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1. ZONING - 594 RIDEAU STREET AND
165 CHARLOTTE STREET ZONAGE - 594, RUE RIDEAU ET 165, RUE CHARLOTTE |
Committee recommendation
(This application
is not subject to Bill 51)
That Council approve an amendment to the former City of Ottawa Zoning
By-law to change the Neighbourhood Linear Commercial CN7 F(2.0) zone applying
to 594 Rideau Street and 165 Charlotte Street as shown on Document 1, to a new
Neighbourhood linear Commercial CN11[xxx]H(24.5) -h zone establishing new exception
provisions, a new height limit and to establish a holding designation, all as
detailed in Document 2.
Recommandation du Comité
(Cette demande n’est pas
assujettie au projet de loi 51)
Que le Conseil approuve une modification au Règlement de zonage de l’ancienne Ville d’Ottawa, de
manière à faire passer le zonage du 594, rue Rideau et du 165, rue Charlotte,
illustrés dans le Document 1, de Rue commerçante de quartier CN7 F(2.0) à une
nouvelle zone de Rue commerçante de quartier CN11[xxx]H(24.5) – h, établissant de nouvelles dispositions
d’exception, une nouvelle limite de hauteur et une nouvelle désignation
d’aménagement différé, tel qu’exposé en détail dans le Document 2.
Documentation
1.
Deputy
City Manager's report Planning,
Transit and the Environment dated
5 January 2007 (ACS2007-PTE-APR-0036).
2. Extract
of Draft Minutes, 24 April 2007.
Report to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
January 5, 2007 / le 5 janvier 2007
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice
municipale adjointe,
Planning Transit and the Environment / Urbanisme,
Transport en commun et Environnement
Contact Person/Personne
Ressource : Grant Lindsay, Manager / Gestionnaire, Development Approvals /
Approbation des demandes d'aménagement
(613)
580-2424, 13242 Grant.Lindsay@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET: |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve
an amendment to the former City of Ottawa Zoning By-law to change the
Neighbourhood Linear Commercial CN7 F(2.0) zone applying to 594 Rideau Street
and 165 Charlotte Street as shown on Document 1, to a new Neighbourhood linear
Commercial CN11[xxx]H(24.5)
-h zone establishing new exception provisions, a new height limit and to
establish a holding designation, all as detailed in Document 2.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
recommande au Conseil d’approuver une modification au Règlement
de zonage de l’ancienne Ville d’Ottawa, de manière à faire passer le zonage du
594, rue Rideau et du 165, rue Charlotte, illustrés dans le Document 1, de Rue
commerçante de quartier CN7 F(2.0) à une nouvelle zone de Rue commerçante de
quartier CN11[xxx]H(24.5)
– h, établissant de nouvelles dispositions d’exception, une nouvelle limite de
hauteur et une nouvelle désignation d’aménagement différé, tel qu’exposé en
détail dans le Document 2.
BACKGROUND
The subject properties consist of 594 Rideau Street and 165 Charlotte Street, and are located at the southeast corner of Rideau Street and Charlotte Street. Mixed-use buildings of one to two and a half storeys currently occupy the 1524 square metre property. Abutting the property to the south, at the corner of Charlotte Street and Besserer Street is a three-storey apartment building, and east of the apartment building are three-storey townhouses. Adjacent to the east of the site is a one-storey retail strip mall. North, across Rideau Street is a four-storey heritage residential building known as the “Wallis House”. Further east on the north side of Rideau Street is a seven-storey apartment building, while to the northwest is a 14-storey apartment building. West, across Charlotte Street is a five-storey building containing laboratory, office and retail uses.
Purpose of
Zoning By-law Amendment
The applicant wishes to develop an eight-storey, mixed commercial and residential building and requires a Zoning By-law amendment pertaining to building height and density. The proposed building facilitated by the rezoning consists of a six-storey main section with two additional stories recessed back on all sides except a full-height rounded corner addressing the intersection of Rideau and Charlotte streets. The building proposal has a strong street orientation.
The subject property was recently rezoned from CN7 F(2.0) to CN11[916] F(3.0), Neighbourhood Linear Commercial Zone. The Council Approved Zoning By-law amendment stems from the recommendations of the “Uptown Rideau, Community Design Plan” approved by Council in January 2005. This Zoning By-law amendment is under appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). The CN Zone allows uses such as bank, day care, restaurant and retail store. The CN7 sub-zone has requirements related to provisions and amenities for residential uses, and the location of parking. The F(2.0) limits the floor space to two times the lot area. The CN11 sub-zone establishes restrictions and locational requirements for certain uses and setback and building height requirements. The “[916]” exception sets dwelling unit amenity requirements. The F(3.0) limits the floor space index to three times the lot area. The maximum building height is 19.0 metres.
The applicant wishes to develop an eight-storey mixed residential and commercial building with underground parking. The area of the proposed building is approximately 6791 square metres, with the top two floors of the building recessed. The proposed uses (commercial and dwelling units) are permitted on this site under both CN sub-zones; however, the current building design proposal requires an increase to the maximum floor space and height limits. The applicant is requesting increases in the maximum floor space index from 3.0 to 4.25 and the height from 19 to 27 metres. The recommended zoning amendment reflects all of the provisions of the Council approved CN11[916] F(3.0) zone appealed to the OMB, modified to accommodate an eight storey building.
DISCUSSION
1. Primary
Plan
The Official Plan (OP) designates the property
as Traditional Main Street, which applies to both sides of Rideau Street from
King Edward Avenue to the Rideau River.
The Strategic Directions objective for Mainstreet areas is that they
should develop as a mix of uses including housing, employment and
shopping. Mainstreets are to be one of
the primary locations for intensification. When a related Zoning By-law
amendment is required to permit intensification, the proposed development is to
be evaluated in terms of scale, design and compatibility in accordance with the
provisions for Compatibility and Design in Section 2.5.1, which is discussed below. Provided the overall intent of the OP is
upheld, intensification and infill development is to be supported at locations
within 600 metres of a future rapid transit station. Rideau Street is designated as a Future Rapid Transit Corridor
and Transit Priority Corridor. The
recommended rezoning is in keeping with these policies of the Strategic
Approach.
The policies for compatibility of Section 2.5.1 set out Design Objectives and Principles pertaining to compatibility. Annex 3 to the OP provides an evocative Design Framework intended as a catalyst for the pursuit and consideration of a wide range of planning and design alternatives that will foster implementation of the Design Objectives and Principles. The proposed development associated with the recommended rezoning is consistent with the intent of many aspects of the Design Objectives and Principles and responds to the Design Framework as discussed below based on summaries of applicable elements of the objectives:
- Enhance
the sense of community by creating places with their own identity: the related development proposal will
help create a distinctive architectural presence at the significant corner
location of Charlotte Street, which is a Major Collector road, and Rideau
Street, while continuing the existing pattern of commercial development
facing the street. The development
will help reinforce the location as a gateway from the more vibrant Rideau
Mainstreet area into the more residential area of Sandy Hill to the south.
- Defining
quality public spaces through development: the addition of new residents
of the proposed development and the continued commercial uses will help
enliven the streetscape, while the new building will strengthen the
spatial definition of the public streetscape. The development facilitated by the rezoning will anchor a
highly visible location at an important intersection with a main entrance
addressing the corner; all parking will be underground out of public view;
and the pedestrian environment along the street will be served by at-grade
entrances and windows, and possibly patios.
- Creating
safe, accessible places which are easy to get to: the site is highly visible, with
frequent passers–by, and is adjacent to a designated high priority, future
rapid transit corridor.
The related development proposal will help facilitate wayfinding by facilitating a more notable building at an important intersection of an arterial and a collector road; building and site access will be clear and directly to the street; parking access will be from the collector road rather than the Rideau Street arterial thus protecting a continuous pedestrian route along Rideau Street; the development will increase the potential to provide the safety and security benefits of “eyes on the street”; and a mix of uses will help create a complementary activity pattern along a transit route.
- Respecting
the character of the existing area:
the proposed continued commercial, and expanded residential uses
will complement the mainstreet environment and adjacent neighbourhood,
while the built form will evolve in a manner complimentary to the massing
and style of nearby existing and proposed buildings. The upper two floors of the related
building proposal are set back from the primary façade, and the setback is
increased to the east side in deference to the lower adjacent buildings;
the proposed architectural details proposed for the lower floor will help
create a sense of human scale; and the scale of the neighbouring building
fabric will be addressed through the height and width of he proposed
facades.
- Giving
consideration to diversity to achieve more compact urban form over
time: the development facilitated
by the rezoning will promote a more compact urban form making more
efficient use of the land, while augmenting the diverse and evolving
character of Rideau Street. The development proposal will add new housing
options along the mainstreet serving Sandy Hill and foster a mix of
commercial and residential uses;
- Promoting
environmental sustainability in development: the related development will help reduce resource
consumption by promoting residential intensification inside the Greenbelt
along a Transit Priority Corridor.
The related development proposal provides for new trees along
Rideau and Charlotte streets; the setback of the upper stories helps
retain the opportunity for passive solar gain in buildings across Rideau
Street to the north, as well as helping mitigate shadow impacts on the
sidewalks across the street.
The policies of subsection 4.4 Water and
Wastewater Servicing, require adequate services for new development. The property is adequately served by water
and sanitary sewer facilities to support the level of redevelopment fostered by
the recommended rezoning. However,
existing storm sewer facilities serving the property are not adequate to
support the redevelopment. Improvements
to the storm sewers serving the area are anticipated to be undertaken in
2012. The “h” provisions of the
proposed rezoning restrict the implementation of the new zoning until such time
as the required storm sewer improvements have been satisfactorily
completed.
Subsection 4.6 Cultural Heritage Resources
requires consideration of the compatibility of the proposal with adjacent
heritage resources in the review of Zoning By-law amendment applications. Directly across Rideau Street to the north
is a designated heritage building and adjacent to the south is a structure on
the City’s Heritage Reference List. The
related development will respect the massing and width of the designated
heritage building across Rideau Street, will be in keeping with the set back
pattern and building orientation along the street, will cause minimal shadowing
on heritage properties, and will have underground parking thus having minimal impact
on the adjacent heritage resources.
Section 4.11 Compatibility, provides further
compatibility policy for the review of development applications involving an
increase in height or density. Factors
to be considered include traffic impact, vehicular access, parking, building
height and mass, community patterns, outdoor amenity provisions, loading areas,
sunlight, and supporting neighbourhood services.
- Site
access will be on to a major collector roadway, Charlotte Street, via a
right-in and right-out only access leading directly to Rideau Street, an
arterial roadway. Both roadways
have adequate capacity for the potential increased traffic stemming from
the rezoning. There is no
reduction of parking requirements in the recommended rezoning, and the related
development proposes parking in excess of minimum zoning
requirements.
- The
proposed eight-storey building facilitated by the rezoning has a strong
street orientation and is considered compatible with the height and mass
of the nearby existing five to 14-storey commercial and residential
buildings along Rideau Street. The
required 7.5-metre building set back and recessing of the upper floors
addresses the change in height to the lower adjacent residential buildings
facing Besserer Street and one-storey commercial buildings to the east
along Rideau Street.
- The
balconies of the proposed apartments are recessed into the building, thus
diminishing the potential for overlook into private amenity areas of the
adjacent residential area to the south; and landscape screening will
provide further visual buffering at grade level.
- Loading
and service areas to serve the related development will be inside the
building away from existing residential areas.
- Shadow
studies of the effect of the recommended maximum height increase show
there will be minimal impact on adjacent residential areas.
- Supporting
neighbourhood services in the area are considered adequate to meet the
potential increased demand generated by the rezoning.
2. Sandy
Hill Secondary Plan
The land use policies of the Sandy Hill
Secondary Plan for Mainstreet Mixed-Uses are applicable to the subject
lands. These policies are as follows:
- To transform Uptown Rideau into a vibrant and
charming community mainstreet,
- To permit mid-rise buildings and a mix of land uses,
- To provide a transition strategy between the
mainstreet and the surrounding lower profile neighbourhoods, and
- To provide high quality architecture, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and a fully integrated roadway for transit, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
The recommended
rezoning will foster a development consistent with the intent of these
policies. New residential units and
continued commercial development will contribute to a vibrant mainstreet.
The proposed eight
storeys is considered a mid-rise building, and the set back of the upper two
stories provides for a transition to the lower existing residential buildings to the south. The
commercial development and streetscape improvements proposed at grade level
will help promote a pedestrian friendly sidewalk environment.
Uptown Rideau Community Design Plan
The Uptown Rideau Community Design Plan (URCDP)
was adopted as Council policy in January 2005 (but is not part of the OP) and
is part of the policy basis of the current CN11[916] F(3.0) zoning. The URCDP stresses the need
for development that is compatible and complementary to the needs of the
adjacent residential neighbourhoods with a mix of uses stimulating a vibrant
pedestrian environment. The URCDP
recommends a maximum building height for the subject property of three to six
storeys to accommodate mid-rise buildings. The Design Planning Principles of
the plan pertaining to appropriate building height, in sub-section 4.2.2, cite
the need to consider pedestrian comfort in relation to building size, not
causing the alienation of upper floor residents from ground level sidewalks,
protection of sunlight to sidewalks, reflecting the dense urban fabric along
the street and the proximity to downtown, and complementing the built heritage
of the area. Sub-section 4.2.3 of the
URCDP indicates that minor variations can be considered without modification of
the plan, and in sub-section 4.2.13 that the quality of a project design may
justify the minor relaxation of the height and setback provisions of the plan.
The development concept associated with the
rezoning does addresses the factors dealing with the pedestrian environment and
sunlight, provides for amenity spaces oriented to the street for future
residents, is appropriate given the density in the area and the proximity to
downtown, and is complementary to nearby heritage buildings. The proposed development facilitated by the
proposed rezoning is considered to be in keeping with the intent of the URCDP,
and the recommended holding provision requires approval of the project design
through the site plan control process prior to lifting the holding provision.
Summary
Overall, the recommended rezoning to
accommodate the proposed development is considered to be in keeping with the
intent of the OP policies for Traditional Mainstreets, the compatibility
policies of Section 2.5.1, policies of water and wastewater servicing, policies
of subsection 4.4, heritage policies of subsection 4.6. and the compatibility
factors of sub-section 4.11 and is considered to be in keeping with the policy
directions of the Sandy Hill Secondary Plan and the directions for development
set out in the Rideau Street Community Design Plan.
CONSULTATION
Notice of this application was carried out in accordance with the City's Public Notification and Consultation Policy. Information signs were posted on-site indicating the nature of the application. The Ward Councillor is aware of this application and the staff recommendation. A summary and discussion of the responses to the public notification is included in Document 4.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
APPLICATION PROCESS
TIMELINE STATUS
The application was not processed by the "On
Time Decision Date" established for the processing of Zoning By-law
amendments due to the complexity of the issues associated with servicing,
access and project design.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location Map
Document 2 Details
of Recommended zoning
Document 3 Conceptual
Building Design
Document 4 Consultation Details
DISPOSITION
Corporate Services Department, City Clerk’s
Branch, Secretariat Services to notify the owner, Richcraft Group of Companies, 201 - 2280 St. Laurent
Boulevard, Ottawa, K1G 4K1, applicant, Roderick Lahey Architect Inc., 200-1501 Carling
Avenue, Ottawa, K1Z 7M1, OttawaScene.com,
174 Colonnade Road, Unit #33, Ottawa, ON
K2E 7J5,
Ghislain Lamarche, Program Manager, Assessment, Financial Services Branch (Mail
Code: 26-76) of City Council’s
decision.
Planning, Transit and the Environment
Department to prepare the implementing by-law, forward to Legal Services Branch
and undertake the statutory notification.
Corporate Services Department, Legal Services
Branch to forward the implementing by-law to City Council.
LOCATION MAP DOCUMENT
1
DETAILS OF RECOMMENDED ZONING DOCUMENT
2
The lands shown on Document 1 are to be rezoned to CN[xxx]H(24.5)-h.
The subject lands fall
within an area with Council approved zoning as CN11[916]F(3.0) that is
currently under appeal before the Ontario Municipal Board. The implementing by-law for the recommended
zoning amendment must address the status of By-law No. 2005-24, by excluding
the said lands from By-law No. 2005-24.
The holding designation as described in clause 1(9)(e) of
By-law No. 93-98 can only be lifted upon the satisfying of the following
requirements:
1. The combined sewer system serving the site has been improved or replaced to the extent necessary to facilitate the increased sewers capacity requirements that would be generated by development of the property in accordance with the full potential of the provisions of the amended zoning, and
2. A site plan control application has been approved, including architectural elevations, for a mixed use development on the property;
The following exceptions will apply to the new CN[xxx] H(24.5) -h
zone for the property shown on Document 1:
1. That
the following permitted uses be required to be located above the ground floor:
a parking garage, a utility installation, a shelter, where the first two would
also be permitted below the ground floor.
2. That
50 percent of the gross floor area over 2,000 m2 must be used for the following
residential uses where a development exceeds 2,000 m2: dwelling units,
retirement home, converted retirement home, rooming house, converted rooming
house, or special needs house.
3. That
an apartment building and a high rise apartment building, with a maximum height
of eight storeys, and a townhouse building be permitted on the property.
4. For
the purpose of determining the front yard setback, a lot that abuts Rideau
Street is to be treated as though it fronts on Rideau Street.
5. That
all ground floor uses abutting Rideau Street provide a direct pedestrian access
off Rideau Street.
6. That
the ground floor building façade abutting Rideau Street contain a minimum 50%
windows and doors.
7. That
the height of the ground floor be a minimum one metre higher than the floors
above it, except for the top floor.
8. There
shall be a minimum front yard setback of 1.0 metre, except a minimum setback of
3 metres shall be applied above 6-storeys.
9. That
the maximum front yard setback shall be 2.0 metres, except for the
accommodation of an outdoor patio located at the corner of a corner lot, for
which the maximum front yard setback may be 4 metres along the frontage of a
restaurant use only, for a length along the frontage that is no greater than 6
metres. The maximum setback shall not
apply after 3-storeys.
10. For
properties that abut Rideau Street, that the minimum corner side yard setback
shall be 1.0 m and the maximum shall be 4.0 m.
11. That
the minimum rear yard setback shall be 7.5 metres where it abuts a rear yard in
a residential zone except an R6 Zone; and 3 metres in all other cases.
12.
For
properties that abut a residential zone other than an R6 Zone, an added 3 metre
rear yard setback shall apply above the sixth storey where the maximum building
height is more than 16 metres.
13.
An
added 3 metre interior side yard setback shall apply above the sixth storey
where the maximum building height is more than 16 metres.
14. That
the minimum width of a landscaped area does not apply to the front yard
abutting Rideau Street.
15. That subsection 299, relating to density restrictions, shall
not apply.
16. A driveway may be situated equally or in part on two abutting properties that abut Rideau Street.
17. A
parking area may have access to a public street through another lot.
18. That a minimum driveway width be reduced to 3 metres for parking lots with less than 20 spaces and 6 metres for parking lots with 20 spaces or more.
19. That dwelling units may occupy a maximum of 45% of the ground floor level, provided that no dwelling unit on the ground floor level is located within 9.5 metres of Rideau Street.
20. That amenity area must be provided for each dwelling unit at the rate of 18.5 square metres per dwelling unit, one half of which must be provided as uncovered outdoor amenity area.
