Commercial Development Permit Area Guideline Review

November 15, 2022Pages 66–702 sections

A detailed review table assessing how the Canadian Tire expansion project aligns with Town design, siting, and landscaping guidelines.

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Confirms use of 'West Coast' design character materials like timber posts and stone claddingSpecifies CPTED principles are considered in the expansion

Commercial Development Permit Area Guideline Review

Design Character

Guideline	Comment
Buildings should address the public realm and contribute to a safe and comfortable pedestrian friendly streetscape.	Not achievable given the siting of the existing building.
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.	Building materials, such as metal paneling and stone cladding are durable and high quality, and feature “west coast” elements such as timber posts.
Main entrances should be clearly visible from streets and internal vehicle and pedestrian circulation routes. Entrances may be emphasized with lighting, architectural detailing, colour, special paving, landscaping, or other defining features. Weather protection should be provided at entrances.	New building entrances associated with building expansion are clearly defined and visible from internal parking areas. Existing canopy is to be extended as part of the building expansion providing weather protection.
Long blank walls should be avoided. Public frontages should present a consistent and visually appealing design through use of materials, windows, articulation, and roof treatments.	The existing building features varying rooflines, and publicly viewable frontages (south elevation) provide a mix of building materials, colours, and accents creating visual interest.
Unsightly roof elements, including mechanical equipment and vents, should be enclosed by roof parapets or other forms of solid screening.	New rooftop units will be screened to match existing screening.
Signage should be consistent with the overall design of the building.	New signage is tailored to complement the proposed form and character of the building.
Design details such as street light standards and street furniture should be of a consistent design and contribute to an attractive streetscape.	Not proposed – nor achievable given the existing location of the building and grade differences between the subject property and streets.
Containers for garbage and recycling should be stored in a safe and convenient location and screened from view	Existing location of waste collection areas to remain.
Commercial units should incorporate substantial amounts of glazing along pedestrian routes.	Existing glazing to remain unchanged – no new glazing areas are proposed.
Developments are encouraged to provide outdoor plazas to serve as gathering places for employees and patrons. Plazas should include various opportunities for seating and incorporate substantial landscaping. Additional elements such as pergolas, trellises, public art and water features are encouraged.	New outdoor plaza is proposed and intended as a gathering place for employees and patrons. Includes construction of a pergola, raised seating and new planting areas.
Identify appropriate areas for gateway features and provide features that express the natural, heritage, cultural or economic identity of View Royal	Existing gateway feature at the southeast corner of the property to remain.

Siting, Height and Massing

Guideline	Comment
Buildings should be positioned to frame public streets and internal circulation routes.	Positioning building to frame public street is not feasible given the location of the existing building, however the building front frames internal circulation routes.
New developments should respect the scale and general development pattern of adjacent land uses	The proposed scale and massing of the building addition is consistent with the existing Canadian Tire building and is not anticipated to have a negative effect on adjacent land uses over and above existing conditions.
Create visual interest by providing variations in height, rooflines and massing	Existing building features varying rooflines, but varying massing is challenging given the proposal is an expansion to an existing retail center.
Buildings should be oriented to maximize sunlight exposure on pedestrian routes and public plazas.	Existing building location already benefits from significant sun exposure.

Landscaping

Guideline	Comment
Retain mature trees, vegetation and natural features wherever possible.	Though some loss of landscaping along the eastern side of the property is required to accommodate the expansion and revised drive aisle, mature landscaping (including trees) around the perimeter of the property are to remain.
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.	Though opportunities to provide new landscaping areas are minimal given the scope of the project, a new proposed plaza, which includes new trees, decorative paving and seating is proposed.
Utilize native species wherever possible in site landscaping. Plants should be chosen for seasonal interest and compatibility with the local climate.	The plant material that was selected for the site are drought tolerant, provide brilliant fall colour as well as interesting textures and winter interest.
Drought-tolerant plant species are encouraged.	Plant material selected for this site is drought tolerant and the most adaptable to changing climate trends.
Landscaping should incorporate an automatic irrigation system.	New planting areas to incorporate an automatic irrigation system.
Tree species of sufficient height and canopy spread should be used to provide shade and improve the visual appearance of parking areas.	New trees are proposed within new landscaped amenity area and parking area which function to soften the visual appearance of the parking area and to provide shade.
Buffers between commercial and residential uses	An existing 7.5m buffer exists between the Canadian Tire store and adjacent residential development to the north. The difference in grade should also help minimize conflicts between the two uses.
Landscape design strategies should be incorporated that minimize stormwater runoff, and promotes the natural infiltration and cleaning of runoff	Not particularly achievable given the existing development conditions, however a stormwater plan has been submitted with this application confirming existing infrastructure can accommodate the increase in stormwater post development.
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.	All plant material and landscaping methods shall conform to the British Columbia Landscape Standard published by the BCSLA and well as follow the MMCD schedules for construction.

Parking, Access and Circulation

Page 66–70

Guideline	Comment
Provide strong and safe linkages to surrounding parks, trails, schools and other local destinations.	Existing pedestrian linkages to remain – a covered sidewalk will be extended along the building expansion, and new garden centre location, providing connectivity to the existing sidewalk on the Old Island Highway.
Pedestrian and cycling access routes should designed to provide easy and convenient access to transit services, cycling routes, trails and sidewalks.	See above comment.
Access and circulation should be safe and convenient for pedestrians, cyclists, people with reduced mobility and vehicles.	See above comment – no significant changes to existing onsite access and circulation.
Provide safe and direct pedestrian access from parking areas to building entrances.	Formalized pedestrian crossing between building and new parking area provided.
Pedestrian routes and crossing areas should be defined with textured paving materials, patterns and/or color.	New pedestrian crossing will be demarcated as such.
Parking should be located underground, wherever possible.	Not feasible given the existing development.
Surface parking areas should be located behind buildings or in internal parking courts, and should incorporate substantial landscaping and trees in planting islands to increase permeability, provide shade and improve the visual appearance of parking areas.	Existing and newly proposed surface parking areas are well screened by the existing mature landscape buffer around the perimeter of the subject property. The new parking area includes two planting islands, intended to increase permeability and visually soften the impact of the parking area.
On-site surface parking should incorporate permeable features such as pavers, pervious asphalt or pervious concrete to increase permeability and natural infiltration.	Not proposed given the limited proposed changes to the on-site surface parking area.
Servicing and loading areas should be located in a manner that does not negatively impact the pedestrian realm	No changes proposed to existing servicing and loading areas.
Sheltered bicycle parking for visitors should be provided at an accessible location near the primary entrance and located to ensure passive surveillance.	5 – class 2, sheltered bicycle parking is proposed adjacent to the existing main entrance of the Canadian Tire Store.

Lighting

Guideline	Comment
Building and site lighting should be sufficient to ensure pedestrian and vehicle safety.	Lighting will be designed to match existing outdoor and building lighting and will highlight the site and provide safety during low light conditions.
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.	“Dark skies” friendly lighting will be incorporated into the design at time of Building Permit.
On-site lighting standards should be pedestrian scale, while providing sufficient light for automobile traffic.	On-site lighting to match existing standards.
Lighting standards should be consistent with street furniture and garbage/ recycling containers.	Lighting to be incorporated within new amenity landscaped area.
Outdoor electrical outlets should be provided at regular intervals to facilitate the installation of seasonal/decorative outdoor lighting.	Like the above comment – electrical outlets to be incorporated into new landscaped area to facilitate seasonal decorations.
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.	Pole mounted lighting to match existing, but height will not exceed 5m in height, and will not be more than 40,000 lumens.

Safety

Guideline	Comment
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.	Proposed building expansion considers CPTED principals: building entrances are well defined, the building addresses the internal parking lot, and good sight lines are maintained.

Other

Guideline	Comment
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 are highly encouraged.	Incorporation of Green Building strategies not considered feasible given that the proposal features an expansion to an existing building.
Incorporation of resource and energy efficiency into the siting, design, construction and maintenance of buildings and structures is highly encouraged.	Same comment as above.

Page 66–70

Extracted from: 2022 11 15 Council Agenda - Agenda - Pdf