Collingwood Urban Design Standards

UDM Passed

2010-07-19T19:15:00.003-04:00

The Town Council passed the two By-laws which enact the use of the Urban Design Manual. The final draft will be available at Town Hall and the main Town of Collingwood website, and HERE.

With Council's adoption of the Urban Design Manual this blog will essentially be dormant, and act only as an online archive of the Project.

Collingwood Urban Design Manual

Final Draft UDM

2010-07-19T14:16:00.001-04:00

The final draft of the UDM that is being presented to Council on July 19, is available HERE

Council Presentation

2010-07-16T18:50:00.000-04:00

Staff will be presenting the final draft of the Urban Design Manual to Council for adoption on July 19th, 2010.

The agenda for this regularly scheduled meeting is available here. As per this agenda the UDM may be adopted by Council as follows:

P2010-17 Urban Design Standards Adoption

RECOMMENDING THAT Council approve By-law 2010-082 and By-law 2010-083, which will adopt the Urban Design Manual (UDM) and establish the urban design standards contained in it, to be applicable to site plan, condominium, and subdivision applications and approvals under the Planning Act.

•THAT By-law 2010-082, being a by-law to establish a new Site Plan Control by-law for the Town of Collingwood and to repeal by-law 2006-81, be enacted and passed this 19th day of July 2010.

•THAT By-law 2010-083,being a by-law to adopt the Town of Collingwood Urban Design Manual by reference for consideration of draft plan of subdivision approval for the Town of Collingwood, be enacted and passed this 19th day of July, 2010.

Conference Presentation

2010-07-12T13:03:00.000-04:00

Staff gave a presentation about the Project at the Children's Health and the Environment: International Workshop on Research, Policy and Practice on June 30th.

The presentation focused on the parts of the Project that relate to development of a healthy built environment, with particular attention to children's health.

Participants were very positive about the work being undertaking in Collingwood; particularly the implementation of development/design requirements that help develop healthy communities that are supported by their extensive research.

Draft TWO

2010-06-21T14:51:00.002-04:00

A revised, Second Draft of the Urban Design Standards is now available:

THIS DRAFT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE FINAL DRAFT - SEE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF BLOG TO VIEW A COPY OF THE FINAL DRAFT.

News Paper Editorial

2010-06-20T14:34:00.000-04:00

An editorial that references the Urban Design Standards project was published in the June 16th edition of the Enterprise-Bulletin.

Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board

2010-05-14T14:44:00.000-04:00

This morning staff attended the Directors' meeting of the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board. During the meeting, staff presented a modified version of the Urban Design Standards presentation made at the OBIAA conference last month.

The information was well recieved and there was enough time for staff to answer a few questions relating to the project and other Planning issues within the community.

Urban Design and Community Health - Article

2010-05-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

This week the Enterprise-Bulletin news paper published an article that referenced the Urban Design Standards project; it can be read here.

Active Transportation - Comment

2010-05-12T09:18:00.000-04:00

A recent comment was received that addressed modifying or creating new bicycle lanes (see comment here)

While the issues brought up in this comment are important, they are not specifically addressed in the Urban Design Standards for two reasons:

1) The Town is about to undertake the development of an Active Transportation Plan which will provide the structure/guidance under which new active transportation infrastructure (such as that identified in the blog comment) will be developed; or in some cases perhaps even retrofitted to existing areas. Without this background in place, it would have been inappropriate to include the kind of specific suggestions highlighted in the comment.

At such time as that the Active Transportation Plan is complete, the direction provided by it will be integrated into the design/review process (with Engineering best management practices and standards), along with the UDS.

2) The Urban Design Standards are focused on new development and not retrofitting, when redevelopment or infill projects are proposed the UDS will be applied as most practicable given the existing built environment. Therefore, the scope of the suggested changes would generally sit outside of the UDS review process, but could form part of specific infrastructure improvement projects.

Note that the suggestions provided by the blog comment will be incorporated into the Active Transportation Project.

Open House

2010-05-10T11:09:00.000-04:00

A public open house was held on April 16th, from 12:00 to 7:00pm to provide people an opportunity learn about and discuss the draft Urban Design Standards. Approximately 10 people attended. There were a number of comments and questions regarding the UDS.

The focus of the discussions that the attendees engaged staff in were generally on the following: the positive change that the UDS could have for the community; the need to manage the function and aesthitics of new development; the way the draft UDS sections are interrelated; scope; community health; active transportation; and, the standards associated with utilities. These, as all meetings and discussions that have been part of this Project, will be considered and integrated into the UDS as appropriate.

Roundtable

2010-05-10T10:54:00.001-04:00

Staff held a roundtable discussion with interested stakeholders on April 23. There were approximately 10 non-staff participants that were invited to attend because they had previously identified their interest in participating in such an event. The broad interested that were represented by these individuals included: public health; development; Planning; Landscape Architecture; and law.

There were a number of issues that were raised and discussed during the couple of hours that these people came together to discuss the Urban Design Standards, including: implementation; scope; details; applicability; community health; costs; policy direction; and, Council direction. These, as all meetings and discussions that have been part of this Project, will be considered and integrated into the UDS.

Stakeholder Input

2010-04-16T12:33:00.000-04:00

The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada recently provided comments regarding the UDS. These comments will be reviewed and considered as the draft is edited.

Project Input

2010-04-16T12:29:00.000-04:00

Staff have received comments regarding the UDS from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, which will be integrated into the draft as it is edited.

GTDI Meetings

2010-04-16T12:22:00.000-04:00

Staff met with the Georgian Triangle Development Institute twice in the past month to provide them with an overview of the UDS and receive their comments. These, as well as comments received from others, are being considered as the UDS are being edited.

Council Presentation

2010-03-26T20:41:00.000-04:00

Staff will be reviewing Chapters 6 to 10 of the draft UDS with Town Council at this coming Monday's Council Meeting.

You can see a copy of the agenda HERE.

Heritage Committe

2010-03-18T11:05:00.000-04:00

Staff met with the Heritage Committee this morning to discuss the Draft UDS.

They were very supportive of the work presented, and staff look forward to receiving their final comments (as well as those form the other Town Committees).

Working Draft Section Reviews: 4 and 5

2010-03-16T12:24:00.002-04:00

The window below contains a PDF copy of staff's presentation materials for review of Sections 4 and 5 of the Working Draft UDS.

This presentation material was used to guide the discussion with Town Council during their meeting of March 15th, 2010.

Sections 4-5 Review

Working Draft Section Reviews: 1, 2 and 3

2010-03-16T12:21:00.000-04:00

Below is a PDF copy of the presentation staff used during their review with Town Council of Sections 1, 2, and 3 of the Working Draft Urban Design Standards.

This material was used during the regularly scheduled meeting of Council on March 8th, 2010.

Sections 1 2 3 Review

Working Draft Introduction

2010-03-16T11:27:00.000-04:00

Below is a PDF copy of the presentation made by staff to Council in January 2010.

During this meeting staff provided Council with the Working Draft of the UDS and outlined its contents and review schedule.

Urban Design Standards: Working Draft Intro Presentation

Working Draft Review

2010-03-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

Town Council will begin their review of the Working Draft of the Urban Design Standards this coming Monday, at their regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting agenda can be found HERE.

This week's review of the UDS will cover Sections 1, 2, and 3.

Urban Design Standards - Working Draft

2010-02-22T10:57:00.005-05:00

This link will allow you to view the Working Draft of the Town of Collingwood's Urban Design Standards.

This draft will be reviewed by Town Council, Town Departments, the Public and Stakeholders over the coming months. If you have any question or comments, you are encouraged to leave them here on the blog, or contact staff directly.

Since it may not be obvious, the image below shows where to click to download the file for viewing once you have followed the link above.

Council Meeting

2010-02-19T16:42:00.000-05:00

Council will begin their review of the Working Draft of the Urban Design Standards during their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday.

Community Engagement: What Works for You?

2010-02-16T16:17:00.000-05:00

During a recent email discussion with a local resident interested in the Urban Design Standards project, the important issue of community participation came up.

Community engagement is always a challenge for municipal Planning projects; especially as contemporary culture often results in people’s personal time commitments increasing and citizen's varying levels of comfort with particular subject matters (such as the design of our physical environments).

As part of the email exchange I was made aware that this person’s experience was that numerous people were unaware of the Project. Below is a portion of my email response, which outlines a number of ways that staff have used to inform and gather information for this Project to date. Shortly, additional workshops and meetings will be held as the review of the Working Draft UDS begins.

While these various outreach methods have been successful in many ways, the fact and/or perception that many people are still unaware of the Project is important to contemplate. What this highlights is the ongoing difficultly municipalities face in communicating details of projects with stakeholders, even when multiple methods are used.

Please consider this and forward any ideas/questions you may have that can aid in our stakeholder engagement, not only for this Project, but for future work programs as well.

“I really appreciate your interest in the Project, and understand your apparent concern that people may not know about the project.

For this reason I have designed the Project to include far more than the usual “legal notices” published in the news paper. In addition to the numerous meetings and discussions held since the beginning of the project,

the list below outlines various community outreach activities that have taken place over the past 15 months since the project started. I appreciate any help you can provide in furthering people’s awareness of this project beyond what has been done to date.

•   Launched the Project blog;
•   A front page article was published in the local paper;
•   Two “notices” have been published in the local paper;
•   One (perhaps two – not sure off the top of my head) smaller update articles have been published by the local newspaper;
•   I appeared on the Rogers Cable program “Politically Speaking” with the Mayor to discuss the Project;
•   Between 150 and 200 letters were sent to stakeholders that have had experience or interest with site development/subdivisions within Collingwood (including Planners, Architects, local service groups, land owners, Engineers, former applicants, etcetera);
•   I presented at a Rotary meeting;
•   The GTDI hosted me as a presenter for a meeting specifically focused on the Project;
•   All applicants that have attended development “committee” meetings as part of current application review procedures have been informed about the Project, and their input sought;
•   I was the featured speaker for an event held at Town hall by the local Architectural Conservancy organization (Richard Lex’s group);
•   The Project has been featured on at least two local blogs;
•   There has been a storefront window display featuring the Project at our office on Hurontario since October;
•   I conducted a workshop in cooperation with the Arts and Culture Committee and Economic Development that included a selection of local stakeholders;
•   I have presented to all the Town Committees;
•   I have been publishing updates on Twitter since December of 2008;
•   There have been three specific presentations made to Town Council during public meetings (that have been appropriately advertised and broadcast on Rogers Cable);
•   The Fall 2009 issue of “On The Bay” featured information about the Urban Design Standards project as part of a significant article on Active Transportation;
•   The 2010 “Community Guide for Southern Georgian Bay” (sent out to between 15,000 and 20,000 households) included a three page feature “advertisement” from the Town that included a section on the Urban Design Standards; and,
•   Information handouts have been available on the brochure rack located at the Planning Services office.

Thanks again for your input”.

Community Engagement: Have Your Voice Heard

2010-02-08T10:39:00.001-05:00

On January 29th, the ad on the left ran in the local newspaper, reminding/informing people of the Urban Design Standards project.

Throughout the Project, it has been the intent of staff to reach out to the community and receive their input and ideas. Staff have conducted numerous presentations and meetings with Town Council, Staff, Town Committees, and local organizations such as the Georgian Triangle Development Institute, and Rotary.
In the first 39 days of 2010 readers of this blog for the UDS have spent an average of 2:22 on the site, with a total of 223 visits and 359 page views.

Depending on how far outside of Collingwood's town limits one wants to measure, between 38 and 43 of those 223 visits are "local". Collingwood visitors spent an average 14:08 minutes on the site since January 1st, and 52% of those are new visitors.

This is all encouraging news for the Project. As anyone familiar with community engagement and disseminating information for municipal Planning projects knows, having the numbers of readers and length of time on the site as we have achieved on this blog is quite good for a community of Collingwood's size.

We look forward to people posting more comments on the blog as they become comfortable with the format. Perhaps reviewing the Working Draft UDS will get people more interested in moving beyond just receiving information and providing us with their own unique insights. Either way, staff are pleased to be using this tool to help make our process more understandable and accessible.

Working Draft Presentation to Departments

2010-02-08T09:39:00.000-05:00

This past week staff presented the Working Draft of the UDS to Department Heads and CAO, in preparation for the review phase with Town Council.

The Town Council's review if the UDS is sheduled to begin at the conclusion of the budget review process currently underway. Once the Working Draft has been presented to Council, staff will be posting a copy on the blog.

Section Ten: Landscaping and Public Spaces

2010-01-24T21:51:00.000-05:00

The draft purpose of Section Ten is as follows.

The purpose of landscaping is to: add visual interest; define pedestrian zones; distinguishing private and public realms; delineating different spaces and use areas on site; contribute to comfort for users; provide visual screens and buffers for incompatible uses; define the streetwall; and provide environmental benefits associated with air and water quality and habitat protection.

The relationship between landscaping, paths, activity nodes, and public parks, spaces, buildings, parking areas, and open space need to be taken seriously in the design of new developments; as these work together as a major feature of the community’s physical form.

The design of public spaces and their connections to other areas and uses impact the livability of the community through their structures, their interconnected network, and the influence they have on the way public life is lived. Therefore, public spaces shall be arranged, designed, and concentrated to be activity nodes. These shall be supported with convenient, safe and attractive connections, creating an interconnected structure of public places throughout the community.

The standards in this Section are intended to direct the design characteristics of project landscaping and public spaces so that new development is safe, attractive, and environmentally sensitive, and supports the livability of Collingwood.

Automobile Canopies and Bays

2010-01-24T21:41:00.000-05:00

To minimize the negative impacts automobile oriented developments, the following draft standards are being included in the working draft.

1. Drive-through, car wash and service bay structures shall be compatible in design and materials with the architectural elements of the main building.

2. Lighting under canopies shall be completely shielded from casting light off site or into the sky.

3. The primary street frontage shall not be dominated by the drive-through canopy or bay component of the development.

4. Multiple bays for drive-through, car washes, or service facilities shall provide significant architectural or landscape features to provide a visual break separating every three bays.

5. Canopies shall be no closer to the street than the main building. Drop off areas as defined in the UDS are exempt.

Display Lots

2010-01-24T21:35:00.000-05:00

The draft design standards for automobile display lots are outlined below:

1. The storage of vehicle inventory, and vehicles being serviced, shall meet the design and landscape requirements of parking lots relating to tree canopy and screening.

2. Vehicle displays shall be located no closer to the street than the required building setback.

3. Display areas along the street frontage may be raised up to a maximum of 2m above grade, provided these areas include:
a. Special landscaping treatments to highlight the display area;
b. Task specific lighting;
c. Landscape features such as rockeries; and,
d. The maximum frontage dedicated for vehicle display areas shall be 50%.

Priority Sites and Special Uses

2010-01-24T21:25:00.000-05:00

Section Nine deals with car oriented developments with the following purpose:

Car oriented commercial establishments are those that provide or dispense products or services, through an attendant or automated machine, to persons remaining in vehicles that are in designated lanes. The following design requirements are intending to reduce the impacts of these uses, and enhance public streets and overall livability where they are located.

Circulation

2010-01-24T21:03:00.001-05:00

To ensure that the movement and waiting of cars does not create negative impacts, the draft regulations below have been written.

1. Adequate queuing distances, based on expected use, shall be provided to prevent vehicle traffic from blocking public streets or pedestrian walkways.

2. Pavement markings and directional signs to clarify vehicular movement patterns shall be provided on site.

3. Driveways, internal circulation lanes and streets, and vehicular accesses shall not exceed the dimensions necessary to meet the intended design speed.

4. Parking lots shall be designed with a clear hierarchy of circulation as follows:

a. Major entry lanes drives with no parking;

b. Primary manovering circulation lanes with little or no parking; and,

c. Parking manovering lanes for direct access to parking spaces.

Automobile Circulation and Parking

2010-01-24T20:54:00.000-05:00

The following draft standards deal with the design of parking areas and vehicle circulation.

1. The design of parking shall be based on the proposition that parking is not an end in itself. Its purpose is to generate a pedestrian environment where people and cars mix under controlled circumstances that favour the person on foot.

2. Parking lots shall be configured, designed and landscaped as well defined courtyards linked to a particular building with safe and convenient pedestrian ways that also accommodate vehicles; as opposed to poorly defined asphalted open spaces whose only control mechanism is provided by lane markings.

3. Pedestrian walkways shall be provided between facing rows of parking stalls.

4. Pedestrian crossings in parking areas shall be accentuated with a combination of at least two of the following:
a. Pavement markings;
b. Decorative bollards;
c. Decorative landscape elements and raised planters;
d. Raised walkways across speed tables;
e. Decorative concrete or pavers.

5. Parking and vehicle drives shall not be located within the front setback area; excepting the portions necessary for:
a. Vehicle entrances;
b. Priority parking stalls for persons with disabilities; and/or,
c. Drop-off points for Civic uses, uses with performance spaces, hotels, and other similar uses with high volumes of people arriving and departing.

6. On industrial sites, parking may be permitted along a maximum of 50% of the site frontage with the following restrictions:
a. Enhanced parking lot screening which includes double rows of street trees must be provided along the street frontage; and,
b. The parking areas may be no closer to the street than the building setback.

7. Each site shall have a single car entrance designated. Additional service entrance(s) may be permitted provided:
a. It is demonstrated to be a reasonable option due to site conditions or use; and,
b. Design features are used to ensure that potential impacts to pedestrian walkways, and site character are mitigated.

8. Access to parking shall be from lane ways where one exists or can be provided.

9. Where possible car access shall be provided from the side or minor frontage streets.

Wayfinding

2010-01-24T20:44:00.000-05:00

Standards are being written for wayfinding requirements. Staff are still addressing the thresholds for which these will become applicable.w

Below is the draft language:

1. A wayfinding system shall be developed to help direct pedestrians and improve accessibility.

2. Wayfinding systems shall include combinations of landmark features; indoor and outdoor signage; kiosks; imprinted and surface pavement markings; urban Braille; landscape and public art as landmarks; and interpretive signs and plaques.

3. Wayfinding systems shall be developed as multidimensional environmental graphics systems designed to integrate into the project as opposed to just signage systems where appropriate.

4. Wayfinding signage shall use combinations of forms, materials, universal symbols, tactile lettering, contrasting colours and fonts in sizes and type that are easy to read and appropriate for the intended use and location while avoiding visual clutter and creating an easily understood and orderly information system.

5. Information signs, and interpretive plaques or kiosks, shall be provided at public heritage and environmentally protected sites. The location of signage should not obstruct any significant views or hinder the character of the area.

6. Wayfinding signage shall be included along streets to indicate the location of trail access points, transit stops, parks, and access points to the shoreline.

7. All interpretive signage shall be designed and manufactured to be made of durable materials with a long lifespan that require minimal maintenance.

8. Interpretive signage shall be designed and installed to convey information that is:
a. Visually interesting in presentation;
b. Easily legible;
c. Integrates graphics where appropriate; and,
d. Is physically accessible for youth, persons with physically impairments, and persons with visual impairments by including Braille and designing signage to be read from a wheelchair for example.

Transit Circulation

2010-01-24T19:18:00.000-05:00

To ensure that access to mass transit is considered in new development the following standards have been written for the working draft:

1. Transit stops shall be located as close to building entrances as practicable, and visible from the interior of the building.

2. All transit stops shall provide:
a. Protective cover from the weather through Town approved shelters;
b. Low level lighting for security;
c. Seating;
d. Trash and recycling receptacles;
e. Wayfinding signage as; and,
f. Concrete landing pads to improve accessibility for users of kneeling buses.

3. To accommodate the intended number of users, additional transit stops, or transit facilities with greater capacity and amenities, may be required on developments intended to attract large numbers of people (such as performance spaces or destination parks, large shopping complexes, or large employment centres).

4. Areas where motorists, can drop off passengers may be required at the following locations:
a. Transit facilities;
b. Mixed-use developments;
c. Schools; and,
d. Uses intended to attract large numbers of people (such as performance spaces, meeting spaces, Civic buildings and uses, destination parks, performance spaces or destination parks, large shopping complexes, or large employment centres).

Bicycle Circulation

2010-01-24T19:10:00.000-05:00

To facilitate active transportation through cycling the draft standards include a number of requirements for bicycle circulation, these are as follows:

1. Infrastructure shall be designed to enhance and increase access for cyclists (bike ramps on staircases; and, cycling oriented signage for example).

2. Bike ramps shall be provided on all stair cases linking outdoor public areas so that cyclists may walk their bikes over these obstacles.

3. Bike racks shall be located at play grounds, parks, trailheads, transit stops, building entrances and other locations as per the Zoning By-law requirements.

4. To facilitate active transportation use in the community, multiple-unit residential developments shall provide storage specifically designed for long term all season bicycle storage, at a rate of two spaces per unit. These spaces shall be ground floor accessible.

5. Bicycle racks shall be located to provide convenient and attractive bicycle parking that is close to building entrances (within 15m), protected from the weather, by a shelter, structure, building or architectural element, and visible from the interior of the building.

6. Bike parking shall be designed to allow both the frame and wheels of a bicycle to be locked.

Trails

2010-01-24T18:48:00.000-05:00

The trail system in Collingwood consists of a comprehensive trails network that includes the regional Georgian Trail, and a series of multi-use community trails. The draft standards will require that additional trails and/or connections shall be required in new developments to link together:

Local points of interest;
All open space amenities;
The waterfront;
Adjacent land uses;
Civic institutions;
The regional trails network; and to,
Create and/or maintain connections between trails and streets;
Create continuity of active transportation network; and,
Provide connectivity through developments for pedestrians.

Parking Areas

2010-01-24T18:13:00.000-05:00

To provide safe pedestrian areas in parking lots the design standards will have specific requirements. Below is the draft of these requirements.

1. Grade separated pedestrian ways shall be provided through all parking areas. Lots with less than 30 parking stalls may utilize at grade walkways based on design merit, and provided the following are included:
a. Include clear surface markings, using different paving materials such as concrete, or inlayed, or painted patterns, to provide visual identification along the entire walkway;
b. Include sight assistance strips at all grade transitions, drive lane and street crossings;
c. Utilize shy distances around planter islands and raised planters to provide refuge areas and safe travel routes for pedestrians; and,
d. Walkways are distinct from vehicle lanes.

2. Pedestrian ways shall generally be physically separated from vehicle travel lanes so that pedestrians ways are parallel to moving cars in parking aisles. The design shall minimize the need for the pedestrians to cross parking aisles and vehicle travel lanes to reach building entries.

Pedestrian Amenities

2010-01-24T13:01:00.000-05:00

To facilitate the creation of a comfortable pedestrian environment, the following draft standards relate to pedestrian amenities:

1. Appropriate street furniture shall be integrated into site design as pedestrian amenities along sidewalks and pedestrian ways (for example: seating; transit shelters; trash cans; information kiosks; security bollards; mail boxes; sidewalk displays; public art; drinking fountains; public phones; wayfinding signage and raised planters). These shall be included as determined appropriate to the location, type of walkway, intended use and expected number of people; and shall be located to provide amenity while also ensuring a barrier free and uncluttered visual environment.

2. Pedestrian amenities shall be provided at building entrances and gathering areas.

3. Neighborhood mailboxes shall be integrated in the community as important amenities where people socialize, locating them into park spaces, trail entrances, trailheads, or other small scale public gathering areas as practicable to create activity nodes.

4. The design treatment for neighbourhood mailboxes shall reflect the level of use and exposure they are expected to receive; this shall include;
a. Trash and recycling containers;
b. Enhanced landscaping;
c. Hard surface pavement;
d. Low intensity security lighting; and,
e. Structures and enclosures to provide weather protection over the mailboxes and adjacent areas for pedestrians.

5. For retail developments that include a transit stop a location to securely store shopping carts shall be provided. This must be designed to secure at least 5 carts, and prevent them from rolling into the street or pedestrian ways.

Pedestrian Connections

2010-01-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

In addition to the requirements for creating an interconnected network of pedestrian connections with new developments, the following are requirements for specific contexts to help ensure connectivity.

1. Pedestrian ways shall be provided in any of the following circumstances to create continuous pedestrian connections:
a. Through all street deadends, such as cul-de-sacs;
b. At mid-block locations to transit stops in all residential subdivisions if no direct way is provided through the sidewalk system;
c. To existing, or proposed trails adjacent to the proposal;
d. At mid-block, connecting streets on either side, for blocks that are over 400 m long;
e. At mid-block to connect to arterial or collector streets if walking distance to these streets is greater than 400m.

2. Specific pedestrian way connections may be waived if the applicant has exhibited through written materials, drawings, and illustrations, submitted as part of the application, that this is impractical or unsafe due to:
a. An exceptional circumstance such as topography, or the presence of protected environmental areas; or,
b. The characteristics of the adjacent use or potential use as determined by the Land Use Designation; and,
c. An easement or dedication for future connection is provided as may be determined necessary by the Town.

3. Required pedestrian connections shall be aligned with street ends, lane ways or other pedestrian walkways.

4. Required pedestrian connections as per Section I. shall be designed with the following:
a. Include a 3 m landscape strip on either side with one hundred (100) percent ground cover and deciduous trees planted at 10m intervals, with no less than two trees on each side of the pedestrian way; and,
b. Include fencing along the edge of all adjacent residential lots provided:
i. It is limited to 1.5 m in height;
ii. It is no closer to the street than the front setback; and,
iii. It is not constructed of chain link, plastic, or vinyl.

Pedestrian Circulation

2010-01-24T12:45:00.000-05:00

To provide the necessary infrastructure for pedestrian accessibility to support safe and convenient movement of people the following requirements have been written for inclusion in the UDS.

1. Sites shall incorporate a fine-grained pedestrian/cycle path network that links all areas to each other and permits pedestrians to move in as straight line as possible to their destination. Pedestrian linkages shall specifically be required between the following:
a. Transit stops;
b. Sidewalks;
c. Trails;
d. Building entrances;
e. Parking areas;
f. Public amenities;
g. Public gathering areas; and,
h. Parks and open spaces.

2. Internal circulation patterns shall allow for logical movement throughout the site that will accommodate, and not preclude, intensification over time.

3. All projects shall connect the on-site pedestrian circulation system to the off-site public sidewalks and the trail systems, where present.

4. All multi-unit residential developments, and residential subdivisions shall incorporate pedestrian connections to adjoining residential, recreational, open space, and commercial uses as practicable.

5. Pedestrian ways and connections shall be designed to be convenient, comfortable, safe and easily navigable, continuous and barrier-free. All pedestrian ways shall meet the following:
a. Be clear of obstructions, maintaining a minimum 2 m wide passageway and 3 m clearance above grade;
b. Be unobstructed and without unnecessary meanders around built obstacles such as mail boxes, street lights, utility poles, seating, and street furniture for example;
c. Be hard surfaced (hard-packed gravel may be permitted for walkway surface in areas adjacent to natural or protected features);
d. Utilize clear markings for all street crossings, using different paving materials such as concrete or painted patterns to provide visual identification;
e. Appropriate accessibility components and design for persons with disabilities shall be integrated into the overall pedestrian circulation system including ramps and sight assistance strips and textured edges at all grade transitions and street crossings.

6. Senior housing projects, hospitals, medical service developments, and schools shall provide 3 m wide pedestrian ways.

7. All pedestrian ways shall be publicly accessible; maintained and operational at all times even after building business hours.

8. Pedestrian and vehicular crossings on site should be minimized as much as practicable.

9. Fully accessible pedestrian ways shall be provided from all building emergency exists to the public sidewalk or a safe waiting area.

10. Pedestrian ways located in areas away from street activity, not directly adjacent or visible from building entrances or gathering areas, such as those through parking areas, or between developments, shall be designed to afford visibility for safety, eliminating hidden or recessed areas that could be used for hiding.

11. All streets shall provide sidewalks. The alignment of the public sidewalk shall remain straight along the street. Lane ways are exempt of this standard.

Section Eight: Active Transportation

2010-01-24T12:37:00.000-05:00

The draft purpose of Section Eight, Active Transportation reads as follows:

The following active transportation oriented UDS are intended to elevate the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and mass transit to a state of balance with automobile use as a mode of transportation.

This is in recognition that all means of transportation are equally important, and therefore need to be given equal consideration in the planning, design and construction of new developments. Primary consideration is the transportation of people, not cars, and provision of the necessary infrastructure and development to achieve this.

Pedestrian linkages, including streets, sidewalks, pedestrian or bike paths, shall be provided within and between neighborhoods when they can create a continuous and interconnected network of roads and pathways.

An integrated network of active transportation options and supportive development patterns have many benefits directly affecting the health of the community, reducing infrastructure costs, reducing sprawl, as well as helping to reduce traffic congestion, and air pollution.

Applications that create barriers of unsafe, inconvenient, and unpleasant conditions for walking and cycling through overly auto-oriented development patterns, site layouts, and architecture shall be required to be amended accordingly to remove these barriers or shall not be permitted.

Priority Sites

2010-01-24T12:23:00.000-05:00

So that developments take advantage of unique sites within the community, such as those located at street end views, specific standards are being developed.

Here are some of these in draft form:

1. Buildings located on priority sites shall use at least one of the following:
a. Distinctive architectural style that presents a fitting contrast along the streetscape, block, or neighbourhood;
b. Articulated building elements in the form of towers; bays; atriums visible from public areas; and other details to emphasize the focal nature of the site/building(s);
c. A public pocket park or amenity space;
d. A significantly sized focal feature such as free standing sculpture, fountain, or decorative landscape feature that emphasizes the site’s importance; or,
e. Rotate the building line to create a diagonal space designed as an amenity space.

Fly Through Video

2010-01-23T22:49:00.000-05:00

As part of the recent update presentation to Town Council, staff developed the short video below to illustrate the various sections of the Urban Design Standards and how they fit together within the urban fabric of the community.

Urban Design Standards Fly Through from Robert Voigt on Vimeo.

Colour

2010-01-23T22:42:00.000-05:00

In combination with the choice of facade materials, colour plays an important role in how architecture impacts the public realm. This is especially true of corporate or branding colour schemes that are not based on a site's context. The UDS will address this with the following:

1. Architectural colour pallets shall be selected to complement:
a. First, the local historic context of Collingwood’s architecture;
b. Second, the context of the immediate neighbourhood of adjacent and surrounding developments on the same block or street section; and,
c. Third the colour pallet chosen to define the unique architectural style/character of the building or development.

2. Colour pallets and patterns associated with a particular corporate identity/image/branding shall be designed as highlights, similar to signage, and not as the defining characteristic of the building/development in question. They may be included provided that:
a. They are not the predominant colour; and,
b. The overall color scheme meets 1. above.

3. Intense, bright, and/or day glow colours shall be used for accent only, and may be used on a maximum of 10% of facade area.

Building Materials

2010-01-23T22:33:00.001-05:00

To ensure that building facades are fitting with Collingwood's character; create a sense of quality and permanence; and, enhance the visual quality of the community, facade standards are being developed. Below is initial draft language for these:

1. Building materials and color schemes shall be consistent with the chosen architectural style and consistent for all building elevations.

2. Materials such as brick and stone shall be left in their natural colours.

3. Simulated materials may be used if determined to have an authentic appearance.

4. Metal siding, decorative concrete, mirrored and reflective materials, stucco, and similar materials may be permitted:
a. Based on design merit; and,
b. When used in combination with other materials; and,
c. When not used as the predominant façade material.

Roofs

2010-01-23T22:23:00.001-05:00

The draft standards for roof design are currently as follows:

1. Flat roofs shall extend the facade wall up and include a parapet wall, of minimum 1m in height, and cornice in the design.

2. Residential style roof forms shall be avoided for non-residential uses, unless rebuilding or remodeling existing residential-style structures. Exceptions may be granted based on design merit for developments responding to their context and the design of adjacent buildings.

3. Segments of pitched roof forms applied at the building's facade, or false facade or roof forms that are applied to a building are not permitted.

4. Mansard roofs are not permitted on buildings of less than four storeys in height.

5. Sloped roofs extending 30m or more horizontally shall provide:
a. A variation of roof ridges both parallel and perpendicular to the street; and,
b. Architectural embellishments that add visual interest, for example: accent gables, dormers, cupolas, clock towers, and other similar elements.

6. Roof drains, leaders and downspouts shall be integrated into the exterior design of the structure.

Blank Walls

2010-01-23T22:14:00.000-05:00

To avoid the negative effect blank walls have on the public realm, the following draft language is being developed.

1. Blank walls, or single materialed facades that extend the entire length of the building and/or are adjacent to window streets, gathering areas, parks, public spaces, and pedestrian walkways are not permitted.

2. The visual character of blank walls shall be improved with any combination of the following elements:

a. Sculpted, carved or penetrated wall surface;
b. Landscaped planters with significant landscaping that provides visual relief and interest against the majority of the blank wall;
c. Murals, mosaics and public art of a scale that visually and/or physically dominates the site and reduces the impact of the blank wall;
d. Display cases and/or display windows giving the appearance of windows; and/or,
Trellises and arbors with landscaping that provides visual relief and interest against the majority of the blank wall.

Council Update

2010-01-23T21:45:00.001-05:00

At the end of 2009 staff made a presentation to Town Council to provide an update on the Urban Design Standards. Below is a copy of the slides used during the presentation.

Dec 2009 Council Update on Urban Design Standards

Fenestration

2010-01-23T21:22:00.000-05:00

Staff are still developing standards for fenestration. Below is a sample:

1. Windows shall be achitecturally compatible with building style, and materials.

2. Dark and/or reflective glass is not permitted for use as windows.

3. Sufficient wall area and/or architectural features such as pilasters or columns between windows shall be provided to set them apart from each other. Wide mullions may be permitted based on design merit.

4. Windows shall be defined by any combination of the following:
a. Recessing windows in from the building wall;
b. Using window trim to highlight windows; or,
c. Using projecting sills and/or lintels.

5. Upper story windows shall create a rhythm, either symmetrical or equally spaced, across the façade, and shall be vertically aligned with the location of windows and doors on the ground floor including storefronts or display windows as much as practicable.

6. Windows shall be vertically proportioned where possible.

7. Upper floor windows shall be operable not fixed.

8. Transom windows are encouraged in non-residential projects if appropriate to the architectural style of the building.

9. Fully glazed facades are not permitted and windows shall not span vertically more than one storey. Priority sites, civic buildings, places of worship and industrial uses are exempt.

10. Fully glazed facades may be permitted for the following, with no facade with more that 75% glazing in area:
a. Building portions containing showrooms;
b. Additions and enclosures;
c. Atriums;
d. Sunrooms;
e. Enclosed courtyards;
f. Enclosures around gathering areas;
g. Facades fronting natural corridors or shoreline; and/or,
h. Facades specifically designed to take advantage of views or vistas of natural features such as the shoreline; and,
i. Buildings for which the glazed facade is part of an integrated sustainability feature that meets the Canada Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard, or similar recognized sustainability rating system of suitable quality.

Entrances

2010-01-23T20:57:00.002-05:00

Because of the importance of entrance design in buildings, the following draft language has been developed for the UDS:

1. All entrances to a building shall be defined by architectural or decorative elements. These shall be applied where appropriate, and consistent with the style, materials, colours, and details of the building as a whole.

2. Main entrances shall be oriented and visible from the street.

3. Ground floor entrances facing the street frontage or public space shall be functional and provide access into the building. Emergency exits are exempt.

4. Main entrances shall be distinguishable from other facade elements and entrances.

5. Pedestrian weather protection is required at all building entrances.

6. Every building shall provide at least one entrance that does not require passage though a parking lot from the frontage sidewalk to gain access.

7. Entry doors to street level retail/commercial uses shall be at least 50% glass or open.

8. Theaters, movie houses, schools, civic buildings, and other uses where significant numbers of people are expected to gather or wait outside the main entrance shall provide a sufficiently sized gathering space that shall be designed as an amenity space as per Section Ten. Buildings may be located behind the front setback line to accommodate these spaces.

Department Review: Leisure Services

2010-01-23T20:54:00.000-05:00

Recently staff recieved input on the working draft language of the Urban Design Standards from Leisure Services. This was during an extensive meeting that helped clarify some ofthe interrelationships between specific aspects of the UDS. Of particular note were the following:

The connection and location of larger neighbourhood parks;
Classifications of parks currently used in Collingwood;
Design of signage system(s) for indicating active transportation routes and trail access points;
The desire to move forward with natural park designs; and,
How various types of connections and routes are being used for developing an active transportation network in the community.

The result of this meeting is that there are a number of changes being made to some of the draft language. Additionally this meeting assisted staff with the development of the structure that is being used for the Landscape & Public Spaces section of the UDS.

Articulation

2009-12-30T10:36:00.000-05:00

So that buildings do not present monotonous facades to the public, and to make the public realm both visually interesting and more appealing, the following draft UDS language deals with facade articulation:

1. The base, middle and top of buildings shall be defined through the use of materials and design details.

2. Building facades shall demonstrate a logical use of materials, and unified appearance with complementary materials and colours. The use of oversized design elements shall be avoided.

3. Upper floors shall be architecturally differentiated from the ground floor with elements that horizontally articulate the floor, lintel, or sill levels. Techniques used may include:

a. Highlighting building bases, lintels, sills and cornices with contrasting materials;
b. Breaking up the mass of the building with architectural details at floor levels;
c. Stepping back upper floors; and
d. Projections at entries.
e. Vertical and horizontal facade staggering and/or articulation shall be incorporated to provide visual interest. f. Buildings shall avoid long monotonous uninterrupted walls. Offsets, significant recesses, projections, and changes in floor level shall be used in order to add architectural interest and variety. Acceptable methods shall
g. Provide visual detail from a pedestrian’s perspective; and,
h. Create visual interest and relief through detailing, cast shadows and highlights.
i. Colour changes may not be substituted for architectural detailing.

4. The use of facade articulation; setbacks; variations of roof pitches; massing changes; and material changes for the purpose of providing visual interest and/or in response to neighbouring buildings shall not be used to falsely give the impression of different buildings.

Building Facade

2009-12-30T10:35:00.000-05:00

So that building provide visual interest and access for the street the following draft language has been written to guide the design fo building facades:

1. Facades shall provide visual interest through a combination of windows, entrances, architectural details, projections, and recesses. These elements shall create a consistent rhythm and establish divisions that express a hierarchy of entrances and identify individual businesses where applicable.

2. Facade materials shall be architecturally related and avoid frequent changes. Material and colour changes shall generally relate to changes in plane, floor plate, and mass, maintaining consistent wall material throughout the upper façade over the ground floor.

3. Street front facades shall incorporate pedestrian oriented lighting.

4. Weather protection shall be provided along building frontages and shall be placed no more than 4.5m above the ground.

5. All fixed canopies shall be designed to compliment the aesthetic and architectural characteristics of the building and streetscape.

6. Canopies shall provide weather protection without blocking visibility of storefronts, obscuring architectural details, or covering transom windows.

7. Canopy roofs shall be transparent, or translucent.

8. The majority of non-residential ground floor facades along streets shall be highly transparent by using clear glass windows and doors.

9. Industrial uses are encouraged to provide windows into manufacturing areas where possible to create visual interest and animate the buildings as viewed from the street.

10. All sides of a building shall be architecturally designed to be consistent with regard to style, materials, colours, and details.

11. The design of all buildings and storefronts shall be unique, not corporate, chain, or franchise. A variety of traditional architectural styles and shapes is encouraged.

Height and Mass

2009-12-30T10:34:00.000-05:00

One of the components of context, as described in previous posts, is how building relate to their direct neighbours and the street. When dealing with larger buildings and more compact development, as is expected for the future of Collingwood, there are a number of techniques that can be used to make larger buildings "fit" with their smaller neighbours.

The following draft language of the UDS attempts to address this:

1. Buildings over three storeys shall incorporate any combination of the following design elements to reduce their appearant mass along the street:
a. Stepping back the building at the fourth storey a minimum of 3m from the front facade; and/or
Setting the building back so that it does not project into a 45 degree angular plane from the street centre line and integrating a public space as per Section Ten in the increased setback.
b. Buildings with more than three stories greater than adjacent uses shall incorporate any combination of the following design elements to reduce their appearant mass along side yard property lines:
c. Stepping back the building at the 5th storey a minimum of 3 m from the side facade; and/or,
d. Incorporating specific landscaping to screen views; and/or,
e. Setting the building, or portions of the building, back to increase the separation to the neighbouring use so that it does not project into a 45 degree angular plane from the shared property line.

Building Context

2009-12-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

The context of a project is very important, because it is within this framework that a development will exist for its life. If it "fits", it adds to the community; however, if it does not "fit" the context it degrades its surroundings. This does not mean that unique, or outstanding designs with geat amounts of contrast as compared to their neighbours have no place; it does however mean that we should as a community be aware of this kind of differentiation, understand how it may impact a site, street, or neighbourhood, and use it wisely.

In a variety of ways the UDS attempt to address these concerns. The following is a draft of a specific section on context:

1. Buildings and additions shall be designed to:
a. Improve the overall streetscape, and public realm and;
b. Generally relate in scale, materials and design features to the surrounding buildings; and,
c. Express traditions of Collingwood and the region in their design and materials.

2. Building design shall respond to the local climate with features such as pedestrian weather protection, overhangs for sloped roofs, facilitating access to direct sunlight, and choice of facade materials.

3. Building design shall incorporate similar, or complimentary patterns from existing developments within the neighbourhood or along the adjacent streetscape where such buildings represent the character and architecture of Collingwood’s history, for example:
a. Reinforce existing facade rhythm of openings and entrances;
b. Maintaining alignment of storefronts from contiguous buildings;
c. Maintaining building heights or subtly graduating changes;
d. Continuing use of front porches on residential buildings;
e. Maintaining cornice lines;
f. Incorporating similar roof lines; and,
g. Extending horizontal lines of fenestration and facade articulation.

4. When compared to neighbouring developments and buildings, the use of significant or drastic contrast in building design, siting, forms, mass, and materials can legitimately be used to:
a. Make a project unique for the purpose of announcing the importance of a use;
b. Provide a focal point within a district;
c. Highlighting a priority site; and,
d. Creating accent along a streetscape.

5. Significant contrast in these areas is not necessary for creating variety or distinctive projects. When significant contrast in the characteristics listed above, or deviations from the standards identified by the UDS are proposed within a design, there shall be a clear and compelling urban design rationalle provided. This shall exhibit how the proposed design will add to the overall order and coherence of the streetscape, district or neighbourhood, beyond just for the purpose of creating random differentiation or for defining mercantile or brand identity in the built form.

Building Groupings

2009-12-30T10:00:00.004-05:00

Specific design standards are being developed for projects with groups of buildings. the draft of these are below:
1. Multiple buildings in a single project shall demonstrate a functional relationship with one another and the public spaces of the development, by:

a. Minimizing the impacts of shadows on outdoor spaces for people;
b. Creating compatible relationships and access between interior spaces, exterior spaces, and entrances of different buildings;
c. Arranging buildings to afford both passive and active solar access potential for adjacent buildings; and,
d. Creating open spaces with comfortably scaled relationships between building height and open space dimensions.

2. Developments with multiple buildings shall be designed to be joined together with streets, continuous sidewalks and walkways versus a collection of separate development pods.

3. Within multiple building developments the architecture shall be complimentary in style, form, colour, material and roof line.

4. Buildings shall be clustered such that they are attached; define outdoor spaces such as courtyards and plazas; oriented on adjacent street corners; oriented along a street; or, in close proximity such that pedestrian connections are efficient and convenient.

5. When clustering is impractical, visual and physical pedestrian links shall be established between buildings that are not located along a street. These links shall be accomplished through the use of arcades, trellis or other similar open structures, or significant landscape features such as colonnades or raised planters.

6. In multiple-unit residential developments with multiple buildings, indoor privacy between living units shall be facilitated with consideration in the design of the entire complex and buildings. Techniques such as varied separations, or changes in building orientation and floor plan of units should be considered as much as practicable.

7. Building arrangements shall be designed to ensure that outdoor spaces intended for use by people take into account micro-climate including:
a. Daylight and sunlight exposure; and,
b. Wind and temperature.
As much as practicable these areas shall receive direct sunlight for the portion of the day they are intended to be used; and to maximize sunlight exposure during cooler months.

Corner Sites

2009-12-30T09:41:00.000-05:00

There are a number of draft standards that deal with corner sites for new developments because of their prominance along the street:

1. Buildings on corner sites shall be located at the setback lines of each street frontage. This does not preclude angled or sculpted building corners, or public spaces at the corner.

2. Buildings on corner lots shall be considered priority structures.

3. Buildings on corner sites shall provide at least two of the following:
a. Special/decorative treatments of pedestrian weather protection as an architectural element at the corner of the building;
b. A significant decorative corner architectural feature or element that is fitting with the design of the building (such as angled, or sculpted corner design for the building, bay windows, turret, roof deck, balconies, tower element, or other feature to emphasize the corner location);
c. A corner entrance and decorative landscape feature such as raised planters;
d. A public amenity space between the building and corner setbacks, of at least 10m2; or,
e. A public art element.

Building Placement and Orientation

2009-12-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

The location and orientation of buildings have impacts on the livability of a community; such as the aesthetics of a street, the perceived safety of an area, and whether a place is pedestrian freiendly or not.

The following draft standards are intended to make Collingwood more livable, and address Building Placement & Orientation:

1. Buildings shall be placed at the front setback line, except where the following are provided between the building and the setback line:
a. Public spaces; and/or
b. Public amenities such as trailheads; and/or
c.Public art.

2. Buildings on corner sites shall be placed on both frontage setback lines.

3. Multiple building developments shall use a combination of building placement, landscaping, public amenity spaces, and other techniques to physically define street walls along front setback lines.

4. Buildings shall be designed for an urban context and direct their primary facades to the street not toward the neighbour or parking areas to create window streets.

5. The length of the building along the street frontage shall be maximized.

6. Main entrances shall be visible from, and directly accessible from the street.

7. Buildings shall be placed so that outdoor spaces are created that have clear, useable shapes that are not simply left over areas between buildings. These spaces shall be designed to be human scaled and provide pedestrian oriented amenities.

8. Breaks in the street wall shall be limited to those necessary to accommodate pedestrian walkways, public spaces, entry forecourts, permitted vehicular access driveways and parking areas, drop-off areas, and view corridors to natural features, public spaces, or specific features based on design merit. In these instances, streetwalls shall be defined by any combination of:
a. Additional street trees;
b. Architectural walls;
c. Raised landscape planters;
d. Public art; or,
e. Decorative fencing no greater than 1.5m in height.

9. Based on design merit, infill projects may have increased setbacks that relate to patterns along the street on which the development is located provided:
a. The street wall is maintained; and,
b. The increased setback does not adversely affect the creation of a continuous pedestrian realm along the street/sidewalk; and,
c. In these cases the increased setback area shall be designed as a public amenity space, and/or a landscaped area with enhanced planting to create visual interest.

10. Orient buildings, entrances, windows and activity to relate to the street and public spaces to establish a coherent development pattern that is people oriented, creates window streets and defines the street wall.

2010 Work Program

2009-12-20T17:42:00.000-05:00

On Monday evening staff will be presenting an outline of the 2010 UDS Review Structure at the Town Council meeting.

This will be a short presentation that speaks to the Project's development to date and the projected review structure and timing for reviewing the working draft of the UDS. The working draft is expected to be completed by the end of January 2010.

Section Seven: Buildings

2009-12-19T19:44:00.002-05:00

The draft purpose for Section Seven - Buildings, reads:

Building masses define space, establish streetscape scale and are the most dominant visual elements that contribute to creating a sense of place. In reviewing development applications, it is expected that proposals will base each building design as a high-quality, long-term addition to the neighborhood and community. Building siting, exterior design, and materials should exhibit permanence, appropriate quality, and be contextually sensitive to the local historic vernacular of brick, stone and wood as found in various areas in Collingwood.

Buildings shall be designed for an urban context. Rather than being simply pushed closer together, as in many suburban developments, buildings must be designed for close siting which facilitates street activity and active transportation, with views directed to the street and public spaces not toward neighbouring sites.

The UDS dealing with building design and architecture provide both specific and broad requirements that contribute to the creation of good architecture in terms of creating positive and supportive relationships between buildings and the public realm. The goal being high quality contemporary design that has evolved from the local context and culture to create livable, functional, safe, and attractive environments.

Stormwater Facilities

2009-12-19T19:44:00.000-05:00

So that stormwater facilities in new developments create less impacts on our community, and to make them assets through the way they are designed, the following UDS will be presented to Council:

1. Stormwater management facilities shall be designed and located with:

a. Consideration to aesthetics; and
b. To incorporate them as amenities with features such as landscaping and natural building materials; and,
c. To integrate them into development sites, open spaces, parks, trails and tree retention areas.

2. Stormwater management facilities shall be designed to limit the number of ponds necessary to serve the development.

3. Stormwater management ponds shall be visually accessible. Generally, not more than 50% of a stormwater management pond perimeter should be bounded by the rear or side yards of adjacent development.

4. Stormwater ponds over XXXX shall be designed and located so that 50% of their landscape perimeter is adjacent to public right-of-way, parks, or other publicly owned and accessible lands.

5. Structural materials utilized within stormwater facility design must have regard for aesthetics:
a. Ecology blocks are not permitted as retaining walls in stormwater facility designs;
b. All structural elements of ponds shall utilize stone, natural materials, or other materials that have decorative finishes; however,
c. Use of concrete walls in stormwater facilities is permitted only when the concrete has a decorative finish and is combined with screen plantings to reduce the visual impact.

6. Retaining walls for stormwater facilities shall be partially screened with landscaping to provide an aesthetic fit with the overall site design.

7. To limit the need for safety fencing resulting from steep slopes, stormwater facilities shall be designed with shallow internal slopes (3:1 or flatter) whenever feasible. If it is demonstrated that safety fencing is required it must meet the following:
a. Be decorative or ornamental in nature and combined with screening plantings;
b. For safety reasons, fencing shall not completely restrict visibility to the pond; and,
c. Ponds shall be designed such that safety fencing is not required on more than two sides of the pond or 50% of the circumference, whichever is less.

Trash and Recycling

2009-12-19T19:43:00.000-05:00

To reduce the impacts of trash and recycling containers the following standards have been crafted:

1. Trash and recycling storage and servicing areas shall be integrated into the mass of the building where practicable.

2. Outdoor trash and recycling enclosures shall not be visible from the main street frontage.

3. Trash and recycling enclosures shall be built to house sufficiently sized bins for the intended use, and shall be designed with a wall height that is sufficient to completely conceal bins.

4. Trash and recycling enclosures for multiple-unit residential shall allow convenient access for each tenant.

5. Trash and recycling enclosures shall be constructed to be compatible with the project architecture and materials.

6. Enclosure gates shall be constructed of durable materials that screen the view into the trash enclosure. Wood or chain link gates shall not be permitted.

7. Trash and recycling enclosures must include:
a. A minimum 3 m X 3 m concrete pad in front of the enclosure to reduce pavement damage from disposal trucks; and,
b. Bollards in the rear of the enclosure to avoid damage from from the bins when loading and unloading.

Lighting

2009-12-19T19:42:00.001-05:00

As per the draft standards a cohesive light plan shall be developed. The standards include the following:

1. The quality of light produced, and type of light sources used on the exterior of buildings, signs, parking areas, pedestrian walkways, and other areas of a site, shall be compatible.

2. Lighting of the street system, adjacent walkways, sidewalks, and public spaces shall be functionally appropriate, task oriented and properly scaled to increase security and comfort for users while avoiding glare and light cast off site or into the sky.

3. All building entrances, pathways and other pedestrian areas shall be lit with pedestrian-scale lighting (e.g. wall mounted, sidewalk lamps, bollards, landscape lighting, etc.). Trails are exempt from this requirement.

4. Lights provided in special event, and public gathering spaces shall also be designed to structurally accommodate string lighting, banners and other seasonal elements.

5. Light fixtures attached to the exterior of buildings shall be architecturally compatable with the style, materials, colours and details of the building. Mounting brackets and associated hardware for lighting fixtures shall be inconspicuous.

6. Architectural lighting of buildings shall be concealed through shielding or recessed behind architectural features.

Public Amenities

2009-12-19T19:28:00.000-05:00

To provide the appropriate amenities for people the draft UDS are suggesting standards for public restrooms as follows:

1. Publicly accessible restrooms shall be provided for all developments as per the following:

a. Developments which are required to include a trailhead;
b. Mixed-use and commercial developments over XXXXXX;
c. Uses intended for public gatherings of 50 or more people; and,
d. Civic buildings and uses.

2. These restrooms shall be open to the public during general opperational hours of the associated uses, or from 9:00am to 10:00pm which ever is longer.

3. The location of public restrooms shall:
a. Incorporate CPTED principles by providing for passive and active oversight for security; and,
b. Be conveniently located to activity nodes.

4. The design of public restrooms shall:
a. Use building style and materials that are compatible with the main building(s) of the project;
b. Incorporate CPTED principles by providing for passive and active oversight for security;
c. Integrate such techniques as labaryth doorways, and selective use of mirrored sight lines:
d. Afford convenient access to facilities for both men and women, as well as families such as: providing unisex configurations where practicable, and/or providing sufficient numbers of gender specific facilities based on user needs;
e. Provide grab bars and other appropriate accessibility features for persons with disabilities;
f. Provide child friendly fixtures to improve accessibility;
g. Include hooks, shelves, and similar devices to temporarliy store personal effects for users;
h. Incorporate baby changing facilities; and,
i. Incorporate environmental features such as low flow toilets and/or waterless urinals.

Building Service Uses

2009-12-19T19:27:00.001-05:00

Specifically designated areas shall be provided for uses such as service entrances, delivery and sorting, temporary storage, garbage and recycling, outdoor storage, outdoor work areas, and other similar uses. As per the draft language of the UDS these shall be:

1. Located behind buildings;

2. Appropriately sized for the intended use; and,

3. Screened from public areas and residential uses as necessary to reduce visual, or sound impacts on adjacent uses.

4. Truck maneuvering, circulation, and queuing lanes shall be signed and marked accordingly on the pavement.

5. Outdoor storage shall only occur within physically defined areas.

6. Loading and delivery areas shall not be located in a required setback area

7. Uses shall provide sufficient onsite truck queuing areas as necessary for the expected numbers of trucks. These shall be located behind buildings and screened.

8. Truck maneuvering/circulation areas adjacent to residential properties shall be designated to prohibit trucks from parking and idling in these locations, except in approved loading spaces or docks.

9. Uses shall provide sufficient temporary onsite storage for loading areas as necessary for expected uses. These shall be located behind buildings and screened.

Landscape and Open Space

2009-12-19T19:25:00.001-05:00

The way the landscape is designed for a development has a significant impact; unfortunately, landscape design is often thought of late in the process and given little regard. The following draft language is intended to help make the design of the landscape in new developments a positive and integrated feature.

1. Open space areas shall be grouped into useable, prominent landscape areas, rather than equally distributed into areas of low impact such as at building or site peripheries, or to areas not visible from public areas.

2. Open space areas shall be combined/grouped with outdoor uses to provide greater visual impact and improve aesthetics as much as practicable.

3. Site layout shall facilitate physical and visual access to adjacent or nearby parks, trails, open spaces, stream and river corridors, waterfront, and similar public spaces to reinforce their public profile and safety.

Outdoor Amenity Space

2009-12-18T21:31:00.000-05:00

As amenities that not only connect developments with the outside public realm, but also as waiting areas, outdoor rooms and entrance features, outdoor public amenity spaces will be required by the new UDS. The following is draft language for the provision of these spaces:

1. Each building shall provide 20 square metres of outdoor amenity space.

2. Amenity spaces shall be designed as outdoor spaces accessible to building users, employees, and possibly passersby where practicable based on site layout and uses.

3. These shall be safe, well designed spaces at practical locations on site that act as organizing elements, enhance uses, and add to the overall function of the public realm, and shall include:

Seating;
Shade trees;
Hard paving surface;
Human scaled lighting; and,
Trash and recycling receptacles.

Outdoor Display

2009-12-18T10:51:00.002-05:00

The following draft language of the UDS will direct the way outdoor product display areas are designed. The intent is to:

Keep them out of parking areas;
Provide pedestrian connectiosn;
Improve their aesthetics;
Reduce conflicts with walkways and parking areas on site; and,
Provide landscaping and tree canopy coverage in these areas.

Outdoor Uses - Outdoor Display and Product Retail Areas

1. The following shall not be used for outdoor display or product retail, including vending machines:
a. Required parking or loading areas;
b. Public spaces such as pocket parks, galleria, and walkways; or,
c. Other specifically designed amenity spaces.

2. Limited outdoor product display and product retail areas may be permitted provided the following are met:
a. These areas shall be visible and clearly defined from other areas within the site through any combination of:
i. Landscape treatments such as open colonnades, pergola, courtyards, raised plazas or borders of planting such as formal low hedging; and/or,
ii. Architectural or landscape design which defines areas adjacent to building facades or as an extension of a building façade such as overhead canopies and awnings; and, extensions of building components;
b. These areas shall be raised at least to sidewalk height;
c. These areas may not be used as storage;
d. Fencing around these areas visible from public areas shall be no more than 3 m in height and shall be constructed of:
i. Wrought iron, or metal with a similar appearance; or,
ii. A combination of brick or stone walls and metal fencing, provided the wall portion is not more than 1.5m in height;

3. Where such areas face a street they shall provide landscaping as per Section Ten;

4. Display areas of greater than 400m2 shall provide landscape planters with trees that will provide 30% tree canopy.

5. Display areas adjacent to walkways and building facades shall meet the following:
a. The maximum depth of the display area shall be 3 m;
b. Displays shall not obstruct windows, display cases, or other building openings; and,
c. Display areas shall be raised to sidewalk height.

Site Character

2009-12-18T10:41:00.000-05:00

One of the aspects of the UDS is to help facilitate the creation of developments that have distinctive character while still fitting within the context of our comminty.

The following draft language is being proposed to meet this goal. The draft language has been informally reviewed by staff and various Town Committee members; as a result some minor changes are being made and will be included in the working draft being presented to Council in 2010.

To help promote differentiation and character, developments shall incorporate at least one of the following where appropriate:

Unique walkway patterning and/or materials that are different from the public sidewalk;
Public art feature(s);
Architectural lighting to highlight special facade features or design;
Decorative wall mounted or freestanding light fixtures for pedestrian ways;
Decorative metal fencing; or,
Decorative street furniture/functional elements (such as tree grates and benches).

Committee Reviews

2009-12-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

Given the compressed timeline to present an update to Town Council on Monday December 21st (the last Council meeting of 2009), staff have begun scheduling a series of update meetings with Committees and/or Committee chairs as time allows. As of today staff have recently been able to meet with representatives from the following committees: Sustainability; Trails; and Arts & Culture, with others scheduled before year's end.

These meetings have been informal, and based on materials that staff have been presenting. More refined assessments of the draft UDS will be completed in 2010.

In the new year, an offical working draft of the UDS will be presented to Council. At that time, it will also be made available to the public; Town Committees; Town Departments; other stakeholders; and, those that have expressed interest in the Project over the past year.

Committee Review: Sustainability Committee

2009-12-18T10:39:00.000-05:00

At the last Sustainability Committee meeting scheduled for 2009, staff were able to provide a short presentation on the draft Urban Design Standards; specifically highlighting those items that are directly related to initiatives/interests of the Committee. This included the following subjects for example:

Walkability;
Active transportation networks;
Block sizes and street networks that support active transportation;
Improved integration of parks into new residential neighbourhoods;
Requiring natural playgrounds in new subdivisions;
Including provisions of Universal Design in the UDS;
Potections for significant trees;
Sidewalk requiements along all streets;
Landscape design;
Potential to include green roof requirements; and,
Bike parking and infrastructure supportive of cycling.

Once the working draft of the UDS are presented to Council for their review, the Sustanability Committee, as well as all other Town Committees, will receive copies for their own detailed review.

The projected timeline for begining a working draft review is the end of January 2010.

Department Review: Building Services

2009-12-18T10:30:00.002-05:00

A recent meeting with Building Services resulted in changes to the draft UDS relating to proposed signage standards. The input from Building Services identified that the issues that were being addressed by the draft UDS were already managed well by the sign by-law.

Review of other draft language did not identify any major conflicts or contradictions between other applicable regulations that relate to development within Collingwood.

As the UDS move forward, refinements with the standards that apply to areas adjacent to heritage resources will have to be made, and Building Services will play a significant role in that work.

Collector and Arterial Corridors

2009-12-07T19:07:00.003-05:00

Along portions of Hume, Hurontario, Huron and First Streets, staff are developing two storey minimum building height requirements.

The intent of this is to provide a more human scaled relationship between the proportions of the street width and building heights.

Residential Streetscapes

2009-12-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

For the Streetscape subsection of the UDS staff are drafting language to provide visual diversity along residential streetscapes.

The need for this kind of regulation to avoid monotonous streetscapes has previously been identified by the Town. Many subdivision agreements already require specific design treatments of residences along streets so that they provide diversity that is fitting with the character of Collingwood.

Currently the draft language would require project applicants to implement a selection of techniques to create variation of streetscapes within single-unit detached residential subdivisions. These techniques include the following: Varied Front Setbacks; Varied Garage Placement; Providing Lane Way Access; and Providing Rear Yard Garages.

Streetscapes

2009-12-07T13:00:00.004-05:00

The first subsection of Section Six, Site Layout deals with streetscapes. The intent is to create more human scaled, pedestrian focused, and street oriented developments.

The following is draft language of some regulations in this subsection:

1. All development (including subdivisions) shall be arranged to address streets, excepting lane ways, as window streets, by lining streets with building front facades and public spaces.

2. Buildings shall line streets with retail, office space, or living units, rather than parking lots, garages, or blank walls. Interior uses such as seating areas, employee rooms, offices, waiting areas and lobbies, which have the potential for clear windows, should be located along street-facing walls.

3. Buildings shall not be permitted to face their loading or service areas onto existing or planned parks, civic buildings and spaces, or public right-of-way. Based on design merit and the use of screening as per Section Ten, alternative configurations may be permitted.

4. Screening/noise attenuation fencing shall not be permitted along residential subdivision boundaries nor along collector or arterial streets.

5. Surface parking shall be located behind buildings and accessed from an lane way where practicable.

6. For commercial and mixed use projects, surface parking may be located beside a building provided:

a. It does not take up more than 30% of the lot frontage or 43m which ever is less; and,
b. It is no closer to the street than the front of the building; and,
c. Enhanced parking lot screening as per Section Ten is provided; and,
d. The parking area is bounded by buildings on at least two sides.

7. Buildings shall be oriented parallel to the street centre line and create a 90 degree grid pattern with other adjacent buildings.

8. Building masses on one site shall relate to those on neighbouring sites to create a coherent streetwall by extending the street grid lines and building setback lines to define building envelopes as much as is practicable.

Site Layout Purpose

2009-12-03T15:52:00.000-05:00

This is the working draft language of the purpose for the Site Layout Section of the Urban Design Standards:

The site layout standards are intended to facilitate designs that support year round use with contextually appropriate and highly livable developments through the successful integration of uses, transportation facilities, landscape, and buildings as much as practicable.

The arrangement of site features affects how they interact, the spaces that are created, and how livable the sites and their neighbourhoods are for residents.
The intent is to create sites that function well and also create streetscapes and public spaces that are human scaled and defined by buildings and active uses.

Section Six: Site Layout

2009-12-03T14:45:00.001-05:00

Section Six of the working draft of the Urban Design Standards is Site Layout; with the following subsections:

Crime Prevention and Security
Streetscape
Structures Fronting an Lane Way
Collector and Arterial Corridors
Project Identification Signs
Relationship of Uses
Context of the Site
Outdoor Uses - Patios & Dining
Outdoor Uses - Display & Retail
Outdoor Uses - Industrial Display
Outdoor Uses - Public Amenity Space
Landscape & Open Space
Building Service Uses
Amenities
Vending Machines
Utilities
Lighting
Trash and Recycling
Stormwater Management Facilities

Priority Sites

2009-12-03T14:27:00.000-05:00

Based on their prominent location such as at intersections, or street ends, and transitions such as bridgeheads, some sites have an inherently heightened potential to add to the visual and functional form of the community through their orientation and the design of development on these sites.

The following are being considered priority lots for the purposes of developing specific provisions for the Urban Design Standards:

Lots located at the terminus of a street;
Lots located at the intersections of collector and arterial streets;
Lots located at bridgeheads of bridges over xxxx m in length;
Lots created as central/focal points of a larger arrangement of lots based on the pattern of the entire group;
Lots with a physical prominence over others due to topography; and,
Lots whose proposed development is a use of a civic nature, including: library; town hall; school; hospital; community centre; municipal offices; municipal recreational facilities; parks; community gardens; house of worship; and, other similar uses.

Narrow Lots

2009-12-03T14:00:00.001-05:00

Lane way access may be required to provide vehicle access for narrow residential lots. This is intended to reduce the visual impact of garages and driveways along lot frontages.

Lot Configuration

2009-12-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

The working draft language of the Lot subsection includes the following so that new lots will function well and fit within the community:

1. Lots shall be shaped to facilitate effective use and development. Generally, the depth of the lot should not be more than three times the width of the lot, and of a regular shape.

2. Side lot lines shall be at right angles to street lines or radial to curved street lines, and no more than 15 degrees from perpendicular to the front property line with which it intersects.

Section Five: Lots

2009-12-03T12:30:00.001-05:00

Section Five of the Urban Design Standards deals with lot design.

The working draft of the introduction to the Lots subsection reads:

The design and arrangement of lots defines the framework from which many site specific limitations on development are based. This is because Zoning By-law restrictions, many of the UDS, and other applicable regulations are based on property boundaries, for example: building setbacks, development density and lot coverage.

The intent is to guide lot configuration and designs that are fitting with existing community character; suitable for intended uses and development type; create urban development patterns that support active transportation and a healthy community; ensure a positive relationship between adjacent uses and, facilitate eventual adaptive reuse, infill and redevelopment in the long term as Collingwood evolves.

Exceptions

2009-12-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

As staff are generating the language and illustrations for the working draft of the Urban Design Standards, the provisions are being assessed to determine appropriate exceptions. These may be for particular details, for entire provisions, or entire sections of the Urban Design Standards.

These exceptions are being developed to provide the necessary flexibility, and context appropriate design guidance for specific uses and are applicable to the following uses and land use designations: detached residential; multiple-unit residential; commercial; industrial; and, civic uses.

Subdivisions: Layout

2009-12-03T09:15:00.000-05:00

Each of the sections of the Urban Design Standards includes a number of subsections focused on specific elements. The first subsection associated with subdivisions is entitled Layout. The following is some working draft language of a number of the regulations in this subsection.

As with previous posts relating to draft language of the Urban Design Standards, staff encourage readers to leave comments and ideas on line or contact staff directly at the Planning Department.

Draft Language: Subdivision Layout
1. Subdivisions shall be designed in block patterns of interconnecting streets and lane ways, defined by buildings, open space and parks, landscaping, pedestrain ways, and sidewalks.

2. The development of areas within Collingwood shall be designed and arranged to be distinguishable from the peripheral, open space and agricultural lands, by well-defined street edges so that developed areas will transition very quickly to rural, undeveloped lands, promoting a clear sense of place for the community.

3. The arrangement of lots for diffrent types of residential densities and/or land uses shall meet the following as much as practicable:

a. Residential densities shall be mixed throughout the development;
b. More dense residential uses shall be located at the ends of block and/or at the edge of parks;
c. Land use changes shall transition in rear yards as much as practicable to maintain consistent streetscapes; and,
d. Land use mixes shall be aranged to maximize the function of all uses, taking into account impacts on and interrelationships with adjacent uses; priority sites; and transportation access.

Subdivisions: Gateway/Entrance Spaces

2009-12-02T12:01:00.000-05:00

Draft language is being crafted to ensure that new subdivision developments are not created with entrance features that act as implied gates to separate them from the urban fabric of the community, see below:

The following standards for subdivision gateway/entrance spaces are intended to ensure that these act as landmarks and amenities within the community, as opposed to artificial barriers, implied gates and advertising. These standards are applicable to all subdivisions, multi-unit residential and mixed use developments which imcorporate these gateway/entrance spaces.

1. Gateway/entrance spaces shall be designed to be landmarks and parkettes with signage besubordinate to overall function and design attributed. These shall be desigend with the following intents:
a. To add to the aesthetics of the streetscape; and,
b. To provide parklike landscaping;
c. To provide pedestrian oriented amenities as appropriate and effective for the location, such as: transit stops; seating; shade trees; newspaper vending machines;
d. To add to the wayfinding and orientation of the community with distinctive designs, interpretive signage, maps and information kiosks; and,
e. To mark the entrance to the development with signage and landscaping that enhances the design concept of the development and streetscape.

Subdivisions: Perimeter

2009-12-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

The way new subdivisions are connected to the existing fabric of the community is an important, since it can impact connectivity associated with active transportation, create incompatibility issues with neighbouring uses, community sense of place, and aesthetics for example.

Below are working draft regulations associated with subdivision perimeter design.

1. Subdivision perimeters shall be designed so as to minimize architectural or land use incompatibility on adjacent properties and, conversely, of adjacent land use and development characteristics on the subdivision.

2. Subdivisions bordered by collector or arterial streets shall either:
a. Create blocks that run perpendicular to these streets; or,
b. Provide a parallel service street and address these as window streets with lot frontages; or,
c. Provide lane way access to residences fronting the collector or arterial.

Subdivisions: Parks and Open Spaces

2009-12-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

This post presents working draft language for the Parks and Open Space subsection of the Subdivisions section.

1. Parks and open spaces shall be located to establish an interconnected open space system to support pedestrian movement throughout the development or neighbourhood.

2. Park spaces shall be integrated into the lot pattern and connected to the open space system with priority given to:
a. Corner locations; or,
b. Mid-block locations along long streets.

3. Lot patterns, park locations, and pedestrian connections shall be developed to provide convenient access to parks from homes within subdivisions with the following characteristics:
a. No home shall be more than 400m walking distance to a park or active open space; and,
b. Mid-block pedestrian connections, shall be used to provide access where necessary.

4. Parks shall not be located behind lots and hidden from view from the street.

5. Parks shall be designed and located to take advantage of natural climate conditions as much as practicable by:
a. Sheltering users from winter winds through orientation and landscape design; and,
b. Maximizing sun access throughout the park my maximizing southern exposure and appropriately designing and locating landscape elements.

Community Engagement

2009-11-30T10:23:00.000-05:00

Staff have just reviewed the statistical information associated with the Project Blog as part of the ongoing monitoring and managemnt of the site. The following information is provided so that readers can get a sense of the way the community is using this site as a resource.

From January of this year to today the blog site has recieved a total of 1795 visits, with 2700 page views, and an average reader spending 1:10 on the site. Returning visitor total 332 with 611 page views for an average reading time of 2:23. These numbers represent all visitors from around the world.

The local readership of the blog is broken down as follows.

Collingwood: 200 total visitors and 85 returning visitors; with average reading times of 1:39 and 2:25 respectively per visit.

Our neighbouring communities also account for a number of visits to the blog, with total visits of 273 and 121 returning. These visitors spend an average of approximately 1:41 and 1:45 reading the information on the site.

Politically Speaking Becomes Civil Servant Speaking

2009-11-30T09:24:00.000-05:00

This past Wednesday, staff had the opportunity to participate in the local Rogers TV program 'Politically Speaking' with host Ian Tudor.

The one hour discussion included a number of questions relating to a variety of issues associated with the Urban Design Standards project, for example:

1. Creating neighbourhood centre parks as focal points in new developments;

2. The capacity for Collingwood to continue developing as a walkable community;

3. Integrating active transportation into new developments at a variety of scales;

4. How new development will be required to respect the local context of developments and architecture so that it 'fits' with Collingwood's sense of place;

5. Becoming perhaps the first community in North America to require natural playground in new developments and the benefits this can have for children;

6. Pedestrian scaled and street oriented developments that put buildings along the street and parking in teh rear to create more human friendly streetscapes; and,

7. The projecting time line for reviewing the draft Standards with Council (end of January).

These shows are often rebroadcast, so you may have an opportunity to see it if you missed it the first time. If you have any questions on these issues, please leave a comment and I will post a response as soon as possible.

Connection Article

2009-11-30T09:08:00.000-05:00

The November 13th edition of the Collingwood Connection had another article about the Urban Design Standards project.

In the article John Edwards outlines a number if the issues staff discussed with him. The following list is a series of short points made in the article. If you would like more information on any of these topics please leave a comment on the blog and I will be sure to publish as response as soon as possible.

1. The Standards are being developed to work in conjunction with the Official Plan, Active Transportation Policy and Sustainable Community Plan.

2. Many of the items addressed in the Standards are already present in Collingwood's developments. "Most of what's here has come from looking at what we have in this community".

3. Future developments will be required to create block patterns that fit Collingwood's historic pattern.

4. Buildings should not be set back from the street, but should be out front, with parking behind. "The hope is, we are no longer going to turn our backs to any of our streets".

5. In new residential neighbourhoods parks will be designed as focal points. "We're trying to create a sense of neighbourhood identity".

6. The Standards may make Collingwood the first community in Nortrh America that requires natural playgrounds.

7. Active transportation is a key component of the Standards and sidewalks will be required on both sides of the street.

8. Active transportation principles must also be used in commercial developments, giving safe access for pedestrians and cyclists and those walking from their cars to the store.

9. When it comes to the design of buildings, the goal is for developments to be compatible with the context of the community.

Subdivisions

2009-11-13T16:28:00.000-05:00

Section Four of the Urban Design Standards is focused on Subdivisions. The draft introduction to this section reads a follows:

The following standards address the design of subdivisions and are intended to provide attractive, healthy and safe neighbourhoods and transportation networks which support active transportation.

New Subdivisions shall continue Collingwood’s prevalent development pattern, of walkable blocks and an interconnected and human-scaled network of thoroughfares punctuated by open spaces and parks of varying types.

Subdivision layout should be suited to, and maximize, the positive attributes of the existing topography and other natural features of the area. The layout shall promote protection and access to: natural features, open spaces and cultural landscapes; to facilitate active transportation and connections to neighbouring uses; and create visually attractive neighbourhoods.

Illustrations

2009-11-13T11:23:00.001-05:00

Staff are in the process of inserting photographs and developing illustrations for the working draft of the Urban Design Standards to facilitate readability of the document. Below are two examples.

Active Transportation & Complete Streets

2009-11-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

In recent decades the design of transportation systems within communties has been dominated by infrastructure for private vehicles. However, numerous professions associated with the design of our communities (including the fields of Planning, Engineering, and Health Care) have begun to see the negative impacts of this approach, and the importance of integrating the infrastructure systems for various modes of transportation so that our communities are more livable, and facilitate personal health.

One of the main Sections of the Urban Design Standards that will impact the ability of people to get around in Collingwood is Section Three - Streets (note: there is also another Section dealing specifically with active transportation standards).

The introduction of the Streets Section includes the following draft language, which is intended to ensure that all modes of transportation are considered in the design of Collingwood's streets:

The design and arrangement of street sections, roadways, maneuvering lanes internal to developments and the entire street network shall be considered as a whole: integrated with trails, and walkways to connect developments, neighbourhoods, districts and open spaces to effectively serve all modes of transportation.

All streets shall be designed to support walkability, with appropriate speeds for the intended use, and include pedestrian oriented intersections, to enable safe and enjoyable active transportation options.

Streets shall be configured in a connected network that is fitting with the historic context of Collingwood and offers route choice in an overall pattern that ensures that people can easily walk, cycle, take transit, and drive from their place of residence to neighbouring uses and other areas of the community.

Existing Landscape Screens & Buffers

2009-10-19T09:13:00.001-04:00

Occasionally there are groupings of trees and bushes in proposed developments, mostly along the edges of the property, trials or streams, that could function well as screens or buffers once the site is developed.

Currently, if these plants are not part of a protected natural area, or contain significant trees that are to be protected, they are cleared as part of the development, and screens or buffers replanted after the clearing. Often these replanted areas do not have the same "quality" and take a number of years to fill in and provide the kind of buffer present prior to clearing.

The following draft standards are intended to reduce the impact of new development and maintain existing plant buffers and screens that function well:

Existing Landscape Buffers

1. Areas adjacent to trail corridors, environmentally protected areas, and stream and river corridors that contain substantial natural vegetation shall be maintained in there natural state as a five metre deep buffer. These areas shall be considered substantially vegetated if:
a. They contain trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 30cm or greater; or,
b. There are groupings of four or more trees with a minimum DBH of 15cm; or,
c. There are shrubs that form a minimum 1.5m high visual screen along at least 50% of the area; or,
d. There are trees with a minimum DBH of 15 cm that form a canopy over 50% of the potential buffer area; and,
e. The vegetation in question are healthy indigenous species.

2. To create a cohesive buffer, additional plantings of trees, shrubs, and groundcover shall be required throughout these buffers to achieve:
a. Full tree canopy cover of the buffer area within ten years;
b. An intermittent screen along 75% the buffer;
Complete ground cover of the buffer area within two years.

3. Alternative buffer designs may be permitted to replace the natural buffer, if the landscape proposal is fitting with the overall design character of the development. Areas of natural vegetation may be replaced by more formal plantings, provided:
a. The area is cleared in such a manner as to protect any remaining natural vegetation; and,
b. The replacement plantings meet the requirements of 2. above for ground cover, tree canopy and screening.
Type your summary here Type rest of the post here

Working with the Natural Features of a Site

2009-10-13T12:08:00.001-04:00

In the working draft UDS there are a number of parameters dealing with the natural features of sites. These are being written so that new developments treat site features as fixed determinants to work with, as opposed to malleable elements that can be changed purely to fit preferred development scenarios.

With these proposed provisions, new developments will be more fitting with Collingwood’s natural context and have less environmental impacts.

These regulations deal with topography; grading; site features; heritage features; existing landscape buffers; and, significant trees, as well as other site features.

The following are examples of some of these draft standards:

A. Topography

1. Any grade changes shall be in keeping with the general appearance of the neighboring developed areas.

2. Development of sloped properties shall generally follow the natural contours of the land to preserve the shape of the natural land forms and to minimize grade differentials with adjoining properties and natural areas.

B. Grading

1. Limit the use of retaining walls, particularly along street frontages, parks, riparian corridors and other areas of the public realm.

2. Where retaining walls cannot be avoided:

a) Minimize the overall height or provide low terraces;
b) Use durable, attractive materials (the use of gabion walls shall not be permitted); and,
c) Incorporate intensive landscaping to screen at least 50% of the surface of the retaining wall.

3. Rockeries used for terraces will be limited to a maximum vertical height of 2m and shall include a landscape bench of no less than 2m horizontal.

4. Constructed slopes shall be designed to blend into the natural topography.

5. Grading plans shall be designed to ensure that existing grades and drainage pattern are maintained around trees and areas of existing vegetation for their protection.

C. Site Features

1. The arrangement of individual building sites shall be such as to maintain:

a) Maximum natural topography;
b) Tree canopy cover; and,
c) Protect and enhance views of the Blue Mountain/Niagara Escarpment, and shoreline from the development site, or adjacent public areas where practicable.

2. With regard for the block and street layout standards defined in Section I and II, streets shall be designed and located in such a manner as to:

a) Maintain natural landmarks, cultural assets, historic buildings and sites;
b) Maintain significant trees;
c) Minimize cut and fill;
d) Maintain indigenous vegetation; and
e) Preserve, create and enhance access and views and vistas of water courses, the escarpment, and Georgian Bay.

D. Heritage Features

1. The removal or disruption of historically significant uses, landscapes, structures, or architectural elements shall be minimized insofar as practicable. These features shall be integrated into the site design as amenities where practicable.

Section One: Site Characteristics & Context

2009-10-13T09:50:00.001-04:00

Nature is still a part of Collingwood as visually attractive, habitat rich areas and comfortable spaces in which to spend leisure time; with many physical linkages to the natural environment existing through local open spaces and trails. Since this natural setting is the first attribute that must be worked with when designing a development scenario, the first section of the working draft of the UDS is Site Characteristics & Context.
The focus of this Section is to help direct design to ensure that the natural site features that are so highly valued in our community are preserved and become part of new projects.

Sites shall be designed to work with the landscape; striking a balance between the natural and built environment; utilizing each site’s intrinsic resources to maximize amenity and energy conservation; and, relating harmoniously to the natural characteristics of terrain, landscape and drainage to:

1. Reduce their impact on the environment;
2. Integrate natural functions such as drainage patterns into site design;
3. Protect habitat and tree canopy through the careful arrangement of site features.

UDS Sections

2009-10-13T08:13:00.001-04:00

Tentatively the working draft of the Urban Design Standards is divided into ten sections organized around different aspects of site design and development types. These sections are:

1. Site Character & Context
2. Blocks
3. Streets
4. Subdivisions
5. Lots
6. Site Layout
7. Buildings
8. Active Transportation
9. Priority Sites & Uses
10. Landscaping & Public Spaces

Drive-throughs and Facilities with Car Canopies

2009-10-09T14:00:00.000-04:00

The current working draft of the Urban Design Standards addresses drive-throughs, and facilities with car canopies and service bays in a number of ways. Note that the regulation of drive-throughs as a land use is outside of the scope of the UDS project; whether they are permitted or not is based on the provisions of the Zoning By-law.

Since one of the intents of the Standards is to improve the public realm of the street there are a number of building design and site arrangement requirements that relate to all commercial uses including those with drive-through facilities.

The specific drive-through oriented regulations of the UDS are similar to those of other municipalities such as the Cities of Toronto or Ottawa for example; and to such developments as the new drive-through in our neighbouring municipality of Wasaga Beach pictured left. This photo shows a landscape planter separating the parking area from a drive-through lane.

The specific draft language associated with drive-through uses follows:

Car Oriented Commercial
Car oriented commercial establishments are those that provide or dispense products or services, through an attendant or automated machine, to persons remaining in vehicles that are in designated lanes. The following design requirements are intending to reduce the impacts of these uses, and enhance public streets and overall livability where they are located.

1. Automobile cueing lanes shall be located at the side or rear of buildings and shall not be located between the building and main street frontage.

2. Drive-through cueing lanes shall be physically separated from parking areas with a 1.5 m landscape planter strip.

Automobile Canopies and Bays
1. Drive-through, car wash and service bay structures shall be a maximum of xxxxx m in height and no higher than the main building.

2. These structures shall incorporate architectural elements of the main building.

3. Lighting under canopies shall be completely shielded from view from off site.

4. The primary street frontage building façade shall not be dominated by the drive-through canopy or bay component of the development.

5. Multiple bays for drive-through, car washes, or service facilities shall provide significant architectural or landscape features to provide a visual break separating every three bays.

Active Transportation

2009-10-09T09:33:00.001-04:00

The current issue of On The Bay (Fall 2009) contains an article on active transportation that features Collingwood.

The article contains a number of references to the plans for active transportation in our community as well as the Urban Design Standards project.

Community Mailboxes

2009-10-08T22:49:00.000-04:00

Creating a highly livable built environment is one of the main intents of the Urban Design Standards. To achieve this, the regulations will guide developments to design activity nodes by locating uses in places where they can combine and make an area more active with people.

The following draft language deals with the location and design of community mailboxes, as one way of helping create these activity nodes:

1. Neighborhood mailboxes shall be integrated in the community as important amenities where people socialize, locating them into park spaces, trail entrances, trailheads, or other small scale public gathering areas as practicable.

2. The design treatment for neighbourhood mailboxes shall reflect the level of use and exposure they are expected to receive; this shall include:
  a. structures and enclosures to provide weather protection;
  b. trash and recycling containers;
  c. enhanced landscaping;
  d. hard surface pavement; and,
  e. low intensity security lighting.

Storefront Window Display

2009-10-08T22:04:00.000-04:00

The posters shown here make up the current display in the Town Annex Building (Planning Services Department) storefront window.

This window display is another effort at providing information and inviting community participation in the Urban Design Standards project in a way that is convenient and accessible.

Window Display Posters

Street Pattern

2009-09-30T14:05:00.001-04:00

A previous post described the limitations that the Urban Design Standards will propose to set on using cul-de-sacs and dead ends in new developments. The intent is the creation of a more connected network of blocks and streets, that are appropriate to Collingwood’s historic development pattern, and supports active transportation. To further support these goals, the following draft language has been written to provide the design parameters for streets in new developments:

Street Pattern

1. The pattern of streets utilized for subdivisions and developments shall be predominantly a rectilinear grid, loose grid or modified grid pattern with intersections designed at right angles or T intersections. The grid pattern may be adjusted to a “modified grid” by reducing the number of linkages or the alignment between roads, where the following factors are present on site:

a. Topographical constraints or presence of natural protection areas;
b. Substantial improvements exist on adjacent properties which inhibit a connection.

2. Radial, or other geometric configurations, may be used provided they are:

a. Part of a coherent development pattern that creates priority lots/sites; and/or,
b. Creates parks and open space; and/or,
c. Are in response to existing natural features or development.

3. To ensure the effective continuity of the street pattern, and implementation of long range active transportation plans:

a. adjoining streets shall be extending into developments and subdivisions; and,
b. street connections shall be extended to the boundaries of a development as appropriate to accommodate further extension of the street pattern and to create interconnections to adjacent streets and neighbourhoods.

4. Where possible, developments shall provide more than one connection to the public street grid.

If exceptional circumstances, such as topography; natural protected areas; stream and river corridors; or existing development; prohibits such connections, the street right-of-way shall still be provided to accommodate for future redevelopment and connectivity. However, such right-of-ways shall be temporarily unopened and be designed and used as temporary open spaces or pocket parks as per Section X, until such time as they are opened and improved.

5. Developments shall provide corresponding connections for unopened street right-of-ways across stream and river corridors, open spaces, existing developments to accommodate future extension of the street pattern.

6. The street pattern shall be connected to the natural and/or rural County edges and borders of neighbourhoods to create a strong sense of place. This shall be achieved through:

a. Single loaded streets at these edges with development fronting the natural/rural lands; and,
b. Street alignments that afford views into the distance.