Section 5 Community Design Guidelines

The Official Plan directs that developing communities are intended to be designed with a connected system of parks, open space and natural features that are visible and accessible to residents.

The Leitrim Wetlands and Findlay Creek provide the natural focus around which the community is planned. They are significant natural features that extend on both sides of Albion Road, and distinguish the landscape of the new community. The Community’s open space is primarily located to provide a continuous system for recreation, to protect natural features and to provide for a transition in uses. It is distributed to create neighbourhood centres and a community focus. Stormwater management ponds will be designed to compliment the green space system as special features and amenities in the community.

Larger community parks are located as focal points of the Community, while neighbourhood parks are defined by surrounding land use and provide the local focus for a neighbourhood. Single loaded roads generally bound Greenspaces, including stormwater management facilities, while local streets are oriented to terminate the view on greenspaces, enabling the amenity of the feature to be shared by all residents.

The entire Leitrim Community is designed to be pedestrian friendly. For example, roads have sidewalks, the grid street network enables multiple choices of routes, and greenspace is connected. A primary trail system connects the major parks, open spaces, schools and natural features with sidewalks, boardwalks, granular and asphalt trails. This is in addition to the pedestrian connections on sidewalks along local, collector and arterial streets.

Roads offer views and access to open space

The community’s greenspace system is comprised of:

1. The existing 12.9 ha Leitrim Park, a district park. It is the site of the Fred Barrett Arena and sports fields and will continue to be used for active recreation.
2. A new 10.6 ha community park to accommodate sports fields and other active recreation facilities provides a buffer between the residential and employment areas. This park will also accommodate a stormwater management facility,
3. A neighbourhood park (0.8 ha) is suggested in the community centre. This park should ideally have an urban character for the frontage adjacent to the commercial centre, with a more passive character towards the west.
4. Three neighbourhood parks are associated with school sites. The parks range in size from 0.8 to 1.0 ha. and will provide for largely passive recreation, with some active recreation in facilities such as courts, rinks and play structures. Larger sports facilities will be provided in the community parks.
5. A number of neighbourhood parks, ranging in size from 0.4 to 0.8 ha, will be the focus for each neighbourhood.
6. A 16.9 ha parcel of open space will be maintained west of Albion Road in a natural state.
7. The 120 metre wetland buffer has been determined by the Ontario Municipal Board. It is a transition zone to protect the sensitive wetland features and functions. Trails could be located in the buffer.
8. A stormwater management corridor that varies in width along the Leitrim Wetland and Findlay Creek. Trails could be located in the corridor.
9. A 3.2 ha community park will be located south of wetland and will accommodate sports fields.
10. A 10 m wide area on the east side of Albion Road through the residential neighbourhood will be planted with trees and shrubs to compliment the wetlands and provide a visual screen to the residential neighbourhood. If the wide planted area is not provided, the abutting neighbourhood will be developed with a single loaded road to provide window streets into the community.

Additional information on the Greenspace Plan is included in Chapter 6.0. Guidelines are included for community and neighbourhood parks, buffers and linkages, stormwater management facilities and trails. Guidelines for district parks are not included as Leitrim Park, the only district park, is already built.

General Guidelines for Parks

• G1 Parks must have frontage on at least two public streets. Entirely open parks with frontage on four sides are encouraged.
• G2 Pedestrian access to parks should be clearly defined with landscape or architectural elements to ensure an appealing park presence from the road.
• G3 Street trees should be planted along the edge of parks, while not screening the view into the parks.
• G4 Park design should ensure visual privacy for adjoining residents. Where rear yard fencing adjacent to park is required, its design should be consistent around the perimeter of the park.
• G5 All residential units across from parks or adjacent to a park should front, not flank the park.

Single detached homes surrounding a neighbourhood park in the King Ranch Community, Virginia.

Homes facing onto a park in Kentlands, Maryland.

Community Parks

• G6 Community parks will be designed to provide a focus for the entire community through landscape design and pedestrian meeting areas.
• G7 Community Parks are intended to be the focus of the Community in terms of active recreation activities and facilities. The majority of the community’s sports fields, such as soccer and football, will be located in these parks. These parks can contain a variety of other recreation opportunities, both active and passive. Vehicular access and parking will be provided. There are also opportunities to locate community facilities such as community centres or libraries.

Neighbourhood Parks (including urban parks in the Centres)

• G8 Neighbourhood parks will provide opportunities for active and passive recreation for immediate residents in the neighbourhood. Generally, they will include elements such as play structures, informal playgrounds, seating, hard surface areas, shaded areas under tree canopies or open air structures, group mailboxes, lighting, distinctive tree, shrub, and ground cover planting.
• G9 A park will be the focus of a neighbourhood or centre and provide an amenity area for residents within 400 metres.
• G10 A neighbourhood park will generally be 0.4 – 1.0 ha of level land.
• G11 The neighbourhood park south of Findlay Creek Drive could include gardens, gazebos, water features, or architectural features to compliment its location in the mixed use centre. Parking shall be accommodated on the street.

Buffer & Linkages

• G12 All wetland buffers and the greenspace west of Albion Road are intended to remain in their natural state to protect their natural features and functions. The natural features should be inventoried to determine opportunities to enhance vegetation and habitat.
• G13 Provide a 10 m wide area on the east side of Albion Road. Plant the area with trees and shrubs to compliment the adjacent wetlands.
• G14 Access into the wetland or wetland buffer areas shall be prohibited for motorized vehicles (cars, ATVs), mountain bikes, and domestic animals.
• G15 Residential neighbourhoods, adjacent to the Leitrim Wetlands are designed on single loaded roads to retain views to the feature. Where there is no option to rear lotting onto the wetlands or buffer areas, the properties must be fenced and treed on the rear property line.
• G16 All wetland and buffer lands should be dedicated to public ownership.
• G17 Any development plans for lands adjacent to the Leitrim Wetlands or ‘Casino Wetland’ must preserve a natural corridor between the two wetlands to ensure a terrestrial and hydrological link. The appropriate corridor will be determined by environmental impact statements.
• G18 The City and South Nation Conservation Authority, in partnership with developers and other agencies, will implement recommendations from the Leitrim Wetland Management Plan.

Stormwater Management Ponds

• G19 Stormwater management ponds and channels will be designed as integral and significant features of the landscape; i.e., grading of a stormwater management pond shall ensure natural and variable side slopes and sinuous contours.
• G20 Where possible, in situ materials should be used in the construction of stormwater ponds.
• G21 Planting should be comprised of native species and flood tolerant water’s edge plants to stabilize banks.
• G22 Ponds shall not be fenced.
• G23 Public walking/cycling trails should encircle ponds and extend along stormwater channels.

Guidelines for Trails

• G23 Trails will be designed to accommodate a range of users and abilities. Slopes must be under 5%. Curb-cuts must be provided to improve access at street crossings.
• G24 Trail design and type will be based on each site’s sensitivity to minimize environmental impacts.
• G25 Trails for pedestrians and cyclists should be 3.0 m wide. Trails for pedestrians only should be 2.4 m wide.
• G26 Trails should be clearly signed regarding permitted use and speed.
• G27 Wayfinding signage shall be provided throughout the trail network.
• G28 Benches and garbage receptacles should be provided at trail heads and at regular intervals along the route.
• G29 Trails located within the wetland, a wetland buffer, or adjacent to stormwater management facilities should incorporate interpretive signage at various locations to promote stewardship initiatives that will protect and enhance the features and functions of the natural environment.

The main spine roads in the Leitrim Community

The Official Plan directs that new communities should be designed with a modified grid pattern that accommodates a range of transportation modes and that defines a community. The Leitrim Community is designed with beautiful streets - the largest component of the public realm. The main spine streets (collector roads) will be multifunctional to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, cars and transit. All streets will be tree lined.

The main east-west and north-south collector roads are strategically located to provide access to the adjacent arterial roads and to organize the neighbourhoods. The central east-west road connects with the existing Findlay Creek Road and follows the north edge of the Leitrim Wetlands. It is located to accommodate development only on the north side, allowing open views to the Leitrim Wetlands. This will help to ensure the Wetlands are not cut off from the community, and indeed lends a special character to new neighbourhoods. The northerly east-west road provides a through route north of the cemetery. The southerly east-west road connects Blais Road to future Earl Armstrong Road. It is located as a spine to the neighbourhoods. The north-south spine road is aligned to provide special views of key uses through the community.

Local roads are designed to allow the permeability of movement and wayfinding. Single-loaded roads are used at key areas throughout the Community to provide views to greenspace, and access to structure neighbourhoods and to protect and integrate greenspaces.

The Guidelines outlining recommendations for the road network will be superseded by City street standards.

Guidelines for Collector Roads

Collector roads should be designed with a 26 m right-of-way (ROW). They should have high quality streetscape treatment that should include street trees, pedestrian lights and sidewalks.

• S1 Collector roads without a median should be designed with a 26.0 m ROW and include:
  • A road surface of 14.0 m with one driving lane in each direction; and,
  • The boulevard shall be 6.0 m to accommodate a grass verge with a deciduous street tree, and a sidewalk on both sides.
• S2 Collector roads with a centre median should be designed with a 26.0 m ROW and include:
  • A road surface of 12.5 m with a centre, planted median, one driving lane in each direction, and discretionary space on both sides of the road surface; and,
  • A boulevard of 5.25 m to accommodate a grass verge with a deciduous street tree, and a sidewalk on both sides.
• S3 Deciduous street trees should be located in the centre of the grass verge, planted 8 to 10 m on-centre, in the public right-of-way.
• S4 Street trees should be planted opposite each other.
• S5 Mailboxes, vending machines, trash cans, and recycling bins should be consolidated in single locations that are adjacent to open spaces.
• S6 All single-loaded should be designed and constructed as per any City approved standard.
• S7 Poles, lights, signs, and other services should be located along the street tree planting line to minimize clutter and disruption of the road’s character.
• S8 Lighting design should have regard for road and pedestrian requirements; the size, height, and style of lighting shall reflect the hierarchy of the road.
• S9 The style of lighting on Leitrim’s key collector roads (three collectors east-west and two north-south) should match the existing lighting on Findlay Creek Drive.

Typical 26 m collector road cross section.

Guidelines for Local Streets

• S10 Local streets with an 18.0 m ROW include:
  • A road surface of 8.5 m which will accommodate one driving lane in each direction;
  • A boulevard;
  • A sidewalk located at the curb on one side of the street; and,
  • Deciduous trees planted on both sides of the street in grass verges.
• S11 Local streets with an 20.0 m ROW include:
  • A road surface of 8.5 m which will accommodate one driving lane in each direction; and,
  • A boulevard of 5.75 m on both sides to accommodate a grass verge with a deciduous street tree and a sidewalk on one side of the street.
• S12 Streetscape Guidelines S3 to S8 apply to local streets.

Typical 18 m local street cross section.

Typical 20 m local street cross section.

Local residential street with sidewalks set behind a grass boulevard in a new community, Bois Franc, Montreal.

Guidelines for Lanes

• S13 Lanes should be provided on streets where garages and front driveways will detract from the character of a special location, such as adjacent to a neighbourhood park. S14 Lanes should be designed within a 8.5 m ROW and include:
  • A road surface of 5 m; and,
  • A utility corridor on either side of the road of 1.75 m.

The City’s Official Plan has a City-wide target modal split of 30% for transit. The Leitrim Community Design Plan is planned to accommodate transit as an integral component of the community structure. The Leitrim Community Design Plan ensures that the community has good connectivity to the rapid rail transit stations and Park & Ride facility. All major east-west and north-south collector roads will be designed to accommodate buses, and the connectivity of these collector roads to both Leitrim Road and to Albion Road will provide OC Transpo with maximum flexibility for bus routing and connections to the station via Leitrim Road. All new roads and widening of existing roads will include the accommodation for pedestrians and cyclists.

In the short to medium term, bus transit service for the community would be as follows:

• South on Bank Street from Greenboro Station;
• West on Blais Road;
• North on the main north-south collector spine road;
• East on the east-west road south of Leitrim Road; and,
• North on Bank Street.

Potential short term transit route

Potential long term transit route

The route shall run clockwise so that residents who live west of Bank Street can walk to and from transit stops without having to cross the collector roads. This may require traffic signals at the intersection of Bank Street and the collector south of Leitrim Road to allow for a left hand turn onto Bank Street. In the longer-term, a possible bus transit route might be:

• South on Bank Street from Greenboro Station;
• West on Blais Road;
• North on the main north-south collector spine road;
• West on the extension of current Findlay Creek Drive;
• North on Albion Road; and
• West on Leitrim Road to the future light rail transit station.

Buses would return to the Greenboro station over the reverse route. This route may require a traffic signal at the intersection of Blais Road and Bank Street to allow for a left hand turn onto Bank.

The City intends to extend the current O-Train line so that the north-south light rail transit corridor ultimately runs from the Nepean Town Centre to downtown Ottawa. The Leitrim community is located on this corridor. Likely, there will be a rail transit station and Park & Ride lot at the corridor’s intersection with Leitrim Road, the specific location of which has not been confirmed. Lots are initially built at 200 to 400 spaces and expanded as necessary and as space permits. The design of the station would likely be similar to other stations in the region such as Orleans, Fallowfield and South Keys. A sheltered passenger waiting area, local service, transfer platform and bus lay-up areas would likely be included. Their implementation and use are key to meeting the Official Plan ridership targets. Additional information on transit is included in Chapter 7.0 Transportation Network Plan.

Guidelines for Transit

• TR1 Concrete pads should be provided at all transit stops. Shelters shall be erected on pads when budget and ridership permit.
• TR2 Transit shelters should be designed with transparent sides for maximum visibility to and from the interior, so that transit users can see approaching buses, and for personal safety reasons.
• TR3 Where four-sided transit shelters are not possible, overhead open air canopies should be provided to protect transit users from sun, rain, and snow.
• TR4 Shelters should be located in the outer boulevard to maximize passenger convenience.
• TR5 A clear hard surface area 1.5 to 2 metres wide in front of a shelter should be provided to permit safe exit by passengers, including wheelchair users. The sidewalk will often provide this space. In all cases, shelters should be set back 0.5 metres from curbs and sidewalks to protect them from damage by snowplows.
• TR6 Curb-side transit stop loading areas should be 1.5 to 2 metres wide and long enough to service both the front and rear doors of the longest vehicles using the route (articulated buses)
• TR7 Transit stops should be located as close to intersections as possible, and their location coordinated with neighbourhood path connections and building entrances.
• TR8 Benches and other roadside furniture such as waste baskets, bike racks, telephones, notice boards, newspaper boxes and refuse containers should be concentrated at bus stops to maximize their barrier free utility and create active public space. TR9 Surface texture changes should be provided at transit stops to assist the visually challenged in locating the stop and/or shelter location.
• TR10 Innovative ways to design and deliver transit shelters and related furniture should be pursued. Consider public-private funding partnerships, or integrate them into development on adjacent lands where the location suits transit user needs. Ensure that the emphasis is on amenity over advertising.  

Distribution of centres along arterial roads.

The Official Plan directs that new communities should contain mixed use areas that permit a range of activities. The Leitrim Community Design Plan is designed to provide a mix of places to live, work, shop and play. Mixed use centres for commercial and higher density residential development are proposed along Bank Street to incorporate existing commercial uses in some locations, and to take advantage of the traffic volume on this arterial road. The number of households in the community will not support substantial commercial centres that are located on collector or local roads in the centre of the community.

The primary centre is located at the south-west corner of the Findlay Creek Drive and Bank Street intersection. This centre will have the greatest floor space of commercial and retail uses, the widest range of uses and a substantial resident population. The other centres will have smaller scale retail, offices and high density residential uses.

The centres are located to be well connected to the residential neighbourhoods and are envisioned with street-related buildings that help to create beautiful, pedestrian friendly streets. The view of the centres shall be one of well designed buildings, sidewalks and pedestrian areas rich with amenities and tree lined streets, not dominated by parking. Uses can be mixed in adjacent buildings or in the same building.

Guidelines for Mixed Use Centres

• C1 For each of the Mixed Use areas along Bank Street, a composite site plan for the entire Mixed Use area must be approved prior to the first development application for the area. This composite site plan must demonstrate how all land uses will work together, including surrounding land uses, how the CDP’s guidelines can be achieved, and how individual proposals will fit within the overall plan.    

• C2 Lot coverage by buildings should be at least 50% of the total lot area. While commercial areas are anticipated to be phased, the composite plan required by guideline C1 must show how this target can be achieved through subsequent phases and infilling.
• C3 The maximum floor space index (fsi) should be 2.0. The maximum floor space for retail should be 0.35. The remaining density should be a combination of office and/or residential.
• C4 Buildings should be oriented to front, face, and feature public streets, especially with buildings at corners.
• C5 Building façades along the public streets should be articulated with colour, material variations, windows, and other treatments of the wall plane to provide a high quality of design, detail, and variety. The design treatment of flanking façades visible from the street should be similar to that of the front façade.
• C6 The side and rear of buildings abutting low to medium density residential properties should be of similar height as the residential dwellings or should be stepped above 4 storeys to maintain an appropriate scale in relation to adjacent residential uses.
• C7 Both the residential and commercial components of buildings should be of quality construction and architectural details should extend to both components of buildings.
• C8 All façades that overlook streets and open spaces should have windows. Reflective mirror glass should not be used for windows at grade.
• C9 Building fronts should be treated as pedestrian areas and public spaces:
  • Pedestrian areas in front of the buildings should be wide and well-landscaped with furniture, lighting, and planting;
  • Tree planting should be carefully planned with signage to avoid conflicts; and,
  • Planting should be in large continuous planting beds.
• C10 Rooftop mechanical equipment should be screened with materials that are complementary to the building.
• C11 A variety of roof shapes should be considered to avoid the monotony of flat roofs.
• C12 Entrances to buildings should be prominent and visible with entrance canopies, awnings, and other architectural elements.
• C13 All utility equipment, hydro transformers and garbage storage facilities should be incorporated into the design of a building. If this is not possible, equipment should be positioned not to be visible from the public street.      

Internal Private Roads

•  C14 Internal private roads should:
  • Be treated as public spaces and designed and landscaped with the amenities of a public street;
  • Include a sidewalk as the primary pedestrian route through the site; and,
  • Include a sidewalk that is integrated within the main planting bed through the parking lot.
• C15 Small buildings clustered along the internal roads should form cohesive and concentrated districts.

Parking

• C16 Parking areas should be located at the side or rear of the development and set back from the street ROW.
• C17 Parking areas should be designed in small sections and include lighting, substantial landscaping, and special paving to break up expanses of parking and to provide places for pedestrian connections.
• C18 Parking areas should be screened from view from streets, open spaces, and adjacent residential areas with low fencing and planting.

A retail plaza in Oakville, Ontario provides a clear pedestrian route, enhanced by tree planting.

• C19 Reduced minimum and maximum parking ratios for retail, office commercial and residential will be implemented at the time of zoning in accordance with the new City of Ottawa Comprehensive Zoning By-law for lands within Leitrim’s mixed use centres.
• C20 Shared parking facilities and on-street parking will be encouraged in the calculation of required parking in Mixed Use Centres.      

Loading & Servicing

• C21 Servicing and loading areas should be located behind buildings and screened. Conflicts between shipping vehicles and pedestrians must be minimized through signage and delineation of the pedestrian right-of-way.

Site Landscape Treatment

• C22 Trees, shrubs and groundcovers should be planted at grade in wide, continuous planting beds that serve to define pods of parking and provide the preliminary pedestrian circulation.

Extensive landscape treatment along the street edge of parking in Toronto, Ontario.

• C23 Planting beds should be established to enable plant material to be massed to create a healthy and sustainable landscape.
• C24 A mix of deciduous and evergreen vegetation should be used. C25 Signage should provide a high level of clarity, visibility, and visual interest and shall complement the architecture of the building(s) in its scale, materials, consistency, and design.

Four school sites are located along the main north south arterial in three locations.

The Official Plan maintains that schools are key components in new communities, and should be integrated within their structure to act as focal points within the community. Four schools have been requested in the Leitrim Community by three of the Ottawa area school boards. The sites include:

1. 2.5 ha school site in the north end for the Conseil des écoles publiques;
2. 6.0 ha site in the centre for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and Ottawa Carleton Catholic School Board; and,
3. 2.5 ha school site in the south end for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board.

The school sites have been located along the main north-south spine street as special landmarks in the community. School buildings are envisioned as special buildings that will distinguish the streetscape. Buildings should be located to form the street edge, with parking located at the side or rear of the building. All of the schools have been sited adjacent to neighbourhood parks ranging in size from 0.8 to 1.0 ha, which will accommodate facilities such as courts and play structures. The majority of the community’s sports fields will be located in community parks.

Guidelines for Schools

• SC1 School buildings should be located close to the street right-of-way to reinforce the street edge, with frontage on at least two streets, and to create a visually dominant feature in the community.

School located adjacent to natural features, Windsor.

• SC2 School buildings should be designed as special landmark buildings with high quality design, materials and finishes. The site should be well landscaped in recognition of their prominent locations and status as landmark buildings.
• SC3 Parking should be located at the side or rear of the building.
• SC4 Drop-off should be provided for buses and cars at the side of the building, but may be located in the front of the building subject to building design and site plan considerations.
• SC5 Consideration for a street lay-by should be given for buses and cars.
• SC6 The front door of the school should be connected with a walkway to the sidewalk on the street.

Distribution of density throughout community.

The Official Plan provides direction to accommodate a range of housing types to ensure a healthy, sustainable community. Density is concentrated in locations adjacent to the mixed use centres to support commercial uses. All forms of townhouses (block, stacked, street) are envisioned, as well as low and mid rise apartments. Where higher density housing faces arterial roads, single loaded window streets should be used. On collector streets, direct access to residential developments should be provided. Townhouses are also appropriate adjacent to the parks in neighbourhood centres. Townhouses should have rear lane access in these locations to provide an appealing neighbourhood focus.

Townhouses

• T1 Townhouses should be mixed with other house forms so that they do not dominate an entire neighbourhood.
• T2 Architectural style and detail of townhouse blocks should complement the design of single and semi detached units.
• T3 Townhouses adjacent to focal points, such as facing a park, should be designed with rear lanes to avoid the dominance of a garage and parked cars in the front yard.

Townhouses create a varied street in Morrison, Ontario

• T4 Where front garages must be provided, the garage door should not protrude beyond the main front wall of the dwelling.
• T5 Where end units of townhouse blocks are at a corner facing a public street, both front and side façades should be treated.
• T6 For stacked townhouses, guidelines A1 – A4 apply.

Low to Mid Rise Apartments

• A1 Apartment buildings, and their associated landscape treatment, should help define the street edge.

High density housing in a building form that is compatible with low density forms of housing.

• A2 Permanent parking, loading, and service areas should be located in side or rear yards, set back from the front façade of the building.
• A3 A visitor drop off should be provided in front of the building.
• A4 A substantial portion of the building should front the public road at a minimum setback, and the required building frontage should be in proportion to the lot frontage.

Neighbourhoods in Leitrim.

The Official Plan provides direction to plan new communities with neighbourhoods that have defined identity and focus, and that provide a range and mix of uses and housing types.

The Leitrim Community is planned for approximately 5,300 units and 15,000 residents. The community is planned for a mix of housing types with a maximum of 60% single-detached and semi-detached, a minimum of 30% multiple dwellings, and a minimum 10% apartments. The overall average density for single detached, semi detached and townhouses of 29 units per net hectare (upnh).

The Leitrim Community is designed based on a series of ten neighbourhoods, each defined by open space, natural features or major roads. The neighbourhoods are designed with a modified grid system of roads to provide greater continuity among neighbourhoods, open spaces and the centres. The local streets would be designed with an 18m or 20m ROW.

Each neighbourhood has a focus, typically a small neighbourhood park, within 400 m of residents. The parks are designed with significant road frontage to provide a visually prominent location in the neighbourhood (see Section 5.1).

Guidelines for all housing types

• N1 Each neighbourhood will include a variety of housing types, reduced front yard setbacks to reinforce the street edge, and garages set behind the front of the house or accessed from a rear lane.
• N2 Buildings must have front façades parallel to the road with front doors, windows, and entry features facing the road to create a consistent street wall.
• N3 The garage door should not protrude beyond the main front wall of the building.
• N4 Entry features and other architectural elements should be incorporated into the front elevation of the house to reduce the visual dominance of the garage and the front drive.
• N5 Shared or grouped driveways will be encouraged to reduce the amount of asphalt on front yards.
• N6 Corner lots and homes facing or abutting parks are priority lots within the neighbourhood. The design of these homes shall include the following considerations:
  • Where sides or flankage of buildings are visible, they should have windows, materials, and other architectural treatments equal to the front elevation of the house;
  • The main front entrance should be located on the exterior side elevation, corner windows and wrap-around porches should be included to emphasize a corner location; and,
  • Fencing around front and/or exterior side yards should not block the view of the sidewalk from the house; their height shall be limited to 1.2 m, and they should be primarily open structures, not solid walls.
• N7 Houses facing parks should be designed with a consistent setback and fencing to help define the park space.
• N8 The setback to the main front wall of the house should be in the range of 3 - 6.0 m from the front lot line.
• N9 Additional guidelines for townhouses and low to mid-rise apartments are included in Section 5.6.

Employment designated lands within the community

The Official Plan directs that for developing communities outside of the Greenbelt, a ratio of 1.3 jobs per household shall be provided to maintain the balance of jobs and housing in new communities.

The Leitrim Community Design Plan provides a balance of areas for living and working. A total of approximately 100 ha of employment lands is identified in the area on both sides of Albion Road, south of Leitrim Road. This area includes existing employment uses located on Fenton Road, Del Zotto Avenue and Leitrim Road.

The employment area is envisioned with well designed buildings and sited to help create appealing streets. Parking areas shall include significant landscape treatment. Streets shall be designed with high quality streetscape treatment.

Buildings

• E1 Lot coverage by buildings should not exceed 35% of the total lot area.
• E2 Maximum building height should be 6 storeys or 20 metres, whichever is less.
• E3 A substantial portion of the building should front the road at a minimum setback.
• E4 Buildings located at the entrance to the employment area from Albion Road and Leitrim Road should be designed as distinct gateway buildings with minimal setbacks, unique building treatment, and special landscape treatment.
• E5 Entrances to employment buildings should be defined in the architecture of the building.
• E6 Long façades should be differentiated with architectural features.      

Clearly defined pedestrian routes and landscape treatment.

Parking

• E7 Parking areas should be located at the side of rear of the building and set back from the street right-of-way.
• E8 Parking areas should be designed in small sections and include lighting, substantial landscaping, and special paving to break up expanses of parking and to provide places for pedestrian connections.
• E9 Parking areas should be screened from view from streets, open spaces, and adjacent residential areas with low fencing and planting.
• E10 Shared parking facilities and on-street parking will be encouraged in the calculation of require parking. 

Parking lot island planting in Nanticoke, Ontario.

Loading & Servicing

•  E11 Servicing and loading areas should be locate behind buildings and screened. Conflict between shipping vehicles and pedestrian should be minimized through signage an delineation of the pedestrian right-of-way.

Site Landscape Treatment

• E12 Trees, shrubs and groundcovers should be planted at grade in wide, continuous planting beds that serve to define pods of parking and provide the preliminary pedestrian circulation.
• E13 Planting beds should be established to enable plant material to be massed to create a healthy and sustainable landscape.
• E14 A mix of deciduous and evergreen vegetation should be used.
• E15 Signage should provide a high level of clarity, visibility, and visual interest and shall complement the architecture of the building(s) in its scale, materials, consistency, and design.
• E16 The landscape treatment of individual properties has a role in creating the image of the entire Employment Area and therefore should be coordinated.
• E17 The front yard setback should be landscaped to define pedestrian walks, the main building entrance, and to screen parking areas.