East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management Urban Design Brief 3195 East Bayshore Road City of Owen Sound January 2016
East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management Urban Design Brief 3195 East Bayshore Road City of Owen Sound Date: January 2016 Prepared for: Northridge Property Management 920 1 st Avenue West, Suite 301 Owen Sound, ON N4K 4K2 Prepared by: GSP Group Inc. 72 Victoria Street South, Suite 201 Kitchener, ON N2G 4Y9
Contents 1. Introduction... 1 2. Neighbourhood Vision... 2 3. Urban Design Guidelines... 3 3.1 Design Guidelines for Ground-Oriented Housing... 3 3.2 Design Guidelines for Apartment Residential4 3.3 Design Guidelines for Parks... 7 3.4 Design Guidelines for Streets... 8 East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management i
1. Introduction Northridge Property Management is developing a new residential neighbourhood on East Bayshore Road on a 15.6 hectare parcel overlooking Georgian Bay. This new neighbourhood will provide an opportunity for a range of low-rise housing forms. It is expected that the predominate housing form will be single detached along with streeted townhouses and several low-rise multi-unit apartment form buildings in the north-west portion of the Site. This Urban Design Brief has been prepared to address the requirements of OPA No. 5 and to provide design direction for the design and development of the public realm and private realm in this new neighbourhood. This document will provide an overall vision for the design of the neighbourhood as well as more specific design guidance for the architects and builders who will follow. Location Map East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 1
2. Neighbourhood Vision This East Bayshore Road site provides a great opportunity to develop a new neighbourhood along Georgian Bay, capitalizing on the views west and access to the water from the public park created on the westside of East Bayshore Road. Based on the design direction in the Official Plan and the opportunities presented by this Site, the Design Vision for this new neighbourhood is as follows: A compact urban form that creates an attractive and walkable neighbourhood. A connected street system that provides multiple routing options for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and future opportunities to connect with the extension of transit services. A system of linkages to the surrounding areas to connect residents with natural spaces and recreational opportunities. An east/west orientation to the street system to capitalize on renewable solar energy opportunities and to provide a central park corridor that will connect the neighbourhood with Georgian Bay. A range of housing opportunities that include single-detached, semi-detached, townhouse and apartment forms. A system of attractive streets and streetscapes that visually reinforce the quality of the neighbourhood and the built form. A safe a secure environment that promotes comfortable use of public spaces by all residents and a coherent building-to-street relationship that reinforces a comfortable walking environment. The neighbourhood developer, Northridge Property Management, is proposing to work with the City of Owen Sound to develop a new waterfront park on public land on the west side of East Bayshore Road. Together, the park and the new housing will create an attractive and highly sought after new neighbourhood that capitalizes on the Site attributes. This neighbourhood structure is generally illustrated on the Neighbourhood Concept Plan below. Neighbourhood Concept Plan East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 2
3. Urban Design Guidelines These Urban Design Guidelines are comprised of statements of general intent and precedent images to illustrate the various principles. These guidelines and images should be used as illustrative tools and not read as a formal plan or the actual building elevations to be created in this neighbourhood. Rather, their inclusion in the document is solely for the purpose of illustrating the principles being advanced by this Urban Design Brief. b) Vary the elevation types along a single street to enhance the visual interest and variety of the streetscape. c) Use a varied pattern of building recessions and projections on individual blocks and along the entire street to enhance the visual interest and variety of the streetscape. 3.1 Design Guidelines for Ground-Oriented Housing Location and Orientation a) Locate residential buildings close to the minimum front yard setback with their primary face addressing the street, while making room for trees and utilities. b) Provide visual interest along the streetscape with a variety in setbacks. Building Elevations and Design a) Design the elevations of blocks to have a variety of different features and treatments, including variations in colour, materials, projections and recessions, windows, and horizontal and vertical elements. Variety of treatments, materials, and colour (Brampton, ON) d) Design corner units so that the side of the dwelling unit is treated similar to the front façade in terms continuity of materials, colour, and window placement. e) Use a variety of roofline types along an individual block and along the entire street to enhance the visual interest and variety of the streetscape. f) Incorporate porches into the building design to provide interaction space between dwellings and the street. East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 3
Ensure that porches are large enough to accommodate sitting areas and consider wrapping porches around the building façade on corner units. g) Treat buildings at key locations (gateways, corner lots, lots facing parks) with enhanced façade treatments that reflect their priority status. h) Where possible, locate utility meters on side elevations and not front elevations and incorporate into the building design and screen with landscaping. Garages and Parking a) Design units to minimize garage projections past the front wall of the unit, or past the front of a porch where units have porches. b) Twin driveways for townhouse dwellings, where practical, to reduce the amount of front paved surface area that is required and to maximize the amount of on-street parking that can be accommodated. c) Design driveways so that they are not wider than the garage. d) Orient the driveway and garage for corner units to the street that is secondary in terms of traffic volume and function. 3.2 Design Guidelines for Apartment Residential a) Design apartment buildings in an east-west orientation to maximize views through the block to Georgian Bay. b) Locate apartment buildings at corner sites close to both street right-of-ways to reinforce the street edge. Porches provide interaction between dwellings and the street (Milton, ON) c) Site apartment buildings with appropriate setbacks to minimize the impacts, including shadowing and wind effects, on surrounding buildings and activities. East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 4
d) Consider providing ground floor units within apartment buildings with individual at-grade access to increase building pedestrian-orientation while keeping in mind safety and security. c) Design middle floor elevations with an articulated elevation, including different colours and materials from the base floor, a variety of windows, balconies, and projections and recessions. d) Design rooftop mechanical equipment as an integral part of the building design, including setting back equipment from the roof s edge or screening equipment. e) Consider special building features, such as increased height, window treatment, and architectural elements, for the corner of apartment buildings that are located on corner sites in order to reinforce the prominence of these locations. Buildings oriented to maximize views of natural features (Burnaby, BC) Building Elevations and Design a) Design apartment buildings with definable base, middle and top treatments through building architecture, materials and colours. f) Locate primary building entrances so that they are directly connected to pedestrian routes. While the primary entrance would likely face internally to parking areas and private streets, consider providing a secondary entrance from the street frontage. g) Design the building elevation to clearly define the building entrance with special architectural features that emphasize its location. b) Design the base storey of a taller building as pedestrianoriented in terms of size, scale, materials, and window location. East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 5
Parking a) Provide an internal circulation system between the parking areas for adjacent apartment buildings that is clearly defined, logical, and connected for access to and from the site. b) Locate any surface parking for apartment buildings away from East Bayshore Road. c) Locate the access point to any underground parking from the interior of the lot, and not at the building s edges along a public street. d) Provide defined pedestrian routes between the internal private streets and the building entrances, which include landscape treatment and special pavement treatment when crossing drive aisles within parking areas. Landscape Design a) Use a combination of street trees, foundation planting, and decorative fencing within the site s landscape edges that provides a suitable visual edge while ensuring visibility into and from the site. b) Divide surface parking areas with landscaped islands that are of sufficient size to accommodate the sustainable growth of plant materials and trees within the island area. Underground parking access points should be located to the interior of the lot to increase pedestrian orientation along public streets (Burnaby, BC) c) Landscape the edges of surface parking areas that face internal private streets similar to the treatment along public streets, including street trees, foundation planting, and decorative fencing, to visually screen such areas. Utilities, Lighting a) Screen all utility equipment and loading areas from public view either by locating within buildings or visually screening it through site and building design. b) Ensure there is a sufficient building setback and adequate landscape area to buffer the rear of any commercial buildings from adjacent residential properties. East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 6
c) Design residential units adjacent to the park to either front onto the park or with elevations for sides and rear that facilitate casual surveillance of this space. d) Ensure that activity areas within the park are sufficiently spaced from the residential rear yards that are adjacent to the park to limit noise impacts. Design Landscaped islands and clear pedestrian routes should be utilized to enhance parking areas. c) Design lighting so that there is no light cast over adjacent residential areas. d) Provide lighting that is appropriate to the ground floor use and focuses on pedestrian areas. 3.3 Design Guidelines for Parks Layout a) Locate and design the park to be a focal point within this neighbourhood. b) Incorporate in the park design both active and passive space, structured and unstructured space to accommodate the widest range of users possible. a) Use a consistent style for park amenities ( park architecture ), which includes benches, garbage receptacles, sign poles, and signage. b) Locate a postal mailbox for the neighbourhood within the edge of the park, coordinated with the location of onstreet parking. c) Provide a shelter structure at the postal mailbox, the style of which is consistent with the overall park architecture. d) Design the edges of the park where they face public streets so that they are consistent with the non-park side of the street in terms of street tree placement (8.0 to 10.0 metres on-centre preferred) and species selection. e) Provide clear entry points into park spaces that are defined by landscape and pavement treatments. East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 7
f) Design any rear yard fencing adjacent to the park with a consistent style around the perimeter of the park, keeping in mind privacy for the residence and visibility into the park. g) Use native species in the landscape design of the park to allow optimal growth and to minimize maintenance requirements. 3.4 Design Guidelines for Streets Public Streets a) In accordance with City standards, use a 20.0 metre rightof-way width for the internal public streets in the area that includes: Two travel lanes; On-street parking; and A boulevard space which includes a sidewalk on both sides. b) Plant trees along all public streets in a consistent pattern (8.0 to 10.0 metres on-centre preferred) and coordinate with the location of street amenities and utilities. Base the selection and location of trees on soil conditions, bearing capacity, and urban forestry principles. c) Aim to plant 1 tree per lot, 2 trees for corner units where they fit, and 1 tree per 2 multiple attached dwellings where possible. Residential dwellings fronting onto the park activate the space and provide natural surveillance (Markham, ON) d) Design crosswalks in areas with higher pedestrian and vehicular traffic volumes (East Bayshore Road, Street C) or connecting destinations such as to parks to be visually different from the street surface and ensure that they are universally accessible. East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 8
e) Design the entrances to the neighbourhood from East Bayshore Road as a gateway to create a sense of arrival with such elements as enhanced landscape treatment and neighbourhood signage in the boulevard or the median. Ensure street gateway treatment complements the built form treatment and is consistent in theme and materials with the Central Park. Landscaped gateway features provide identity and sense of place to the neighbourhood while providing visual interest. Street trees and dwellings fronting a park (Portland, OR) East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 9
The central linear park is a place-making element that provides a relaxing space for the community to enjoy. East Bayshore Road Neighbourhood Northridge Property Management 10