DEVELOPMENT PERMIT AREA: INTENSIVE MIXED-USE
Design standards for high-density mixed-use areas, such as the 'Fort Victoria' identification.
DEVELOPMENT PERMIT AREA: INTENSIVE MIXED-USE
Areas shown as Intensive Mixed-Use on Schedule P of the OCP are designated Development Permit Areas as per the Local Government Act Section 919.1(1) (d) and (f) for the establishment of objectives and the provision of guidelines for the form and character of multi-unit residential and commercial development in the Town of View Royal.
Justification
The Intensive Mixed Use designation includes provision for commercial with townhouses and low-rise apartments and will be found in three key locations around View Royal. The Intensive Mixed-Use areas will provide a mix of residential, commercial services and public amenities in a compact manner.
Detailed Design Guidelines should be developed for individual sites within the areas designated Intensive Mixed Use on Schedule L of this OCP, including the area identified as “Fort Victoria” on Schedule K: Community Development Framework.
Objectives
The objectives of requiring a Development Permit in the areas identified as Intensive Mixed-Use are to:
- Facilitate the orderly development of Intensive Mixed-Use areas and encourage consistency in the scale and design character.
- Promote development that concentrates residential density and commercial activity into an attractive, pedestrian oriented environment.
- Achieve a high standard of design.
Exemptions
In all areas designated Intensive Mixed-Use, the following development is exempt from obtaining a Development Permit:
- Internal alterations to a building.
- Building additions, external building or site alterations, not exceeding an estimated construction value of $30,000 which are so similar in their effect on the form and character of development as to not warrant an application in the opinion of the Director of Development Services.
GUIDELINES – DESIGN CHARACTER, ALL DEVELOPMENTS
i. Buildings should address the public realm and contribute to a safe and comfortable pedestrian-friendly streetscape. ii. Materials should be durable, high quality and should reflect the natural surroundings of View Royal and a “West Coast” design character; bringing in elements of wood, stone and a natural colour palette. Natural materials are preferred. iii. Building design should promote “eyes on the street” for natural surveillance of the public realm through the provision of entrances, windows, patios, porches and decks facing public streets and spaces. iv. Main entrances should be clearly visible to vehicles and pedestrians. Entrances may be emphasized with lighting, architectural detailing, colour, special paving, landscaping or other defining features. Weather protection should be incorporated into the entrances of multi-unit buildings. v. Long blank walls should be avoided. All visible frontages should present a consistent and visually appealing design through use of materials, fenestration, articulation, roof treatments and landscaping. vi. Unsightly roof elements, including mechanical equipment and vents, should be enclosed by roof parapets or other forms of solid screening. vii. Signage should be consistent with the overall design of buildings and should be oriented to pedestrians and cyclists, rather than motorists. viii. Design details such as street lighting standards and street furniture should be of a consistent design and contribute to an attractive streetscape. ix. Containers for garbage and recycling should be stored in a safe and convenient location and screened from view.
GUIDELINES – DESIGN CHARACTER, ALL DEVELOPMENTS
i. Commercial/Residential mixed-use buildings should be clustered on key roads and intersections to create a hub of residential density and services that is pedestrian-oriented and neighbourhood scale. ii. Incorporate weather protection along public sidewalks with awnings, canopies or other features. iii. Small, distinctive commercial units are preferred to long, uninterrupted commercial façades. iv. Provide distinction between ground floor commercial and upper levels of residential development through variation in materials, massing, architectural detailing or other elements. v. Developments are encouraged to provide outdoor plazas and open spaces to serve as gathering places for residents, visitors and employees. Plazas and open spaces should include various opportunities for seating and incorporate substantial hard and soft landscaping. Additional elements such as pergolas, trellises, public art and water features are encouraged.
vi. In addition to outdoor plazas and open spaces, there should be one primary gathering place in each individual Intensive Mixed-Use area.
GUIDELINES – DESIGN CHARACTER, RESIDENTIAL
i. Ground floor units in townhouses and low-rise apartments should have individual front doors that are directly accessible and visible from the street. Ground floor units may be raised up to 0.6 metres (two feet) above grade to provide privacy for dwelling units. ii. Residential units should be oriented to overlook adjacent parks, plazas and other public open spaces. iii. Direct access to private outdoor space, some of covered, should be provided to as many units as possible.
GUIDELINES – SITING, HEIGHT AND MASSING, ALL DEVELOPMENTS
i. New developments should respect the scale and general development pattern of adjacent land uses. ii. Create visual interest by providing variations in height, rooflines and massing. iii. Buildings should be located to maximize sunlight exposure to residential units, balconies and on-site common areas or outdoor seating areas. iv. Use terraced designs to preserve public views, where they exist.
GUIDELINES – SITING, HEIGHT AND MASSING, COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL MIXED-USE
i. Commercial units should be built to the front property line, articulated with generous areas of clear glass windows and doorway entrances set back into retail units. ii. Residential units and balconies should not protrude further than the commercial façade below.
GUIDELINES – LANDSCAPING, ALL DEVELOPMENTS
i. Retain mature trees, vegetation and natural features wherever possible. ii. Landscaping should contribute to a pedestrian-friendly streetscape and may include street trees, planters, decorative paving, seating, and use of other materials or furniture to add interest and define the pedestrian realm. iii. Utilize native species wherever possible in site landscaping. Plants should be chosen for seasonal interest and compatibility with the local climate. iv. Drought-tolerant plant species are encouraged. v. Landscaping should incorporate an automatic irrigation system. vi. A combination of hard and soft landscaping elements should be used to define the transition between public and private space. vii. Parking areas visible from streets and adjacent residential buildings should be screened with substantial landscaping. Surface parking areas should incorporate trees in planting islands to increase permeability and provide shade. viii. Landscape design strategies should be incorporated that minimize stormwater runoff, and promotes the natural infiltration and cleaning of runoff. ix. All landscaping work and plant material shall conform to the most recent edition of the British Columbia Landscape Standard published by the British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects.
GUIDELINES – PARKING, ACCESS AND CIRCULATION, ALL DEVELOPMENTS
i. Provide strong and safe linkages to surrounding parks, trails, schools and other neighbourhood destinations. ii. Pedestrian and cycling access routes should designed to provide easy and convenient access to transit services, cycling routes, trails and sidewalks. iii. Sidewalks should be provided on public streets. iv. Access and circulation should be safe and convenient for pedestrians, cyclists, people with reduced mobility and vehicles. v. Parking should be accommodated underground wherever possible. vi. On-site surface parking should be limited to short term commercial or residential visitor parking and should be suitably landscaped to screen parking areas from public roads and pedestrian routes. vii. On-site surface parking should incorporate permeable features such as pavers, pervious asphalt or pervious concrete to increase permeability and natural infiltration. viii. Traffic calming measures, such as curb bump outs, landscaped boulevards, street trees, street parking and raised or textured pedestrian crossings should be incorporated into internal circulation systems. ix. Sheltered bicycle parking for visitors should be provided at an accessible location near the primary entrance and located so as to ensure passive surveillance.
GUIDELINES – PARKING, ACCESS AND CIRCULATION, COMMERCIAL/ RESIDENTIAL MIXED-USE
i. If not accommodated underground, commercial parking should be located behind buildings, wherever possible. ii. Servicing and loading areas should be located in a manner that does not negatively impact the pedestrian realm.
GUIDELINES – LIGHTING, ALL DEVELOPMENTS
i. Building and site lighting should be sufficient to ensure pedestrian and vehicle safety. ii. Outdoor lighting should be regulated to control the quantity, quality and direction of night lighting. Lighting fixtures that are “dark skies” friendly to limit light pollution at night are encouraged. iii. Lighting fixtures should be consistent with the general design character of the building. iv. Street lighting standards should be pedestrian scale, while providing sufficient light for automobile traffic. v. Street lighting standards should be consistent with street furniture and garbage/recycling containers. viii. Outdoor electrical outlets should be provided at regular intervals to facilitate the installation of seasonal/decorative outdoor lighting. ix. Where pole mounted lighting is necessary, light standard luminaries should be no more than 40,000 lumens and mounted on poles no more than 5 metres high.
GUIDELINES – SAFETY
i. All developments should be designed for safety and security by incorporating Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles and guidelines with particular attention to passive surveillance, good site lines, appropriate lighting, clear definition of private, semi-private and public space, and appropriate access control measures.
GUIDELINES – OTHER
i. Implementation of “adaptable design standards” in residential development is encouraged to accommodate individuals who are physically-challenged and to facilitate “aging in place”. ii. Incorporation of Green Building strategies such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) and Built Green standards in the design and construction all buildings is highly encouraged. iii. Incorporation of resource and energy efficiency into the siting, design, construction and maintenance of buildings and structures is highly encouraged.
