774 551 BRONSON / CAMBRIDGE /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// PLANNING RATIONALE FOR ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENT APPLICATION DRAWING TITLE PROJECT TITLE EMISSION N.D. Architect: 1170 Scale: NTS perspective 3, Bronson avenue RESIDENTIAL PROJET PRELIMINARY N.D. Client: 11-85 Date: June 18th, 2012 551 Cambridge / 774 Bronson, Ottawa Sheet: 7 de 14 JUNE 2012 / Introduction FoTenn Consultants Inc. has been retained by S.E.C. Samcon Cambridge to prepare a Planning Rationale in support of a Minor Zoning By-law Amendment for the lands known municipally as 774 Bronson Avenue and 551 Cambridge Street South. The subject site is a through lot that fronts on both Bronson Avenue and Cambridge Street South and is legally described as: Plan 28 S PT Lot 3 Bronson W (774 Bronson) and RP5R-14360 PT4 (Cambridge St South). Purpose of the Application The purpose of the Zoning By-law Amendment is to permit the development of a 12-storey (41.5 m) residential building and a 6-storey (18 m) residential building on the subject properties. The existing zoning already permits one (1) or more nine (9) storey residential apartment buildings on the lands. In order to redistribute building heights and accommodate the proposed development, the application would rezone the properties from Arterial Mainstreet Subzone 1 with a maximum building height of 27.5 metres [AM1 H(27.5)] to Arterial Mainstreet Subzone 1 with a site-specific Exception and a maximum building height of 41.5 metres AM1 [XXXX] H(41.5). This zoning will vary the following provisions of the AM parent zone and Table 101- Minimum Parking Space Rates of the Zoning By-law: • Permit site-specific maximum building height to accommodate the 41.5-metre residential building, as per the proposed schedule (attached); • Reduction in minimum required parking spaces for commercial uses from 2.5 spaces per 100m2 of gross leasable floor area to 0.0. The zoning permits at-grade commercial uses. If constructed, the commercial is intended to be small-tenant spaces, neighbourhood serving in nature. The parking demand would be low, given pedestrian access. Subject Lands and Surrounding Area The subject property is located approximately 35 metres south of Carling Avenue on the west side of Bronson Avenue, approximately 2 kilometres south of downtown Ottawa. The property is a through lot in a block that is bounded by Cambridge Street South in the west and Kippewa Drive in the south. The east and west subject properties both have approximately 39 metres (129 feet) of frontage along Bronson Avenue and Cambridge Street South, respectively. The total lot area is approximately 3,549 m2, excluding the lands that will be dedicated to the City through the required road widening. The property is atypical, with very few through lots along Arterial roads. North and south along Bronson Avenue, the lot fabric is comprised of considerably shallower blocks. Current developments at 774 Bronson Avenue include a walk-up apartment in the north, and a mixed-use building with commercial uses at grade and residential uses above in the south. The property at 551 Cambridge Street South is currently developed with a strip of 2-storey office buildings, with tenants such as The Canadian Nurses Registry of Canada, a medical facility, a residential apartment, and The Royal Oak head office. FoTenn Consultants Inc. 223 McLeod Street Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0Z8 Canada T: 613.730.5709 F: 613.730.1136 www.FoTenn.com The surrounding uses immediately adjacent to the subject lands are as follows (please refer to the address attributed to each parcel): • 280 Carling Avenue: 4 storey low-rise apartment building • 270 Carling Avenue: 2 storey retail/commercial building • 770 Bronson Avenue: Automobile repair shop, a corner lot at Carling Avenue • 786 Bronson Avenue: 3 storey office building • 567 Cambridge Street South: 6 storey Senior Housing Complex (The King’s Daughters and Sons Apartments) The following land uses are found in the area surrounding the subject property: North On the north side of Carling across from the subject properties is an 8-storey government of Canada office tower known as the Fitzsimmons Building, along with its associated surface parking lot. East East of the subject properties across Bronson Avenue is Glebe Collegiate Institute, the community’s public secondary school, with a sports field abutting Bronson Avenue. Further east is the Glebe neighbourhood, characterized by low-profile residential buildings. South Within the block bounded by Bronson Avenue and Cambridge Street South, there is a range of residential building types, as well as some low-profile commercial uses. Residential buildings include single-detached dwellings, low-rise apartments, and a medium-rise apartment. West West of the subject properties is a low-profile residential neighbourhood, beyond which is Dow’s Lake and its associated open space. Proposed Development Samcon is proposing two (2) residential towers for the site. The proposed east tower is twelve (12) storeys in height, including a 4-storey podium fronting onto Bronson Avenue. The tower and upper floors of the podium will accommodate 120 apartment units, ranging in size from 600 to 900 square feet. The “T”-shaped building provides a strong podium to Bronson Avenue, recognizing the Arterial Mainstreet designation and existing low- to medium-profile buildings along the west side of the corridor. The podium is staggered into four (4) sections, to respond to the configuration of the front property line (Bronson Avenue) and to create the appearance of four (4) narrower buildings, again in keep with the existing building fabric. The first floor includes pedestrian entrances and windows, in anticipation of potential at-grade commercial tenants. The upper three (3) floors of the podium include balconies to emphasize the residential component, different than the ground floor. In addition to a front setback for the tower, the podium features a lighter-coloured material to differentiate it from the tower component and simulate a mainstreet built form along the street. The red-coloured material used for the southern portion of the podium adds visual interest and 2 helps to transition from the tower to the existing low-profile uses to the south along Bronson Avenue. The podium includes a deep front yard setback, and pedestrian areas to contribute to a softer edge to the building, given the intensive automobile nature of this segment of Bronson Avenue. The proposal’s built form, including its podium and front setback, provides a transition from the Bronson Avenue Traditional Mainstreet north of Carling to the low-profile residential uses south of the site. The west tower is proposed at six (6) storeys in height, with frontage along Cambridge Street South. Approximately 60 apartment units of similar size to the east tower are proposed, with some larger 1,070 square-foot units on each floor. The top two (2) storeys will be stepped back from the street, to allow the building to blend with the low-profile character of the street. The red-coloured material is used for the lower four (4) storeys, delineating the base from the top portion of the building. Balconies and amenity areas reinforce the buildings’ residential character. Communal amenity spaces are provided on the rooftops of each building, featuring seating areas and a swimming pool on the east tower. Greenspace is provided at grade, between the buildings as well as along the north edge of the properties. The centre of the properties features a creative hard landscaping design, intended to add variety and delight to users and viewers from adjacent windows. The building setbacks from the abutting streets permit additional greenspace and landscaping, which also provides shading and privacy for residents on the lower levels. The internal portion of the site, between buildings, is set aside for private open space / amenity areas. The roof-top amenities areas may require some relief from the Zoning By-law and maximum height, given that typically only roof-top mechanical penthouses are permitted. Vehicular access to both buildings is proposed to be provided from Bronson Avenue via a paved driveway that bisects the site on an east-west axis. Egress will be onto Cambridge Street South, as exiting onto Bronson Avenue was not advisable due to the current level of congestion. Traffic is slower and less congested along Cambridge Street South, creating a more appropriate exit point for a development with a density greater than what currently exists. Nonetheless, in keeping with community preferences, access from Bronson Avenue is being pursued, subject to municipal approval. Community Input With the support of FoTenn Consultants, Samcon has engaged the surrounding Dow’s Lake Residents Association to ensure a mutually acceptable building design for the proposal. Through several respectful and productive meetings, the parties have reached general agreement on the proposal’s design, specifically regarding opportunities to explore greater building heights. As the existing zoning permits a building height of 27.5 metres, two (2) nine (9) storey towers may be built as-of-right, subject to Site Plan Control. In the interest of making the proposal more acceptable to the surrounding community, as well as to achieve appropriate transition in accordance with good urban design principles, Samcon proposes to build a twelve (12) storey building on the east side of the property, and a six (6) storey building on the west side of the property. Meetings also included discussions on traffic-related concerns, including opportunities to reduce or eliminate existing cut-through traffic through the community. Policy and Regulatory Review 3 Provincial Policy Statement (2005) The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) (2005), issued under the authority of Section 3 of the Planning Act, provides direction on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and development. The Planning Act requires that decisions affecting planning matters “shall be consistent with” policy statements issued under the Act.