1. Streetscape and Built Form
Guideline 1
Respond to the positive elements of the surrounding context through such means as building height, setbacks, building orientation and architectural styles (Figure 1).
Figure 1: The architectural treatment of this gas station canopy reflects the context.
Guideline 2
Locate building structures (such as car washes, convenience stores, and canopies) close to the street to help define the street edge (Figures 2 and 3).
Figure 2: A convenience store close to the street contributes to a well-defined street edge.
Figure 3: The canopy design creates an interesting streetscape in a commercial context.
Guideline 3
Design all sides of buildings and pump islands with a consistent architectural style to enhance the streetscape (Figure 4).
Figure 4: The detail of this gas station building contributes to an interesting and visually pleasing streetscape.
Guideline 4
Use clear windows for the car wash façades facing public streets. They animate the street by providing views into the car wash and act as poster cases for advertising (Figure 5).
Figure 5: The glass windows of this car wash face the public areas.
Guideline 5
Provide ample landscaping, in combination with building orientation, to enhance the streetscape and define the street edge when setting building structures back from the street is unavoidable (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Ample landscaping in the front yard enhances the streetscape while still allowing for views into the site.
Guideline 6
Provide transparent windows and doors for retail buildings to ensure visibility between the store, the pump islands and surrounding streets.
2. Pedestrians and Cyclists
Guideline 7
Provide an unobstructed 2.0 metre wide pedestrian walkway between the public sidewalk (and/or parking areas) and building entrances (Figures 7 and 8).
Figure 7: The pedestrian walkway makes the site easily accessible for pedestrians.
Figure 8: On this site, pedestrian walkways link different components on the site.
Guideline 8
Distinguish walkways from driving surfaces by using varied paving treatments and by raising walkways to curb level.
Guideline 9
Provide an unobstructed 2.0 metre wide sidewalk in the public right-of-way across private access driveways. Ensure little or no change in elevation (Figure 9).
Figure 9: The public sidewalk across the private driveway provides a pedestrian zone.
Guideline 10
Locate required bicycle parking close to the building entrance in a manner that does not impede pedestrian movement (Figure 10).
Figure 10: The bicycle parking is located close to the store entrance.
3. Vehicles and Parking
Guideline 11
Locate vehicular access points to the site as far away as possible from street intersections.
Guideline 12
Minimize the number and width of driveways from the public street while ensuring that they meet the requirements of the Private Approach By-law. Avoid conflicts with pedestrians along the street by defining a narrower car entrance while allowing for tanker truck turning (Figure 11).
Figure 11: The car entrance and pedestrian crossing are clearly defined; flush contrasting paving allows for tanker truck turning.
Guideline 13
Allow a sufficient driving distance from the car wash exit to the public street to minimize tracking water onto the street during winter conditions.
Guideline 14
Locate stacking lanes away from adjacent sensitive uses, such as residential and outdoor amenity areas, to reduce the impacts of noise and pollution that could be caused by stacking cars on such uses. Use landscaping and fencing to help buffer potential impacts.
Guideline 15
Locate access points for stacking lanes away from public streets and driveways so that queued vehicles do not block the traffic along public streets or the movement of other vehicles on site (Figure 12).
Figure 12: The start point of car wash stacking is located away from the public streets and other on-site traffic.
Guideline 16
Provide separate stacking lanes when two drive-through uses (such as a car wash and a drive-through convenience store) exist on the same site.
Guideline 17
Provide escape lanes and the appropriate number of queuing spaces as required by the Zoning By-law to create efficient stacking lanes and to minimize on-site conflicts (Figure 13).
Figure 13: The escape lane allows cars to get out of a queue.
Guideline 18
Design the on-site circulation to minimize the conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles.
Guideline 19
Design the on-site circulation to facilitate unobstructed forward movement by tanker trucks and the safe unloading of fuels. Provide adequate clearance for fuel delivery trucks under canopies.
Guideline 20
Separate stacking lanes from parking areas and driveways by using landscaped islands, decorative pavement, pervious islands and painted lines (Figure 14).
Figure 14: Landscaping helps define stacking lanes.
Guideline 21
Provide only the minimum number of required parking spaces required by the Zoning By-law.
4. Landscape and Environment
Guideline 22
Provide a minimum 3.0 metre wide landscape area along the edge of a site where parking areas, driveways or stacking lanes are adjacent to a public street. Use trees, shrubs and low walls to screen cars from view while allowing eye level visibility into the site (Figures 15 and 16).
Figure 15: The low wall helps screen paved areas while still allowing visibility into the site.
Figure 16: The landscaping along the edge of this site screens driveways from view.
Guideline 23
Plant street trees between 7.0 and 10.0 metres apart along public streets. Plant trees in permeable surface areas, with approximately 10.0 square metres of soil area per tree .
Guideline 24
Select trees, shrubs and other vegetation considering their tolerance to urban conditions, such as road salt or heat. Give preference to native species of the region that are of equal suitability.
Guideline 25
Provide a minimum 2.5 metre wide landscape area along the site’s side and rear yards in order to provide screening and enhance site environmental benefits.
Guideline 26
Provide a minimum 3.0 metre wide landscape area, which may include a solid wall or fence in addition to planting, at the edges of sites that are adjacent to residential or institutional properties.
Guideline 27
Protect and feature heritage, specimen and mature trees on site by minimizing grade changes and preserving permeable surfaces.
Guideline 28
Provide significant architectural or landscape features at the corner on corner sites in order to emphasize the public streets and enhance the streetscape (Figure 17).
Figure 17: Landscaping at the corner strengthens the streetscape without blocking views.
Guideline 29
Use green building technologies such as green roofs, drip irrigation, and other Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) approaches.
Guideline 30
Use sodded areas and shrub beds to collect, store and filter stormwater in order to improve groundwater recharge (Figure 18).
Figure 18: The planting island collects and stores stormwater.
5. Signs
Guideline 31
Use pavement markings and directional signage to enhance clarity and ease of movement patterns on site.
Guideline 32
Design buildings to include defined spaces to accommodate signs that respect building scale, architectural features, signage uniformity and established streetscape design objectives.
Guideline 33
Restrict temporary and portable signs. Prohibit billboards, revolving signs and roof signs on private property.
Guideline 34
Design sign illumination to be task-oriented and avoid glare/light spillover toward adjacent land uses.
Guideline 35
Locate and design ground-mounted and wall-mounted signs to complement the character and scale of the area and promote an active, pedestrian friendly environment. Integrate landscape features with ground-mounted signs (Figures 19 and 20).
Figure 19: The ground-mounted sign and the building-mounted sign are in proportion to the building scale without dominating the public space.
Figure 20: The ground-mounted sign is incorporated into the landscaping at the entrance to the site.
6. Servicing and Utilities
Guideline 36
Locate noise-generating areas, including auto service bays, car wash openings, vacuum stations, outdoor loading areas, garbage storage and stacking lanes, away from sensitive uses such as residential areas and schools.
Guideline 37
Buffer potential noise impacts with building structures, landscaped berms or attenuation fencing (minimum 1.8 metre in height) with landscaping in front.
Guideline 38
Enclose all utility equipment within buildings or screen them from both public streets and private properties to the rear. These include utility boxes, garbage and recycling container storage, loading docks and ramps, and air conditioner compressors.
Guideline 39
Design external garbage enclosures with the same materials as the main building and ensure that the wall height is sufficient to completely conceal garbage dumpsters.
Guideline 40
Provide views and clear sightlines between the site, surrounding uses, and public streets to ensure sufficient safety and comfort levels.
Guideline 41
Plan the site to include areas for temporary snow storage without conflicting with site circulation, landscaping and utility boxes.
Guideline 42
Design lighting so that there is no light spillage, glare or light cast over adjacent uses. Direct and/or shield lighting sources away from adjacent residential properties and provide screening as necessary (Figure 21).
Figure 21: Structures such as canopies can be used as light buffers.
Guideline 43
Use efficient white light sources to reduce energy costs and to create a natural colour balance for safety and security.
Guideline 44
Set rooftop mechanical equipment back from the edge of the building and screen it to minimize the visual impact.