Ken O Brien, MCIP, Manager of Planning and Information Cliff Johnston, MCIP, Director of Planning

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1 Date: September 21, 2012 To: From: Re: Chairperson and Members Planning and Housing Committee Ken O Brien, MCIP, Manager of Planning and Information Cliff Johnston, MCIP, Director of Planning Department of Planning File No. B-17-N.4 Civic Number: Newfoundland Drive, Virginia Park Plaza (Ward 1) Application to Develop Two Residential Condominium Apartment Buildings and a Commercial Building Applicant: Regal Realty Limited Regal Realty Limited has applied to redevelop Virginia Park Plaza at Newfoundland Drive for residential and commercial use. They propose to develop two five (5) storey buildings with a total of approximately 252 residential apartment units under condominium ownership, plus a small two (2) storey commercial building. The applicant wishes to retain the existing Commercial Neighbourhood (CN) Zone and asks Council to grant a site-specific text amendment for additional building height. For various reasons, staff recommends another planning approach. The development warrants further consideration. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Virginia Park Plaza has an area of 1.53 hectares (3.78 acres) and frontage along Newfoundland Drive of 98 metres (322 feet). The site is fairly level, having a 2-storey commercial building on its western side (built over 30 years ago) and a large paved parking lot with some grassed and gravel areas to the east and at the rear. It is not affected by the presence of a waterway or a wetland; not in a Heritage Area; and is not in a Parking-Exempt Area. The development would involve expanding the existing 2-storey building to 5 storeys and converting it to exclusive residential use in condominium ownership, building another 5-storey condominium apartment building on the other side of the parking lot, and building a 2-storey stand-alone commercial building on the front of the lot. The new commercial building would have a gross floor area of 370 square metres (4,000 square feet) with ground-floor retail and second-floor office space. Virginia Park Plaza serves the Virginia Park neighbourhood. Abutting the property on the west are single detached houses which front on Newfoundland Drive or Glover Place in the R1 Zone. On the opposite side of Newfoundland Drive, there are single detached houses in the R1 Zone. To the east are a

2 Page 2 large number of row houses on Newfoundland Court or Newfoundland Drive in the R2 Zone. Northeast of the subject property are a large number of single detached houses on Drake Crescent in the R2 Zone. The property also adjoins the Drake Crescent/Middleton Street Municipal Park in the Open Space Zone. The Virginia Park Elementary School (in the Institutional Zone) borders the property on the northwest. PLANNING APPROACH St. John s Municipal Plan St. John s Development Regulations Current Commercial General District Commercial Neighbourhood (CN) Zone Proposed Same Commercial Office Hotel (COH) Zone 1. The subject property is in the Commercial Neighbourhood (CN) Zone and the Commercial General Land-Use District. The CN Zone limits building height to a maximum of 3 storeys and allows dwelling units on the upper storeys of a building but not the ground floor. To allow the proposed development, Council would have to make a text amendment to the St. John s Development Regulations. This would not require a Municipal Plan amendment. However, the CN Zone is designed to accommodate neighbourhood commercial services at a moderate level of intensity. It is used throughout the city in residential neighbourhoods and where commercial lots are typically smaller than Virginia Park Plaza. To make the CN Zone text amendment sought by the applicant could have detrimental effects elsewhere in the city. The applicant s wish to make more intense use of the site for residential buildings is desirable and consistent with the City s planning objectives regarding providing opportunities for a variety of housing types and by allowing increased residential densities where appropriate. Given the large size of the subject property, a more appropriate planning approach would be to consider rezoning the site to the Commercial Office Hotel (COH) Zone. This allows building heights up to 10 storeys; dwelling units on the second or higher storey as a Permitted Use; and dwelling units on the ground floor as a Discretionary Use. 2. Because of the proposed size and density of development relative to the neighbouring land uses, the City may require that this development proposal be subject to a land-use assessment report (LUAR) that would be subject to public review. This report would indicate: - Site landscaping and buffering. - Site lighting; screening for garbage dumpsters; location of heating, ventilating and airconditioning (HVAC) equipment. - Potential loss of privacy and sunlight for nearby houses. 3. The applicant should clarify if condominium ownership is to be used only for the apartment

3 buildings or for the commercial building as well; and whether each building will form its own condominium corporation. Page 3 Technical Considerations 1. Municipal water and sewer mains are available along the frontage of the subject property to service the proposed development. Storm-sewer system capacity can accommodate the development. 2. The number of proposed dwelling units will require a traffic impact report by the applicant. This could be done as part of the LUAR. 3. Review and approval of a site development plan, including site access, parking-lot layout, and landscaping and buffering, would ordinarily be addressed at the time an application for development approval is submitted to the City. CONCLUSION/RECOMENDATION The Municipal Plan encourages compact urban form by accommodating development with higher densities and infill development where appropriate, and making more intensive use of municipal infrastructure. This development would be consistent with the Municipal Plan and make good use of this under-used commercial site by providing new housing while maintaining a convenient neighbourhood commercial use. However, rather than the Development Regulations site-specific text amendment to the CN Zone that the applicant asked for, it is the opinion of Planning staff that rezoning to the Commercial Office Hotel (COH) Zone would be a better option. If there were concerns about the potential for building heights up to 10 storeys, Council could place a site-specific restriction on the height of the proposed apartment buildings. If the Planning and Housing Committee concurs, staff could prepare terms of reference for a land-use assessment report (LUAR). Once the report is received and found satisfactory, the application and report could be publicly advertised. Staff has consulted with the Ward Councillor, who agrees with public notification as the appropriate initial step. No Municipal Plan amendment would be required. This is provided for the consideration of the Planning and Housing Committee. Ken O Brien, MCIP Manager - Planning & Information Cliff Johnston, MCIP Director of Planning /dlm I:\JOHNSTON\2012\Planning & Housing Newfoundland Dr - Sept 21, 2012.doc

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5 For Redevelopment of Virginia Park Plaza Property Into Two (2) Condominium Apartment Buildings And One (1) Commercial Building At Newfoundland Drive, St. John s, NL To: Ken O Brien, MCIP Planning Department City of St. John s P.O. Box 908, St. John s, NL A1C 5M2 Applicant: Regal Realty Ltd. 5 Beck's Cove, Murray Premises St. John's, NL A1C 1B9 Prepared By: RJC Services Development Consultant 79 Rennie's Mill Road St. John's, NL A1C 3R1 18 July 2013 Planning Department File: B-17-N.1/

6 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION.1 Project Rationale... 3 Conception and Design... 4 List of Consultants... 4 Architectural Renderings... 5 City of St. John s LUAR Terms of Reference A BUILDING BY USAGE Phase 1 Building Phase 2 Building Phase 3 Building B ELEVATIONS AND MATERIALS C BUILDING HEIGHTS AND LOCATION Shadow Study Locations: D EXTERIOR LIGHTING AND NOISE E LANDSCAPING AND SCREENING F SNOW CLEARING AND STORAGE G OFF STREET PARKING Building Phase Building Phase Building - Phase H SERVICING I TRAFFIC J CONSTRUCTION WORKER PARKING K CONSTRUCTION LAY DOWN AREA L CONSTRUCTION TIME FRAME CONCLUSION..31 APPENDIX 1 SITE PLANS APPENDIX 2 FLOOR PLANS PHASE 1 BUILDING APPENDIX 3 - FLOOR PLANS PHASE 2 BUILDING APPENDIX 4 - FLOOR PLANS - PHASE 3 BUILDING July 2013

7 Introduction This development will consist of three new buildings, two of which will be for residential condominiums with units of a size and price that will be attractive to the many employees that will be working in this fast developing area. Units will range in size from 567 sq. ft. to 899 sq. ft. We anticipate that it will also be a favorite destination for singles, young couples and first time buyers. The first phase to be constructed will be the redevelopment of the existing two story building. Figure 1 - Aerial View of Existing Virginia Park Plaza Property While the existing structure will be retained, it will be reinforced and totally refurbished to become a five storey building with commercial services on the ground floor level. The upper four levels, along with a portion of the first level, will have 122 residential condominiums. Phase 2 will be a two story commercial building that will include a neighborhood convenience store of approximately 2000 square feet (186 sq. m.),which will not only be for the convenience of the new condo owners, but also for the entire neighborhood. There will be office suites on the second floor of this building. 18 July 2013 Page 1

8 Phase 3 will be a second five level condominium building over a basement level devoted to indoor parking and storage lockers for the condominium owners. The units in this building will be similar in design, size and market value. There will be 140 units in this building, bringing the total number of new condo units on this site to 262. Figure 2 - Aerial Photo of the Area Figure 3 - Aerial Photo of the Virginia Park Neighborhood 18 July 2013 Page 2

9 Project Rationale At the present time there is a growing demand for residential accommodations in the city as a whole, however in the area of St. John s known as Pleasantville there are developments taking place that are causing the area to outpace the rest of the city. These new projects will be attractive to an influx of new workers in the area, where the new long term care facility, the Canadian Forces Headquarters, and the White Hills Industrial Park are located. The type of development we wish to construct will give these younger workers the opportunity of investing into a home of their own at a reasonable price and within walking distance of their employment. Figure 4 - Street View of Existing Virginia Park Plaza Property on the left going east Figure 5 - Street View of Existing Virginia Park Plaza on the right going west. 18 July 2013 Page 3

10 Conception and Design Our concept is to provide 262 condominium units with an adjacent commercial building that will offer services suitable for the condominium owners as well as for the whole neighborhood. There will be two buildings of five condominium levels and a separate two storey commercial building. The project will be built in three phases which, while extending the development period, will permit a more orderly construction site and less congestion in the area. We intend using a modern architectural style that will blend into the area and all of the buildings will be of non-combustible materials for the safety of the residents as well as for the neighborhood. The architectural concept drawings, that form part of this report, indicate the size and style of the buildings that we intend constructing. List of Consultants The following is a list of the consultants that are part of the design and development team for this project: Prime Consultant Architectural Consultant 3D Modeling and Rendering Structural Consultants Mechanical & Electrical Consultants Civil Engineering Consultant RJC Services Douglas Hawes, MRAIC Innovative Development & Design Engineers Ltd. DBA Consulting Engineers Ltd. Innovative Development & Design Engineers Ltd. Dynamic Development Services Ltd. 18 July 2013 Page 4

11 Figure 6 - Front View of Re-Developed Virginia Park Plaza Building Architectural Renderings 3D exterior view renderings of the Regal View condominium complex are presented on the next 5 pages. Figure 7-3D Rendering View of Regal View Complex from Newfoundland Drive Going East 18 July 2013 Page 5

12 Figure 8-3D Rendering View of Regal View Complex from Newfoundland Drive Going East (2) Figure 9-3D Rendering of Regal View Complex from Newfoundland Drive Going West 18 July 2013 Page 6

13 Figure 10-3D Rendering Aerial Front View of Regal View Complex Figure 11-3D Rendering Aerial Back View of Regal View Complex 18 July 2013 Page 7

14 Figure 12-3D Rendering Back View of Regal View Complex Figure 13-3D Rendering Morning Summer View of the back of Regal View Complex 18 July 2013 Page 8

15 Figure 14-3D Rendering View - Facade of Phase 3 Building on the East Side of Regal View Complex Figure 15-3D Rendering Night View of Facade of Phase 3 Building of Regal View Complex 18 July 2013 Page 9

16 Figure 16-3D Rendering Winter View under the snow 18 July 2013 Page 10

17 City of St. John s LUAR Terms of Reference 18 July 2013 Page 11

18 18 July 2013 Page 12

19 A Building by Usage The uses within the project are as outlined in the sections above but more specifically each component will be as follows: Phase 1 Building Gross Floor Area = 9,736.5 m 2 The redevelopment of the existing two story strip mall into a five level condominium building with commercial outlets on its first level. Phase 2 Building Gross Floor Area = m 2 The construction of a two level commercial building the ground level of which will be a convenience store that will serve the entire neighborhood. The second level will have office suites. Phase 3 Building Gross Floor Area = 11,973.3 m 2 The second condominium building will have indoor parking and storage lockers on its first level for the resident owners. The two condominium buildings will have a total of 262 units There will be 54 One Bedroom Units that are m2 (567.6 sq. ft.) and 208 Two Bedroom Units that range in area from m2 (700.5 sq. ft.) to m2 (894 sq. ft.). Table 1 - Building Floor Area Breakdown GROSS FLOOR AREA BREAKDOWN (m 2 ) CATEGORY PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 RESIDENTIAL 8, ,832.5 COMMERCIAL INDOOR PARKING 1,510.5 STORAGE LOCKERS AMENITY AREAS TOTALS 9, ,973.3 Site plans and floor plans for Phase 1, 2 and 3 are presented in Appendix 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. 18 July 2013 Page 13

20 B Elevations and Materials The materials to be used throughout this development will be similar on all three buildings in order to blend it together as one unified whole. The buildings will all be of non-combustible construction. The exterior walls will be finished with: 1. Stone on the ground level to provide a surface that is more durable in a high traffic area. 2. Metal clapboard with a profile similar to the types used on housing in the area, and, 3. Glass curtain wall and balcony guard rails, with the glass patio doors and windows in each unit being of a type and scale of a single family home. The commercial building will also have these materials incorporated into its facade. The architectural renderings which form part of this report indicate these finishes as described above. Figure 17 - Elevation Detail Showing Exterior Finishes 18 July 2013 Page 14

21 C Building Heights and Location The height of the overall project will be based on a floor to floor height required for the structural design and the mechanical and electrical service space needs. Generally we use between 10 and 11 feet from floor to floor. In this project: In phase 1 the overall height will be meters or 55 feet. The height is higher than would be required because the height of the existing strip mall is higher than normal for a condominium building. In phase three the height will be meters or 56 feet, slightly higher than phase 1 because of the below grade parking level. The two story commercial building will be 7.3 meters or 24 feet. We have included a section through the Phase 1 building to show the overall height of that phase. 18 July 2013 Page 15

22 3.08 m 3.04 m 3.04 m m 3.65 m 3.65 m Figure 18 - Phase 1 Building Section Showing Overall Height 18 July 2013 Page 16

23 Figure 19 - Phase 1 Building Front Elevation Figure 20 - Phase 3 Building Front Elevation 18 July 2013 Page 17

24 Shadow Study 18 July 2013 Page 18

25 18 July 2013 Page 19

26 18 July 2013 Page 20

27 18 July 2013 Page 21

28 18 July 2013 Page 22

29 18 July 2013 Page 23

30 Locations: The location of this project and the location of each phase are shown on the area map and site plan that forms part of this report. Figure 21 - Bird's Eye View of the Development from Newfoundland Drive Figure 22 - Parking Lot View of the Development looking toward Newfoundland Drive 18 July 2013 Page 24

31 In addition to the above section and elevations, we have also included on the previous pages, some shadow studies that show the shadowing impact to the adjacent properties. D Exterior Lighting and Noise Exterior lighting will be kept to a minimum by only locating it at the entrances canopy, along walkways and the parking lot will have light poles that will cast the lighting downwards. The condominium balconies will have private lighting sufficient to allow the owners to use them in a safe and private manner. Figure 23 - Typical Night View on a Regal View Building Noise problems are not usually associated with any of the occupancies that will be in this building. Any noise generated would be in the private parking lot for these buildings but even this should only be of a nature normally associated with this kind of use. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment will be small (low noise units) that are individual to each condominium and located on their balcony and therefore not visible nor loud. 18 July 2013 Page 25

32 The HVAC system to be used will have its equipment screened and not visible from the surrounding areas. Impacts on adjacent properties should be very minimal if existent at all. E Landscaping and Screening As the buildings and parking lot will itself occupy a high percentage of the land area, landscaping will be mostly along the boundary lines which will also help it serve as a buffer between adjacent properties and the main street. There will also be a grassed area around the buildings. Trees and shrubbery will be set into these areas and it is also intended to use pots that can be placed at the entrance and along the walkways. Other forms of landscaping may be by the private residents that have a patio or balcony area that they wish to enhance. The electrical transformer for each of these buildings will be located out of sight from the main road and parking lot. They will be located behind buildings and be screened with either landscaping or fencing. There will be no exterior garbage storage as each building will have interior garbage storage rooms. 18 July 2013 Page 26

33 Figure 24 - Landscaping Detail 18 July 2013 Page 27

34 Figure 25 - Back of Property Showing Pad Mounted Electrical Transformers Surrounded By Shrubbery F Snow Clearing and Storage Snow clearing operations will be contracted to a private company, as is normally the case for a condominium or commercial project. See Figure 30 in Appendix 1. In the event of the need for short term storage of the snow during extreme weather, designated areas will be located on-site to facilitate it. G Off Street Parking A minimum of 275 parking spaces will be provided to facilitate the condominium owners, the commercial office areas and the convenience store. 48 of these will be indoor spaces below the phase 3 building. 18 July 2013 Page 28

35 The number of parking spaces currently shown is 55 spaces less than the 299 that are required under the zoning by-laws, however additional parking will be provided to meet the City s requirements prior to the commencement of the Phase 3 building. All 262 condominium owners will have their designated parking space. Refer to Figure 26 below and Figure 28 in Appendix 1. Building Phase 1 Proposed Use: 1st Floor - Office & 10 Residential Units 2 nd to 5 th Floors - Residential Condos. 28 Units Per Floor Floor Gross Area = M 2 Floor Net Area = M 2 (Assume 80% of Gross Floor Area) Office Use = One Parking Space per 30rn2 of Net Floor Area = 22 Parking Spaces Required Residential Condo Use = One Parking Space per Dwelling Unit = 122 Parking Spaces Required Building Phase 2 Proposed Use: 1st Floor - Commercial Retail 2nd Floor - Office Gross Floor Area = M 2 (2,000 Ft 2 ) Per Floor Net Floor Area = M 2 (1,600 Ft 2 ) Per Floor Commercial Retail Use = One Parking Space per 15 M 2 of Net Floor Area = 10 Parking Spaces Required Office Space Use = One Parking Space per 30 M 2 of Net Floor Area Building - Phase 3 Proposed use: Underground Level - Parking Garage 1 st to 5 th Floors - Residential Condos - 28 Units per Floor Underground Parking Residential Condo Use Total Calculated Parking = 48 Parking Spaces Proposed = One Parking Space per Dwelling Unit = 140 Parking Spaces Required = 299 Parking Spaces 18 July 2013 Page 29

36 Total Parking Proposed = 196 Exterior Parking Spaces & 48 U/G Parking = 244 Parking Spaces Proposed H Servicing Figure 38 below presents the servicing plan showing the design flows for sanitary and storm sewers. The points of connection to the City s main are also indicated on the drawing. I Traffic The final report for the Newfoundland Drive Traffic Impact Study prepared by Hatch Mott McDonald and published in February 2013 is available for review upon request. The conclusion of this report is that there is no significant impact to the surrounding road network. J Construction Worker Parking As the phasing of this project means that only a part of the parking lot will be required when Phases 1 and 2 of the project are ready for occupancy, a separate area within the property will be assigned for the workers. The area that will eventually be assigned to the owners of Phase 3 will be used by the workers as the construction of it is proceeding. (Refer to Figure 29 in Appendix 1) K Construction Lay Down Area Using the logistics of timely delivery of materials along with having a fenced off area on the site assigned for the required building materials, which will be delivered on an as needed basis, the actual on-site lay-down area needed can be kept to a minimum. (Refer to Figure 29 in Appendix 1) L Construction Time Frame Phase 1 of the overall project will take 14 months to complete, allowing for winter conditions. 18 July 2013 Page 30

37 Phase 2, the commercial building will not start until month 10 of phase 1 and this should be completed at the same time so it can be available to the new condominium owners. Phase 3 will start in month 12 of phase 1 and should be completed in a 1 year period. Assuming a construction start by August 1 st, 2013, it is realistic to suggest that the total development can be completed in the Spring / Summer of CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE PHASE 1 EXISTING BUILDING 14 MONTHS PHASE 2 COMMERCIAL BUILDING 4 MONTHS PHASE 3 NEW BUILDING 12 MONTHS YEAR Conclusion Figure 26 - Construction Schedule 2015 We believe that this development will help to fulfill the needs for residential living in this newly developing part of the city. It will also provide additional employment, business opportunities and add to the city s tax base. The developer, Regal Realty Limited of St. John s is proud to be investing in this growing city at a time of unprecedented growth. The company is positioned to move this project forward as soon as a building permit can be issued. We therefore kindly request that an early response to this report be provide so any changes or additional information can be presented as soon as possible. RJC Services July July 2013 Page 31

38 Appendix 1 Site Plans 18 July 2013 Page 32

39 Figure 27 - Civil Site Landscaping Plan - showing the overall site development showing each of the condominium buildings and the commercial building 18 July 2013 Page 33

40 Figure 28 - Site Plan including Parking Areas 18 July 2013 Page 34

41 Figure 29 - Site Servicing Plan 18 July 2013 Page 35

42 Figure 30 - Snow Storage, Workers Parking and Materials Lay Down Areas 18 July 2013 Page 36

43 Appendix 2 Floor Plans Phase 1 Building 18 July 2013 Page 37

44 Figure 31 - Phase 1 Building - Ground Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 38

45 Figure 32 - Phase 1 Building - Second Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 39

46 Figure 33 - Phase 1 Building - Third Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 40

47 Figure 34 Phase 1 - Fourth Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 41

48 Figure 35 - Phase 1 Building - Fifth Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 42

49 Appendix 3 - Floor Plans Phase 2 Building Figure 36 - Phase 2 Commercial Building - First Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 43

50 Figure 37 - Phase 2 Commercial Building - Second Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 44

51 Appendix 4 - Floor Plans - Phase 3 Building 18 July 2013 Page 45

52 Figure 38 - Phase 3 Building - Underground Parking Garage Level 18 July 2013 Page 46

53 Figure 39 - Phase 3 Building - Second Level 18 July 2013 Page 47

54 Figure 40 - Phase 3 Building - Third Level Floor Plans 18 July 2013 Page 48

55 Figure 41 - Phase 3 Building - Fourth Level Floor Plans 18 July 2013 Page 49

56 Figure 42 - Phase 3 Building Fifth Level Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 50

57 Figure 43 - Phase 3 Building - Sixth Level Floor Plan 18 July 2013 Page 51