5. ZONING - 187 METCALFE STREET

ZONAGE - 187, RUE METCALFE

Committee recommendation as amended

(This application is subject to Bill 51)

That Council approve an amendment to the former City of Ottawa Zoning By-law 1998 to change the zoning of 187 Metcalfe Street (R6A [172] F(3.0) High-rise Apartment Exception Zone) by adding museum as a permitted use in order to accommodate a development that includes a National Portait Gallery.

Recommandation modifiÉe du Comité

(Cette demande est assujettie au Règlement 51)

Que le Conseil approuve une modification au Règlement de zonage de 1998 de l’ancienne Ville d’Ottawa afin de changer le zonage de la propriété située au 187, rue Metcalfe, de R6A [172] F(3.0) (Zone de tour d’habitation, assortie d’une exception) à R6L[1001] Sch. [275] (Zone de tour d’habitation, assortie d’une exception) en vue de permettre un usage non résidentiel supplémentaire pour y aménager une Galerie nationale de portraits.

Documentation

1. Deputy City Manager's report Planning, Transit and the Environment dated 28 March 2008 (ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0069).

2. Extract of Draft Minutes, 8 April 2008.

Report to/Rapport au :

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

and Council / et au Conseil

28 March 2008 / le 28 mars 2008

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

Somerset (14)

Ref N°: ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0069

SUBJECT:	ZONING - 187 Metcalfe street (FILE NO. D02-02-08-0002)

OBJET :	ZONAGE - 187, rue metcalfe

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the recommend Council approve an amendment to the former City of Ottawa Zoning By-law 1998 to change the zoning of 187 Metcalfe Street from R6A [172] F(3.0) (High-rise Apartment Exception Zone) to R6L[1001] Sch. [275] (High-rise Apartment Exception Zone) to permit additional non-residential uses, to remove the floor space index and to establish building height limits specific only to accommodate a development that includes a National Portait Gallery as detailed in Document 2.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de recommande au Conseil d’approuver une modification au Règlement de zonage de 1998 de l’ancienne Ville d’Ottawa afin de changer le zonage de la propriété située au 187, rue Metcalfe, de R6A [172] F(3.0) (Zone de tour d’habitation, assortie d’une exception) à R6L[1001] Sch. [275] (Zone de tour d’habitation, assortie d’une exception) en vue de permettre l’ajout d’usages non résidentiels, l’éliminer le rapport plancher-sol et d’établir des limites spécifiques de hauteur seulement en vue d’un aménagement qui comprend une Galerie nationale de portraits, comme il est décrit dans le document 2.

BACKGROUND

The subject lands occupy one-half of the block on the east side of Metcalfe Street between Nepean Street to the north and Lisgar Street to the south. The lands have 60.24 metres of frontage on Metcalfe Street, which is considered the front yard for zoning by-law purposes, and 81.6 metres on Nepean and Lisgar Streets. The lot area is 4915 square metres. The property, which has been used as a surface parking lot for approximately 30 years, is paved with no soft landscaping.

Metcalfe Street is an arterial street which runs one-way northbound. Lisgar Street is a local street which runs one-way for westbound traffic while Nepean Street is a one-way local street for eastbound traffic. The immediate area consists of a variety of commercial, office, residential and retail uses within mixed-use and/or stand alone buildings ranging in height from two to three storeys along Lisgar Street, eight to 12 storeys along Metcalfe Street and eight to 27 storeys along Nepean Street. A parking structure is located immediately north of the site. The subject property is close to the Ontario Courthouse, City Hall and the Central Area. Lands on the south side of Lisgar Street across from the subject site are located within the Centertown Heritage Conservation District.

The subject lands are currently zoned R6A[172] F(3.0). This is a High-rise Apartment subzone with an exception and a floor space index (FSI) equal to three times the area of the lot. Exception 172 adds additional commercial uses including a personal service business (limited to a barber shop, beauty parlour or dry cleaner’s distribution centre), a retail store (limited to a drugstore, flower stand or newspaper stand), and a restaurant, and restricts all commercial uses to the ground floor or basement of a residential use building.

The applicant is proposing to develop the site with a mixed-use building with frontage on Metcalfe, Lisgar and Nepean Streets. The ground floor and lower floors (podium) are proposed to accommodate the National Portrait Gallery, which the applicant is seeking approval to develop on the subject lands through a Federal process. The development will also include two high-rise residential towers as the primary use above the podium level. The high profile residential towers are proposed to be concentrated on the north side of the site facing Nepean Street. The current proposal submitted by the applicant calls for these towers to be 27 storeys in height. Building heights along Lisgar Street are intended to be lower in height as to not overpower the lower profile development along the south in proximity to the Heritage Conservation District. The podium along Lisgar Street while proposed to accommodate two levels for a portrait gallery will have a height that approximates the height of a seven-storey building.

Applicant’s Requested Zoning

To accommodate the proposed development, the applicant has requested a change in zoning from the R6A[172] F(3.0) - High-rise Apartment exception subzone to a new R6L – High-rise Apartment exception subzone.

The recommended zoning would remove the maximum floor space index (FSI) provision on the site (as requested) and will establish building height limits to allow a maximum height of 24 storeys for a portion of the site with other areas of the site having height limits of 20 storeys and seven storeys. It is further recommended that the proposed zoning allowing for development up to 24 storeys be limited to a project that will accommodate the National Portrait Gallery.

Should the applicant not be successful in the Federal process to secure the right to develop the portrait gallery as part of the proposed project, any other development will be subject to the current zoning provisions which while not having a height limit, does limit the maximum FSI to 3.0. An increase in density to accommodate any other project, therefore, would require the submission of a new rezoning application.

DISCUSSION

Official Plan Considerations

A. Volume I

Strategic Directions

Section 2 of the Official Plan sets broad strategic directions to meet the challenge of managing growth, providing infrastructure, maintaining environmental integrity and creating liveable communities within Ottawa. To meet these challenges, polices are set out to pursue a mix of land uses and compact forms of development which in turn will enable the City to support a high-quality transit system and make better use of existing infrastructure and roads.

Section 2.2.3 outlines specific strategic directions set out for managing growth within the urban area that directs growth to locations with significant development potential, and especially to areas designated Central Area, Mixed-Use Centers, Employment Areas, Enterprise Areas, Developing Communities and Mainstreets. Specific direction is set out in Section 2.5 for building liveable communities which are built on the basis of good housing, employment, ample greenspace, and a sense of history and culture. To achieve this, a commitment is made to community design and a concern for the people and the quality of the public spaces they interact with. The strategic directions set out in Section 2 are the foundations for the policy directions and land use designations set out in the Plan. The proposal to develop the site with a mixed use development that will include the home of the National Portrait Gallery and a significant residential element adjacent to the Central area. This development will be in proximity to significant cultural institutions and along a key entry route into the Central Area is consistent with the intent of the Strategic Directions.

Land Use Designation

The subject property is designated General Urban Area in the Official Plan. To facilitate the development of complete and sustainable communities, the General Urban Area is expected to develop with a full range and choice of housing, in combination with conveniently located employment, retail, service, cultural, leisure, entertainment and institutional uses.

The Official Plan supports infill development and intensification within the General Urban Area, provided it is developed in a manner that enhances and complements the desirable characteristics, and ensures the long-term vitality, of the existing community.

The Official Plan further requires that uses that serve wider parts of the city will be located at the edges of neighbourhoods on roads where the needs of these land uses, such as transit, access and parking can be more easily met and their impacts controlled.

The site is located at the northern edge of Centretown adjacent to the Central Area. Metcalfe Street is a northbound arterial road that serves as a main access route to the city’s Central Area.

The recommended zoning to facilitate the development of the property with housing and a national cultural institution is considered to fit well within the General Urban Area designation, given the sites adjacency to the Central Area and its mixed development comprising employment, retail, entertainment, cultural and institutional uses. The development proposes that all parking will be located underground to be accessed from Lisgar and Nepean Streets, with access prohibited from Metcalfe Street. The property is appropriate for supporting the proposed large-scale mixed-use development and is well served by transit on Elgin Street, and the Transitway on Albert and Slater Streets three blocks to the north.

The basic components of the development proposal conform with, and implement the policies set out in the Official Plan for the General Urban Area. The development provides for redevelopment of an underutilized property to a level of intensification that will accommodate a key national cultural institution. It will contribute to the cultural mix of uses in the area and to support the establishment of Metcalfe Street as a key distinctive street linking the Museum of Nature and Parliament Hill. The proposed development will contribute to an increased population along a key inner city corridor within walking distance to employment, transit, and public amenities. The proposed building design which will require revisions to be within the recommended height provisions, would be respectful of and integrate well into the surrounding area through a concentration of the massing to the north side of the property, transitions in height along the western and southern boundary, and a separation in the towers to allow for the penetration of sunlight. These provisions are intended to control the building form such that it respects the building heights in the surrounding area along Metcalfe, Nepean and Lisgar Streets and is of a scale that fits into its urban context, including the Centretown Heritage Conservation District directly across Lisgar Street to the south.

The development with the portrait gallery use and the quality of architecture anticipated will create an important focal point for the community along Metcalfe Street at the entrance to the Central Area on a corner lot that is currently under utilized as a surface parking lot. The visual progression along Metcalfe Street starting at the Canadian Museum of Nature leading northward towards Parliament Hill will be further enhanced through the design of the site in keeping with the open space requirement along Metcalfe Street as per the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy (DOUDS) and the recommended zoning which will accommodate the portrait gallery development will promote a strong sense of place and visual linkage along the streetscape.

Compatibility Considerations

When considering a proposal for intensification through infill or redevelopment in the General Urban Area, the Official Plan requires that the City recognize the importance of relating new development to existing community character so that it will enhance and build upon desirable established patterns and built form. The policies of Section 2.5.1 and Section 4.11 address compatibility considerations.

Section 2.5.1

Section 2.5.1 provides guidance with respect to achieving compatible development. Section 2.5.1 establishes that compatible development, does not necessarily mean the same as or similar to existing buildings, but development that enhances an established community and coexists with minimal negative effect. The mixed use development with a key public cultural facility that will be permitted by the proposed rezoning is considered to fit well within its physical context and works well among the functions that surround it.

Section 2.5.1 further sets out broad design objectives as qualitative statements on how the City will influence the evolution of the built environment. These objectives, which are applicable to all land use designations pertain to issues such as enhancing the sense of community, providing quality public and private spaces, and achieving respectful and adaptable development. Design principles dealing with elements such as street frontages, quality and character of spaces, and integrated development are further established to describe how the City will achieve the design objectives, with acknowledgment that not all the design objectives may be achieved or are achievable in all cases The objectives most applicable to the application speak to enhancing the sense of community, having new development respect the character of existing areas, defining quality public and private spaces through development, and providing for the creation of adaptable and diverse places.

The first design objective to enhance a sense of community is being achieved by infilling a large vacant site that now breaks the built form and functional continuity of a significant street and by strengthening the urban fabric of the street both physically and functionally. The portrait gallery use proposed with its distinctive architecture and significant public open space element that is intended to be located along Metcalfe Street will establish a unique focus at a key location along Metcalfe Street, and can contribute to enhancing the visual experience along Metcalfe Street progressing form the Museum of Nature to Parliament Hill.

The second design objective is focused on development complementing the massing pattern, rhythm, character and context of the area. The context of each street abutting the site varies with respect to land use and established building heights. The recommended height schedule and setbacks respect the pattern of existing development in the area with a reduction in height from Nepean Street down towards Metcalfe Street and Lisgar Street to help ensure a compatible and complementary form of development. Massing of the site to provide prominence for the portrait gallery is concentrated towards the northern half of the property away from residential buildings towards the south and west and away from the lower heritage buildings to the south.

The objective of defining quality public and private spaces is achieved with building façades being created along once vacant street frontages and the proposal to have a significant public open space element provided along Metcalfe Street as the forecourt for the portrait gallery. The residents of the proposed building and visitors to the gallery will animate both public and private areas throughout the day helping to create a vibrant streetscape and community.

The objective of creating adaptability and diversity will be implemented through a more compact building envelope that efficiently uses the land, while contributing to the regeneration of Metcalfe Street with a new building that includes a significant national cultural facility and an open space element.

The development will also help reduce the consumption of resources by promoting residential intensification on a site inside the Greenbelt within walking distance of Central area employment and attractions and in a location well served by public transit.

Section 4.11

Section 4.11 sets out objective criteria to evaluate compatibility with respect to more traditional planning considerations dealing with matters including but not limited to traffic, parking, building height and massing, the pattern of surrounding development, and micro-climate considerations. The following is an analysis of the applicable criteria set out in Section 4.11 which demonstrates that the development to be permitted under the recommended zoning satisfies the compatibility tests of the Plan in a way that does not result in undue adverse impacts.

a) Traffic and Access

Access to the proposed building will be from Nepean and Lisgar Street; there is no proposed vehicular access to the property from Metcalfe Street. To ensure access is limited to Nepean and Lisgar Streets, the implementing by-law will contain appropriate access restriction provisions. A transportation impact study was prepared in support of the application. There are no expected impacts from the proposed development on the capacity of local and arterial roads. Concerns with respect to access and manoeuvring from the site will be further examined through the Site Plan Control approval process that will be required for the proposed development.

b) Parking

The application proposes multiple levels of shared underground parking to accommodate the parking requirements for the residential and non-residential uses proposed for the site. The application does not propose any modifications to the applicable parking standards of the Zoning By-law.

c) Height and Massing

New buildings are to have regard to the area context, including the massing and height of adjacent buildings. The surrounding area context varies by individual street and with applicable land use designations.

As the site is currently vacant with no structures, the opportunity exists to allow for progressions and transitions in height respecting the contextual variations of the surrounding area. To the north along Nepean Street commercial and residential buildings range from 11 to 27 storeys, moving west to east from Metcalfe Street. The immediately west side of Metcalfe Street consists of buildings in the range of eight to 12 storeys. Existing buildings on the south side of Lisgar Street are in the range of one to three storeys. The planned function for surrounding lands allow for buildings up to 27 storeys north of the site, buildings up to 12 storeys to the west and buildings of six to nine storeys to the south with further limitations where the heritage overlay applies to currently developed properties. The recommended zoning schedule would step-down maximum building heights along Nepean Street to follow both the existing built form pattern but also the planned function built form pattern. This pattern enables a higher profile development to be developed along Nepean Street so as to allow for retaining visual prominence in a lower profile built form for the portrait gallery along Metcalfe Street and Lisgar Street that also integrates well with the heritage area to the south. The recommended 20 and 24 storey heights will allow for appropriate residential intensification to be achieved in a built form that responds to the context of the adjacent area.

Under the recommended rezoning, the massing of the site would be concentrated north toward Nepean Street, which is appropriate given the greater mass of immediately adjacent existing buildings. The rezoning requires that portions of building greater that seven storeys must provide a minimum separation between upper structures to allow for the infiltration of sunlight and a break in the building mass along Nepean Street. The built volume of the development would be distributed on the property to be similar to those nearby, reducing potential impacts to the south, creating compatible transitions to the west and not allowing for over development of the site.

d) Pattern of the Surrounding Community

As the context of the area varies along each street frontage with respect to land use and current building heights, the recommended height schedule and setbacks of the rezoning attempts to respond to the pattern of existing development in the area, with a stepped reduction of the maximum height from Nepean Street towards Metcalfe Street and Lisgar Street. Massing of the site for the proposed residential element of the development is concentrated towards the northern half of the property along Nepean Street away from lower profile development towards the south and west. The lower profile portrait gallery is focused along Metcalfe Street and Lisgar Street which are currently developed with mixed uses. The proposed development and the recommended zoning provides for development that is considered to fit with the pattern of development in the area with respect to both uses and built form.

e) Loading Areas, Service Areas and Outdoor Storage

The related development proposes to locate parking and loading areas internally which would reduce potential impacts on local streets and residents. There is no outdoor storage proposed for the project.

f) Sunlight and Microclimate

Provisions for the spacing of the towers and the building profile will allow for the penetration of light and circulation of air. Building materials have not been specified to date and will be evaluated through the Site Plan Control and Design Review processes, where issues such as wind and microclimate concerns will be further evaluated and mitigated as required.

Heritage Considerations

The property is not designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, nor is it subject to the Heritage Overlay provisions of the Zoning By-law. It is, however, adjacent to the Centretown Heritage Conservation District which extends to the south side of Lisgar Street. 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. The recommended zoning will be compatible with the existing pattern and building orientation to the south. With the bulk of the mass on the northern portion of the site, minimal shadowing on heritage properties is expected.

Infrastructure

The policies of subsection 4.4 Water and Wastewater Servicing, require adequate services for new development. The property is adequately served by water and sewer facilities to support the level of redevelopment proposed by the recommended rezoning.

B. Centretown Secondary Plan

The Centertown Secondary Plan (CSP) sets out a neighborhood concept that is focused on conserving and enhancing the residential character of Centertown as an inner city community with several identifiable neighborhoods focused around defined commercial corridors and public open spaces. The land use schedule defines land use designations reflective of the desired use and built form patterns. These designations are intended to serve as a framework within which the plans objectives and policy directions are to be achieved.

The area of Centertown focused to the south of the Central area and flanking Bank Street from the Central Area south to Somerset is designated High Profile Residential Area and is intended to be developed with predominately non-ground oriented residential in the form of apartments to accommodate singles and small households. The high profile residential area is intended to serve as an area where a transition in density and built form between the high density commercial core and the medium profile and low profile residential areas of Centertown so as to protect the lower profile areas as more stable residential areas suited to family accommodation. While the Centretown Secondary Plan notes that building heights and densities will be limited, the Plan does not indicate what the limits are to be. In the context of the overall concept to achieve the transition objectives associated with this designation, the planning intent is that this area accommodate heights and densities less then what is permitted in the Central Area so as to achieve a transition in density and built form.

The subject property is located with the area designated High Profile Residential in the Centretown Secondary Plan. The proposed development with respect to uses and intensity is considered consistent with the policy directions of the Centretown Secondary Plan for a site located immediately adjacent to the central area that is designated High profile residential. The Plan supports some limited non-residential uses that can serve the local community but are not limited to only the geographic area of Centertown. The proposed Portrait gallery is considered such a use. The recommended height limits and the resulting intensity of development that will be permitted under the proposed zoning to accommodate a mixed use development incorporating the National Portrait Gallery is consistent with the planning intent of the Centertown Plan. The recommended height is however seen as the upper end of the height that could be considered acceptable and are being recommended specific for the proposed development recognizing the desire to have the proposed portrait gallery developed in a way that is distinguished from the residential component of the development. Allowing higher profile elements of the development for the residential component to be focused on the north portion of the site adjacent to Nepean Street will allow the residential development objectives for the site to be realized without compromising the ability to have the portrait gallery developed in a way that has its own prominence as a cultural facility.

The proposed development as implemented through the recommended Zoning By-law will contribute to the physical environment of the community, which in turn enhances the desirability of Centretown as a place to live. The increase in population will compliment the residential character of the area and will also benefit the city-wide distribution of population and result in a more efficient use of existing public services and facilities. The recommended rezoning and the related proposed development are also consistent with Centretown Secondary Plan objectives focused on the encouragement of innovative building and site development.

Finally, the Centertown Secondary Plan specifically states that the City shall redefine Metcalfe Street as a major civic boulevard and capital gateway that links the civic realm with the capital realm. The proposed development incorporating the national portrait gallery with a significant open space component along Metcalfe Street will contribute to achieving this intent.

In summary, the Department considers the recommended rezoning and related proposed development to be in keeping with the intent of the applicable policies of the Centertown Secondary Plan, and is satisfied that the project will make a positive contribution to the community by introducing a building form on Nepean, Metcalfe and Lisgar Streets that will provide for increased opportunities for people to live and work in an area accessible to services, transit, work places and amenities and provide for a unique cultural facility that will compliment other cultural facilities in the area and contribute to having Metcalfe redefined as a major civic boulevard and capital gateway.

Design Review Considerations

The subject property is within the area covered by the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy (DOUDS) and subject to design control as per Schedule L – of the Official Plan. Properties within this area require review by the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Review Panel.

The role of the Panel, where a rezoning application is submitted to allow for increased building height and or density, is to assist staff in accessing the height and density proposed for the project in the context of its response to achieving the City’s design objectives as expressed in DOUDS and the Official Plan with particular focus on the project mass, height and contextual fit.

The comments from the Design Review Panel and staff’s response to the comments are included as Document 4.

Proposed Zoning

R6L[1001] Exception subzone

It is recommended that the zoning change to establish a new R6L exception subzone without a floor space index limit and with site-specific height limits and other associated development standards apply only to a development proposal that includes a national portrait gallery. The rezoning application has been submitted specific to allow such a development and has been assessed in the context of the development proposed with its inherent objectives to provide for having the gallery developed in a way that will provide prominence for this cultural facility on the property while also allowing an appropriate level of residential development concentrated in higher profile development for the northern portion of the site.

Given these development objectives, staff are satisfied that the recommended zoning is acceptable and appropriate for the site.

Should the applicant not be successful in securing the ability to develop the portrait gallery on the property, staff consider it necessary to assess any proposal for another development mix where there may be a desire to allow for increased intensity of development in the context of the specifics of that proposal to determine an appropriate zoning for the site. As such, as part of the recommended zoning, it is recommended that the provisions of the current R6A zone applying to the site continue to apply for any development that would not include the portrait gallery.

Height Schedule and Effective Density

The recommended rezoning proposes to remove the current floor space index (FSI) and establish a site-specific height schedule. The height schedule will form part of the by-law and regulate the maximum permitted heights across the property. The effect of a height schedule is similar to a floor space index in that it along with the setback and other performance standards will control development intensity but in a way that is more responsive to built form context and specific development intentions. This differs from the current zoning which does not have a maximum height thereby allowing a variety of built forms that may not be context sensitive with intensity limited by way of the current 3.0 FSI.

The recommended zoning will allow for more intense development then permitted by the current 3.0 FSI and will regulate the allowed intensity through the height and setback limits recommended.

This as noted is seen as more effective to address contextual fit and to better achieve the objectives for high profile residential areas to provide a transition between the Central area and other areas of Centertown. The effective density that could be achieved with the recommended height limits is between 5.5 and 6.0 FSI.

Allowing for more intense development as will be provided for by the recommended zoning while providing greater control on built form is seen as a more appropriate way to provide for making effective use of the site and allows the zoning to be responsive to the unique attributes of the project intended to be developed. In this regard, as previously noted, the recommended zoning to allow for development up to 24 storeys along Nepean Street is recommended to be specific to a development accommodating the national portrait gallery. Staff are satisfied that these heights will provide for allowing an appropriate residential development intensity to be achieved so as to allow the portrait gallery to be developed in a way that will allow for this cultural facility to have its own unique identify and presence on the site as required by the federal RFP. .

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

A Phase I and Supplemental Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) were submitted with the application indicating that there were no significant environmental concerns with the existing building and site. However, as a result of a previous use of the site (former surface parking lot) the mandatory filing of a Record of Site Condition (RSC) will be required as per Ontario Regulation 153/04 through the conditions of the related application for Site Plan Control.

CONSULTATION

Notice of this application was carried out in accordance with the City's Public Notification and Consultation Policy. The Ward Councillor is aware of this application and the staff recommendation. A Public Meeting was held of March 5, 2008. A summary of the comments received is included in Document 3 – Consultation Details.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS

This application was processed by the "On Time Decision Date" established for the processing of Zoning By-law amendment applications.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 Location Map

Document 2 Details of Recommended Zoning

Document 3 Height Schedule

Document 4 Design Review Panel Comments

Document 5 Consultation Details

DISPOSITION

City Clerk’s Branch, Council and Committee Services to notify the owner, Shamrock Parking Limited, 65 Ryeburn Drive, Gloucester, Ontario, K1V 1H5, applicant, Claridge Homes (Centretown) Inc., Attn: Jim Burghout, 2001-210 Gladstone Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0Y6, 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.

Legal Services Branch to forward the implementing by-law to City Council.

LOCATION MAP DOCUMENT 1

DETAILS OF RECOMMENDED ZONING DOCUMENT 2

1. The property known municipally as 187 Metcalfe Street, and shown on Document 1, is rezoned from R6A [172] F(3.0) (High-rise Apartment subzone A Exception 172) to R6L [1001] Sch 275 (High-rise Apartment subzone L Exception 1001 Schedule 275).

2. A new exception, number [1001], will be added to Table XV including the following provisions:

i) The provisions of the R6L[1001] Sch. 275 zone shall only apply to a development accommodating the National Portrait Gallery of Canada. All other development will continue to be subject to the provisions of the R6A[172]F(3.0) zone

ii) Part III, Section 114 does not apply (Passenger Loading).

iii) Minimum Rear Yard – 0.0 metres

iv) No vehicular access or loading from Metcalfe Street shall be permitted.

v) A minimum 425 square metres of open space abutting Metcalfe Street shall be provided within 0.5 metres of the grade at the street line, and may include a required landscape strip.

vi) Any portion of a building located in Area A on Schedule 275 and taller than 7 storeys in height must be separated by a minimum of 15 metres from any portion of a building located in Area B of Schedule 275 and taller than 7 storeys in height (separation between towers)

vii) The maximum permitted building heights are as shown on Schedule 275 (New Schedule).

3. Attachment 3 will be added to Part XVI as Schedule 275.

HEIGHT SCHEDULE DOCUMENT 3

DESIGN REVIEW PANEL COMMENTS DOCUMENT 4

Summary Comments

From Design Review Panel

David Leinster, Stephen Pope, Robert Webster

Introduction

In the instructions to the Review Panel provided by John Smit in his covering letter of March 3, 2008 enclosing the “Design Review Brief – 187 Metcalfe Street”, John notes that the “purpose of the design review for this project in the context of the rezoning application is to assist staff in assessing the height and density proposed for the project in the context of its response to achieving or is the ability to achieve the City’s design objectives as expressed in DOUDS and the OP with particular focus on the project mass, height and contextual fit.”

As per these instructions, we will primarily provide our summary comments with regard to the height and density issues of the design proposal. Hopefully, should this project proceed to develop, we hope that we will have a chance to make some observations and recommendations to be considered for a more formal and in-depth urban design review as part of a Site Plan Application process.

We would like to complement the proponent and architectural and planning team on the quality of the submission document, “Design Review Brief – 187 Metcalfe Street”

A: Comments in context of The Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy 20/20

The subject site sits within the Downtown East area of the DOUDS plan and as such the plan supports a broad variety of uses and building forms. Among the key strategic directions, the plan calls for the development of taller buildings north of Cooper which would include this site. The site itself is designated as a Potential Development Site and Intensification Area. The proposal fits well within these directions and is of appropriate scale and density. The massing of the National Portrait Gallery on the south half of the site is compatible with existing adjacent structures of 12 floors to the west and 11 floors to the east. The north half of the site with the proposed 27-floor condo towers are compatible with the existing Place Bell Building and the forming of the site to step up to the north-east works well.

The building design has the potential to become a landmark structure within the City and an important cultural site within the downtown core. In addition the distinctive design of the Portrait Gallery itself juxtaposed against the two towers is both an exciting and appropriate architectural statement for a cultural institution is this calibre. The design of the building is well considered and creates a reduced sense of mass with the narrow depth of the towers (north to south) and the use of two towers and cut outs (negative spaces) within the massing. The shadowing runs the north and the design works well to minimize shadowing impacts.

DOUDS also recommends that Metcalfe Street be reinvented as a major civic boulevard. This project can only enhance and reinforce this objective with the inclusion of the National Portrait Gallery. Thoughtful detail design development for the site edges, plazas and integration into a future public realm design will be important to success of a final design.

B: Comments in the context of The Official Plan

The proposed development is located with an area designated as General Urban Area (3.6.1) and recommends a broad range of residential, commercial, cultural and institutional uses. The proposed mix of uses are very compatible within this location.

Under Section 2.5.1, Compatible and Community Design of the Building Livable Communities section of the Plan, the proposal generally is compatible with the range of principles noted such as encouraging projects that enhance the image of the City and the creation of quality projects. More detailed principles which concern streetscape design detail and amenities would need to be assessed at a more advanced design stage such as during the Site Plan approval process.

In Section 4.11, Compatibility, Review of Development Applications, the sub-sections for Building Height and Massing related Pattern of the Surrounding Community suggest that buildings be designed to have regard to the area context as well as use of design of the height and massing to transition between different existing built environments. The proposed design fits well within the intent and substance of these policies.

We believe that this project has the potential to be very exciting and a significant addition to the City’s built environment and cultural landscape. The project design is being developed and guided by one of Canada’s most skilled Architects and we would look forward to seeing a more fully developed design.

Response:

Staff concurs that the overall development concept as proposed with the higher profile elements of the project focused on Nepean Street to allow the portrait gallery to be accommodated in a uniquely designed lower profile built form is appropriate and that the Site Plan Control process will be crucial with respect to creating and shaping a more detailed building form within the context of the proposed zoning by-law.

Staff are not in agreement with the proposal for two, 27-storey towers along Nepean as reflected in the project design plans developed to date by the applicant. The policy direction provided in the Official Plan related to providing for development that fits into its urban context is not fully respected by having two, 27-storey towers located on the property. The 27-storey height reflected on the plans submitted by the applicant is representative of the maximum height allowed for development in the central area on the north side of Nepean street and will in effect extend the height of the central area into the Centertown area. The heights recommended by staff are considered to more appropriately respond to the transitional objectives for areas designated high profile residential areas and in staff’s view better responds to objectives set out in the primary plan related to ensuring appropriate contextual fit.

CONSULTATION DETAILS DOCUMENT 5

NOTIFICATION AND CONSULTATION PROCESS

Notification and public consultation was undertaken in accordance with the Public Notification and Public Consultation Policy approved by City Council for Zoning By-law amendments. A public meeting was also held in the community on March 5, 2008.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Twelve letters were received in opposition, while two letters were received in support as a result of the public circulation and an open house held on March 5, 2008. The issues raised are summarized below along with a staff response.

1. Removal of the Floor Space Index (FSI) and increased density.

Concerns were raised with respect to the removal of the FSI regulation, thereby allowing an increase in density on the site.

Response:

In place of an FSI on the property, a specific height schedule has been developed which will regulate the maximum heights on the property, coupled with minimum yard requirements that act in the same way as an FSI, with the benefit of maximum height limits which do not exist under the current Zoning By-law regulations. As there is no current height limit, the same amount of density is possible on the property albeit in an alternate form.

2. Approval of the rezoning application should the National Portrait Gallery competition not be awarded to Claridge Homes.

Concerns were raised that due to the time limitations in place, should the competition for the National Portrait Gallery not be awarded to Claridge Homes, any approval should be rescinded immediately to allow for the proposal to be re-evaluated in a context that does not include the National Portrait Gallery. It was suggested that if approved, the rezoning must be tied to the successful bid for the National Portrait Gallery.

Response:

As part of the submission requirements for the National Portrait Gallery competition, the applicant is required to have zoning in place for the proposal to be considered. The application has been reviewed and evaluated in the context of the proposal for a portrait gallery. As such, the recommended zoning is being tied to this being a component of the project. Should the gallery not proceed, a new application would be required to allow for an increased intensity over a 3.0 FSI.

3. Height of the proposed buildings.

Concerns were raised with respect to the height of the proposed residential buildings.

Response:

Staff considered this comment along with an appropriate transition to the Heritage Conservation District to the south along Lisgar Street. As a result, the recommended zoning reduced the maximum heights proposed by the applicant as any building progresses west towards Metcalfe Street.

4. Parking

Concerns were raised with respect to adequate parking for the building.

Response:

Parking for the residential, commercial and retail components of the building would be located underground. The applicant has not requested a reduced parking standard for the site, and as a result parking must be provided for in accordance with the applicable By-law standards.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008. - PUBLIC MEETING COMMENTS

An information session was held to present the application and provide an outline of the planning process. Following presentations the floor was open to a question and answer period. Participants were encouraged to complete comments sheets that were available at the meeting to be forwarded to staff for consideration. A summary of the issues raised has been addressed above.

COUNCILLOR’S COMMENTS

Redevelopment of this property presents an exciting opportunity to fill a void which has long blighted the Metcalfe Street landscape. A mixed use development, with a cultural facility would animate both the Central Area, and the northern edge of the Centretown community.

On the issue of the requested increase in maximum building height - I believe that the 27 stories proposed is extreme. The underlying high-profile residential designation in the Centretown Plan calls for a maximum height of 12 stories. I believe that a maximum height of 15-17 stories would provide a transition from the Central Area to the Centretown Heritage Conservation District to the south, while not overwhelming the Metcalfe Street frontage. It should be noted that while Place Bell Canada is a very tall building, this height is all on the Elgin Street side of the property. On the Metcalfe Street side, the current height is only 7 stories, in the parking structure.