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
20 February 2008 / le 20 février 2008
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager
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 RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Local
Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning and
Environment Committee recommend that Council:
1.
Approve the application to demolish part of 453 Bank Street and to
construct an addition to it consisting of a new residential building with
retail at grade according to plans submitted by Fotenn Urban Planners and
designers subject to these plans being modified to provide for the east façade
having a transition in building form and scale to the lower profile development
located east of the site and the retention of 453 Bank Street in situ during
construction.
2.
Delegate approval authority for the
modifications required to be made to the east façade as set out in
Recommendation 1 to the Director of Planning.
3.
Approve the application to demolish 343 McLeod
Street.
(Note: Approval to Alter this property under the Ontario Heritage Act must not be
construed to meet the requirements for the issuance of a building permit.)
RECOMMANDATIONS 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.
D’approuver la demande visant à démolir
une partie du 453, rue Bank et à y construire en annexe un nouvel édifice
résidentiel avec commerce de détail au rez-de-chaussée, conformément aux plans
présentés par Fotenn Urban Planners and designers, sous réserve que ces plans
soient modifiés de manière à prévoir une transition de forme et d’échelle entre
la façade est et l’aménagement plus bas situé à l’est de la propriété, et de
manière à prévoir la conservation sur place du 453, rue Bank pendant les
travaux.
2.
De déléguer au directeur de l’urbanisme
son pouvoir d’approbation pour les modifications nécessaires sur la façade est,
tel que défini à la recommandation 1.
3.
D’approuver la demande visant à démolir le
343, rue McLeod.
(Nota : L’approbation de la
demande de modification aux termes de la Loi
sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario ne signifie pas pour autant qu’elle
satisfait aux conditions de délivrance d’un permis de construire.)
BACKGROUND
The Metropolitan Bible Church is a red brick, flat-roofed building, constructed in 1934-36 with additions in 1967. It is located on the west side of Bank Street between McLeod Street and Gladstone Avenue in the Centretown Heritage Conservation District (see Location Map, Document 1 and Aerial view of downtown, Document 2). It was built as the Metropolitan Tabernacle and has served as a church since its completion. The congregation is in the process of building a new church and so this church has become surplus to its needs.
The proponent
has been in discussion with staff on the proposed project since 2006. Preliminary versions of the project
presented to staff for comment in 2006 was an 11-storey structure that in
staff’s view did not respond well to the heritage district guidelines, the
Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy (DOUDS) or the Official Plan (OP). As result of the pre-consultation that was
undertaken, the project design evolved significantly from a building that was
11 and then nine storeys over the entire site to the current proposal that
varies in height from six to nine storeys. Further changes to the building
included the retention of a meaningful portion of the existing building (as
compared to retention of only the façade of the original historical building)
that would not be built upon; the retention of the building in situ during
construction; and significant modifications to the Bank Street façade that
maintains the character of Bank Street as a collection of buildings with their
own unique attributes and that co‑exist harmoniously to establish a
uniform street character and environment.
On October 11, 2007, a draft of the Cultural Heritage Impact Statement (CHIS) required by the Official Plan and plans for the proposed project were presented to LACAC. After an examination of the CHIS and the plans for the project, LACAC made the following comments:
- Height and massing: nine stories was considered too high and not in keeping with the Heritage District guidelines. There are insufficient measures to alleviate the appearance of a large, single mass out of scale with the surroundings. In particular, breaking up the façade and stepping back from the street above 4 stories should be considered.
- a nine-storey block does not contribute to pedestrian comfort, nor does it respect the value of the Heritage District;
- if development is allowed at this height, pressure will increase on other sites, historic buildings will become anachronisms and the very reason for the Heritage District would be lost.
LACAC included other comments and suggestions
(Document 3) and some of these were addressed and the building altered; for
example, the balconies were re-configured and the eastern part of the Gladstone
Avenue façade was set back from the lot line.
LACAC also wrote to the applicant and asked that the final CHIS contain
an analysis of how the project conformed to the Guidelines in the Heritage Conservation
District Plan. The consultant did so and this analysis is included as Document
4.
The project now proposed for 453 Bank Street is a mixed-use building comprised of the central part of the Metropolitan Bible Church and new additions to the north, south and east. It will vary in height from two storeys (the original church) to nine storeys, fronting on Bank Street between McLeod Street and Gladstone Avenue. It will feature retail at grade, residential units above and townhouse units with doors that open on to McLeod Street (see photographs with building superimposed on site, Document 5).
The building is a flat roofed, U-shaped building constructed of glass and red brick. The "U" faces east and the building faces directly onto Gladstone, Bank and McLeod, with Bank Street being the principle façade. The northwest part of the building, at the corner of Bank Street and Gladstone Avenue, is designed to be a "light box" that will illuminate the corner, break up the design and contrast with the other portions of the building that are clad in red brick (see elevations, Document 6).
A site plan and a Zoning Bylaw amendment for this project are currently in process. The application for the Zoning By-law amendment will be considered by Planning and Environment Committee and Council concurrently with the application for new construction that is the subject of this submission.
DISCUSSION
The Centretown Heritage Conservation District was created in 1997. During the course of the study, each building in the District was evaluated and categorized according to the City-council approved “Handbook for evaluating heritage buildings and areas.” There are four categories. The Metropolitan Bible Church is a Category 2 building and 343 McLeod Street is a Category 3 building. The Heritage Survey and Evaluation Forms for each of these buildings is included in Document 7. City Council approved a Heritage Conservation District Plan as part of the Study. The Guidelines included in this document, along with the directions set out in the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy (DOUDS) and policies set out in the Official Plan including the Centertown Secondary Policy Plan serve as the basis for the evaluation by the City of proposed developments in the Centertown heritage conservation district.
Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Plan and Guidelines
The HCD Plan notes that the predominant character of the Bank Street streetscape in the Centretown Heritage Conservation District is that of a traditional main street where one to four storey, flat-roofed buildings featuring retail at grade and residential above, line the street. The plan also recognizes that there are a few recent mid-rise buildings along the Bank Street corridor.
The traditional main street character along Bank Street tends to weaken immediately south of Gladstone Avenue due to the vacant portion of the subject property, a vacant lot south of the subject property, and a gas station across Bank Street. The street edge main street character re-establishes itself south of McLeod Street.
The District Plan indicates that a key concern
along Bank Street is to ensure that the heritage attributes of the street will
be reinforced and strengthened to support its heritage character and the
successful conservation of older properties and the application of sympathetic
design guidelines for new construction. The proposed development incorporates
into its building program the main portion of the original Metropolitan Bible
Chapel building. It introduces new
development that will frame and not detract from the street character and
prominence of this building, while reflecting the rhythm of the street.
Section VII.5.5 of the Centretown Heritage District Study contains Guidelines for “Commercial and Mixed Use Infill” in the Centretown Heritage Conservation District. The Guidelines do not discourage infill development, but rather they emphasize the importance of infill to the long-term health of the street; “Appropriate infill design is critical to the long-term success of the heritage commercial corridors within the District.” Specific guidelines for the Bank Street corridor say:
The form of new buildings should reflect the character of the existing streetscape. The buildings should be two, three or four storeys in height, located tight to the sidewalk, with ground floor retail and commercial or residential uses on upper floors. In most cases, the buildings should cover the entire width of the lot to re-establish a continuous commercial frontage.
The proposed building is located tight to the sidewalk, has commercial with residential above and re-establishes a continuous commercial frontage and retains the original Bank Street portion of the historical building. The proposed new development is however higher then the heights encouraged under the Guidelines which indicate that development should be two to four stories. The Plan, however, does not require that all new development be of this height recognizing the need to maintain flexibility so as to ensure that other considerations can be taken into account when determining appropriate infill and that situations may arise where a higher profile building may be considered acceptable and appropriate. In fact, it is noted, that the current zoning applying to the vacant portion of the site allows for development up to six storeys.
Staff is satisfied that the proposal to allow an infill development with a height up to nine stories is appropriate for this site and will not detract from the heritage quality and character of this part of Centertown. The Heritage District Plan acknowledges that there are newer mid-rise buildings along Bank Street and the Plan does not see these as interrupting the essential character of Bank Street as predominately a lower profile commercial corridor. The site’s location at a busy intersection along a bend in Bank Street serves as a focal point between that part of Bank Street north of Gladstone and that part of Bank Street south of Gladstone Avenue, with no immediately adjacent neighbours facing Bank Street, in an area of the District that lacks visual coherence, staff is satisfied that the subject site presents an opportunity to construct a higher building without compromising the character of the street or the District. Staff sees the proposed development as capitalizing on the site's unique locational attributes to become a focal point along Bank Street where it curves and that the development can serve as a significant catalyst for improving that section of Bank Street from Gladstone Avenue to the Queensway.
Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy (DOUDS)
The Panel, in its comments expresses support for the level of intensification proposed, the overall program of uses and their deployment within the proposed project. The one area of concern expressed by the Panel relates to the eastern end of the proposed building, the relationship to the east property line and the context of the buildings to the east and suggested modifications to this façade to provide for an improved contextual fit between the proposed building and the lower profile development to the east. Staff concur with the concern expressed by the Panel. Terracing and setbacks to the east walls would serve to provide for an appropriate and repeatable type of transition between the proposed development and areas to the east which do retain lower profile building stock. With this modification, the panel has advised staff that they are prepared to give full endorsement to the project.
The applicant has been requested to modify the east facade to provide for terracing and a stepping back for the upper floors from the east property line. The proponent has advised that this may be possible if the floor area could be relocated within an additional floor along the Gladstone Avenue flank of the project to provide for a 10-storey building. Staff note that this would require an amendment to the Centertown Secondary Plan and have advised the applicant that providing for an additional floor could not be supported. Staff however do consider it important to provide for the modifications to the east facade and are therefore recommending that the approval of the application for new construction be subject to the applicant modifying plans to provide for having the east facade provide for a transition in building form and scale to the lower profile development located east of the site.
Planning Policy Considerations
In addition to assessing the project relative to the Centertown Heritage Conservation District Study and DOUDS, staff in arriving at its recommendations on this application also gave consideration to relevant planning policies articulated in the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) and the Official Plan (OP).
a) Provincial Policy Statement
The Provincial Policy Statement provides broad
policy direction on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning
and development. Section 3 of the
Ontario Planning act requires that all decisions affecting planning matters
shall be consistent with the policy statement. Included within the PPS are
policy statements related to cultural heritage. Among these is the following:
Development and site
alteration may be permitted on adjacent lands to protected
heritage property where the proposed development and site
alteration has been evaluated and it has been demonstrated that the heritage
attributes of the protected heritage property will be conserved.
The
proposed development responds to this direction. As noted, the main portion of the Metropolitan Bible chapel that
has been identified as having heritage value through the Centertown heritage
district study is being retained in situ as part of the proposed development
with new development proposed adjacent to and behind in a way that integrates
with a respects the heritage structure being retained.
b) Official Plan
Cultural Heritage Impact Statement
Section 4.6.1 of the Official Plan
sets out policies requiring that a Cultural Heritage Impact Statement be
prepared where it is proposed to demolish, partially demolish any structure
designated under the Ontario Heritage Act
or where it is proposed to construct a new building within a heritage
conservation district. Consistent with this
requirement, and also to respond to the direction of the PPS, a Cultural
Heritage Impact Statement was prepared to assess the impact of this development
(see Document 9, distributed to LACAC and on file with City Clerk).
The CHIS was undertaken in accordance with the framework set out by Section 4.6.1 of the Official Plan and examined the project in its context. The CHIS described the project as a “well-conceived contemporary response to a need to renew the southern end of Bank Street near the Queensway” and concluded that:
… the development would be appropriate in the District because it would embrace many of the objectives of the Centertown Heritage Conservation District while also renewing the Bank and Gladstone node and contributing to the intensification of development in fallow portions of the District.
Although it generally supported the project,
the CHIS confirmed that the project was introducing a building with a height
greater than the general height encouraged by the Heritage District Plan for
development along Bank Street. In this
regard, the study concluded that this site, given its context could support a
higher building without compromising the heritage quality of this part of the
district. Staff concur with the
conclusions arrived at through the CHIS.
While the designation of the subject lands as
part of a Heritage Conservation District provides specific direction to protect
heritage resources and ensure new development is sensitive to the area’s
heritage character, there remain other important planning policy directions
that also inform staff when considering and assessing the acceptability of any
proposal for development within a heritage district. These relate to the properties land use designation and policy
directions related to achieving the City’s municipal development strategy to
achieve appropriate intensification that is compatible and will coexist with
established development. These considerations play a key factor in assessing
the rezoning application that has also been submitted for the property and are
highlighted as other factors of relevance in reviewing and arriving at
recommendations related to the heritage act application.
Under the OP, the subject lands are designated
Traditional Mainstreet. The OP in its
strategic direction has identified mainstreets as one of the areas where the
City is to achieve its intensification objectives so as to maximize efficient
use of existing infrastructure. The
policies applicable to Traditional Mainstreets generally call for buildings to
be four to six stories, however, it also clearly provides for higher buildings
to be considered under defined circumstances.
The subject property satisfies the locational parameters for having a
higher building developed which in turn allows for a more intensified
development program to be achieved so as to advance the City’s Growth
Management objectives. The OP, in
addition to encouraging more intense development along mainstreets also
acknowledges a need to ensure new development will fit appropriately into its
urban context without causing undue adverse impact. Policies set out in Section 2.5.1 and 4.11 provide direction in
this regard and set out various considerations and criteria to ensure that new
development does fit and will be appropriate.
The proposed development has been assessed in the context of these
considerations as part of the related rezoning application and has been found
to be consistent with achieving the Plan’s objectives to ensure compatible development.
Centertown Secondary Plan
The subject property is located within the Centertown neighbourhood and is therefore subject to the policies set out in the Centertown Secondary Plan. Bank Street is designated “Residential Office” with the portion of the site behind Bank Street being designated medium profile residential. The polices associated with lands designated “Residential Office” provide for permitting a wide range of retail, commercial office, residential and public uses and indicate that building heights may be limited. For areas designated medium profile residential, the Secondary Plan directs that these areas accommodate a variety of dwelling types suitable for occupancy by one person, small and medium sized family and non-family households while also allowing some other uses compatible with permitted residential uses. The policy also provides for buildings with a height greater than nine stories to be permitted but only where sites are located adjacent to areas designated high profile residential area and where the project provides affordable housing beyond market affordability as defined in the OP.
The proposed development and the scale proposed is consistent with the nature of development contemplated under the land use designations applicable to the site. Further, the proposed development responds to the policy directions of the Centertown Secondary Plan to enhance the shopping environment and the viability of Bank Street as a major commercial area. With the modifications recommended to the east façade, the building will respond to the various site development polices directed to ensuring that new development is compatible with adjacent developments. Finally, the proposed development is considered to be consistent with the heritage policies of the Centertown Secondary Plan which provides direction to prevent the demolition of individual buildings within heritage areas and to ensure that new development complements the character of the area. The proposed development will retain in situ the main portion of the one noteworthy building located on the property with the new development framing this building in a way that maintains the rhythm and pattern of development along Bank Street.
Conclusions
Staff reviewed the project within the context of the Guidelines contained within the "Centretown Heritage Conservation District Plan,”, the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy through the Downtown Design Review Panel, and the policies of the OP including the Cultural Heritage Impact Statement, regarding development adjacent to designated heritage resources. With the modification to the east façade that the Department recommends be a condition of the approval, the proposal meets all the relevant considerations. In dealing specifically with the heritage considerations, as noted, the project does fit within and is responsive to the Guidelines for new construction. With respect to height, as previously noted, the guidelines suggest that heights for new construction be in the two to four storey range, however, they do not set this out as a specific requirement. There are some mid-rise buildings along Bank Street and these are acknowledged. The proposed development for the subject property will coexist harmoniously with the heritage fabric of the street. Finally, the Cultural Heritage Impact Statement supports the project because of the positive contribution it would make to this part of the Heritage Conservation District. Based on these reasons, the Department supports the proposed development at a height of nine storeys.
CONSULTATION
The Centretown Citizens Community Association (CCCA) was circulated and submitted its comments. Those comments that relate to the heritage aspects of the project are:
The CCCA does not support any building on this site higher than the current zoning by law limits …
While height was a key issue in our discussion, there were a number of other comments that I would like to bring to your attention including the aesthetics. Some examples are – inappropriate building materials in a heritage zone (this speaks to the modern design), unsuccessful integration of the façade of the church into the design, and no appreciable landscaping… Finally, what would the precedent of nine stories at this section of Bank Street mean to development along Bank to the north?
The Ward Councillor’s comments are:
General
Comments:
Redevelopment of this site should transform a pivotal
intersection in Centretown by introducing a desirable residential
intensification to an empty tract of Bank Street. The overall components of the
project - a strong continuous retail presence on Bank, with mid-rise housing
units above meet the goals of the 'Traditional Mainstreet' zoning and the
Centretown Plan's Medium-Profile residential OP designation. .
Increase in Maximum Building Height:
Although
the requested increase in maximum height from six storeys to nine is at the
upper limit of what is acceptable within a medium-profile residential and the
Bank Street zoning, and there are other sites where a nine storey height would
not be appropriate, it has to be assessed in the site-specific context of the
property, which is on a busy arterial roadway across from an automotive use. I
note that the McLeod Street frontage has been stepped down to six floors, with
ground-oriented townhouses at grade that are more appropriate to the McLeod
Street block. The re-zoning should be a built-form envelope that conforms to
this proposal and adheres to the various stepped down transitional sections.
Compatibility with Centretown Heritage
Conservation District/Heritage Overlay Provisions:
The Centretown HCD guidelines state that each
application for new construction in the district should be assessed for its
compatibility with its environs, streetscape, footprint and massing. It does
not require new buildings to be copies of other historic buildings in the area
- but clearly buildings of their time. In this case, the immediately adjacent
streetscape is very mixed, and would not be overwhelmed by the new building. Its
massing (a U-shaped block) respects and echoes a well-established footprint
seen in other mid-rise apartment buildings in the Centretown area, and the
mixed use (with commercial at grade and residential above) is seen up and down
Bank Street in earlier examples.
Given the
above rationale, I am in support of this application.
In response to the Application for new construction in
the Centretown Heritage District, Councillor Holmes submitted these additional
comments:
The 'rear' of the building is a remains an unresolved
design issue. The blank masonry walls of each wing and the concrete base of
parking podium need to be articulated to reduce their impact. This was the
primary comment of the Urban Design Peer Review Panel, and I share their
concerns.
While the proposed building is certainly an
uncompromisingly contemporary design statement, its functional programme
(at-grade storefronts and residential units above) is a traditional
format that is already found on commercial streets in the Centretown Heritage
District. This is further echoed by the proposed U-shaped apartment block
(another historic form) - so in that sense it meets the spirit of the design
management guidelines for the Centretown HCD. The use of red brick continues a
material that predominates the Centretown area. The portion of the Bible Church
that is to be entirely demolished does not have architectural significant.
From the preservation perspective, it would have been
desirable to retain the 1930s portion of the tabernacle in its entirety. On
this site, with no existing heritage streetscape in its blockface, or
immediately abutting it, I feel that the Bank, Gladstone, and McLeod facades of
the new building are generally appropriate - although certainly at the upper
limit of what would be acceptable in terms of height in this zone. That
said, the street level treatment of the commercial space along Bank Street
should be more pedestrian friendly, finely detailed, and make a positive
contribution to the Bank Street retail ambience.
The treatment of the east side of the building is not
acceptable. I cannot support a building having blank walls and a concrete base.
The wall needs to be stepped down and articulated to be more sympathetic to the
area to the east.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS
This report was prepared within the 90-day time period established by
the Ontario Heritage Act.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location Map
Document 2 Aerial View of
Downtown
Document 3 LACAC Minutes
Document 4 Consultant’s
Response to LACAC
Document 5 Photographs Showing
Building
Document 6 Axonimetrics and
Elevations
Document 7 Heritage Survey and
Evaluation Forms
Document 8 Downtown Urban
Design Review Panel Comments
Document 9 Cultural
Heritage Impact Statement (Distributed to LACAC and on file with LACAC
Assistant)
DISPOSITION
The City Clerk's Branch, Council and Committee Services to notify the applicant/ agent (Natalie Hughes, FoTenn Consultants, 223 McLeod Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0Z8) and the Ontario Heritage Trust (10 Adelaide Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1J3) of City Council's consent to demolish a portion of 453 Bank Street, 343 McLeod Street and to build an addition to 453 Bank Street in the Centretown Heritage Conservation District.
- PRE-CONSULTATION ON A PROPOSED NEW
CONSTRUCTION AT 453 BANK STREET, LOCATED IN THE CENTRETOWN HERITAGE
CONSERVATION DISTRICT
CONSULTATION PRÉLIMINAIRE SUR LA
PROPOSITION VISANT UNE NOUVELLE CONSTRUCTION AU 453, RUE BANK, SITUÉ DANS LE
DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DU SECTEUR CENTRE
Chair Baltz advised the Committee that the item was for information only as no formal application has yet been made to staff.
Sally Coutts,
Heritage Planner provided an overview of the proposed project.
Mark Brandt, Heritage Consultant, Natalie Hughes, Planner, FoTenn Consultants,
Ted Phillips, Taggart, Deni Poletti, CORE Architects and
David Wex, Urban Capital were present to answer questions on the proposed project.
LACAC discussed the proposal and individual members identified the following issues:
- Height and massing: nine stories was considered too high and not in keeping with the Heritage District guidelines. There are insufficient measures to alleviate the appearance of a large, single mass out of scale with the surroundings. In particular, breaking up the façade and stepping back from the street above 4 stories should be considered.
- The increased height that
may be appropriate at the corner (according to the Official Plan) is not
appropriate farther along the block, and should be stepped down.
- continuous line created by the balconies on McLeod Street elevation creates too much horizontality; articulation of the balconies would help transition the building towards the small scale residential area immediately adjacent
- recessing at street level along Bank Street (in particular on the corner of McLeod Street) and the exposed columns create an unfriendly streetscape and, further, is counter to the spirit of the District Guidelines;
- the new development should read as three distinct architectural elements;
- if the church is to be used solely as an exit from the proposed development, is it worth saving it?
- the proposed development does not complement the church's facade;
- a nine storey block does not contribute to pedestrian comfort, nor does it respect the value of the Heritage District;
- if development is allowed at this height, pressure will increase on other sites, historic buildings will become anachronisms and the very reason for the Heritage District would be lost.
RECEIVED
Action: The Committee will provide comments to Member Whamond on the development and he will
forward the comments to the Committee Coordinator.
DOWNTOWN URBAN DESIGN REVIEW PANEL COMMENTS DOCUMENT
8
Design Review Panel Report
453 Bank Street 343 McLeod
Street
D07-12-07-0288
D02-02-07-0122
January 2008
The design review panel
submits the following report for 453 Bank Street/ 343 McLeod Street based on a pre-consultation
meeting held in Ottawa and on the package submitted for formal review in
December 2007. The panel notes this site was identified as a re-development
opportunity in the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy.
The panel appreciates the level of completeness in
the design brief as prepared by Fotenn Planning and Urban Design. This package has assisted greatly in the
review.
The panel would like to express support for level of
intensification, the overall program of uses and their deployment within the
project on this site.
The panel specifically references
·
the modulation of the
building massing and types along Bank Street and feels that the project will
add positively to Bank Street in this location.
·
The retail ground floor will
animate the street and help to re-establish this area as a retail service zone
·
The grade related housing and
streetscape on McLeod is a very positive feature.
During the pre-consultation the panel expressed
concern with the eastern end of the building and the relationship to the
property line and the context of the houses to the east. The panel suggested that the building should
not be 100% to the property line and not be composed of 6 storey and 8 storey
blank walls. Suggestions included
introducing terracing and setbacks to the east walls and that they be fully
developed architecturally recognizing that the eastern walls will be very
visible to the adjacent houses and the general context of the neighbourhood
including the park at the Museum of Nature.
There is a specific reference to this in the DOUDS on
page 61
“Regardless of the height of new buildings, the City
should carefully review all design aspects including street setbacks,
architectural quality, contextual fir, massing, parking provisions and the distance
between buildings. It is important to
note that while zoning may define allowable building envelopes, design review
could impose limitations and require further refinements within that envelop to
ensure compatibility with local conditions.
As building heights exceed 6
storeys this design review becomes even more critical to ensure appropriate
development and compatibility with the existing context.”
To be
specific;
1.
The façade
and massing is still presenting a blank unarticulated wall between 6 stories
and 8 stories tall at the eastern property line. The panel does not feel this
massing at the property line is a good repeatable urban design for the
intensification of Bank Street
2.
The panel had asked that the adjacent buildings be drawn on the elevations and the three dimensional computer
model to illustrate how this transition was to be successful. This has not been
done.
3.
Elevations are required for all four facades. The east
façade is still missing.
4.
The panel discussed a change in massing to lower and or set
back the end module ( east end between grid 10 and 11) to reduce the height of
this wall at the property line. No attempt to address this has been
made. The building as designed is too
tall at the eastern end and the blank brick walls in a single plane are not an
appropriate repeatable condition. Please see DOUDS, pg 61, bottom photos,
second from the right and additional photos attached as schedule A of this
report.
5.
The building between the towers has also been moved to the
property line and expressed in a blank wall which appears to be concrete at the
property line. This is not an acceptable edge condition between the properties.
6.
Lane - explain how this area will operate. This feature
should include overhead doors to close this opening from the street, complete
the facades at the street line and reduce impact on the adjacent properties to
the east.
Recommendation
The design review panel
would recommend these changes be made before granting the project
approval.
