appropriate road infrastructure is in place to support the development of the lands; • cost-sharing agreements for matters such as community uses, public parks, municipal roads and infrastructure, are made between the participating landowners; • an Environmental Impact Study and a detailed engineering design and restoration plan for the rehabilitation of the Krosno Creek valley corridor has been completed to the satisfaction of the City of Pickering and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority; and • the execution of an Agreement to ensure that the restored and rehabilitated Krosno Creek valley corridor, to include 6.0 metres from the long-term stable top of bank, will be conveyed into public ownership upon completion of the works, to the satisfaction of the City of Pickering. To facilitate the proposed development, the applicant is requesting the following site-specific amendments: • increase the maximum building height from 77 metres (approximately 25 storeys) to 116 metres (37 storeys); • reduce the minimum residential parking ratio from 0.80 spaces per dwelling unit to 0.65 spaces per dwelling; • remove the main wall stepback requirement, whereas the by-law requires a minimum main wall stepback of 3.0 metres between the top 6.0 and 18.0 metres of a point tower for buildings equal to and greater than 73.5 metres (approximately 24 storeys); • slightly reduce the minimum required continuous length of a building along a street line from 60 percent of the street frontage to 55 percent; • remove the minimum balcony depth requirement, whereas the by-law requires a minimum balcony depth of 1.5 metres; • reduce the minimum width requirement for a landscaped area between a surface parking area and an existing residential development from 3.0 metres wide to 0.6 metres wide; • permit stairs and air vents associated with a parking structure to be permitted in the front yard, whereas the by-law does not permit stairs or air vents in the front yard; and • permit air vents constructed in association with an underground parking structure to project beyond 1.2 metres above-established grade, whereas the by-law permits air vents to project to a maximum of 1.2 metres. As part of this zoning by-law amendment application, the applicant is also requesting to remove the “H6” Holding Symbol that applies to the property. Information Report 01-22 Page 6 5. Comments Received 5.1 Public Comments Notice of the Electronic Statutory Public Meeting regarding this application was provided through a mailing of all properties within 150 metres of the subject property (in total, notice was mailed to 25 property owners). A Public Meeting Notice Sign was erected at the property on November 18, 2021, along the Sandy Beach Road frontage. Additionally, a copy of the Notice of Electronic Statutory Public Meeting was included in the December 16 and December 31, 2021 News Advertiser. As of the date of this report, no comments have been received from the public. 5.2 Agency Comments 5.2.1 Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) • The Zoning By-law Amendment is seeking amendments which do not impact the TRCA’s policies or programs. TRCA staff have no objections to the approval of this Zoning By-law Amendment Application. 5.2.2 Other Agencies As of the date of writing this report, no comments have been received from the Region of Durham Planning Department or Region of Durham Works Department. 5.3 City Department Comments 5.3.1 Fire Services • No objections to this application. 5.3.2 Engineering Services As of the date of writing this report, no comments have been received from Engineering Services. 6. 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 before a final recommendation report to Planning & Development Committee: • ensure conformity with the City of Pickering Official Plan and the City Centre Urban Design Guidelines; • assess the suitability and appropriateness of the site for the proposed increase in height; • review the resident and visitor parking standards proposed and ensure that sufficient parking is provided to support the proposal; Information Report 01-22 Page 7 • review the requested site-specific exceptions to ensure the proposed design of the building maintains the general intent and purpose of the City Centre Zoning By-law and the City Centre Urban Design Guidelines; • ensure the architectural treatments of the building are enhanced (e.g., architectural projections, use of high-quality building materials, glazing, transparent windows at street level) given that the site is located at a corner location; • ensure all conditions required to lift the “H6” Holding Symbol are fulfilled to the satisfaction of the City of Pickering and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority; • ensure the minimum parkland dedication requirements for this proposal are satisfied; • determine whether the applicant is required to be party to the cost-sharing agreement for the H6 Block or receives an acknowledgement from the Trustee that the benefiting landowner has made satisfactory arrangements to pay its proportions of the shared development cost; and • evaluate the location, size and functionality of the proposed private and public amenity space, and review whether the outdoor amenity areas are sufficiently screened to mitigate negative impacts caused by wind. 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 department, agencies and the public. 7. Information Received Copies of the plans and studies submitted in support of the application are listed below and available for viewing on the City's website at pickering.ca/devapp or the offices of the City of Pickering, City Development Department: • Planning Justification Report & Urban Design Brief, prepared by Weston Consulting, dated October 2021; • Sustainable Development Summary & Matrix, prepared by Weston Consulting, dated October 13, 2021; • Architectural Plans, prepared by Kirkor Architects and Planners, dated October 15, 2021; • Universal City Master Plan, prepared by Kirkor Architects and Planners, dated October 13, 2021; • Transportation Brief, prepared by BA Group, dated October 14, 2021; • Site Grading Plan, prepared by Schaeffers & Associates Inc., dated October 2021; • Site Servicing Plan, prepared by Schaeffers & Associates Inc., dated October 2021; • Site Servicing Letter, prepared by Schaeffers & Associates Inc., dated October 13, 2021; • Noise and Vibration Study, prepared by Howe Gastmeier Chapnik Limited, dated October 13, 2021; • Reliance Letter, prepared by Englobe Corp., dated September 24, 2021; • Environmental Site Assessment Phase I, prepared by Englobe Corp., dated November 2020; • Environmental Site Assessment Phase II, prepared by Englobe Corp., dated February 2021; Information Report 01-22 Page 8 • Land Use Compatibility Study Addendum, prepared by Theakston Environmental, Consulting Engineers, dated August 31, 2021; • R-Plan, prepared by R. Avis Survey Inc., dated January 10, 2020; • Survey, prepared by Callon Dietz Incorporated, dated March 30, 2021; and • Preliminary Landscape Plan, prepared by STUDIOtla Landscape Architects, dated October 14, 2021. 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 Recommendation 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; and • 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. 9. Owner/Applicant Information The owner of this property is Greyrock Consolidated Holdings Corporation, who is represented by Weston Consulting. Attachments: 1. Location Map 2. Air Photo Map 3. Submitted Conceptual Site Plan 4. Submitted Conceptual Rendering – Facing Southwest 5. Submitted Conceptual Rendering – Facing Southeast 6. Submitted Conceptual Rendering – North Podium Face 7. Universal City Master Plan 8. City Centre Neighbourhood Policies Related to the Proposal 9. City Centre Urban Design Guidelines Related to the Proposal Information Report 01-22 Page 9 Prepared By: Original Signed By Isabel Lima (Acting) Planner II Original Signed By Nilesh Surti, MCIP, RPP Manager, Development Review & Urban Design Approved/Endorsed By: Original Signed By Catherine Rose, MCIP, RPP Chief Planner IL:ld Date of Report: December 15, 2021 Attachment #1 to Information Report 01-22 K r o s n o B o u l e v a r d Drava Street Bayly Street R e y t a n B o u l e v a r d Tatra Dri v e Sa n d y B e a c h R o a d Morden Lan e G l e n a n n a R o a d P oprad A v e n u e Pickering Par k w a y Al l i a n c e R o a d Fordo n A ve n u e Highway 401 MitchelPark City DevelopmentDepartment Location MapFile:Applicant:Property Description: A 11/21 Date: Dec. 07, 2021 Greyrock Consolidated Holdings Corporation Future Celebration Drive Part Lot 21, Concession 1 SubjectLands L:\PLANNING\01-MapFiles\A\2021\A 11-21 - UC7\A11_21_LocationMap.mxd 1:4,000 SCALE: THIS IS NOT A PLAN OF SURVEY. © The Corporation of the City of Pickering Produced (in part) under license from: © Queens Printer, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. All rights reserved.; © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, Departmentof Natural Resources. All rights reserved.; © Teranet Enterprises Inc. and its suppliers. All rights reserved.; © Municipal PropertyAssessment Corporation and its suppliers. All rights reserved. Bayview HeightsPublic School Sa n d y B e a c h R o a d Al l i a n c e R o a d Attachment #2 to Information Report 01-22 Tatra Drive Regan Place K r o s n o B o u l e v a r d R e y t a n B o u l e v a r d D r a v a S treet S andy B eac h Ro a d Morden Lan e Bayly Street Al l i a n c e R o a d G l e n a n n a R o a d Pickering Par k w a y Garvolin Avenue Poprad Avenue Fordon Avenue Highway 401 Air Photo MapFile:Applicant: Date: Dec. 07, 2021 L:\PLANNING\01-MapFiles\A\2021\A 11-21 - UC7\A11_21_AirPhoto.mxd 1:5,000 SCALE:THIS IS NOT A PLAN OF SURVEY. © The Corporation of the City of Pickering Produced (in part) under license from: © Queens Printer, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. All rights reserved.; © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, Departmentof Natural Resources. All rights reserved.; © Teranet Enterprises Inc. and its suppliers. All rights reserved.; © Municipal PropertyAssessment Corporation and its suppliers. All rights reserved. City DevelopmentDepartment SubjectLands A 11/21Greyrock Consolidated Holdings CorporationPart Lot 21, Concession 1Property Description: Future Celebration Drive Bayview HeightsPublic School Attachment #3 to Information Report 01-22 Submitted Conceptual Site Plan City Development Department Nov. 4, 2021FULL SCALE COPIES OF THIS PLAN ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THE CITY OF PICKERING CITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. A 11/21 Greyrock Consolidated Holdings CorporationApplicant: Property Description: DATE: File No: Part Lot 21, Concession 1 L:\Planning\01-MapFiles\A\2021 Attachment #4 to Information Report 01-22 Submitted Conceptual Rendering - Facing Southwest City Development Department Dec. 1, 2021FULL SCALE COPIES OF THIS PLAN ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THE CITY OF PICKERING CITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. A 11/21 Greyrock Consolidated Holdings CorporationApplicant: Property Description: DATE: File No: Part Lot 21, Concession 1 L:\Planning\01-MapFiles\A\2021 Attachment #5 to Information Report 01-22 Submitted Conceptual Rendering - Facing Southeast City Development Department Dec. 1, 2021FULL SCALE COPIES OF THIS PLAN ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THE CITY OF PICKERING CITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. A 11/21 Greyrock Consolidated Holdings CorporationApplicant: Property Description: DATE: File No: Part Lot 21, Concession 1 L:\Planning\01-MapFiles\A\2021 Attachment #6 to Information Report 01-22 L:\Planning\01-MapFiles\A\2021 Dec. 1, 2021DATE: Applicant: Municipal Address: File No: Submitted Conceptual Rendering - North Podium Face FULL SCALE COPIES OF THIS PLAN ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THE CITY OF PICKERING CITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. City Development Department A 11/21 Part Lot 21, Concession 1 Greyrock Consolidated Holdings Corporation Attachment #7 to Information Report 01-22 Universal City Master Plan City Development Department Dec. 8, 2021FULL SCALE COPIES OF THIS PLAN ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THE CITY OF PICKERING CITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. A 11/21 Greyrock Consolidated Holdings CorporationApplicant: Property Description: DATE: File No: Part Lot 21, Concession 1 L:\Planning\01-MapFiles\A\2021 N Attachment #8 to Information Report 01-22 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 the transformation of the City Centre into a more liveable, walkable and human-scaled neighbourhood with inviting public spaces such as parks, squares and streets. •Encourage the development of streetscapes, public spaces and pedestrian routes that are safe and comfortable for all genders and ages, accessible and easy to navigate regardless of physical ability. •Encourage street-facing façades 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 comfort in the public realm through all four seasons. •Shall strive to locate either a park or square, within a 5 minute walk of all residences and places to work located within the City Centre. •May accept privately constructed squares and publicly accessible open spaces as part of a development as fulfilling in whole or in part, the parkland conveyance requirements if all of the following conditions are met: •the square or publicly accessible open space is designed and maintained to the standards of the City; •the square or publicly accessible open space is visible, open and accessible to the public at all times; and •the owner enters into an agreement with the City to ensure that the previous conditions are met, to the satisfaction of the City. •Require new development in close proximity to established low density residential areas to be gradually transitioned in height. •Promote the highest buildings to locate on sites at key gateways or in proximity to higher order transit stations. •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. •Require the design of a pedestrian network to be a safe and visually interesting environment for pedestrians. •Consider in the review of development applications, the following performance criteria with regard to on-site parking and access drives/aisles: •that parking be situated either in parking areas located at the rear or side of the building or on-street, where the development fronts on a collector or local road; •that the parking format be structured or below grade parking; •in phased development, that surface parking may be permitted if the proponent has demonstrated how parking will be accommodated in structures at full build out; •that where active uses at grade are required, parking structures feature active uses at grade to contribute to an animated street environment; •that parking structures be treated architecturally as building fronts with no blank walls; •that shared parking be encouraged in mixed use areas to minimize land devoted to parking; •that the implementing zoning by-law may permit a reduction of customer parking for ground floor commercial uses through the provision of on-street parking; •that surface parking areas be well landscaped and lit to provide a safe and comfortable pedestrian environment; and •that access driveways to side and rear parking areas be consolidated where practical, and be accessible by a public laneway or drive aisle. Attachment #9 to Information Report 01-22 City Centre Urban Design Guidelines Related to the Proposal Site Design •The diverse visual characteristics of the City Centre call for building design that helps define and contribute positively to the surrounding built form and public realm. •The design of sites and buildings shall seek to create and enhance view portals and vistas of parks and signature buildings within the City Centre. •Site grades shall be matched to the street grade and surrounding properties, where possible. •The placement and orientation of buildings should define and augment the public realm (streets and open spaces) and places on properties where routes and people congregate, such as private squares. The coordination of building location along a street edge and the placement of buildings on prominent corners help create an active and attractive streetscape. •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. •Building setbacks may vary between 1.0 metre and 4.0 metres to maintain a visually consistent streets edge. •Within setbacks of buildings with residential at grade, semi-private open space, such as yards or landscaped area, will act as amenity and/or a privacy buffer for at grade residential units, or the residential units may be slightly elevated from the sidewalk in order to assure privacy and security. •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. •Weather protection should be incorporated into new development. Such features may include: inset lobbies, architectural projections, canopies, and awnings. Recessed frontages such as arcades and colonnades are generally discouraged. •Pedestrian-scaled lighting shall be encouraged along pedestrian walkways to improve security and visibility. •Landscaping elements such as planters or benches shall be encouraged along pedestrian walkways to define the paths and to create an attractive and pleasant pedestrian realm. •Outdoor waiting areas in front of residential towers should be weather protected to make waiting and access to and from the site more comfortable. This may include awnings, building projections or covered waiting areas. • Any surface parking areas, drive-aisle and accesses will be located at the rear and sides of development, and shall generally not exceed 30 percent of the total width of any street frontage of a lot. • Access to parking and automobile drop-off areas will be designed to minimize pedestrian/vehicular conflict. The number of vehicular access points will be kept to a minimum to reduce potential conflict between pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles. • Parking lots shall be appropriately lit to provide safety and safe passage. Lighting shall be designed to minimize light pollution. • Adequate short-term bicycle parking should be provided at grade for larger developments. At grade short-term bicycle parking should be located close to building entrances (residential lobbies, retail store entrances and office entrances). • Loading areas shall be located at the side or the rear of buildings, or below grade or within the building where feasible. • Waste and recycling facilities shall be fully enclosed and encouraged to be integrated with the principal building on a site. • Internal routes to loading areas and waste and recycling facilities are encouraged to be designed to avoid crossing primary vehicular circulation routes and walkways. • Transformer vaults, utility meters and other services shall be located within the building and/or internal to the site and away from public view. • Service and utility areas shall be concealed with fencing, screens, and landscaping, and use materials that coordinate or blend with the main structure. Cluster or group utilities to minimize the visual and other impacts on the streetscape and public spaces. • Building exhaust and other service intake or output vents shall be located and concealed to avoid impact on public sidewalks, outdoor spaces and adjacent development. Service intake vents shall generally not project 1.2 metres above finished grade and no closer than 4.0 metres to a street line. • At least 10 percent of each lot shall be landscaped. • A landscape buffer of at least 3.0 metres wide shall be encouraged along surface parking lots situated adjacent to a street, to limit its visual impact on the public realm, to ensure a safe and comfortable pedestrian realm, and to mitigate stormwater runoff from paved areas. • Landscape buffers or landscaping within properties shall include a combination of indigenous deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs that are hardy, tolerant to de-icing agents; and adaptable to urban conditions. Building Design • The shadow impacts of buildings on public open spaces and private amenity areas shall be minimized. • 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 • 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. • The base component (podium) of a building generally establishes the height of the street wall along a street and establishes human scale at the street level. The building podium should be at least 3 storeys before any building step-backs are introduced. • The middle component of a building generally constitutes the bulk of the building and typically consists of office or residential uses. The floor plate above the podium shall not exceed 850 square metres. • The top of a building is where the building wall meets the roof. The top of towers should be attractively designed using setbacks, articulation and other means to contribute positively to the skyline. The tower tops should screen rooftop mechanical equipment through roof parapets or by incorporating mechanical penthouses and elevator cores into the design of the building top to contribute to an attractive skyline profile. • 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 façade articulation (i.e., recessions or projections), fenestration, cornices, vertical pillars, and prominent entrances that respond to the massing and architectural style of the building. • Development within the City Centre shall be encouraged to incorporate sustainable development practices such as optimizing energy efficiency of buildings, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification or alternative equivalent for new private and public buildings, providing vehicle charging stations, and low impact development practices (i.e., the use of grey water systems). • Roof tops are encouraged to include green roof spaces for environmental sustainability, amenity space for residents or urban agriculture. • Bird-friendly glazing should be installed on tall buildings in locations that are within known migratory routes. • Landscape opportunities should be maximized within the City Centre in order to increase the tree canopy, improve air quality and groundwater infiltration. • Buildings with significant heights and massing should be located at key gateways to, and intersections within, the City Centre. Signature buildings at key gateway locations shall include architectural features that signify the importance of the corner. This can be attained by bold and expressive building design through the use of high quality building materials, highly articulated building façades and unique massing details.