8.0 Building Envelope Guidelines

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide urban design guidance in response to two objectives:

To promote redevelopment that will:

• reinforce the existing character of well-defined Traditional Mainstreet sections, namely Westboro Village between Golden and Tweedsmuir, and the developing mainstreet between Tweedsmuir and Island Park Drive;
• contribute to the creation of a renewed urban form, including buildings located close to the street and a stronger pedestrian orientation, in the other sections of Richmond Road and on Scott Street; and,
• To guide infill development in each of the nine planning sectors identified previously.

Where there is no established building pattern or defined character in a sector, the first new infill buildings need to feature high quality architecture in order to set the standard for future infill development.

The following two sets of design guidelines complement one another. The first set is more general in terms of scope and the second is more specific because it provides guidance on infill development issues affecting key areas/sites in the planning area.

The section of Richmond Road located between Golden Avenue and Island Park Drive presents a potentially well- defined Traditional Mainstreet character. In Westboro Village that character already exists as a tightly knit urban fabric with narrow frontage buildings, and a good building continuity and interface with the sidewalk. In the East Village this Traditional Mainstreet character is under development. Therefore the purpose of these guidelines is to preserve and enhance these features in Westboro Village and to promote their development in the East Village.

Streetscape

• Create a strong edge on the street by aligning buildings on the front property line or with the average setback of adjacent buildings, provided that this setback relates to the overall character of the Village;
• Maintain a ground-level orientation of buildings, and a direct relation to the sidewalk;
• At street corners, create a variation in the building alignment by increasing the setback in order to provide a wider sidewalk or a semi-public amenity area, especially at major intersections, such as Golden, Churchill, Athlone, Tweedsmuir and Kirkwood;
• Locate streetscape elements outside of the unobstructed two-metre wide sidewalk, and minimize clutter by grouping elements such as benches, newspaper boxes, bicycle racks and trees.

Built Form

• Create well-designed, quality buildings to blend with the rhythm and alignment of storefronts, upper-storey windows and cornice lines of the roofs of existing buildings;
• Maintain the regular rhythm of individual storefronts; if needed subdivide the façade of long buildings in multiples of a single storefront;
• Use periodic breaks in the street wall or minor variations in building setback and alignment to add interest to the streetscape, provide space for activities adjacent to the sidewalk;
• Maintain the distinction between ground floor and upper levels. The ground floor should be characterized by the presence of display windows and recessed entrances, making the façade transparent and pedestrian oriented; upper floors should be more opaque with articulated openings in the façade;
• Relate the proportions of new construction to those of neighbouring buildings, but always ensure a continuity of a minimum building height of two storeys;
• Minimize space between buildings; when a side yard is necessary to provide pedestrian or vehicular access or for parking, minimize the interruption of the streetscape and enhance this space with proper landscaping, an architectural fence or a low wall to restore a continuity in the building line and/or mitigate the visual impacts of parking;
• If the proposed height of a building exceeds three storeys, step the additional storeys back as per the provisions of the draft TM zone, starting from the third floor;
• Locate taller buildings at major intersections, such as Golden, Churchill, Athlone, Tweedsmuir and Kirkwood, provided that the lot depths are sufficient to accommodate such buildings;
• Select facing materials that relate to those traditionally used in the Village, such as stone, brick and stucco; avoid metal cladding and mirrored glass, especially at the ground floor level;
• Ensure that the architectural features of a building respond to the actual history and character of the street;
• When building on corner sites, continue the level of architectural detailing on both facades of the building;
• Use only wall-mounted, window or projecting signs; when more than one sign is applied to a building, they should relate to one another in terms of type, colour and placement;
• Design buildings to accommodate signage; use signs to accentuate architectural features rather than hide them;
• Use externally lit signage, as it is a common feature in the Village;
• For buildings that front on Madison and Danforth, ensure an appropriate articulation of the façade of the building, and minimize the impact of entrance ramps and garage doors on the street
• Ensure existing dwellings to the north and south of Richmond retain adequate sunlight and privacy and minimize overlook.

Parking and Landscaping

• Provide only the minimum number of parking stalls required by the Zoning By-law, taking into account the presence of parking on the street;
• Locate surface parking in the rear yard with vehicular access off side streets and laneways; where properties are landlocked in the middle of a block and no other alternative exists, parking can be provided in side yards and driveways may be off Richmond;
• Provide a minimum three-metre wide landscaped area along the edge of a parking lot fronting on a public street;
• Provide a minimum three metre landscape area, which may include a solid wall or fence in addition to planting, at the edges of sites adjacent to residential or institutional properties;
• In the East Village where the street wall is discontinuous due to larger lots and varied setbacks:
  • incorporate front yards with the streetscape and consider the creation of public plazas complementing the street animation; and
  • plant trees at the edge of the building line to complement the alignment of trees between the sidewalk and the street.

Scott Street between Churchill and McRae presently has an industrial and automobile orientation. The purpose of the guidelines is to establish a more pedestrian-friendly environment, taking into account the proximity of the Transitway station and its impact on pedestrian movements.

The redevelopment of Scott Street is based, in general terms, on the same guidelines as those applicable to Westboro Village since the design strategy is to extend the mixed use character along Churchill and McRae to link with Scott and the Transitway station. However, due to the nature of the urban fabric, the following elements should be addressed in these guidelines:

• Scott Street is bordered to the north by a green strip including a recreational pathway and the Transitway, with no buildings other than the Transitway station. Development only on the south side of the street creates an incomplete streetscape that does not provide a sense of enclosure; it fosters the definition of a strong edge to the urban fabric. Therefore to provide a sense of enclosure on the south side, a continuous street wall of buildings is recommended, with periodic breaks provided by the north-south street intersections;
• Scott Street is a prime location for intensification because of its proximity to the Transitway station. However, a transition in building scale with the established low-density residential community south of Scott is required. The building height and rear setback provisions of the draft TM zone will be applicable to Scott Street. A two-storey minimum building height is proposed, with a front setback where the building height is greater than 15 metres as per the TM zone provisions;
• A variety of uses can be accommodated at ground level including retail, office or other employment uses, but also housing, to take advantage of the proximity to the Transitway station. If housing is located at grade, an adequate separation space from the sidewalk should be provided and be appropriately landscaped;
• Provide a minimum three-metre wide landscaped area along the edge of a parking lot fronting on a public street;
• Provide a minimum three-metre wide landscaped area, which may include a solid wall or fence in addition to planting, at the edges of sites adjacent to residential or institutional properties.

The purpose of these guidelines is to foster the evolution of the existing mixed traditional/arterial mainstreet type of development toward a more compact, mixed-use, pedestrian- oriented form, including buildings located close to the street. These guidelines also aim to help create a continuous and attractive streetscape respecting the character of adjacent established residential communities:

Built Form

• Design new development to be compatible with adjacent neighbourhoods, in accordance with the infill guidelines applicable to each planning sector;
• Ensure adequate sunlight for sidewalks by building within a 45 degree angular plane measured from the opposite sidewalk curb and setting back the upper floors of buildings above the third storey from the lot frontage;
• Use periodic breaks in the street wall or minor variations in building setback and alignment to add interest to the streetscape, and to provide space for activities adjacent to the sidewalk in order to avoid creating a continuous wall effect on the street;
• Orient the front façade of the building to the public street and locate its front doors to be visible from the street;
• Set the building back from the property line where necessary to accommodate a wider sidewalk;
• Avoid blank side walls, especially if they are visible from the street, a parking lot or from a public plaza. If applicable, continue the same level of architectural treatment around the sides of the building;
• Maximize the number of residential units with windows on two sides;
• Preserve the views to the Ottawa River Parkway open space corridor from north-south streets south of Richmond Road;
• Design buildings to accommodate signage; use signs to accentuate architectural features, not to hide them;
• Provide sufficient open space around residential buildings to ensure the provision of sufficient sunlight to habitable areas;
• Ensure existing dwellings to the north of Richmond retain adequate sunlight and privacy and minimize overlook;
• Where appropriate, new buildings should relate to the existing built form of adjacent properties to help create a coherent streetscape in each planning sector;
• Create a north-south and east-west transition in the scale and massing of buildings.

Open Spaces, Landscaping and Parking

• Connect pedestrian walkways to the street and to adjacent properties to facilitate circulation between properties;
• Integrate free-standing signs in landscaped areas;
• Locate surface parking in the side or rear yard of buildings and provide a minimum three metre landscape area along the edge of a parking lot fronting a public street;
• Provide a minimum three-metre landscape area, which may include a solid wall or fence in addition to planting, at the edges of sites adjacent to residential or institutional properties;
• Preserve open spaces in the streetscape to provide for the creation of green streets and pedestrian links toward the Ottawa River;
• Link access driveways and parking lots of adjacent properties.

The following guidelines complement those already defined elsewhere in the CDP and are intended to help ensure that new development will be compatible with the existing features, building scale and adjacent neighbourhoods:

Sector 3 Skead Street Area

• See Section 6.4.

Sector 4 Maplelawn/495 Richmond Road

• Provide a transition between the four to six storey mainstreet scale and built form of Richmond Road and the existing high-rise apartment buildings in the easterly part of this sector;
• Consider new infill development, particularly for 471 Richmond, as “pavilions in a park” to reinforce the open space/built environment interface characteristics of this sector, extending the presence of Rochester Field/495 Richmond Road eastward toward Berkley Avenue;
• Ensure new buildings on Richmond Road define a series of public/semi-public plazas, in order to help provide enhanced access from Richmond to the Dominion Transitway Station.

Sector 5 Westboro Village

• Promote the development of a prominent new building to create a landmark at the intersection with Golden Avenue;
• Encourage the conversion of existing non-Traditional Mainstreet-related uses to more Traditional Mainstreet types, in keeping with the existing Village character, especially between Churchill and Tweedsmuir Avenues.

Sector 6 East Village

• Restore a continuity in the landscaping of Richmond Road, especially on its north side between Tweedsmuir and Kirkwood Avenues;
• Minimize the impact of new housing units overlooking existing residences, especially on Mailes and Lymon Avenues;
• Promote the reuse/redevelopment of existing industrial and automotive-oriented uses to traditional mainstreet type of uses;
• Promote the development of a prominent new building within the existing four-storey height limit to create a landmark at the intersection with Island Park Drive.

Sector 7 Scott Street and the Westboro Transitway Station Area

• Encourage the redevelopment of the former CBC site as a new pedestrian-friendly mixed-use office/residential complex, including a landscaped courtyard and improved pedestrian access to the Transitway station;
• Build a new public plaza and potential new building bridging the Transitway station, and improve pedestrian access to the station along McRae and Churchill Avenues;
• For 250 Lanark (former CBC site), align new buildings close to the front property line to help define the pedestrian corridor to the east and west;
• Provide an appropriate transition with the residential community to the rear and minimize overlook.

Sector 8: Westboro Beach/Atlantis-Selby

• Should any new development be proposed, it must be compatible with the existing adjacent residential community.

Sector 9 McRae and Churchill Avenues

• Foster the evolution of these residential/ commercial (Churchill) and industrial (McRae) streets toward an enhanced mixed-use image, with an emphasis on office and residential uses, to create a link from the Village to Scott Street and the Westboro Transitway Station;
• Provide an appropriate transition with the residential community to the rear and minimize overlook.

The following guidelines are intended to ensure that utility services are appropriately accommodated and designed as part of the overall streetscape:

• Where possible, design utility services so that they do not detract from the public streetscape, either by incorporation into the design of a building; by containment in streetscape features, such as gateways or lampposts: by locating them so they are not visible from the street; or, by landscape screening;
• Where possible, cluster or group utilities to minimize visual impact; and
• Locate utility services within a common trench to avoid unnecessary over-digging and disruption to municipal rights-of-way.

Development applications proposing levels of intensification above what is envisioned in this CDP should be evaluated based on the following:

• The building should safeguard exposure to sunlight along the sidewalk;
• The building should not have significant negative effects on surrounding properties and residential neighbourhoods regarding shadowing and visual impact;
• The lower portions of buildings facing Richmond Road in Westboro Village should be designed with vertical distinctions that reflect the existing village character;
• The applicant must address the planning strategy and the urban design guidelines of the CDP and undertake a transportation impact study.