REQUEST FOR DECISION
DATE: August 15, 2018 Report No. DEV-18-058
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Alex Tang, Planner
SUBJECT:
Title
Development Permit Application - 669 Constance Avenue
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council resolves that Development Permit No. DP000108, attached as Appendix A to Staff Report DEV-18-058, consistent with the architectural plans provided by Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture Inc., stamped “Received July 24, 2018”, the landscape plan by Lombard North Group Inc., stamped “Received August 14, 2018” and sited in accordance with the McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd., stamped “Received July 24, 2018”, be approved, and staff be directed to issue the permit (subject to receipt of the required landscape security) and register the notice on the title of the property located at 669 Constance Avenue [PID 030-431-026 Lot 1, Suburban Lots 43 and 44, Esquimalt District, Plan EPP76107].
Body
RELEVANT POLICY:
Official Community Plan Bylaw, 2018, No. 2922
Zoning Bylaw, 1992, No 2050
Parking Bylaw, 1992, No. 2011
Development Application Procedures and Fees Bylaw, 2012, No. 2791
Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw, 2012, No. 2792
Subdivision and Development Control Bylaw, 1997, No. 2175
Local Government Act
STRATEGIC RELEVANCE:
The Request for Decision relates to the strategic priority to support community growth, housing and development consistent with the Township’s Official Community Plan.
BACKGROUND:
Appendix A: DP000108
Appendix B: Subject Property Map, Aerial Map, CD No. 107 Zone
Appendix C: Surveyor’s Site Plan, Architectural Drawings, Landscape Plan
Appendix D: Green Building Checklist
Purpose of the Application
The applicant is proposing to build a 12 storey, mass timber, 83 unit, multiple family, prefabricated, residential building. Comprehensive Development District No. 107 of Esquimalt Zoning Bylaw 1992, No. 2050 has been written to govern this development.
This site is located within Development Permit Area No. 1 - Natural Environment, Development Permit Area No. 6 - Multi-Family Residential, Development Permit Area No. 7 - Energy Conservation and Greenhouse Gas Reduction, and Development Permit Area No. 8 - Water Conservation. A Development Permit is required to ensure that the application is generally consistent with the Development Permit Area guidelines contained within the Esquimalt Official Community Plan Bylaw, 2018, No.2922. The development permit is required prior to a building permit being issued for the construction of a structure.
Evaluation of this application should focus on issues respecting the form and character of the development, including landscaping, exterior design and finish of the buildings and other structures in relation to the relevant design guidelines. In addition, evaluation should focus on natural environment protection, energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, and water conservation in relation to the relevant development permit area guidelines.
Context
Applicant: StandingStone Developments [Casey O’Byrne and Troy Grant]
Owner: StandingStone Developments Ltd., Inc. No. BC0776378
Architect: Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Inc.
Property Size: Metric: 1933 m2 Imperial: 20,800 ft2
Existing Land Use: 5 unit Multiple Family Apartment
Duplex
Vacant Land
Surrounding Land Uses:
North: Department of National Defence Lands
South: Multiple Family Residential
West: Department of National Defence Lands
East: Single Family/Two Family Residential
Existing OCP Designation: High Density Residential [No change required]
Zoning: CD No. 107 [Comprehensive Development District No.107]
Zoning
Density, Lot Coverage, Height and Setbacks: The following chart details the floor area ratios, lot coverage, setbacks, height, parking requirements, and usable open space of this proposal.
|
|
CD No. 107 Zone |
|
Units |
83 |
|
Floor Area Ratio |
3.0 |
|
Lot Coverage |
87% / 55% above 2nd storey |
|
Setbacks: |
|
|
Front [Constance Avenue] |
0.8 m |
|
Rear [Admirals Road] |
3.1 m |
|
Interior Side [North] |
1.5 m |
|
Interior Side [South] |
2.7 m |
|
Building Height |
36 m |
|
Off Street Parking |
83 |
Official Community Plan
This site is located within Development Permit Area No. 1 - Natural Environment, Development Permit Area No. 6 - Multi-Family Residential, Development Permit Area No. 7 - Energy Conservation and Greenhouse Gas Reduction, and Development Permit Area No. 8 - Water Conservation. The guidelines of these Development Permit Areas are contained within the Esquimalt Official Community Plan Bylaw, 2018, No.2922.
The following is a list of Official Community Plan guidelines to consider in evaluating this application.
Development Permit Area No.1 is designated for the purpose of establishing objectives for the protection of the natural environment, its ecosystems and biological diversity.
OCP Section 18.5.2 Natural Features
Natural features and areas to be preserved, protected, restored, and enhanced where feasible:
1. Retain existing healthy native trees, vegetation, rock outcrops and soil wherever possible.
3. Preservation of natural topography is favoured over blasting or building of retaining walls.
5. Design new development and landscaping to frame rather than block public views.
OCP Section 18.5.3 Biodiversity
Landscaping features that will protect, restore and enhance biodiversity. Where feasible:
1. New landscaping shall consist predominantly of native plant and tree species. Plants that are native to the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone are preferred in landscape treatments as they provide habitat for threatened indigenous flora and fauna. Drought tolerant plants native to western North America, that are known to be non-invasive, are a good alternative choice for landscaped areas.
2. In residential locations plan for ‘nature out front’; for new landscaping in front and exterior side yards use a variety of site-appropriate, native species; thereby contributing positively to pedestrian friendly urban streets, future greenways and habitat enhanced corridors.
3. Choose trees and plants for site conditions; consider shade, sunlight, heat, wind-exposure, sea spray tolerance, and year round moisture requirements in their placement.
4. Consider the habitat and food needs of birds, pollinators, and humans in tree and plant species selection and placement; native plantings and food gardens compliment each other.
8. Avoid using fast-growing non-native plants to cover and retain soils as they may become invasive and a constraint to the establishment of other plants.
10. Design retaining wall spacing and landscape planting areas of sufficient width and depth to support plantings.
OCP Section 18.5.4 Natural Environment
Measures to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment (limit noise, light and air pollution). Where it is reasonable:
1. Strategically locate leafy trees/ hedges and water features to mask urban noises such as traffic, garbage collection and delivery locations. Consider that leafy rough barked trees, vine covered walls and natural ground cover materials (mulch, soil) will help dampen urban noise.
4. Place trees and vegetation near sources of air pollution including busy roadways, to assist in reduction of air pollution through the collection of particulate matter on leaves and needles, and absorption of toxic gases, including but not limited to: ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, cadmium, chromium, nickel and lead.
Development Permit Area No.6 is designated for the purpose of establishing objectives for the form and character of multi-family residential development.
OCP Section 23.5 Multi-Family Residential Guidelines
2. New buildings should be designed and sited to minimize visual intrusion on to the privacy of surrounding homes and minimize the casting of shadows on to the private outdoor space of adjacent residential units.
4. Landscaping should emphasize the creation of an attractive streetscape, as well as to provide privacy between individual buildings and dwellings, screen parking areas and break up large expanses of paving.
9. Retention and protection of trees and the natural habitat is encouraged wherever possible.
11. Site lighting should provide personal safety for residents and visitors and be of the type that reduces glare and does not cause the spillover of light on to adjacent residential sites.
18. Wherever possible, outdoor storage and parking areas should be screened from view.
Development Permit Area No.7 is designated for the purposes of energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction.
OCP Section 24.5.1 Siting of buildings and structures
Where it is feasible:
4. Provide space for pleasant pedestrian pathways between buildings.
6. Provide space for significant landscaping including varying heights of trees, shrubs and ground covers.
9. In residential neighbourhoods, provide space for larger trees and a second row of street trees as this will enhance the pedestrian experience by lowering wind velocity at street level reducing excessive heating at ground level and absorbing vehicle and other urban noises.
OCP Section 24.5.2 Form and exterior design of buildings and structures
Where it is feasible:
3. Place more windows on the south side of buildings to increase solar gain, and fewer/smaller windows on the north side to minimize heat loss.
4. Use roof over-hangs, fixed-fins or other solar shading devices on south and west facing windows to reduce peak summer heat gain while enabling sunlight penetration in winter months.
5. Install adjustable overhangs above windows that can help control the amount of sun exposure in warmer months thereby reducing the need for cooling.
7. Skylights are discouraged as they decrease insulating values and can interfere with solar panel installation.
8. Add rooftop patios and gardens, particularly food producing gardens, as they can contribute to local resilience, livability, and reduction in greenhouse gas production by reducing food transportation costs.
9. Install greenhouses for growing food on rooftops where neighbourhood privacy and light intrusion concerns are mitigated.
10. Avoid heavily tinted windows or reflective glass which will diminish the natural daylighting of interior spaces, thereby requiring increased energy requirements for interior lighting.
OCP Section 24.5.3 Landscaping
Where it is feasible:
2. Choose open space and landscaping over dedicating space to the parking and manoeuvring of private motor vehicles.
3. Conserve native trees, shrubs and soils, thereby saving the cost of importing materials and preserving already sequestered carbon dioxide.
4. Use deciduous trees for landscaping along southern exposures, as they provide shade in the summer and allow more sunlight through in the winter months.
5. Strategically place taller trees and vegetation on the south and west sides of buildings where there is more direct sun exposure.
6. Strategically place coniferous trees such that they can buffer winter winds.
7. As context and space allow, plant trees that will attain a greater mature size, for greater carbon storage; removal of healthy trees is discouraged as the loss of the ecosystem services provided by larger trees will take many years to recover.
8. Plant trees with a larger canopy cover along roadways and sidewalks, thereby providing shading of paved areas, lowering the heating of paved surfaces and reducing the wind velocities in these pedestrian areas.
9. Plant shorter and sturdier vegetation closer to buildings and other structures, and taller vegetation further away to avoid potential damage from strong winds blowing vegetation against buildings.
11. For parking areas and along boulevard/sidewalk edges; plant trees to provide shade, store carbon and reduce the heat island effect.
OCP Section 24.5.4 Machinery, equipment and systems external to buildings and other structures
Where it is feasible:
2. Use heat pumps, solar panels, green (living) roofing or an innovative system to improve a building’s energy performance.
3. Use durable, vandalism and graffiti resistant materials where neighbourhood surveillance may be limited.
4. Design for on-site heat recovery and re-use of water.
OCP Section 24.5.5.Special Features
Where it is feasible:
1. Select building materials that have been shown to have a high level of durability for the use intended.
2. Use wood for construction as a means to sequester carbon dioxide - North American grown and sustainably harvested wood is preferable for building construction.
3. Select local and regionally manufactured building products whenever possible to reduce transportation energy costs.
4. Reuse of existing buildings and building materials is encouraged.
5. Choose materials that have a high likelihood of reuse or recycling at end of life.
Development Permit Area No.8 is designated for the purpose of water conservation.
OCP Section 25.5.1 Building and Landscape Design
Where it is feasible:
1. Reduce the burden on built stormwater infrastructure by designing on-site retention systems to retain the first three centimetres of stormwater on site, per precipitation event.
2. Provide space for absorbent landscaping, including significantly sized trees on the site and by not allowing underground parking structures to extend beyond building walls.
3. Incorporate rainwater collection systems into roof design; consider using living roofs and walls as part of a rainwater collection system.
4. Incorporate rain gardens into landscaping and direct rainwater towards vegetated areas.
5. Intersperse paved surfaces with drought resistant vegetation that will provide shade on those surfaces and design the paved surfaces to drain into the vegetation.
6. Design landscaping with more planted and pervious surfaces than solid surfaces.
OCP Section 25.5.2 Landscaping - Select Plantings for Site and Local Conditions
Where it is feasible:
1. Retain existing native trees vegetation, and soil on site.
2. Plant species native to the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone, as they are most suited to our climate and require little additional irrigation once established.
3. Consider shade, sunlight, heat, wind-exposure and sea spray, as well as water needs in the selection and placement of plant species.
4. Group plants with similar water needs into hydro-zones.
OCP Section 25.5.3 Landscaping - Retaining Stormwater on Site (absorbent landscaping)
Where it is feasible:
1. Preserve and restore treed areas. Trees are the most effective form of absorbent landscaping due to their extensive root zones and their ability to absorb water from the soil and intercept precipitation on leaves, needles and branches. Consider that native conifers are well adapted to local wet winters.
2. Use pervious landscaping materials to enhance stormwater infiltration; permeable paving is preferable for surface parking areas.
3. Avoid disturbing, compacting and removing areas of natural soil, as these are naturally absorbent areas.
4. Locate civil servicing lines along driveways and other paved areas, to lessen the disturbance of natural soils and loss of their natural absorption qualities.
5. Use good quality top soil and compost for the finish grading of disturbed areas to contribute to the water holding capacity of newly landscaped areas.
6. Choose bark mulches or woodchips for walking paths for enhanced absorption.
7. Plant at densities that will ensure vegetated areas have 100% plant canopy coverage after two full growing seasons. Consider that understory native plants are adapted to local climates, absorb seasonal soil moisture and reduce compaction due to foot traffic.
OCP Section 25.5.4 Landscaping - Water Features and Irrigation Systems
Where it is feasible:
1. Use automated high efficiency irrigation systems where irrigation is required.
2. Incorporate stormwater retention features into irrigation system design.
3. Use recirculated water systems for water features such as pools and fountains.
4. Install plantings and irrigation systems to the Canadian Landscape Standard.
Green Building Features
The applicant has completed the Esquimalt Green Building Checklist [attached].
Comments from Other Departments
The plans for this proposal were circulated to other departments and the following comments were received:
Building Inspection: Building to be constructed to requirements of BC Building Code 2012 and Municipal Building Code Bylaw, 2002, No. 2538. Applicant must address all issues contained within the Township Development Protocol should application be approved. Plans will be reviewed for compliance with BC Building Code upon submission of a Building Permit application.
After discussion with Township management and knowledgeable third parties, it has been determined that the applicant would be required to secure site specific building code regulations for this proposal to be constructed.
Engineering Services: Engineering staff has completed a preliminary evaluation of Works and Services that would be required for the 83 unit multiple family residential building proposed to be located at 669 Constance Avenue. Staff confirms that the design appears achievable on the site and that appropriate works and services are available in the immediate area. If approved, the development must be serviced with bylaw requirements including, but not limited to, new sewer and drain connections, underground hydro, telephone and cable services, and new road works up to the centre line of both Constance Avenue and Admirals Road.
Staff recommends that the applicant complete a sewer capacity study to determine whether the existing sewer network can handle the increased sewer flow generated by the proposed development.
Should the application be approved, additional comments will be provided when detailed engineering drawings are submitted as part of a Building Permit application.
Parks Services: Tree removal permits shall be required for their removal and either appropriate funds or installation of not less than five appropriately sized replacement trees.
Fire Services: Fire Services staff has completed a preliminary review of the proposal and recommends that the applicant provide a comprehensive Building Code and Fire Code review report. Staff wants to ensure adequate access to the building in the event of an emergency by necessitating unimpeded aerial access to the north, west, and east faces of the building. Accordingly, Fire Services staff recommends to Council that approval of this development be subject to the developer agreeing to redirect overhead hydro lines abutting the site, as well as those immediately to the north of the subject properties, underground to avoid conflicts. Additionally, given the size of the building, Fire Services staff recommends that approval of this project also be conditional upon the provision of public realm fire hydrants on both the Constance Avenue and Admirals Road frontages to ensure access to adequate water supply in the event of a fire. Development Services staff have addressed these issues with the applicant, who has voluntarily offered to include these provisions in a Section 219 covenant registered on the property title in support of adoption of the proposed rezoning. Fire Services Staff has also stated that the power lines must be buried previous to the start of construction of combustible material above grade.
Comments from the Design Review Committee [DRC]
This development application was considered at the regular meeting of the DRC held on August 8, 2018.
Members were generally pleased with the refined aesthetics of the exterior, commenting on the interesting and compelling elevations. Members still had concerns with the durability and maintenance of the exterior stairway. Moreover, members questioned the exterior stairway’s materials and their durability and longevity. Members also had concerns with the green space in the courtyard and its usability. They stated a preference to convert some of the hardscape area of the interior courtyard area into green space.
The DRC resolved unanimously that the application be forwarded to Council with a recommendation of approval as its form and character are appropriate, with the following conditions:
1. That some of the hardscape in the courtyard area be replaced with green space; and
2. The applicant work with Staff to ensure the ongoing viability, sustainability and durability of the exterior staircases and entry walkway, as the Committee has concerns with its long term durability.
In response to the recommendations and comments received from the DRC, the applicant’s landscape architect revised the landscape plan to include a green area on the terraced slope with six small flowering trees. Moreover, three more small trees were added to the area labelled ‘Urban Green’. In regards to the exterior staircase, the development permit will consider its material and finish; however, its maintenance is not a subject matter for the development permit.
ISSUES:
1. Rationale for Selected Option
This proposed development will provide more housing units in close proximity to the CFB Esquimalt Base as it is a major employment centre. The building is innovative from a building science and sustainability perspective. Moreover, the applicant has addressed the conditions of Design Review Committee recommendation for approval by increasing the amount of green space in the courtyard area.
2. Organizational Implications
This Request for Decision has no significant organizational implications.
3. Financial Implications
This Request for Decision has no significant financial implications.
4. Sustainability & Environmental Implications
The building is expected to be passive house certified, which reduces energy consumption for heating and cooling. Increasing residential density in existing neighbourhoods creates a more compact and sustainable community. Increased density also decreases the per capita cost of providing services such as public transit and utilities.
5. Communication & Engagement
As this is a Development Permit application requiring no variances, the Local Government Act does not require that notification be provided.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. That Council resolves that Development Permit No. DP000108 [Appendix A] be approved, and staff be directed to issue the permit (subject to receipt of the required landscape security) and register the notice on the title of the property.
2. That Council deny Development Permit No. DP000108 [Appendix A] with reasons provided.