Pace Savings and Credit Union June 15, 2012
1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 The Proposal 4 3.0 Site and Development Context 5 4.0 Planning Background 7 5.0 Design Rationale 8 5.1 Limited Opportunities 5.2 Overall Scale 5.3 Height 5.4 Transition to the rear 5.5 Transition to the East 5.6 Compatibility with Main Street 5.7 Incorporation of Servicing/Parking 5.8 Amenity Area Provided 5.9 Improvement of Streetscapes 5.10 Density 6.0 Conclusion 13 &Co Architects 2
1.0 Introduction Sweeny Sterling Finlayson & Co. Architects Inc. has been retained by Geranium Corporation on behalf of the owner Pace Savings and Credit Union ( Pace or the Owner ) to provide professional architecture, urban design and planning and draft plan of condominium services. These services include the preparation of an Urban Design Brief evaluating and in support of a Zoning By-law Amendment application and a Site Plan Approval application ( SPA ) to implement a proposed mixed use redevelopment at the at south-east corner of Main and Lloyd Streets, Stouffville, Ontario. The subject property is a land assembly consisting of four sites with the following municipal addresses: 6233, 6237, 6241 and 6245 Main Street, the subject property or the proposal ). This Urban Design Brief is submitted in response to a requirement set out in correspondence between the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and the Owner dated 27 June 2011 that sets out application requirements and process. The subject property is a 0.2713 ha (0.67 ac) generally parallelogram shaped parcel with approximately 48.84 m (160 ft) of frontage on Main Street and 52.48 m (172 ft) of frontage on Lloyd Street. The subject property is approximately 62.95 m (206 ft) deep when measured from Main Street (including a small area of the subject property projecting south into an area at the rear of the adjacent residential building facing Lloyd Street) and 49.91 m (164 ft) deep when measured from Lloyd Street. &Co Architects 3
2.0 The Proposal On the subject property, the Owner is proposing an L shaped mixed commercial/residential building with a mid-rise built form deployed to continuously frame the adjacent public realm and to create a generous landscaped private amenity space at grade in a courtyard in the south east quadrant. The maximum height of the proposed development is 7 storeys (23.3 m not including the mechanical penthouse). The proposal establishes a 7 storey base building with a modulated bay system breaking up its length on the Main Street frontage. The total gross floor area of the proposal is 9,273 m2 (99,814 ft2) which yields a density of 3.42 times the lot area. The proposed development will have street related retail frontage at grade facing Main Street (the entire frontage), that wraps around the corner of the site onto Lloyd Street (for approximately 30% of the building s length). The Main Residential lobby entrance, atgrade indoor amenity space and entrance to garage and rear loading/parking completes the Lloyd Street frontage. The proposal includes approximately 86 residential condominium suites, and approximately 808 m2 (8,697 ft2) of retail space and 243 m2 (2,616 ft2) of amenity space on the ground floor. All parking with the exception of 8 surface spaces is located in a below-grade parking garage. Access to the underground residential parking for the proposed development is by means of a two way ramp directly from Lloyd Street. A total of 128 parking spaces are provided, 120 of which are located in the proposed two level underground facility. Eight visitor parking spaces (including an accessible space) will be provided at grade along the southern property line adjacent to the access driveway entering the site from the Lloyd Street. All garbage/loading facilities will be handled in enclosed spaces within the building or in open air areas that are screened from adjacent uses at grade. Access to these facilities will be by means of a two way driveway entering the site from Lloyd Street, and also accesses the surface parking. In our opinion, the proposal generally conforms to: the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville s Official Plan; the Community of Stouffville Secondary Plan and; the Community of Stouffville Residential Intensification Urban Design Guidelines. We have considered and evaluated a range of urban design and planning policies and urban design best practices with regard to the redevelopment of the subject property. The proposed development is &Co Architects 4
of a high quality with compatible architectural design. It will provide an opportunity to improve the pedestrian experience and amenity along Main Street and Lloyd Street, and it will form an appropriate built form component of the complex of urban buildings that could be expected to occur in the area in the future. It also provides a scale that remains comfortable to the enjoyment of the surrounding streets and adjacent properties in the interim. The basis for our urban design opinion and conclusion is provided in this report, including a description of the site today, its development and urban design context, the proposed redevelopment plans, and our design evaluation of the proposal which is coordinated with required technical reports by other members of the Owner s consultant team. 3.0 The Site and Development Context As noted above, the subject property is approximately 48.84 m (160 ft) by 52.48 m (172 ft) with an area of approximately 0.2713 ha (0.67 ac). Today, the subject property is occupied by several existing buildings including the 2 storey building housing Pace. With the exception of the Pace building, the structures on-site are all house-form buildings which have been converted to include retail/commercial uses, built very close to the street front property line with minimal side yard setbacks. The sidewalk in front of the existing buildings is minimal in width and accommodates two street trees across the length of the frontage of the subject property. The majority of the rear (south) portion of the subject property is currently paved for use as a surface parking lot. All of the existing buildings on site will be demolished as part of the proposed redevelopment. The subject property is located at the west end of the main commercial area of downtown Stouffville, where the land uses and built form begin to make a transition from the traditional small lot street fronting commercial lot structure of the historical southern Ontario main street to a hybrid condition of larger lots with a heterogeneous mix of building types, land uses and public realm conditions. To the east, the subject property abuts the existing Buckingham Manor, a 59-suite retirement home that occupies the remainder of the block frontage on Main Street between Lloyd and O Brien Streets with a substantial set back from both streets. This property consists of a 3 storey brick residential building with a number of additions such as a 4 storey residential element clad in vinyl siding with a shallow pitched roof immediately adjacent to the east property line of the subject property; and a 3 storey residential element clad in vinyl siding with a flat roof and series of dormers to the south &Co Architects 5
along O Brien Street. This latter element is set back from O Brien Street to accommodate front yard parking and includes a projecting wing at its south west corner that is only minimally setback from the east property line of the subject property at the south east corner. To the south, the subject property abuts a 1.5 storey stucco clad single family house at 19 Lloyd Street. This building is typical of the small scale residential fabric that lines both sides of Lloyd Street south of the properties that face onto Main Street. With the exception of the area immediately in front of the residence at 22 Lloyd Street (which appears to be built right to its front lot line) the majority of the residential portion of Lloyd Street is a rural cross section (without curbs) with a sidewalk set back from the paved carriageway to provide a generous boulevard with mature street trees. Curbs are provided in front of 19, 22, 31, 33 and 37 Lloyd Street and continue north to the intersection at Main Street. A 2 storey brick house-form building converted for commercial use is located to the west of the subject property across Lloyd Street at 6223 Main Street. As with many of the buildings fronting onto Main Street, this building includes a large paved area at the rear (south) used for surface parking. Two additional 2 storey house form buildings and a 1 storey commercial building are located further west on the block fronting on the south side of Main Street between Lloyd and Blake Streets. Freel Lane is located directly opposite the subject property forming a T intersection on the north side of Main Street. The narrow right-of-way of Freel Lane is lined with buildings on either side with minimal or no setbacks, creating a tight public realm condition. To the east of Freel Lane is a relatively newly constructed 2 storey red brick building housing a series of retail units at grade and commercial uses above. The retail units are set back from the street line to create a colonnade space parallel to the street. The ground floor level of the retail and the colonnade are separated from the grade of the public sidewalk and are accessible only by means of a series of ramps and stairs. Streetscape improvements on this frontage are relatively recent but include no street trees. The main commercial centre of Stouffville is located further east along King Street between O Brien Street and Park Drive. To the west of Freel Lane there are 4 individual buildings with retail uses at grade. Two are house-form buildings, one is a small flat roofed single storey building that is well set back from the street, and one is a relatively recently constructed multi-tenant mixed-use building with a residential architectural expression. Beyond these buildings, further west is the Stouffville GO train station which also houses some municipal uses such as the &Co Architects 6
Chamber of Commerce and a community policing facility. West of the GO railway line, Main Street is predominantly residential in form and land use for several blocks. 4.0 Planning Background The subject property is within the Community of Stouffville Secondary Planning Area and the Community Core Area where in it is designated as Core Area Main Street. OPA 128 (Residential Intensification Strategy) adopted several residential intensification areas within the Town, including an area that includes the subject lands. The policies of these documents set out height and density parameters for development as follows: Minimum Height 2 storeys; Maximum Height 4 storeys; Maximum Floor Space Index 3.0 FSI for commercial or mixed use development. Development in such areas is encouraged to be integrated with adjacent lands where feasible and shall provide an appropriate interface with any adjacent lands in a residential designation. Community Core Areas are to be supported with new medium and high density residential uses (12.3.6 OP). Section 12.11.2.6 of the Community of Stouffville Secondary Plan includes the potential for height and density bonuses secured through a section 37 process. The maximum bonuses over the permitted limits for density are 20% (up to 3.6 times the lot area) and up to 3 storeys of additional height. The subject property is zoned CM1 (Commercial Residential Mixed Community Core Area). This zone permits apartments, as well as a number of retail and service commercial uses. As amended, the Zoning Bylaw includes the following relevant standards (see 6.2 Regulations): Maximum Front Yard Setback 2.0m; Minimum Yard Abutting R Zone 4.5m (must be landscaped see 6.2.1 Qualifying Notes to Regulations); Maximum / Minimum Floor Space Index 3.0 FSI / 1.0 FSI; Maximum Height of Buildings 14.0m of 4 storeys Maximum Height within 10.0m of an R Zone 11m. The lands are also subject to 3.24.5, the Downtown Parking Reduction Area. 3.24.5 Downtown Area Parking Reduction Area, which allows for the amount of parking required by Section 3.23.1 &Co Architects 7
Table of Parking Standards to be reduced to an amount equal to 60% of the standard shown in the Table of Parking Standards for all uses except residential uses and office uses exceeding 1858 m2. Relief from building height, density and parking provisions is required for the reasons set out below. 5.0 Design Rationale The Rationale of the Design approach is derived from first principles for an urban, main street-like, mid-rise mixed-use building. There are several components to the Rationale:; limited opportunities, overall scale, height, transition to the rear, transition to the east, compatibility with Main Street, incorporation of servicing/parking, unit types, amenity space, improvement of streetscapes and density. For clarity, OP refers to Official Plan policies, RIG refers to Residential Intensification Urban Design Guidelines. 5.1 Limited Opportunities The surrounding area, part of the Community Core, is anticipated as the focal point of the community for residents and visitors, and one of three intensification areas within the Town (1.2.1, RIG). The surrounding properties contain a variety of lot sizes and shapes, and some have heritage type buildings that may be protected or remain. The existing site is both underdeveloped, a commercial site, and an infill site (Types A, B and C in 1.2.2, RIG), all areas identified for residential intensification. The site is a land assembly of multiple lots; most lots are too small for redevelopment on their own. In addition, many other buildings within this Community Core will remain as single-family houses. As a result, the larger areas where intensification is identified presents limited opportunities for the overall intensification of the Town. Selected opportunities, such as the current proposal, should be considered against the limited opportunities overall. 5.2 Overall Scale The site is located at the western portion of the more traditional main street portion of Main Street, and in what can best be described as a transitional part between more consistent, lower built-form, smaller lots and smaller buildings, and much larger land assemblies and buildings moving west from the rail line. The site, and the Community Core area in general have an eclectic combination of older house-form buildings and low-scale commercial buildings, as well as several infill buildings or additions of 3-5 storeys in height. Architectural style is varied, ranging from flat to peaked roofs, turrets &Co Architects 8
to modern rectangular frames, natural materials (stone and brick) to concrete block, stucco and aluminum siding. The variety of styles, materials and heights does not provide a definitive cue. The site is also located in very close proximity to the Stouffville GO Station, well within a comfortable walking distance of less than 200 feet. The combination of commercial and residential on-site will provide residents and visitors with the opportunity for convenient alternative mode of travel to the automobile for inter-city trips. Development is intended to create compact, attractive main streets with a diversity of activity (2.2 2 RIG), promote a sense of human scale through massing and articulation that reduce a building s bulk and individual building parts (2.2 3 RIG), and context sensitive intensification that complements existing fabric and minimizes conflicts with adjacent land uses, particularly stable, low-rise residential areas (2.2 5 RIG). Higher density forms (mixed use buildings and walk-up apartments) are encouraged in the Community Core (3.1 RIG). Overall, a 7-storey building, located on the subject site, will be of a suitable scale and composition to fit with the existing building stock and planned nature of the site in the context of an intensification area. 5.3 Height Generally, the frontage in the vicinity of the site on Main Street today ranges from one to two storeys, with a few third storey dormers found in pitched rooflines. Directly north of the subject site, on Freel Lane (facing the Stouffville GO Train Station), there is a newly built 5-storey residential building. To the south of the site are single-detached houses, located on large lots. Both the Official Plan and Zoning By-law permit up to 4-storeys as-of right. The Official Plan anticipates and permits the use of Section 37 of the Planning Act for bonusing up to 3 storeys above the permitted height. With a bonus of three storeys, the proposed 7 storeys are within the height contemplated on-site. An amendment to the zoning by-law is required to permit the additional height. The building height is massed so there is a base, middle, and top. The base is on Main Street (at the property line) (3.1.3 a RIG), the middle is setback 2.0m but enclosed with a frame located at the property line, and the top is also setback 2.0m, but with spandrel glass appears more setback (3.1.3 e, f RIG). &Co Architects 9
5.4 Transition to the rear The closest portion of the building is setback 7.061m (23 ) or more from the irregular south property line. As the building is proposed in an L shape, over half of the building is setback approximately 29m (95 ) or more from the south property line. Together, these setback distances are more than adequate and reasonable for a 7-storey building to be constructed while creating an appropriate transition to the neighbourhood to the south. In addition, a service driveway, several surface parking spaces (8), a retaining wall and fence are all to be in this setback area, and will create and ensure separation from the southern properties. These areas are also screened from the outdoor amenity space to be provided at the rear of the building. 5.5 Transition to the east The property immediately east was originally developed in stages. The 2 ½ storey houseform portion, near Main Street, is located close to the shared western property line, and was the first building constructed on-site. Later on, a 4-storey addition was added to the rear. To ensure privacy and minimize overlook, the proposed building is built with a party wall condition at the shared property line, with no principal windows facing east at that portion of the building, and with end units oriented front/back (north and south). The L shaped portion, with any windows facing east, is setback approximately 24m (80 ). This is a generous and significant side yard setback and more than adequate to ensure privacy, light and views from the adjacent lands to the east, and for the new units proposed. 5.6 Compatibility with Main Street The entire built frontage facing Main Street has commercial retail units (C.R.U.) at-grade which will provide for a variety of commercial and retail users/tenants. Above the commercial will be residential units, with 5 units per floor, or 30 units overall with direct frontage (and windows) facing Main Street. The three CRU s, each with it s own entrance (3.1.6 RIG), will provide continuity of the main street retail at-grade character found on adjacent Main Street properties (3.1.1 a, b RIG). The building façade at-grade, incorporates three major massing elements that are contiguous with upper storeys, which create rhythm, articulation and the impression of three separate volumes (3.1.3 a, b RIG, 3.1.6). This breaks up the Main Street façade into smaller elements, and better reflects adjacent and existing main street typology (3.1.2 a RIG). As a corner building, the corner at Lloyd Street will be emphasized with a taller vertical element (3.1.1 e RIG) while remaining within the seven storey height. &Co Architects 10
Having residential units above the ground floor, facing Main Street, reflects adjacent development and traditional main street development in general. This ensures a healthy captive population that can utilize the surrounding retail. It also provides safety and street surveillance, and street activation, as people overview the street, and creates pedestrian traffic to and from the building (on the street). 5.7 Incorporation of servicing/parking The servicing and parking area has been located to be hidden from view away from Main Street. Connection is provided from the smaller Lloyd Street (3.4.1, 3.4.4 RIG, 12.4.2.2 OP). Underground parking is directly accessed by a parking ramp that connects at the rear (south) of the property to Lloyd Street (3.4.2). Further south, along the south property line is a driveway (also connecting to Lloyd Street) that provides access to the screened loading area, and 8 convenience surface parking spaces at the rear of the building (12.4.2.1.1 vi OP). This driveway and loading area will allow for the entrance and exit of loading/servicing movements from the site in a forward motion. This will provide safe movements and minimize conflicts with pedestrians along Lloyd Street, as drivers making forward movements can see better, particularly within large servicing vehicles. 5.8 Amenity Area Provided Units will have individual private balconies, plus 243 sm of shared indoor amenity and 325sm of outdoor amenity. Both common amenity areas are directly connected together through a hallway adjacent to the lobby, which will provide easy access and use by the residents. The location of the indoor amenity area, facing Lloyd Street, will also provide an opportunity for engagement and visibility with the street and pedestrians. The outdoor amenity location, being located south of the building, will be screened from the Main Street and surrounding lots, and will maximize sun exposure (3.1, 3.1.2 e RIG). While there is no amenity area size requirement, both the indoor and outdoor amenity sizes are more than adequate and generous to support the 86 units. In combination with each individual private amenity areas, they will augment the enjoyment of the building and site. 5.9 Improvement of Streetscapes Both the Main Street and Lloyd Street street boulevards will be improved by the project (12.4.2.1.1 iv OP). The existing boulevard on Main Street will be improved with new sidewalk treatment and at-grade entrances into three new C.R.U.s. Lloyd Street will also be improved with a new sidewalk and boulevard. The property line is currently located at &Co Architects 11
the existing curb line, while the proposal includes a new 3.0m setback to provide for a sidewalk on Lloyd Street. 5.10 Density The proposed density is 3.42 times the lot area. The Official Plan and Zoning By-law both permit a maximum density of 3.0x the lot area. The Official Plan anticipates and permits the use of Section 37 of the Planning Act for up to 20% density bonusing, which would permit up to 3.6x the lot area. The proposal, at 3.42x, fits within this criteria, and is an excellent candidate for an application for increased density because: It is located directly on the main street It is located within an area anticipated for intensification It is located within a transitional area of Main Street It is very proximate to a GO Train and bus station Not all surrounding properties on Main Street will redevelop Not all properties within the Community Core will redevelop (including the singledetached houses) The proposal incorporates a mixture of uses, including commercial at-grade There are no adverse impacts associated with the development Density is one of several measures of the intensity and fit on a site, and can be calculated in a number of ways (FSI, units per acre, units per hectare, etc). However, intensity and fit can be evaluated using built form and overall massing, including transition as well. The building onsite provides additional density without creating additional impacts. &Co Architects 12
6.0 Conclusion The site is appropriate for the proposed 7-storey mixed-use building. It will provide new commercial units along Main Street, and new condominium residential units above. It is appropriately separated from the nearest neighbours and will not create adverse impacts. It screens servicing and integrates indoor and outdoor amenity space at ground level. Importantly, it contributes to the downtown population base which will further animate street activity and support downtown businesses. Best, Sweeny Sterling Finlayson &Co Architects Inc. Christian Huggett MCIP RPP Associate Christian@andco.com Cc: Pace Savings and Credit Union Geranium Corporation &Co Architects 13