Report to/Rapport
au :
Planning
and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
29 January 2004 / le 29 janvier
2004
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, General
Manager/Directeur général,
Development Services/Services d'aménagement
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Grant Lindsay, Manager / Gestionnaire
Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement
(613) 580-2424 x13242, Grant.Lindsay@ottawa.ca
Bay / Baie (7) |
SUBJECT: |
SITE PLAN CONTROL - 1142 RICHMOND ROAD (FILE NO.
D07-12-03-0116) |
|
|
OBJET
: |
RÉGLEMENTATION
DU PLAN D'IMPLANTATION - 1142, CHEMIN RICHMOND (NO DE DOSSIER :
D07-12-03-0116) |
REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
That Planning and
Environment Committee approve the Site Plan Control application for 1142
Richmond Road as shown on the following plans:
1. "Site Plan, CCOC 1142 Richmond Road, A-1" prepared
by James A. Colizza Architect Inc., revision 4 dated January 21, 2004 and dated
as received by the City of Ottawa on January 26, 2004.
2. "Landscape Plan, CCOC 1142 Richmond Road, L-1"
prepared by James A. Colizza Architect Inc., revision 4 dated January 21, 2004
and dated as received by the City of Ottawa on January 26, 2004.
3. "Proposed Grading and Servicing Plan, 1142 Richmond
Road, G-1" prepared by T.L. Mak Engineering Consultants Ltd., dated May 2003,
revised January 22, 2004 and dated as received by the City of Ottawa on January
26, 2004.
Subject to the Owner
entering into a Site Plan Control Agreement including all standard and special
conditions contained in Document 5, financial or otherwise, as required by the
City. In the event that the Owner fails
to sign the required agreement and complete the conditions to be satisfied
prior to the signing of the agreement within one year of the Site Plan Control Approval,
the approval will lapse.
Que le Comité de
l'urbanisme et de l'environnement approuve la demande de réglementation du plan
d'implantation pour la propriété située au 1142, chemin Richmond, comme
l'illustre les plans suivants :
1. Site Plan, CCOC 1142, Richmond Road,
A-1 produit par James A. Colizza Architect Inc., revu pour la quatrième fois le
21 janvier 2004 et reçu par la Ville d'Ottawa le 26 janvier 2004.
2. Landscape Plan, CCOC 1142 Richmond
Road, L-1 produit par James A. Colizza Architect Inc., revu pour la quatrième fois
le 21 janvier 2004 et reçu par la Ville d'Ottawa le 26 janvier 2004.
3. Proposed Grading and Servicing Plan,
1142 Richmond Road, G-1 produit par T.L. Mak Engineering Consultants Ltd., daté
de mai 2003, revu le 22 janvier 2004 et reçu par la Ville d'Ottawa le 26
janvier 2004.
À la condition que le
propriétaire signe avec la Ville un accord de réglementation du plan
d'implantation, comprenant toutes les conditions courantes et spéciales
indiquées dans le document 5, de nature financière ou autre, tel qu'il est
exigé par la Ville. Dans l'éventualité où le propriétaire ne signe pas l'accord
requis et ne satisfait pas aux conditions avant de signer ledit accord dans
l'année suivant l'approbation de la réglementation du plan d'implantation,
l'approbation sera annulée.
BACKGROUND
Site Location and
Description
The subject property is
owned by the City of Ottawa and was leased to a used car business. The City has made available the site for an
affordable housing project under the Action Ottawa program and will be leasing
the land to Centretown Citizens of Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) to develop affordable housing. The site is located west of Woodroffe Avenue
and east of the Ottawa River Parkway on the south side of Richmond Road
(Document 1). It is bounded by Richmond Road, an arterial road, and Hartleigh
and Midway Avenues which are residential streets characterized by single and
semi-detached homes. Richmond Road is a commercial corridor, and McEwen Park
and a high-rise building are located directly across Richmond Road. The subject
property is within easy access of a nursery school, elementary school, library,
grocery store, and recreational areas, and is well serviced by OCTranspo.
The property is zoned R3A -
Converted House/Townhouse zone which permits a range of low-density dwelling
types on individual lots or in planned unit developments. The types of uses
permitted include single family homes, semi-detached homes, linked homes, duplexes,
and townhouses.
The site requires environmental remediation stemming from the past
use of the site. Detailed environmental studies have been conducted as part of
the development program, and remediation measures will be completed at the
expense of the City of Ottawa prior to commencement of construction.
Proposed Development
CCOC is seeking to construct
a 23 unit, planned unit development consisting of 16 duplex units and seven
townhouse units (Document 2). Fourteen
units will be reserved for affordable housing as defined by CMHC criteria with
the remaining nine units being leased at market rates. A 13-car surface parking
lot will be located within the interior of the development with one access onto
Richmond Road. Two additional parking
space will be provided for two special needs units and they will have direct
driveway access from Hartleigh and Midway Avenues. The back of each unit will face the interior parking lot and all
units at grade will have access to a small back yard/wooden deck. The development will have shared on-site
laundry facilities located near a small common area and garbage will be stored
in individual units and placed along the curbs for pick up. A noise attenuation wall will span the
Richmond Road property line in order to minimize the negative impact of
vehicular noise.
The applicant has submitted
an extensive landscaping plan that includes the preservation of several
prominent, mature trees on the property. The proposed landscaping plan includes
the use of numerous perennials, herbs and shrubs throughout the site to define
private areas, edges, entrance ways and decorative features. A row of Linden
trees along Richmond Road will integrate the streetscape adjacent to the site
with the surroundings (Document 3). An internal pedestrian pathway system
connects the development to a proposed sidewalk running along Richmond road.
Concurrent Applications
A Cash-in-lieu of parking
application (D07-03-03-0012) for relief from providing 6.25 parking spaces was
submitted concurrently with this application and will also be considered by the
Planning and Environment Committee.
DISCUSSION
The Department is
recommending approval of the application for the following reasons:
The proposal represents a
good example of residential intensification and is an efficient reuse of urban
land. The project conforms to the
policies within the former City of Ottawa Official Plan and former Region of
Ottawa Carleton Official Plan as they pertain to factors set out for assessing
moderate residential development. Specifically, the development incorporates a
recognizable pedestrian circulation system which is car-free and barrier-free
and connects the development with the public transportation system along
Richmond Road. The outdoor amenity area of the new units respects the privacy
and outdoor amenity areas of existing residential units and minimizes any undesirable
impacts through screening, and landscaping. The development will not have a
shadowing impact on adjacent properties and there is adequate servicing
capacity to accommodate the proposed development.
The site is at the periphery
of an existing residential community.
The property lies across Midway and Hartleigh Avenues from detached and
semi-detached homes. Located across
Richmond Road is a high rise condominium.
Given the site's location at the edge of a single detached community, it
is anticipated that a development of townhouses will have a minimum land use
impact on these uses and will be compatible and sensitive to the uses in the
surrounding neighbourhood. The development has regard to the massing and height
of adjacent buildings and the proximity of the development to existing services
and amenities such as day care and schools.
The project's location along an arterial roadway provides access to
community services and OCTranspo.
The policies dealing with
affordable housing in the Council Adopted Official Plan clearly recognize the
need for affordable housing within the city.
The proposal is also supportive of the affordable housing policies in
the former City of Ottawa Official Plan and the former Region of
Ottawa-Carleton Official Plan. As stated in section 2.5.2 of the Council
Adopted Official Plan, the shortage of affordable rental housing is one of the
most compelling problems in Ottawa. The
provision of affordable housing is the fundamental building block of a healthy,
livable community. The Council Adopted Official Plan policies contribute to
improving the supply of affordable rental housing in concert with other City
initiatives to support the construction of affordable units. Of particular
interest, Section 2.5.2 of the Council Adopted Official Plan, provides numerous
policies to promote the development of affordable housing, including:
A target of 25 per cent of
the total new units in all development projects for affordable housing
Land surplus to the City's
needs and suitable for residential development being given priority for sale or
lease for the development of affordable housing
The use of alternative
development standards for affordable housing development such as reduced
parking standards in areas serviced by transit
In accordance with the
City's surplus real property disposal policy and Council Adopted Official Plan,
the subject property has been deemed surplus to the City's needs. It is suitable for residential development
and is being leased for the construction of affordable housing. The subject
project is a cooperative effort to promote and facilitate the provision of
affordable housing between the City of Ottawa (Action Ottawa) and a non-profit
housing provider (CCOC). The development exceeds the 25% affordable housing
target stated in the Council Adopted Official Plan and the former City of
Ottawa Official Plan. Sixty percent of
the units (14 units) will be rented at rates determined by CMHC affordability
standards and the remaining nine units will be offered at market rates. This project provides two units specifically
designed to meet the needs of disabled persons who's specific needs are often
over looked in traditional housing projects.
Additionally, as stated in
the Council Adopted Official Plan and the former City of Ottawa Official Plan,
the City can implement alternative development standards for affordable housing
development such as reduced parking standards in areas serviced by
transit. According to the former City
of Ottawa Zoning By-law, the development requires 21.25 parking spaces while
the applicant is proposing 15 spaces.
The property is directly serviced by three bus routes (2, 156, and 50)
and is close to the Lincoln Fields Transit Station. Accordingly, the Department feels that a reduced parking standard
is appropriate for this development and is recommending approval of the related
Cash-in-Lieu of Parking application for this project.
Summary
The proposal adds to the
number of quality affordable housing units in Ottawa, helps to ensure an
adequate supply of rental housing and satisfies the criteria for accessing
moderate residential development. Based
on this rationale, the Department is recommending that the Planning and
Environment Committee approve the proposed Site Plan Control Application to
allow the construction of the proposed 23 unit housing development.
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 and mail out notice was provided to registered area
community groups. Numerous comments in support and opposition to this project
were received. Issues brought forward
by the public included: garbage and snow removal, amount of amenity space and
parking, increase in traffic and traffic safety, the need for affordable
housing in Bay Ward and the ratio of
affordable and market rate housing in the development.
Detailed responses to the
notification/circulation are provided in Document 6.
The Ward Councillor is aware
of this application and the staff recommendation.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
This application was not
processed within the timeframe established for the processing of Site Plan
Control applications due to the complexity of the issues to be resolved.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 - Location Map
Document 2 - Site Plan
Document 3 - Landscape Plan
Document 4 - Site Grading and Servicing
Document 5 - Conditions of Site Plan Control Approval
Document 6 - Consultation Details
DISPOSITION
Department of Corporate
Services, Legal Services Branch to prepare the Site Plan Control Agreement.
Department of Development
Services to notify the lessee (Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, PO Box
2787 Stn. D, Ottawa ON, K1P 5W8), the applicant/architect (James A. Colizza
Architect, 760 Chamberlain Avenue, Ottawa ON, K1S 1V9), All Signs, 8692 Russell
Road, Navan, ON K4B 1J1, and all
interested parties of Planning and Environment Committee's decision.
SITE
PLAN Document
2
LANDSCAPE
PLAN Document
3
SITE GRADING AND SERVICING Document
4
CONDITIONS OF SITE PLAN
CONTROL APPROVAL Document
5
STANDARD CONDITIONS
1. Permits
The Owner shall obtain
such permits as may be required from Municipal or Provincial authorities and
shall file copies thereof with the Director, Planning and Infrastructure
Services.
2. Extend Walkways
The Owner agrees to
extend internal walkways to connect to existing or proposed public sidewalks,
at the sole expense of the Owner, to the satisfaction of the Director, Planning
and Infrastructure Services.
3. Waste Audit Summary
That prior to the
issuance of a building permit, the Owner agrees to prepare and implement a
Waste Audit Summary for the construction project as required by Ontario
Regulation 102/94 of the Environmental Protection Act, and provide a copy to
the Director, Planning and Infrastructure Approvals.
4. Barrier Curbs
The Owner agrees that
the parking areas (and entrances) shall have barrier curbs and shall be
constructed as approved by the Director, Planning and Infrastructure Approvals.
5. Construction of
Sidewalks
The Owner shall be
responsible to design and construct sidewalk(s) within public right-of-ways or
on other city owned lands (to provide a pedestrian connection from or to the
site) as may be determined by the Director of Planning and Infrastructure
Approvals.
6. Completion of Works
No building will be occupied
on the lands, nor will the Owner convey title to any building until all
requirements with respect to completion of the Works as identified in this
Agreement have been carried out and received Approval by the Director,
Infrastructure Services, including the installation of municipal numbering
provided in a permanent location visible during both day and night and the
installation of any street name sign on relevant streets. Provided that
notwithstanding the non-completion of the foregoing Works, conveyance and/or
occupancy of a lot or structure may otherwise be permitted, if in the sole
opinion of the Director, Planning and Infrastructure Approvals, the aforesaid
Works are proceeding satisfactorily toward completion. The Owner shall obtain the consent of the
Director, Planning and Infrastructure Approvals for such conveyance and/or
occupancy in writing.
7. Maintenance and
Liability Agreement
The Owner shall be
required to enter into a maintenance and liability agreement for all plant and
landscaping material placed in the City right-of-way and the Owner shall assume
all maintenance and replacement responsibilities in perpetuity.
8. Water Permit
The Owner shall
reinstate at its expense, to the satisfaction of the Director, Infrastructure Services,
any property of the City, including, but not limited to, sidewalks and curbs,
boulevards, that are damaged as a result of the subject development.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
1. Release of Security -
Landscape Elements
When requested by the
Owner(s), the Security shall be released by the City Treasurer when authorized
by the Director, Planning and Infrastructure Approvals according to City
Council policy, provided that the landscape elements have been installed and
planted in accordance with the Site Plan Control Approval, and that all plant
materials are in good and healthy condition.
2. Sanitary Sewer Charge
Any addition to the
existing sanitary flow, from this site, will require the owner(s) to contribute
the following amount:
$4,772/l/s x
[increase in avg. sanitary flow x 1.5 peaking factor + infiltration (0.28
l/s/ha)]
3. Planting of Trees
Within the Road Allowance
The Owner(s) must
ensure that any new road allowance tree(s) be planted as follows:
(a) 0.6 metres from the
property line, pursuant to the Standard Locations for Utility Plant (referred
to as the CR90), as approved by the City;
(b) Utility clearances are
required prior to planting and/or staking;
(c) Wire baskets and burlap
used to hold the root ball and rope that is tied around the root collar are to
be removed at the time of the planting of the tree(s);
(d) Guying of the tree(s)
is not acceptable;
(e) The tree(s) must meet
the requirements set out by the Canadian Nursery Standards; and
(f) Tree stakes are to be
removed prior to the release of the financial securities for the landscape
elements.
4. Fire Flow Information
Fire flow records
indicate a flow of 1684 IGPM at 20 PSI from the hydrant located on Midway
Avenue. This test was performed in
August 2003. This test reflects system
conditions on the test date, however, there may be variations in flow and
pressure depending on the time of day.
The owner may be required to undertake an engineering analysis of the
water supply certified by a professional engineer to ensure that the water
supply meets City of Ottawa standards.
5. Water Permit
The Owner(s) shall pay
all related costs of connecting and disinfecting related to the proposed
waterworks as shown on the site plan. The Owner(s) shall submit drawings for
approval prior to tendering and make application to the Development Services
Department for the water permit prior to commencement of construction.
6. Release of Security -
Landscape Elements
When requested by the
Owner(s), the Security shall be released by the City Treasurer when authorized
by the Director, Planning and Infrastructure Approvals according to City
Council policy, provided that the landscape elements have been installed and
planted in accordance with the Site Plan Control Approval, and that all plant
materials are in good and healthy condition.
CONSULTATION
DETAILS Document
6
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 Site
Plan Amendments. A pre-consultation
meeting and one public meeting for the Site Plan Control application were held
in the community.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Six written comments
expressing concern over the proposed development were received from the public.
In addition to the public notification and consultation, one meeting was held
in the community hosted by the Ward Councillor's office to discuss the Site Plan
Control application and Cash-in-Lieu of Parking application. Approximately 35
residents attended.
Summary of Public Comments
The following summarizes the
issues raised by respondents expressing concerns and or opposition to the
project:
ISSUE 1: Road Widening along Richmond Road
The Transportation Master
Plan calls for the widening of the south side of Richmond Road to 18.5
meters. Concern was expressed as the
Site Plan shown at the public meeting in July and provided during the public
circulation showed the development encroaching 1.5 meters onto the widening.
ISSUE 2: Cash-in-Lieu of Parking
Due the over development of
the site, the proposal is not meeting the minimum amount of parking spaces as
required by the City and cash in lieu of parking is not a solution to the
problem. The number of units should be reduced to provide the proper amount of
parking on the site as stipulated by the zoning bylaw.
ISSUE 3: Number of Units in Development
The number of units proposed
on the site is unacceptable given its size.
The proposal would be improved and accepted by the community if the
number of units were reduced to a reasonable amount (18). Doing this will
address other concerns such as the lack of parking and recreational area.
ISSUE 4: Increased Traffic
within Community
Given the lack of parking on
the site and the likelihood of future occupants to park on Wentworth and Midway
avenues, they will access major arteries such as the Queensway and Carling Ave.
via Wentworth. Wentworth is a very
narrow old street that is barely 6 meters wide. Increased traffic will only
serve to increase the risk of accidents occurring on the street. In order to
alleviate this potential health and safety risk, a "No Parking"
restriction should be placed on the lower part of Midway and Wentworth avenues
to discourage the use of our residential streets as "through traffic"
venues and decreases the risk to children playing on the street.
ISSUE 5: Recreational Area
The current proposal shows
no area for the children to play. The front yards of the proposed units are not
conducive to recreational activities for children. The space required for
children's activities is greatly underestimated.
ISSUE 6: Fit within the Community
Flat roofs do not blend in
with the surrounding properties and an apartment on top of the entrance to this
complex on the Richmond side is unattractive and cramped.
ISSUE 7: Snow Removal
Snow plowing is a problem
now and will only deteriorate with increased cars parking along Hartleigh and
Midway. Where is snow going to be stored on the site?
Respondents supporting the
project provided the following reasons in support:
CCOC has a strong track
record of building and managing housing well so that this development will
surely be an asset to the surrounding community. Affordable, mixed income housing is desperately needed in every
neighbourhood of the City. Everyone deserves decent housing and a fair shake. The City needs to approve this development
proposal to give more people an opportunity to lead a decent life.
While people at the public
meeting expressed their concern about the design not having adequate parking
spaces, I truly believe that CCOC has plenty of experience to know that there
will be no problem. Fear about noise, smell of BBQ's and possible garbage in
the street seems unfounded.
Although the surrounding
neighbours have rights (and those rights should certainly be considered) also
the future tenants at 1142 Richmond Road have their rights and should be
respected. The 'unknown' makes people feel uncomfortable but most neighbours will
adjust quite quickly to this development as long as CCOC and the City of Ottawa
keep them involved.
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC MEETING
Area residents in attendance
at the June 24, 2003 public meeting raised questions and concerns dealing with
the following:
·
amount of amenity space;
·
road widening requirement along Richmond Road;
·
appropriateness of the development and its 'fit' into
the community;
·
garbage storage and collection;
·
snow removal;
·
the need for an additional affordable housing project
in the Bay Ward;
·
the ratio of affordable units vs. market units and the
potential for it to become all affordable housing;
·
failure to meeting parking requirements; and
the potential danger for cars exiting onto Richmond
Road
RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS
During the technical
circulation, the location of the development on the proposed Richmond Road
widening was identified as an issue to be resolved. As a result of this review, the applicant subsequently shifted
the encroaching units off the road widening.
The Cash-in-lieu of parking
application has been reviewed concurrently with the Site Plan Control
application and was found to conform with the criteria set out for the review
of such applications. Legitimate site constraints,
the irregular lot shape, proximity to amenities and OCTranspo service and
tenant profiles, all support the appropriateness of the cash-in-lieu of parking
proposal.
The site conforms to the
Ottawa Zoning By-law, 1998. The number
of units proposed by the applicant is specifically linked to the zoning
provisions for lot area, yard requirements and lot width and area for a planned
unit development.
The application was reviewed
staff and deemed appropriate. No traffic calming measures were deemed necessary
for the surrounding community
The development satisfies
the zoning requirements for amenity space.
The Department is confident
that the development will respect the character of the neighbourhood and that
the proposal put forward by the architect will be a positive addition to the
neighbourhood.
Snow removal was highlighted
as an issue during the technical review and brought forward to the
applicant. The CCOC informed the
Department that due to space constraints snow will be trucked away from the site.
Garbage will be stored
within individual units and placed on the curb for pick up.
There is an acute need for affordable housing within the
city. This project will add 14 units to
the affordable rental housing stock in the City and will provide units for the
physically disabled. There is currently an extensive waiting list for
affordable housing and this project is a modest attempt to satisfy some of that
demand. The Department views this project as a positive trend towards
integrating moderately sized affordable housing projects throughout the City's
communities in order to avoid the large scale housing projects of the past.
During the public meeting
the CCOC assured residents that the 60/40 split between affordable and market
price housing will not change. The CCOC
explained that through their experience, this ratio provided the optimum cross
section of inhabitants and helped minimize the stigma of the site as being an
affordable 'housing project'.
The ingress and egress of
vehicular traffic on to Richmond Road was reviewed by the City's traffic
engineers and was deemed acceptable.
COUNCILLOR’S COMMENTS
I am in favour of the
revised site plan application by CCOC (Centretown Citizens of Ottawa
Corporation) for the ActionOttawa housing proposal for 1142 Richmond Road.
This, in my view, is a good use of land for social housing purposes, being
modest in scope (23 units), mixed in tenure (2/3 rent-geared-to-income; 1/3
market rent), and located near schools, public transit, and shopping.
Community concerns regarding
density and traffic in the original site plan application were identified as a
result of 2 public consultation meetings held by my office, and have been
reflected in the revised site plan. Concerns over density have been addressed
by changing the mix of units (in terms of bed-room count) and reducing the
number of units from the original proposal of 25 to 23. Traffic concerns have
been addressed by directing most of this development's traffic onto Richmond
Road (an arterial road), rather than through the Woodpark community. As well,
community concerns about adequate playspace for children have been addressed
through the provision of a tot lot.
This development will be a
small step towards increasing affordable housing in Bay Ward (some 1,300 Bay
Ward residents are on the Social Housing Registry's waiting list for social
housing in Ottawa, out of a 12,500 total household waiting list), and with the
provision of 2 handicapped-accessible units, meets important needs in our
community. Its small-scale and conformity with local zoning renders this
development compatible with the abutting neighbourhood.
I am also in support of
reducing the parking requirements for this development at 1142 Richmond Road.
Experience at other low-income communities has shown that not all residents
make use of the available parking for their own needs, and there is sufficient
capacity on the abutting streets to accommodate visitor parking if the need
arises.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION COMMENTS
The Woodpark Community Association provided
the following comments:
1. Provided
Parking is inadequate to needs.
Regardless of By-law provisions, the proposed project needs 1 space per
unit plus visitor parking.
2. Amenity
space is inadequate. There are only 11
rear yards and 23 units. The play area
is seriously undersized for the number of children that will be living at 1142
Richmond Road.
3. There
is no garbage enclosure for these units
4. Where
is the snow storage area?
RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY ASSOCATION COMMENTS:
The response provided to the public comments address the comments
provided by the Woodpark Community Association.