Report to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager / Directeur municipal
adjoint
Planning and Growth Management / Urbanisme
et Gestion de la croissance
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Grant Lindsay,
Manager / Gestionnaire
Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement
(613) 580-2424 x13242, Grant.Lindsay@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
ZONING
- 710 AND 714 CARSON'S ROAD (FILE NO. D02-02-03-0172) |
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OBJET : |
ZONAGE
- 710 ET 714, CHEMIN CARSON'S (DOSSIER NO D02-02-03-0172) |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve an
amendment to the former City of Ottawa Zoning By-Law (1998) to change the
zoning of part of 710 Carson's Road from an "I1" (Minor
Institutional) Zone to an "R5A[903] SCH.260" (Low-Rise Apartment,
Exception 903) Zone and to change the zoning of 714 Carson's Road from an
"R5A (U40)" (Low-Rise Apartment) Zone to an "R5A[903] SCH.260" (Low-Rise Apartment, Exception
903) Zone as detailed in Document 4.
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 (1998) en vue de remplacer le zonage " I1 " (petites
institutions) d'une partie du 710, chemin Carson's par un zonage "
R5A[903] SCH.260 " (petits immeubles d'appartements, exception 903) et de
remplacer le zonage " R5A (U40) " (petits immeubles d'appartements)
du 714, chemin Carson's par un zonage " R5A[903] SCH.260 " (petits immeubles d'appartements, exception 903),
comme il est précisé dans le document 4.
BACKGROUND
The site is comprised of 714 Carson's Road and part of 710 Carson's Road. It is located on the west side of Carson's Road north of Den Haag Drive, as shown in Document 1. 710 Carson's Road has a site area of approximately 6378 sq. m of which approximately 2023 sq. m would be affected by the proposed Zoning By-law amendment. 714 Carson's Road has an area of approximately 11390 sq. m. The total land area affected by the application is approximately 13413 sq. m.
714 Carson's Road is developed with 43 townhouses, a single detached house and a community house. The part of 710 Carson's Road that is subject to the application is covered by an existing vegetation strip with a width of approximately 20 m.
Samuel Genest High School is located to the north of the site. A mixture of single detached houses, semi-detached houses and townhouses are located to the east. La Cité Collègiale is located to the south and a woodlot is located to the west.
The owner of 714 Carson's Road recently purchased 710 Carson's Road, and wishes to develop part of 710 Carson's Road with 29 dwelling units. The applicant is proposing to develop four new buildings as follows: one townhouse building adjacent to Carson's Road with three dwelling units, two stacked townhouse buildings further west with a total of 20 dwelling units, and an apartment building in the northwest corner of the site with six dwelling units. A conceptual site plan of the proposed development is attached as Document 2.
710 Carson's Road is zoned "I1" (Minor Institutional) in the former City of Ottawa Zoning By-law. The "I1" Zone permits a range of neighbourhood-serving, emergency and institutional uses.
714 Carson's Road is located within an "R5A U(40)" (Low-Rise Apartment) Zone. This zone permits medium density residential uses including townhouses, stacked townhouses and apartment buildings. A maximum density of 40 dwelling units per hectare is permitted within the zone.
The purpose of the Zoning By-law amendment application is to rezone the subject lands to a site-specific "R5A" (Low-Rise Apartment) Zone to permit the proposed development. It should be noted that the applicant is specifically requesting that the zoning of 714 Carson's Road be amended to remove the existing unit density provision. The purpose of this request is to allow for the development of additional townhouses adjacent to Carson's Road in the future. The applicant has not submitted any drawings to date to indicate the quantity or location of these future townhouses.
The applicant requested the following site-specific zone provisions to accommodate the proposed development:
1) to reduce the minimum side yard adjacent to Samuel Genest High School from 7.5 m to 3.2 m for the portion of the yard located greater than 21 m from Carson's Road,
2) to reduce the minimum rear yard from 7.5 m to 3.2 m for the part of 710 Carson's Road that is subject to the application, and
3) to reduce the minimum parking rate for apartment buildings and stacked townhouses from one parking space per dwelling unit to 0.75 parking spaces per unit.
DISCUSSION
Council Approved Official Plan
The Council Approved Official Plan designates the site and the surrounding lands as "General Urban Area". This designation permits all types and densities of housing. Carson's Road and Den Haag Drive are designated as "Existing Collector" roads.
The General Urban Area policies indicate that the City will consider the contribution of a residential intensification proposal towards the maintenance and achievement of a balance of housing types and tenures to provide a full range of housing for a variety of demographic profiles. The proposed development will provide affordable rental housing in attached housing and apartment forms, and complies with the intent of this policy.
Intensification proposals, such as infill development, are to be evaluated in accordance with Section 2.5.1, Compatibility of Development. These policies deal with the compatibility of a development with its surroundings in terms of characteristics such as height, building massing and the setback from the street. The applicant is proposing a variety of housing types with a gradual transition in building forms extending to the west from Carson's Road. The townhouse building is proposed immediately north of the existing single detached dwelling at 714 Carson's Road and opposite two single detached dwellings on the east side of Carson's Road. Of the three building forms proposed, the townhouse building is the most compatible with the surrounding single detached dwellings in terms of building massing and height. The proposed townhouse building will also have the same minimum 6.0 m front yard as the single detached dwellings. The stacked townhouse buildings and the apartment building are to be oriented facing the existing townhouses at 714 Carson's Road. The applicant has submitted a perspective sketch of the building grouping and staff are satisfied that the proposed development is in keeping with the scale of the existing development.
The Official Plan states that affordable and appropriate housing for all residents is the fundamental building block of a healthy, livable community, and the Plan's policies are intended to increase the supply of affordable housing. The applicant is proposing 18 rent-geared-to-income units and 11 affordable rent units. The proposed development supports the intent of the Official Plan to increase the supply of affordable housing within the City.
Former Regional Official Plan
The former Regional Official Plan designates the site and surrounding lands to the north, east and west as "General Urban Area". La Cité Collègiale is designated as a "Major Community Facility". The proposed development is permitted within the General Urban Area designation and is in keeping with the intent of the housing policies in the Plan.
Former City of Ottawa Official Plan
The former City of Ottawa Official Plan designates the site and the surrounding lands to the north, east and south as "Residential Area". A "Major Open Space" designation applies to Carson Grove to the west of the site. The Residential Area designation permits a full range of dwelling types from single detached dwellings to apartment dwellings. The proposed development complies with the Plan's policies regarding affordability, tenure mix, housing supply and compatibility.
The subject lands are located within the Carson Grove site-specific policy area. The policies for the Carson Grove Area require that a Plan of Development be submitted prior to the enactment of any Zoning By-law amendment for the subject lands. The requirements for the Plan of Development previously have been fulfilled.
Details of Proposed Zoning
Staff are recommending that 714 Carson's Road and part of 710 Carson's Road be rezoned to a new site-specific "R5A[903] SCH.260" (Low-Rise Apartment, Exception 903) Zone to permit the proposed townhouse, stacked townhouse and apartment building development. The details of the proposed zoning are described in Document 4. The proposed zoning includes a provision that the zone be treated as one lot for zoning purposes, which allows 710 and 714 Carson's Road to be developed together.
The applicant has requested that the zoning of 714 Carson's Road be amended to remove the existing maximum density provision of 40 dwelling units per hectare. Staff acknowledge that there are opportunities to develop additional townhouses along the frontage of this property. The Council Approved Official Plan supports opportunities for intensification and infill in cases where the present land use is maintained and the addition of residential uses or other uses can be accomplished in a complementary manner. Infill development must also comply with the compatibility policies in Section 2.5.1 of the Official Plan. Staff submit that these issues can be addressed for the subject lands through the site plan approval process. Therefore, staff have no objections to the removal of the maximum density provision.
For the side yard adjacent to Samuel Genest High School, the applicant originally requested a minimum yard of 1.2 m for the first 21 m from the street line and 3.2 m for the remainder of the yard. During the processing of the application, the applicant submitted an Environmental Impact Statement that included recommendations to mitigate the impact of the development on the existing vegetation. One of the recommended mitigation measures was to reduce the number of additional parking spaces and to shift the 12-unit stacked townhouse building south to provide a minimum 5 m yard between the building and the side lot line. This would increase the area for tree preservation on the north side of the building. The Environmental Impact Statement also recommended that the side yard be increased to a minimum of 4 m where parking is to be retained on the south side of the 8-unit stacked townhouse building. These mitigation measures are reflected on the Conceptual Site Plan in Document 2. To implement these measures, staff are proposing minimum side yard widths of 4 m and 5 m as shown on the proposed yard schedule in Document 4. The applicant's Environmental Impact Statement also recommended the staggering of the stacked townhouse units within each block by 0.6 to 1.2 m, which will increase the area for tree preservation at these locations.
It should be noted that the standard side yard requirement for a planned unit development is a minimum of 1.2 m for the first 21 m from the street line. This standard is reflected in the proposed yard schedule in Document 4.
The City is currently processing a site plan approval application for an expansion of Samuel Genest High School. The proposal includes a new 4100 sq. m building, play yard and parking area immediately north of the site. The proposed side yard requirements will increase the width of the landscape buffer between the residential development and the proposed High School expansion, and will improve visual privacy between the uses. In addition, the increased yards will improve the private outdoor living areas proposed on the north side of the stacked townhouse buildings.
Increasing the side yard beyond the recommended 4 m and 5 m widths would adversely affect the functional requirements for the parking area, walkways and landscaped areas for the proposed development. For example, the Environmental Impact Statement recommends the addition of new trees and shrubs in the landscaped areas between the buildings and between the buildings and the parking lot. These trees will also provide for shading of the pavement and buildings for additional environmental benefits. Increasing the side yard further would reduce the ability to provide new trees and shrubs in these areas.
The Council Approved Official Plan requires a Tree Retention and Planting Plan in support of a site plan approval application. The proposed development will require site plan approval, and further details regarding the opportunities for tree preservation will be determined through the site plan approval process.
The applicant has proposed a minimum 3.2 m rear yard for the part of 710 Carson's Road that is affected by the application. Staff are proposing a minimum 4.5 m rear yard in this location as shown in the draft yard schedule. This slightly larger rear yard can be accommodated without adversely affecting the development program for the site. This yard is reflected in the Conceptual Site Plan in Document 2.
To increase the area for tree preservation on the north side of the proposed 12-unit stacked townhouse building, the applicant is requesting that the parking rate for apartment buildings and stacked townhouses be reduced from a minimum of one parking space per dwelling unit to a minimum of 0.75 spaces per unit. This requested parking rate is the same as the parking rate for townhouses in the Zoning By-law. The proposed parking rate is similar to the parking rate for apartment buildings and stacked townhouses in the Zoning By-law for other areas of the former City. For example, the parking rate for apartment buildings and stacked townhouses is a minimum of 0.7 spaces per dwelling unit in nearby neighbourhoods such as Overbrook, Manor Park, and the portion of Forbes located west of the Aviation Parkway. The site also benefits from convenient access to public transit along Carson's Road and is within 500 m of other transit routes available on Montreal Road. As such, staff do not have any objections to the requested reduction in the parking rate for apartment buildings and stacked townhouses.
Conclusion
The proposed infill development complies with the intent of the Council Approved Official Plan, the former Regional Official Plan and the former City of Ottawa Official Plan. It will increase the supply of affordable housing in the community, and is compatible with the surrounding lands in terms of land use and built form. Staff submit that the proposed Zoning By-law amendment complies with the intent of the applicable Official Plan policies and is appropriate for the subject lands.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
The Municipal Environmental Evaluation Process checklist indicates that there will be impacts on existing vegetation at 710 Carson's Road as a result of this application.
The former City of Ottawa's Natural and Open Spaces Study indicates that the existing 20 m wide vegetation strip is located at the eastern edge of Carson Grove. The study identified Carson Grove as containing features in the much larger area to the west that were considered to be worthy of protection. These features are not located on the site.
An Environmental Impact Statement was submitted with the application. To mitigate the impact of the proposed development on the existing vegetation, the study recommended that the minimum side yard be increased from 3.2 m to 4 m and 5 m along parts of the side lot line adjacent to Samuel Genest High School. The proposed Zoning By-law amendment implements this recommendation.
The Environmental Impact Statement recommended that the drainage pattern be re-established in the landscaped area, especially at the north side of the proposed buildings, and that historic patterns of surface and roof water run-off be maintained to the woodlot located west of the site. The implementation of the mitigation measures will be addressed through the site plan control approval process.
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.
Detailed responses to the notification/circulation are provided in Document 5.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS
The application was not processed within the timeframe established for
the processing of Zoning By-Law amendments as additional time was required for
the preparation and review of an Environmental Impact Statement. The application was also delayed due to
workload issues.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location Map
Document 2 Conceptual Site Plan
Document 3 Explanatory Note
Document 4 Details of Recommended Zoning
Document 5 Consultation Details
DISPOSITION
Department of Corporate Services, Secretariat Services to notify the owner (James Munro, Ottawa Community Housing Corporation, 2197 Riverside Drive, 6th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 1A9), applicant (Anthony Leaning, CSV Consultants Architects, 22 O'Meara Street #202, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4N6), All Signs, 8692 Russell Road, Navan, ON K4B 1J1, and the Program Manager, Assessment, Department of Corporate Services of City Council's decision.
Planning and Growth Management Department to prepare the implementing by-law, forward to Legal Services Branch and undertake the statutory notification.
Department of Corporate Services, Legal Services Branch to forward the implementing by-law to City Council.
LOCATION MAP Document
1
CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN Document
2
