Report
to/Rapport au :
Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee
Comité consultatif sur la
conservation de l'architecture locale
and /
et
Planning
and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
29 October 2007 / le 29 octobre 2007
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manage/Directrice
municipale adjointe,
Planning, Transit and the Environment/Urbanisme,
Transport en commun et Environnement
Contact
Person/Personne Ressource : Grant Lindsay, Manager / Gestionnaire,
Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement
(613)
580-2424, 13242 Grant.Lindsay@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Local Architectural
Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning and Environment
Committee recommend that Council:
1.
Refuse the
application to demolish a portion of 330 Gilmour Street and,
2.
Refuse the
application for new construction in a heritage conservation district at
330 Gilmour Street received by the Planning, Transit and the Environment
Department on October 2, 2007.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité consultatif sur la
conservation de l’architecture locale recommande au Comité de l’urbanisme et de
l’environnement de recommander à son tour au Conseil :
1. de
refuser la demande de démolition d'une partie du 330, rue Gilmour;
2. de
refuser la demande de construction d'une nouvelle installation dans le district
de conservation du patrimoine, au 330, rue Gilmour, reçue par le Service de
l'urbanisme, du transport en commun et de l'environnement le
2 octobre 2007.
BACKGROUND
The 330 Gilmour Street site is located within the boundaries of the Centretown Heritage Conservation District. It is a long, rectangular, through lot between Gilmour Street to the north and Lewis Street to the south (see Location Map, Document 1). The site extends most of the way from O'Connor to Metcalfe Streets. The building was constructed in stages; the original Beaux Arts portion was completed in 1922 and additions to the east were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s (See photographs, Document 2). Gilmour Street in this location is mixed in character, featuring vacant land, historic buildings, a more recent infill condominium building and a 1950s office building. Late 19th and early 20th century houses, the design of which was inspired by the Queen Anne Revival style, characterize Lewis Street. A number of these houses have received City of Ottawa heritage restoration grants since the designation of the District. Lewis Street is narrow in this block and the houses face the rear of the later three and a half storey addition to the original OBE building and its parking lot (See photographs, Document 3).
The
Centretown Heritage Conservation District was designated through By-law 269-97
under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1997. This report has been prepared because the consent of City Council
is required following the review of its Local Architectural Conservation
Advisory Committee (LACAC) before the demolition of an existing building and
the construction of a new building within a heritage conservation district can
proceed.
During the process that lead to the designation of the Centretown Heritage Conservation District under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, every property in the District was evaluated and placed in a one of four categories. The former Ottawa Board of Education building, constructed in 1921, was evaluated as a Category 2 building. After the former Ottawa and Carleton District School Boards amalgamated, the new board moved its headquarters to Greenbank Road and as a result, the building at 330 Gilmour Street was sold in 2001.
DISCUSSION
The project proposed for 330 Gilmour Street is a nine-storey (seven storeys with two storeys setback) seniors' residence, 30.3 metres by 115.74 metres, situated to the east of the original Beaux Arts portion of the Ottawa Board of Education headquarters. It is clad in light brick and features a one storey concrete base, concrete foundations, and a simple cornice at the seventh floor. The building is articulated by alternating bands of balconies and windows. There are awnings on the windows at the ground floor level. The main entrance faces Gilmour Street and access to underground parking is off Lewis Street (see Document 4, Site Plan and Elevations).
A preliminary version of the project and a Cultural Impact Statement were presented to LACAC on a pre-consultation basis at its meeting of November 9, 2006. LACAC passed the following motions after consideration of the preliminary plans:
That the East and West be given equal design attention as that given to the north and south and that they be designed so they compliment [sic] the existing buildings and streetscape
That the height of the proposed new building be restricted to six storeys with a possible seventh storey set back.
The current plans reflect the first motion, as the east and west facades now feature glass bay windows, however, the height of the building remains unchanged since LACAC's initial comments.
Section VII.5.6 of the Centretown Heritage District Study contains Guidelines for Residential Infill in the Centretown Heritage Conservation District. The Guidelines do not discourage infill development, rather they stress that "It is important to promote design which is sympathetic to existing building types and which re-establishes streetscape continuity." The original streetscape of the block of Gilmour between Metcalfe and O'Connor has changed incrementally since the construction of the original OBE building in 1921. In the 1950s, the first addition to the building was undertaken and in 1963, a five-door rowhouse was removed to allow for the construction of a second addition. Since the construction of these additions, the streetscape character of the block has been very different than that of neighbouring streets as the buildings were largely surrounded by asphalt and parking lots. The proposed building will not return the street to its former residential character but it will create a residential character through extensive landscaping proposed for the north and south facades.
Further "Guidelines" state that:
1. All infill should be of contemporary design, distinguishable as being of its own time. However, it must be sympathetic to the heritage character of the area, and designed to enhance these existing properties rather than calling attention to itself.
2. The form of new infill should reflect the character of existing buildings on adjoining and facing properties. The buildings should normally be three or four storeys in height, with massing and setbacks matching earlier rather than later patterns still evident in the immediate area.
The proposed building is contemporary in its expression and its style and detail is compatible to the wide variety of building types in the District, however, its height and massing are not consistent with the heritage character of this part of the District, particularly Lewis Street, nor is the building's height and mass appropriate to the heritage character of the entire heritage conservation district. Because of its size and height, the building does not "enhance" existing heritage properties as recommended by the Guidelines, rather it dominates the adjacent heritage buildings.
Furthermore, the proposed building does not reflect the small scale character of adjoining and facing single detached dwellings or the walk-up apartment buildings found in the Heritage Conservation District, but, at nine storeys, rather than the three or four recommended in the Guidelines, and prescribed in the current zoning through the heritage overlay provision, it dwarfs not only the residential buildings to its north and south but also the original OBE headquarters and the Church of Christ, Scientist, to the west and east respectively.
The Heritage Policies of the Centretown Secondary Plan (Section 4.5 b) state that:
The City of Ottawa shall identify and designate areas of architectural, historical or cultural significance as Heritage Areas. These areas shall be protected from intrusion by incompatible land uses and undesirable traffic … Wherever redevelopment occurs, Council shall ensure that the design and landscaping of new buildings complement the character of the area.
In accordance with the policy, the Centretown Heritage Conservation District was created in 1997 to protect the area's character and to manage change within it. The proposed development, at nine storeys in height, does not complement the character of the area but overwhelms it.
The Provincial Policy Statement, 2005, addresses heritage conservation issues in Section 2.6.3 that states site alteration may be permitted on lands adjacent to cultural heritage resources where " it has been demonstrated that the heritage attributes of the protected heritage property will be conserved." To conserve a protected heritage property, a municipality may require that a "Cultural Heritage Impact Statement" be prepared. This is consistent with the City of Ottawa Official plan policy 4.6.3 that requires that Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment be undertaken for developments in heritage conservation districts. Accordingly, a Cultural Heritage Impact Statement was completed in 2006 that stated that the development will have an impact on Lewis Street "where occupants of a set of Victorian houses will face a development that is much higher that the height of the existing buildings." The "Impact Statement" also stated that that the street will appear narrower because of the height of the proposed development, although the views of the residents will "benefit from a view toward a well-designed residential structure." (see Document 5 for extracts from Cultural Heritage Impact Statement).
Staff reviewed the project within the context of the Guidelines contained within the "Centretown Heritage Conservation District", the Provincial Policy Statement, the Cultural Heritage Impact Statement and the Official Plan policies regarding development adjacent to designated heritage resources. As presented, the building does not meet the Guidelines as it is not designed with the recommended three to four story heights for new construction in the District. It does not have regard for the heritage character of the area as described in the Centretown District, and the proposed project has not has not demonstrated that it conserves the cultural heritage value of adjacent properties. Based on these reasons, the Department does not support the proposed development.
Staff are currently completing a report dealing with the re-zoning of the property that does not support the nine-storey height but would allow seven storeys on the site. A Site Plan for the proposal is also being considered. The project is subject to design review under the "Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy." The project has been reviewed and extracts from the Review Panel's comments are included as Document 6.
The construction of any new building to the east of the original 1921 building is dependent upon the demolition of the later additions to the original OBE building. The Department has no objection to the demolition of the later additions but is recommending refusal until a building that complies with the "Guidelines" cited above is approved by City Council. The Department also recommends that the 1921 building be protected during construction and that its east wall be conserved according to Parks Canada's "Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada."
CONSULTATION
Adjacent
property owners as well as area Community Associations were notified by letter
of the date of the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee and
Planning and Environment Committee meetings and were provided with comment
sheets to be returned to LACAC. This is
in accordance with the municipal public participation policy regarding heritage
alterations, demolitions and infill in a heritage district.
Councillor
Holmes provided the following comments on the poposed development:
"Councillor Holmes is aware of
this application and has submitted the following comments:
In my view, the proposed development
is not in compliance with the following requirements of the Centretown
Heritage Conservation District Guidelines for New Construction in the Heritage
District.
"Ensure that new development is
compatible with the low-scale high-density pattern that has marked the area
over time."
"The form of new infill should
reflect the character of existing buildings on adjoining or facing properties.
The buildings should normally be three or four storeys in height, with massing and
setbacks matching earlier patterns still evident in the immediate area."
The proposed building will have the
longest unbroken footprint in Centretown. It overwhelms a block of outstanding
two and one half storey houses on Lewis (a very narrow street) and the two
important landmark heritage buildings at either end of the subject block - the
First Church of Christ Scientist at Metcalfe, and the oldest portion of the
former OBE Headquarters at O'Connor.
The superficial changes in brick
colour and building finish do not mitigate the excessive bulk of this slab-like
structure. It is not sympathetic to its environment.
Therefore, I am opposed to this application, as it will result in an overdevelopment of this very confined site with a bulky and overwhelming tower that will dominate each of its street frontages, overpower the adjacent heritage buildings, and fail the urban design tests of the Official Plan and the Centretown Heritage Conservation District."
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
APPLICATION PROCESS
TIMELINE STATUS
This report was reported within the 90 days
prescribed by the Ontario Heritage Act.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
2. Photographs of existing building
3. Context Photographs
4. Site Plan and Elevations
5.
Extracts from Cultural Heritage Impact Statement, full
document previously circulated and on file with LACAC coordinator
6.
Extracts
from 330 Gilmour Design Review, full document distributed separately and on
file with LACAC coordinator
DISPOSITION
City Clerk's Branch, Council and Committee Services, to notify the applicant/agent (Erin Topping, Ashcroft Homes, 18 Antares Drive, Nepean, Ontario, K2E 1A9), the architect (Rod Lahey Architect Inc., 1501 Carling Avenue, Suite 200, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 7M1) and the Ontario Heritage Trust (10 Adelaide Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1J3) of City Council's refusal to allow the construction of a nine-storey addition to 330 Gilmour Street.
5.2 Heritage Conservation Issues Directly Related to
the Centretown Heritage
Conservation District
The
heritage district study is the primary document describing the cultural
heritage value of the
district
and the guidelines that should be followed to conserve its heritage value. The
study does
not
provide guidelines on a block-by-block basis; rather, it gives general guidance
for decisions
to
occur on a case-by-case basis. Change is supported in the district study,
especially changes
that
lead to the appropriate redevelopment of empty lots and to the conservation of
identified
heritage
resources. The proposed development at 330 Gilmour has the potential to meet
the
first
goal and has fully met the second.
The
district study recommends that the pattern to be followed in establishing the
height of new
buildings
is the height of older buildings in the area, not the pattern created since the
1970s with
the
introduction of tall apartment and office towers. A few apartment blocks
constructed prior to
1950
were 6 or 8 storeys in height and equipped with elevators, but the majority of
apartment
buildings
predating 1950 are three or four storeys tall…
2. Scale of the development
The
proposed development is situated on a block that has been occupied by a large
building of
lower
height than the proposed structure. The impact of the scale of the proposed
building will
be
greatest on Lewis Street, where occupants of a set of Victorian houses will
face a
development
that is much higher than the height of the existing buildings. The height will
also
create
a shadowing effect on the early-20th-century
house on Gilmour Street, although there is
no
public garden or park on the site.
The
narrowness of Lewis Street will be augmented by the replacement of the current
three-and a-half-storey building with a nine-storey building. The occupants of
houses on Lewis Street will
notice
the difference, but much less than they would if the building were located on
the south
side
of the block. Also, the occupants will benefit from a view toward a
well-designed residential
structure
in place of the rear elevation of a functional office block.
6 Conclusion
The
proposed development of 330 Gilmour Street meets important objectives of the
heritage
district
study. It re-establishes Centretown as a desirable place to live; protects an
important
heritage
building in the area; and establishes a higher standard of design than many
previous
projects.
The
maximum allowable height for the building that replaces the 1950s portion is
restricted to
the
height of the existing building (three-and-a-half storeys) under the Heritage
Overlay of the
City
of Ottawa Zoning By-law. The height of the proposed new building is nine
storeys. The
height
of new buildings in the district is a sensitive issue because the scale of a
proposed development may decrease the economic and cultural value of adjacent
properties.
DOWNTOWN
OTTAWA URBAN DESIGN, EXTRACTS DOCUMENT 6
330 Gilmour Design Review
09 September 2007
Overview
- Relatively sensitive design in the context of the
neighbourhood, Official Plan, Centretown Secondary Plan, & DOUDS
- Like the effort made to reduce the scale of the
building both vertically & horizontally
- Generally like the relationship of the building
to the street, landscaping and pedestrian scale attention to detail.
- Canopies add good scale and detail
Building Elements-Suggestions
- Seventh Floor cornice looks too fragmented and too repetitive
between the “three” buildings. It would be better to align or integrate
the cornice with the balcony slabs so there is a more continuous line. The
cornice on the OBE building is stronger we would recommend adding
thickness to the cornice shown.
- We support the design strategy of breaking the apparent mass of
what is a very long building into three sections. The effectiveness of
this approach would be improved by eliminating the projecting balconies on
the glass vertical elements which reduce the apparent division between the
three blocks. The upper two floors as designed do not support this
partition of the building into three masses by virtue of the fact that there
is little vertical division, and the vertical setbacks that do exist are
not related to the mass of the three blocks below.
- Reference is made in the brief to “contemporary modernism” as a
design approach to both reflect contemporary design and to reference
connection to the past. Trying to blend modernism with historical
references is a difficult approach that can create buildings without an
architectural integrity of their own…. Within a heritage district, we
would encourage a design that focuses on its own architectural merit, and
is more frankly modern than referential to the past.
- At nine stories tall this building is at the high end of the 5-9
storey medium profile range and immediately adjacent to a low profile
heritage area to the south. Reference has been made to the transition in
building height to the adjacent properties. This is not so, and is very
evident when referring to the streetscape elevations. Losing density
(height) at the ends would allow for a step down to the OBE and the Church.
Failing that, altering the brick/stone ratio to glass could achieve
visually some of this. This is not as effective as reduced height and
therefore a view to the sky.
- The light wells and the detailing around them are
not clearly evident on the drawings.
Landscape/Site Elements-Suggestions
- The landscaping seems weak on the Lewis Street
side. There may
be opportunities for more street trees along Lewis Street by reducing the
width of the window wells or by increasing the building setback.
- The patios along Lewis Street lack a defined edge which
distinguishes the private space from the public space. A low wall
surrounding the outdoor amenity spaces would provide a sense of place for
the residents while still maintaining connection to the public street. If
possible a canopy over the outdoor patio would provide the residents with
some weather protection.
- Reference is made to substantially improving the
streetscaping, the
Lewis Street streetscape would be improved with more street trees. The addition of street trees
along Lewis Street would help to soften the height differential between
the two story residential buildings across the street and the proposed
nine story building.
- Planting high branching deciduous trees along the street in front
of the heritage OBE building would strengthen the streetscape design and
provide continuity along Gilmour Street.
Robert C.
Matthews
Jane Thompson
Tara Smith
