Planning & Development 0 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES:SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | JULY 2013 CITY OF SURREY NOTE PLEASE NOTE: The City of Surrey does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this document or any use of this document by the user. The information contained in this document is relevant only to the date of first printing and may not incorporate subsequent amendments. It is the responsibility of the user of this document to contact the Surrey Planning and Development Department regarding any amendments pertaining to this document. 1 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | 2 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | TOC Table of Contents Infill Area Plan: Use and Format A. Introduction 1. Plan Initiation 2. Plan Context 3. Plan Consultation 4. Issues and Opportunities 5. Local Heritage 6. Environmentally Sensitive and Significant Areas B. Guidelines for Residential Infill 1. City Objectives 2. Neighbourhood Objectives 3. Development Industry Objectives 4. General Planning Principles C. Land Use Descriptions 1. Summary of Land Uses 2. Hillside Estate Residential (4UPA) 3. Low Density Cluster/Panhandle (4-6 UPA) 4. Low Density Tree Protection (6-10 UPA) 5. Low-Medium Density (10-15 UPA) 6. Medium Density (15-23 UPA) 7. Public Institutional D. Development Guidelines 1. Transportation Network 2. Tree Preservation Guidelines 3. Hillside Development Guidelines 4. Lot Consolidation Guidelines 3 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | Table of Figures Figure 1 – South Westminster Heights Neighbourhood Boundary .......................... 8 Figure 2 - South Westminster Heights Infill Area Context Map ............................. 12 Figure 3 - Historic Subdivision in NW Whalley ........................................................ 15 Figure 4 - Heritage Sites .......................................................................................... 18 Figure 5 - Steep Slopes ............................................................................................ 20 Figure 6 - Slope Assessment Notes ......................................................................... 22 Figure 7 - Wildlife Corridor ..................................................................................... 24 Figure 8 - Tree Stand Map ...................................................................................... 26 Figure 9 - Watercourse Map ................................................................................... 28 Figure 10 – South Westminster Heights Infill Area Concept Plan .......................... 41 Figure 11 - Existing Road Network .......................................................................... 42 Figure 12 - Future Road Network Classification ..................................................... 42 APPENDIX I: Hillside Development Checklist 4 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | PLAN AREA AERIAL PHOTO 5 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | U SE AND SE AND INFILL AREA PLAN A PPLICATION This document sets out planning and development guidelines that are intended to assist the City and Neighbourhood in considering development applications, and achieving high quality sensitive residential infill in the South Westminster Heights Area which is welcomed by neighbours and facilitates a long term liveable environment for residents. An infill area concept plan for this Neighbourhood was identified as a priority by City Council to assist in achieving four main goals: 1. Strategy for Mature Tree Preservation; 2. Providing adequate Road Network Connections; 3. Criteria for Hillside and Viewshed Protection; and 4. Opportunities for Sensitive Residential Infill. The City Planning and Development Department, as part of its planning and review, identified the need to provide guidance for the location, form and design development criteria in this maturing neighbourhood. These Residential Infill Guidelines are an important tool in fostering sensitive infill development and achieving the above goals as development occurs. Strategy for 1. Area of Application Mature Tree Preservation The Guidelines in this document apply only to residential infill development in the South Westminster Heights neighbourhood, which is identified in Figure 1. Providing adequate Road Network Connections The Guidelines apply to all forms of residential infill development– from Single Family to Ground Oriented Multifamily. In addition, they include a section specific for development guidelines in areas of Tree preservation priorities and on or near Steep Hillsides. It should be noted that these Criteria for Hillside guidelines deals only with land use types and roads network and Viewshed Protection consideration. Infill proposals involving more innovative forms will have to be evaluated based on a combination of the Guidelines and the development proposal’s particular merits in achieving city standards for engineering and design. Opportunities for Sensitive Residential Infill The Guidelines do not change current zoning or subdivision requirements of the city, but work as a guide for considerations future applications. 6 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | 2. Using the Guidelines U In addition to the specific sections of this document SE AND SE AND dealing with each type of Residential Infill, it should be noted that the following information has been included to assist in understanding and applying the Guidelines: A a. The Objectives of the City in encouraging PPLICATION residential infill, along with the objectives that the Neighbourhood and the Development Industry have with respect to infill development. b. Descriptions of the different land use designations, along with the typical housing forms normally applied to the different forms of infill. c. Development Guidelines to be used in the Infill Plan preparation and review of subdivision, rezoning, Objectives building and/or development applications. NOTE: Land Use It is important to note that some flexibility will have to be Descriptions exercised in the application of the Residential Infill Guidelines to respond to specific context and the unique features of a site. Flexibility is required in the application of these ‘universal’ Guidelines because of the variation in Development Guidelines geography and existing development that exists amongst the Neighbourhood. Whenever flexibility is exercised, the overall intent of the Guidelines must be kept in mind, and that is to achieve residential infill that is compatible and complimentary to the neighbourhood. 7 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | U SE AND SE AND A PPLICATION Figure 1 – South Westminster Heights Neighbourhood Boundary 8 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | INTRODUCTION A 9 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | PLAN INTRODUCTION INITIATION A. Introduction 1. PLAN INITIATION On November 26, 2012, Council referred Planning Application 7912- 0192-00 (to allow a subdivision of 15 small single family lots), back to A1 City staff to develop an Infill Concept Plan for a small neighbourhood in Northwest Whalley. Council instructed staff to hold all land development applications in the neighboured in abeyance until an Infill Concept Plan was complete and supported by Council. City Council recommended that the Infill Concept Plan address: Road Network Road Network Connections: to limit impact on steep slopes and respect treed areas, as well as provide access to the arterial roads that borders the neighbourhood; Walking & Cycling Transportation Plans: to include a finer grained road network to encourage more active transportation and mobility; Preservation of important stands of trees: to strategically retain Tree canopy coverage. Specifically trees along steep slopes and those Protection mature trees that are visible on routes into Surrey; Ecosystem management opportunities; including provisions for, Ecosystem preservation and wildlife connections in the area; Opportunities Steep slopes, including ridgeline strategies based on development guidelines along the western portion of the neighbourhood, which shows evidence of slips and slides in the past; and Steep Slopes Residential Densities: potential for sensitive infill, and opportunities for cluster housing for tree preservation and public benefit, as well as lot consolidation strategies for development equity. Residential Denisites Although there are different perceptions and interpretations from within the community about what will lead to the achievement of healthy, adaptable, mature neighbourhoods; these Residential Infill Guidelines are intended to provide a consistent set of planning and design criteria that will contribute to the achievement of the objectives and planning principles for the South Westminster Heights Neighbourhood in the long term. 10 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES: SOUTH WESTMINSTER HEIGHTS INFILL AREA | 2. PLAN CONTEXT The South Westminster Heights Infill Concept Plan area includes approximately 30.86 hectares (76.26 acres), as illustrated in Figure I. The Neighbourhood area is generally bounded by Old Yale Road to the A2 north, 128 Street to the east, 104 Avenue to the south and 125B Street to the west. The Neighbourhood is around 800 - 1,200 m east of