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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-049-01 . '0' ""'"""1"~,<' t. ,.~ , . . Cl~illgron REPORT PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: Monday, December 3, 2001 ]) / 'f Resolution #:0fff-5<i<:3-D / Report #: PSD-049-01 File: PLN 6.1 By-law #: Subject: ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL IN PLANS OF SUBDIVISION Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PSD-049-01 be received; and 2. THAT the Policy on Architectural Control be approved as contained in Attachment 3 to Report to PSD-049-01, Submitted by: D id Direct Reviewed b.o~~ . Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer DJC.sh November 28, 2001 Q4~ c REPORT NO.: PSD-G49-G1 Page 2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 For the last decade, the Municipality has had a simplified architectural control policy. It addresses three major issues only: . External materials . Model repetition . Colours The standard requirements are contained in Shedule "W" to subdivision agreement (Attachment 1). This has provided a base level of control over materials and model repetition but has not focused on the many other issues that are important to provide high quality living environment. 1.1 Current municipal practice is that the architectural control standards reviewed after submission of a building permit application. Planning staff review architectural control issues concurrently with the review for zoning by-law conformity of building applications. /' 1.2 Some of the issues with our approach to date are as follows: . Architectural control has not been results-oriented but primarily input- oriented, given the lack of architectural expertise on staff . Architectural control has focused on a few issues but not design details that have become increasingly problematic such as garage projections, porches, prominent lots . Some developers have applied to use creative use of other materials in keeping with a theme but not consistent with the 40 % masonry requirement. . Given the lack of architectural training, important design details are not addressed in the review . There has been little attention given to prominent lots with high public visibility 647 , REPORT NO.: PSD-049-o1 Page 3 2.0 PRACTICES IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES 2.1 Over the years, there has been a growing sophistication among municipalities to improve on the architectural control process. There are two primary elements of architectural control used elsewhere that should be incorporated in a new process in Clarington: . Preparation of architectural design guidelines Architectural design guidelines are developed to provide more detailed and site-specific outline of the architectural design requirements for a plan of subdivision or a neighbourhood. These guidelines address a variety of factors focusing on the exterior impact dwellings on the public realm. The scope of the guidelines may vary among municipalities but are developed to provide a basis for the municipal review. . Use of a control architect A control architect is the municipality's reviewer of the exterior architecture design of buildings and street elements in the subdivision. The control architect works closely with the developer's or builder's architect, usually in advance of the submission of drawings to the Municipality's Building Division. 2.2 Many other municipalities in the Greater Toronto area have a adopted similar approaches. Within Durham, Whitby, Ajax and more recently Oshawa have adopted a similar approach to that being recommended in this report. Pickering requires an architectural design statement but currently does not employ control architects, with the exception of within the Pickering Main Central Area. The following is a list of municipalities that utilize architectural design guidelines and a control architect in one form or another: . Ajax . Oshawa . Whitby . Markham . Richmond Hill . Vaughan . Aurora . Brampton 648 '. REPORT NO.: PSD-049-01 Page 4 3.0 DISCUSSION 3.1 General Architectural Design Guidelines The approach proposed for Clarington would be to provide generic architectural design guidelines that would be used in new residential development throughout the Municipality. These guidelines would focus on common architectural design, built- form and siting objectives. It would identify requirements for preparing supplementary architectural design guidelines in each plan of subdivision including which lots are deemed to be a priority due to their highly visible location. An example of a priority lot treatment for a comer lot would include wrap-around porches and detailing on both facades. The guidelines would be prepared after reviewing current practices relating to architectural control, zoning, and building permit requirements. The General Architectural Design Guidelines would be circulated in draft form to the development industry and presented to Council for approval. It is proposed to use one of the control architects used by the other Durham municipalities so that there is a consistency of approach and general design standards for the development industry. The preparation of the General Architectural Design Guidelines is estimated to cost approximately $12,000 and can be accommodated within the Planning Department budget 3.2 Use of Supplementary Design Guidelines Supplementary Architectural Design Guidelines would be required for each plan of subdivision to identify priority lot treatment as a minimum. If the developer so desires, the supplementary guidelines would also address site-specific variations to the General Architectural Design Guidelines such as specific architectural themes or increased architectural performance. The supplementary design guidelines would be prepared by the control architect for the specific plan of subdivision and approved by the Director of Planning Services. 649 , REPORT NO.: PSD-049-01 Page 5 3.3 Control Architects Control architects are engaged to provide architectural design expertise for the municipality in preparing the supplementary architectural design guidelines and the review of building drawings to be submitted for a building permit. A control architect is the liaison between the municipality and the builder's architect. Using the municipal objectives, the site-specific conditions including local history and architecture and taking into account the developer's plans, the control architect prepares the set of recommendations to which the builders must adhere. Control architects provide an enhanced level of review and could expedite the review process by being undertaken in advance of the formal submission to the Municipality. The use of control architects would be on a full cost-recovery basis for the Municipality. 3.4 The costs of an enhanced architectural control process to be picked up by the developer is generally as follows: . Final approval of model design . House Sitings $ 85 per model $ 70-85 per house The fee standard for architectural control process is relatively standard across the Greater Toronto Area. 3.5 Transition The revised architectural control procedures would not apply to any development with an approved subdivision agreement. In the event of a major revision to an existing draft plan of subdivision, the Municipality would consider whether to apply the new process. The new procedures would be applied to any future subdivision agreement to be executed after Council's approval of the policy. 650 , . REPORT NO.: PSD-049-01 Page 6 However, there will be some circumstances where this will pose a hardship particularly if the developer is marketing homes. The Director of Planning Services would be authorized to consider requests to adjust this implementation approach to provide for a smooth transition in consideration of the circumstances of a particular development. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 An enhanced architectural control process will provide the Municipality with the tools to achieve a higher quality built environment. It has been used successfully in other municipalities to produce valued neighbourhoods and a positive image for those municipalities. At the same time, by utilizing a roster of approved control architects, there is the opportunity for efficient review outside of the normal municipal review process. The approach of using a roster of architectural firms also ensures that a variety of architectural concepts and design solutions can be employed. 4.2 It is recommended that the new architectural control policy contained in Attachment 2 be approved, and that staff be authorized to retain an architect to prepare General Architectural Design Guidelines for Council's approval. Attachment 1 - Schedule 'W' Attachment 2 - Architectural Control Process Attachment 3 - Development Policy CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T (905) 623-3379 F (905)623-0830 '6:51 ATTACHMEINT 1 Page 91 SCHEDULE "W' THIS SCHEDULE IS SCHEDULE "W" to the Agreement which has been authorized and approved by By-law No. of The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington, enacted and passed the day of , 2000. ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL STANDARDS All dwellings to be erected on the said Lands shall satisfy the following architectural control standards: 1, EXTERNAL MATERIALS (a) Exterior construction must be a minimum of forty (40%) percent masonry products excluding stucco and concrete blocks. Dwellings sited at the comers require full height masonry products on all elevations. (b) No substitutions are allowed within paragraph (a) except by written permission of the Director of Planning Services Department. , 2. COLOURS (a) Colours of bricks, siding, roofs and trims must be compatible and in harmony such as earthtone range, pastel range, grey/black range etc. (b) Where bricks are used, coloured mortar is required. (c) Accent colour bricks for brick detailing is permitted provided if used consistently in group of dwellings. (d) Colour of caulking around metal flashing or windows is required to match colour of brick or siding. 3. REPETITION OF ELEVATIONS AND STYLES (a) Any two (2) dwellings abutting each other must exhibit a minimum of twenty-five (25%) exterior variations in elevations or colour schedule. (b) Dwellings of identical elevation and/or colour schedule must be separated by a minimum of four (4) dwellings. 652 Page 92 Schedule "W" . 2 - (c) Dwellings which mimic the influence of a particular architectural influence (eg. Georgian, Colonial, Spanish) are permitted only if constructed in a group reflecting the same architectural influence. . 4. OTHERS (a) All metal roof vents and stacks must be located in the rear slope of roofs and must be painted to match the roof colour if exposed to public view. (b) All dwellings must cany brick veneers to within twelve (12) inches of the grade on front elevation and within twenty (20) inches on side and rear elevations. Exposed concrete foundation in excess of the aforementioned standard will not be permitted. (c) The Owner shall encourage the builder of dwellings to vary siting and setback of dwellings. (d) The above standards are minimum standards and builders are encouraged to exceed the standards as long as the objective of creating attractive and aesthetically pleasing appearance is achieved. 653 Attachment 2 Architectural Control Process Steps in Process Current Process New Process Arch itectu ra I Schedule "W" to Subdivision Municipality prepares Architectural Design Control Agreement Design Guidelines (ADG) Guidelines Preparation of priority lotting plan, and, if necessary, supplement architectural design guidelines for the subdivision Preliminary None Initial design sketches of floor plans Review of Models and elevations Approval of model Review of models by Control working drawings Architect for compliance to ADG Submission of models to Building Submission of models to Building Division for review under Building Division for review under Building Code Code Review of models for zoning Review of models for zoning compliance by Planning staff compliance by Planning staff Review of models by Planning staff for compliance to architectural control policies Approval of Submission to and review by building permits control architect of working and related site drawings with engineer-certified site grading plans grading plans and streetscapes for compliance to ADG Submission of building permits with Submission of building permits with engineered-certified site grading engineered-certified site grading plans. plans. If approved model, no detailed If approved model, no detailed review required by Building review required by Building Review of grading plan by Review of grading plan by Engineering staff Engineering staff Review of building drawings by Review of building drawings by Planning staff for zoning Planning staff for zoning compliance. compliance. Review of building drawings by Planning staff for model repetition. Review of other architectural control requirements only if it is not previously approved model. Monitoring for None Inspections and periodic reports on compliance Only complaints are reviewed any deficiencies by control architect 654 ATT ACHMEINT 3 PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENTAL POLICY SUBSECTION: SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL GUIDELINES DATE APPROVED/ UPDATED: APPROVED BY: Council PURPOSE: To promote high quality residential environments and to promote excellence in urban design through a clear community vision. The preparation of architectural design guidelines and the use of architectural and urban design specialists in the municipal review process will ensure that municipal objectives are achieved while providing for flexibility and architectural design creativity. BACKGROUND: The Clarington Official Plan states that "excellence in urban design will be pursued to contribute to a sense of place, ensure physical safety, promote social interaction and enjoyment, provide human scale to the urban environment and promote the integration of land uses." (Section 3.2.2) Architectural control procedures are one important means to ensure that the principles of the Clarington Official Plan are achieved and the site characteristics of each neighbourhood are addressed. The existing architectural control procedures in the plans of subdivision shall be replaced by this policy. Architectural design review in the context of this policy shall refer to a review of a site plan application by external consultant with architectural and/or urban design expertise. POLICY: 1. Architectural Design Guidelines shall generally comprise the following elements: . Design vision . Heritage considerations . Architectural styles . Building massing and roof form . Fenestration . Porches and main entrances . Treatment of the garage . Exterior materials and colours . Trim detailing . Sitting requirements . Model repetition criteria . Treatment of dwellings on priority lots MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT 655 PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENTAL POLICY SUBSECTION: SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL GUIDELINES DATE APPROVED/ UPDATED: APPROVED BY: Council 2. The Municipality shall prepare General Architectural Design Guidelines. These will be written in a general manner for use in new residential neighbourhoods throughout the Municipality. The Municipality's General Architectural Design Guidelines will be approved by Council. 3. As a minimum, every developer shall prepare a Priority Lot and Sitting Criteria Plan identifying lots that require special attention due to their highly visible location in the public realm. 4. Site specific issues for any plan of subdivision shall be addressed in a Supplementary Architectural design Guideline document for each plan of subdivision that will address architectural theming and local design vision. 5. Supplementary Architectural Design Guidelines must be prepared by a Control Architect with an architectural firm on a roster approved by the Director of Planning Services. Supplementary Architectural Design Guidelines will be approved by the Director of Planning Services. 6. Every plan of subdivision shall be required to have a Control Architect save and except for the following: . Industrial plans of subdivision . Country residential (Estate) plans of subdivision . Residential plans of subdivision that are exempted by the transition provisions below. 7. Architectural review by the Control Architect will be conducted expeditiously and shall generally comprise the following steps: . Orientation meeting with the developer/builder and municipal staff . Preparation of the Supplementary Architectural Design Guidelines . Model Review and Approval . Approval of house sitings . Monitoring for compliance 8. Only model working drawings bearing the stamp of the Control Architect shall be eligible for submission to the Building Division. 9. Architectural control will be conducted on a full cost recovery basis. MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT 656 PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENTAL POLICY SUBSECTION: SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL GUIDELINES DATE APPROVEDI UPDATED: APPROVED BY: Council Transition The transition to this new Architectural Control Policy shall be as follows: 1. Any development with an approved subdivision agreement is not subject to this policy. In the event of a major revision to an existing draft approval where the developer has an approved subdivision agreement, the Municipality will generally apply this policy. 2 Any subdivision agreement executed after December 10, 2001 shall contain provisions requiring the use of a Control Architect and conformity to the Municipality's Architectural Design Guidelines. 3. The Director of Planning Services will be authorized to make appropriate modifications process given the particular circumstances of the development so as to no create any undue hardship or prejudice to the development process. MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT 657