1 00:02:39,463 --> 00:02:42,685 It's working. Okay, so let's get 2 00:02:43,185 --> 00:02:46,901 started. Good evening everyone and welcome. We really appreciate 3 00:02:47,401 --> 00:02:50,123 you being here and taking the time to be part of this session on the 4 00:02:50,204 --> 00:02:53,971 community design guidelines. My name is Diksha Marwaha 5 00:02:54,471 --> 00:02:57,882 and I'm a planner with the town. On behalf of myself and the team, 6 00:02:58,042 --> 00:03:01,088 I would like to say that we are really excited to be kicking off this 7 00:03:01,588 --> 00:03:05,352 first engagement session and to hear from you as the people who live 8 00:03:05,852 --> 00:03:08,948 and work in the Town of the Blue Mountains, your input will play an important 9 00:03:09,448 --> 00:03:12,543 role in shaping the community design guidelines. The Town has 10 00:03:12,575 --> 00:03:15,962 engaged SGL Planning to update the community design guidelines. 11 00:03:16,010 --> 00:03:19,445 We have Catherine and Sierra here with us this evening. 12 00:03:19,959 --> 00:03:23,217 They have been working closely with the Town staff throughout this process. 13 00:03:23,811 --> 00:03:27,664 We also have member Jim Oliver and Councillor Hope 14 00:03:28,164 --> 00:03:32,014 with us tonight, so thank you for joining us. Tonight's session will take 15 00:03:32,514 --> 00:03:35,975 place in two parts. First, we will have a formal presentation 16 00:03:36,088 --> 00:03:39,551 followed by a question and answer period. For the question 17 00:03:40,051 --> 00:03:43,383 and answers, we will be using the lectern, and anyone with a question is welcome 18 00:03:43,883 --> 00:03:47,312 to come up and speak. Both the presentation and the question and answers will be 19 00:03:47,376 --> 00:03:51,160 recorded so that those who were unable to attend can watch the session later. 20 00:03:51,946 --> 00:03:55,345 Following the presentation and question and answers, we will move into a 21 00:03:55,845 --> 00:03:59,242 more informal portion of the evening where you are welcome to speak directly 22 00:03:59,258 --> 00:04:02,483 with the staff or the consultants. I'd also like 23 00:04:02,983 --> 00:04:06,706 to note that these are the draft guidelines and nothing is final at 24 00:04:07,206 --> 00:04:10,704 this stage. We are still in the process of developing them, so your feedback is 25 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,365 really important to us. If there's something you like 26 00:04:14,429 --> 00:04:18,026 or something you feel could be improved, we encourage you to share your 27 00:04:18,526 --> 00:04:21,655 thoughts. And with that, I will hand it over to our 28 00:04:22,155 --> 00:04:23,999 consultants to begin the presentation. 29 00:04:27,435 --> 00:04:31,080 So hi everyone, my name is Sierra Horton. I'm a senior planner and urban 30 00:04:31,580 --> 00:04:35,287 designer at SGL. You might have seen me before, really involved in the Official 31 00:04:35,787 --> 00:04:39,237 Plan project as well. And this is Catherine Jay, Principal and Head 32 00:04:39,737 --> 00:04:43,460 of Urban Design at SGL. So we've been working on the guidelines, excited to finally 33 00:04:43,732 --> 00:04:47,425 get them back rolling after the OP. So I'll just 34 00:04:47,925 --> 00:04:49,995 give a brief overview of what we've done to date. 35 00:04:52,883 --> 00:04:55,848 So, just an overview of the open house tonight. 36 00:04:56,874 --> 00:05:00,400 The presentation, I'll just give an update on why, why we're 37 00:05:00,900 --> 00:05:05,432 updating the urban design guidelines. What's the purpose of the guidelines? 38 00:05:05,769 --> 00:05:09,182 What is the structure that we've changed in the guidelines? Where do they apply 39 00:05:09,391 --> 00:05:13,462 specifically in the town? And then an overview of the 40 00:05:13,962 --> 00:05:16,699 community design principles and a bit of a discussion of character. 41 00:05:17,885 --> 00:05:21,459 And then just an overview of the main sections of the design guidelines. 42 00:05:21,732 --> 00:05:25,002 And as mentioned, we'll do a quick Q&A and then we'll keep 43 00:05:25,502 --> 00:05:27,743 it, keep it informal tonight with our small group. 44 00:05:31,430 --> 00:05:34,733 So why update the community design guidelines? So the town's current 45 00:05:35,358 --> 00:05:38,628 existing guidelines were developed over a decade ago and they're 46 00:05:38,644 --> 00:05:42,748 from 2012. So as we all know, the town has experienced 47 00:05:43,248 --> 00:05:47,157 significant change and growth since then, and an update to the design guidelines 48 00:05:47,657 --> 00:05:51,116 is being undertaken to align with and implement the new official plan 49 00:05:51,148 --> 00:05:55,385 policies that we have. Allow us to reflect 50 00:05:55,885 --> 00:05:59,463 the town's vision and evolution as it's been evolving over the years, 51 00:06:00,298 --> 00:06:05,003 incorporate new best practices in community design such as sustainability, 52 00:06:05,260 --> 00:06:09,579 current building standards, pedestrian-friendly design, streetscape design, 53 00:06:11,137 --> 00:06:14,910 incorporating accessibility, and then really just looking at what standards are 54 00:06:15,410 --> 00:06:18,988 outdated or obsolete sections and figuring out is there a better 55 00:06:19,488 --> 00:06:22,967 location for some of those guidelines, so we have moved some more 56 00:06:23,015 --> 00:06:26,109 specific guidelines into documents such as the engineering 57 00:06:26,141 --> 00:06:29,700 standards instead of the design guidelines. But overall, 58 00:06:29,812 --> 00:06:33,483 just taking a better look at the existing guidelines 59 00:06:33,739 --> 00:06:35,118 and modernizing the document. 60 00:06:42,412 --> 00:06:46,419 So just as a framework, it's helpful to understand how 61 00:06:46,919 --> 00:06:50,122 the design guidelines fit within the broader planning realm. 62 00:06:50,507 --> 00:06:53,633 So we have the official plan at the top and then zoning and then the 63 00:06:53,713 --> 00:06:56,919 urban design guidelines. So really we know that the official 64 00:06:57,419 --> 00:07:01,087 plan establishes the town's long-term vision for growth and policy direction for 65 00:07:01,587 --> 00:07:05,062 how the community will grow. Then the zoning bylaw has those specific standards 66 00:07:05,319 --> 00:07:08,926 and rules for land uses, built form. You have things such 67 00:07:09,426 --> 00:07:11,795 as height, density, and setbacks in your zoning. 68 00:07:12,084 --> 00:07:15,322 And then the design guidelines kind of fit within these 69 00:07:15,674 --> 00:07:19,457 documents and focus on design, really focusing on how development 70 00:07:19,762 --> 00:07:23,770 should integrate with its surrounding context. So really 71 00:07:24,270 --> 00:07:27,424 the guidelines help implement what is already in the Official Plan and what's already in 72 00:07:27,457 --> 00:07:30,550 the zoning bylaw, and really providing visuals, 73 00:07:31,047 --> 00:07:35,039 examples of how these more specific policies 74 00:07:35,071 --> 00:07:38,261 and zoning standards would look like in real life and 75 00:07:38,277 --> 00:07:39,784 what we'd like development to look like. 76 00:07:44,689 --> 00:07:47,959 So this is a section in the design guidelines, just an overview of what the 77 00:07:47,975 --> 00:07:51,261 design— or who the design guidelines are for. I'm really 78 00:07:51,761 --> 00:07:55,397 just saying that they're for a large group of different people to use in 79 00:07:55,429 --> 00:07:59,020 different ways. So For council, we know this is an 80 00:07:59,036 --> 00:08:02,403 important document to get updated for council, but really just 81 00:08:02,804 --> 00:08:06,091 the intent for council is to confirm whether the application meets 82 00:08:06,476 --> 00:08:09,843 the town's design vision, which is established, as well 83 00:08:09,859 --> 00:08:13,595 as any specific guidelines for unique communities in the town. 84 00:08:14,332 --> 00:08:17,988 It's also for town staff and agencies to use as a reference when 85 00:08:18,036 --> 00:08:21,884 they're reviewing documents, really just as a guide to making sure 86 00:08:21,948 --> 00:08:25,459 that the official plan and zoning bylaw are being implemented, as well as 87 00:08:25,973 --> 00:08:29,408 what the town wants to see through the guidelines. So it's 88 00:08:29,908 --> 00:08:32,217 just a helpful tool for town staff to use. 89 00:08:32,940 --> 00:08:34,930 And then as well, we really want our developers, 90 00:08:35,283 --> 00:08:38,863 consultants, and planners, and landowners, and businesses 91 00:08:38,895 --> 00:08:41,432 to look at the guidelines and utilize them, 92 00:08:42,170 --> 00:08:45,092 because they say what we'd like the town to look like. 93 00:08:45,718 --> 00:08:49,073 And the public, it's also very important to understand how the town will 94 00:08:49,490 --> 00:08:53,406 evolve over time, and we'd like your feedback on what 95 00:08:53,906 --> 00:08:57,286 should be in the guidelines. So that's 96 00:08:57,414 --> 00:08:58,312 what the guidelines are for. 97 00:09:01,133 --> 00:09:04,291 So the primary purpose, and I've kind of already discussed this, 98 00:09:04,467 --> 00:09:08,106 but to provide detailed direction that supports the official planning zoning bylaw. 99 00:09:08,731 --> 00:09:12,001 The vision for the town is already really set out in those documents. 100 00:09:12,514 --> 00:09:16,730 So the design guidelines address both. They express design 101 00:09:17,230 --> 00:09:20,850 expectations and promote good design of both the public and private realm. 102 00:09:20,930 --> 00:09:24,280 So the public realm would be things like streets and parks and 103 00:09:24,780 --> 00:09:28,256 open spaces. Streetscapes, and then private realm involving 104 00:09:29,971 --> 00:09:34,267 building design, site design, things like that. So providing 105 00:09:34,283 --> 00:09:36,912 direction for those two different elements of the town. 106 00:09:38,146 --> 00:09:41,561 And it's really important to emphasize that the guidelines aren't intended to 107 00:09:41,577 --> 00:09:45,007 act as a rigid set of rules, but really 108 00:09:45,023 --> 00:09:47,893 just as a tool to help ensure compatibility, 109 00:09:49,448 --> 00:09:52,365 and they're to be applied on a site-specific basis. 110 00:09:53,311 --> 00:09:56,613 So we want developers and planners and consultants to be 111 00:09:56,645 --> 00:10:00,577 able to use the guidelines but apply them as they 112 00:10:00,930 --> 00:10:02,455 apply specifically to that site. 113 00:10:08,474 --> 00:10:12,711 So the concepts of character and compatibility and sense of place and 114 00:10:12,952 --> 00:10:16,451 these words that are thrown around a lot are really 115 00:10:16,483 --> 00:10:19,837 important in the guidelines, actually. And we know that— 116 00:10:20,239 --> 00:10:23,752 I have a few definitions on the side there. From the official plan, 117 00:10:23,784 --> 00:10:27,246 so character, compatible, and enhance are actually defined 118 00:10:27,746 --> 00:10:31,607 in your official plan. But we kind of know character as this term 119 00:10:31,703 --> 00:10:35,005 that's generally determined by the look and feel of an area. 120 00:10:35,470 --> 00:10:39,221 Sometimes you can define character instead using the term sense of place, 121 00:10:40,039 --> 00:10:43,742 and this is really just all the qualities that are positive 122 00:10:44,242 --> 00:10:47,605 in an area. So the intent and key message is really to make 123 00:10:47,669 --> 00:10:50,955 sure that new development supports high-quality 124 00:10:51,455 --> 00:10:55,734 and context-sensitive design and not specifically describing 125 00:10:55,782 --> 00:11:00,198 a singular design style, but we really want applicants to consider 126 00:11:00,698 --> 00:11:04,164 surrounding context and the area-specific objectives 127 00:11:04,260 --> 00:11:08,130 of, say, downtown Thornbury and 128 00:11:08,630 --> 00:11:12,241 kind of working with the town to follow that sense 129 00:11:12,741 --> 00:11:16,608 of place that's created. So, making sure that the development positively 130 00:11:17,989 --> 00:11:21,292 integrates in with its surroundings. Generally, 131 00:11:21,810 --> 00:11:25,662 the approach is to allow for flexibility and innovation and diversity 132 00:11:26,164 --> 00:11:33,622 while still allowing— or still creating that sense of place. 133 00:11:34,285 --> 00:11:37,391 So the guidelines apply across the town settlement areas. 134 00:11:39,674 --> 00:11:42,977 You can see the map here, so they apply to 135 00:11:43,074 --> 00:11:47,847 all those boxes. Generally, they're focused on town-wide 136 00:11:48,347 --> 00:11:52,190 and area-specific area-specific direction. So, there are specific 137 00:11:52,270 --> 00:11:55,955 areas where area-specific direction is given in the 138 00:11:56,455 --> 00:11:59,303 guidelines, and other places where it applies more generally. 139 00:12:00,232 --> 00:12:03,885 So, a big focus is Thornbury and Clarksburg, and it 140 00:12:04,385 --> 00:12:07,634 applies to neighborhoods. There's specific guidelines for neighborhoods in Thornbury, 141 00:12:07,987 --> 00:12:13,146 downtown Thornbury and Clarksburg, and then Highway 26 in 142 00:12:13,258 --> 00:12:16,798 Thornbury, as well as Craigleith. So, the residential 143 00:12:17,298 --> 00:12:21,014 areas of Craigleith and Craigleith Village, and then Laura Bay and Camperdown. 144 00:12:21,110 --> 00:12:24,783 So that's— these are the settlement areas that the guidelines focus 145 00:12:24,895 --> 00:12:28,391 on. And I'll explain, there's two volumes 146 00:12:28,487 --> 00:12:32,111 to the guidelines, but Volume 2 really describes the character 147 00:12:32,611 --> 00:12:37,051 of each settlement area and design objectives for each of these areas. 148 00:12:39,408 --> 00:12:41,797 There's a lot of information on this slide, 149 00:12:42,615 --> 00:12:46,624 but really just to show, these are screen captures from the document 150 00:12:47,124 --> 00:12:50,458 itself. So the overall structure, Originally, 151 00:12:50,539 --> 00:12:54,634 we had it as just one big guideline document, and then we decided 152 00:12:55,134 --> 00:12:56,385 to split it into two volumes, 153 00:12:58,489 --> 00:13:00,850 mostly to make it easy for development review, 154 00:13:01,878 --> 00:13:05,026 making sure that applicants know where to go to get their information that they need. 155 00:13:05,877 --> 00:13:10,037 So we split it up into Volume 1, which is the actual community design guidelines, 156 00:13:10,535 --> 00:13:14,085 and Volume 2, which speaks to more of the background 157 00:13:14,585 --> 00:13:18,405 envisioning and sense of place for each of these settlement 158 00:13:18,905 --> 00:13:22,805 areas. So Volume 1 is the main guideline 159 00:13:22,837 --> 00:13:25,984 document, so it has an introduction and then there are specific 160 00:13:26,484 --> 00:13:30,223 sections. So there's— it speaks to the environment, parks, public spaces, 161 00:13:30,288 --> 00:13:34,350 and culture. And then there's a section on neighborhood design and residential built 162 00:13:34,463 --> 00:13:37,899 form, a section for downtown and commercial areas, 163 00:13:38,011 --> 00:13:40,227 and then there's a section on urban employment areas. 164 00:13:41,062 --> 00:13:44,692 And then, as I mentioned, Volume 2 is really just There's 165 00:13:45,192 --> 00:13:49,221 a section for each different settlement area, and there's some design principles 166 00:13:50,297 --> 00:13:54,376 for how we'd like design to proceed 167 00:13:54,876 --> 00:13:58,776 in those areas. So the intent is the applicants look at both volumes, 168 00:13:59,194 --> 00:14:02,792 use Volume 1 for the main guidelines, and then 169 00:14:02,888 --> 00:14:06,116 making sure that you look at Volume 2, look at where your 170 00:14:06,616 --> 00:14:10,340 specific development site is located, and making sure that, okay, what is 171 00:14:10,356 --> 00:14:13,599 the vision, what are the principles for that area, And you want to make 172 00:14:13,647 --> 00:14:16,756 sure that whatever you're proposing aligns with both of those. 173 00:14:20,489 --> 00:14:23,694 So these are all located in Section 2, just some of the community 174 00:14:24,194 --> 00:14:26,819 design principles, a lot of them stemming from the OPR. 175 00:14:28,486 --> 00:14:33,069 So the main themes are sustainable design, natural character, community character, 176 00:14:33,213 --> 00:14:35,585 tourism and recreation, and cultural heritage. 177 00:14:41,470 --> 00:14:44,937 I will just give a brief overview of what has changed from the previous guidelines. 178 00:14:46,381 --> 00:14:49,831 It is important to note that a lot of the foundation has been carried forward 179 00:14:49,896 --> 00:14:53,314 and that we have mostly been working on refining and updating 180 00:14:53,506 --> 00:14:57,245 and reorganizing the current guidelines to reflect best practices 181 00:14:57,294 --> 00:15:00,680 in the town's evolving context. So, really overall, 182 00:15:00,744 --> 00:15:04,114 we have been focusing on modernizing the content, making sure that 183 00:15:04,614 --> 00:15:08,125 it is clear and usable. and then ensuring alignment with the new Official Plan. 184 00:15:08,976 --> 00:15:12,168 So, just to emphasize the sections 185 00:15:12,201 --> 00:15:16,099 that we've kind of moved around and kept and added to, each of these bullets 186 00:15:16,773 --> 00:15:20,528 relates to the sections of the previous design guidelines. So, I'll just 187 00:15:21,028 --> 00:15:24,603 quickly go through 2 slides to show you where information has 188 00:15:24,635 --> 00:15:28,566 been moved around. So, the commercial design section of 189 00:15:29,066 --> 00:15:32,545 the previous guidelines, we've kind of kept all the good building design, 190 00:15:32,561 --> 00:15:35,577 streetscape, and site design information that was already in there, 191 00:15:35,770 --> 00:15:39,315 updated it where applicable, and then we specifically added new 192 00:15:39,815 --> 00:15:41,689 guidelines that relate to downtown Thornbury, 193 00:15:42,363 --> 00:15:45,555 Clarksburg, and Highway 26 through Thornbury. So that's one of 194 00:15:46,055 --> 00:15:48,747 the, the main updates that we made to commercial design. 195 00:15:50,384 --> 00:15:54,169 For industrial design, it's been 196 00:15:54,234 --> 00:15:57,265 put into Section 5, Employment Areas, so just a different name. 197 00:15:57,907 --> 00:16:01,420 A lot of the built form and site design stuff that was already there has 198 00:16:01,452 --> 00:16:04,802 been carried forward and then just updated for best 199 00:16:05,302 --> 00:16:08,714 practice site design and compatibility considerations. 200 00:16:09,387 --> 00:16:12,946 And then as well, there was a section on greenfield design. We've incorporated 201 00:16:12,994 --> 00:16:15,751 that, a lot of that information, 202 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,502 which speaks to the layout of lots 203 00:16:19,566 --> 00:16:23,061 and designing new neighborhoods. We've incorporated that 204 00:16:23,333 --> 00:16:24,712 in Section 3, Neighborhood Design. 205 00:16:26,459 --> 00:16:29,906 And then just the last two, what has changed, there was a previous section on 206 00:16:30,406 --> 00:16:34,075 streetscape design. So, we've incorporated that into both neighborhood 207 00:16:34,575 --> 00:16:36,851 design and downtown area and commercial areas. 208 00:16:37,590 --> 00:16:41,827 And then, as I mentioned previously, we looked at any specific standards 209 00:16:42,742 --> 00:16:45,117 that were very technical. We've removed those, 210 00:16:45,791 --> 00:16:49,113 but just— we haven't removed them, but kind of shifted them into 211 00:16:49,483 --> 00:16:51,778 different documents, such as the engineering standards. 212 00:16:53,335 --> 00:16:56,994 In terms of sustainable design, the previous document had 213 00:16:57,508 --> 00:17:00,205 Section 5 was just this Sustainable design. 214 00:17:01,217 --> 00:17:04,878 Instead, we've removed just having one sustainable design 215 00:17:05,378 --> 00:17:08,411 section and integrating it throughout the document. 216 00:17:09,310 --> 00:17:12,860 So you'll see, like, in the residential section, there will 217 00:17:13,360 --> 00:17:17,276 speak to, like, how you should be designing lots 218 00:17:17,742 --> 00:17:21,034 that are in a sustainable manner, sustainable, you know, 219 00:17:21,114 --> 00:17:24,519 residential built form. So really just integrating it instead of 220 00:17:24,551 --> 00:17:28,176 having it as its own last section that's standalone. 221 00:17:32,329 --> 00:17:35,921 And then just the last section, I'll just go over 222 00:17:36,739 --> 00:17:38,616 the updated guidelines and what they address. 223 00:17:39,738 --> 00:17:43,250 So Section 2 of the guidelines talks about environment, parks, 224 00:17:43,571 --> 00:17:46,778 public spaces, and culture. So it has a section on natural 225 00:17:47,278 --> 00:17:50,803 environment. A few of these talk about how development should address woodlots, 226 00:17:51,413 --> 00:17:54,860 watercourses, trees, and hedgerows, and just designing development 227 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:58,469 appropriately around those elements. Parks and waterfronts, 228 00:17:58,549 --> 00:18:01,274 so just how you should be designing different types of parks. 229 00:18:02,493 --> 00:18:06,180 Trails, it talks about stormwater management and how facilities should 230 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,476 be designed, as well as ponds. Community spaces and public buildings, 231 00:18:10,588 --> 00:18:14,596 so both the building as well as the site 232 00:18:15,096 --> 00:18:18,444 around the building. Public art, cultural heritage 233 00:18:18,944 --> 00:18:20,495 buildings, and gateway features. 234 00:18:24,552 --> 00:18:28,112 So Section 3, which is Neighborhood Design and Residential Built Form, 235 00:18:29,251 --> 00:18:33,131 it talks about streets and blocks as well as lot configuration and building 236 00:18:33,196 --> 00:18:36,291 orientation. And a lot of this is how we should be orienting 237 00:18:36,323 --> 00:18:39,979 new streets, talks about street length, pedestrian connections, 238 00:18:40,556 --> 00:18:44,341 access, really at a high level how 239 00:18:44,841 --> 00:18:48,158 we want new neighborhoods to be laid out. And then also talking about 240 00:18:48,254 --> 00:18:51,924 all the different types of built form, really focusing 241 00:18:52,020 --> 00:18:55,609 on compatibility and variety and overall good 242 00:18:55,721 --> 00:18:59,214 built form principles for single and semi-detached dwellings, 243 00:18:59,486 --> 00:19:03,780 infill and replacement housing, making sure it's compatible with adjacent dwellings, 244 00:19:04,037 --> 00:19:07,562 additional residential units on a lot. There's guidelines 245 00:19:08,062 --> 00:19:10,911 for townhouses, and there's guidelines for low-rise residential buildings. 246 00:19:14,131 --> 00:19:16,999 And then finally, for downtown and commercial areas, 247 00:19:17,352 --> 00:19:22,133 There's a lot of information about streetscapes, which is kind of a town-initiated 248 00:19:25,198 --> 00:19:28,953 element of the guidelines. So this includes sidewalks, transition areas, 249 00:19:28,985 --> 00:19:32,964 and patios, discusses street trees and plantings, 250 00:19:33,398 --> 00:19:37,024 street furniture, lighting, and wayfinding. And then it also 251 00:19:37,524 --> 00:19:41,308 talks about building design. So within downtown areas, 252 00:19:42,142 --> 00:19:45,898 there's a section on commercial buildings, so just your standalone commercial 253 00:19:46,398 --> 00:19:50,347 as well as mixed-use buildings. So that would be with a 254 00:19:50,395 --> 00:19:53,608 commercial component or non-residential component at the bottom and 255 00:19:54,108 --> 00:19:57,607 then residential above. So how those types of buildings should be designed. 256 00:19:58,185 --> 00:20:01,285 And then, as I mentioned previously, specific guidelines for 257 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:06,248 how buildings should look in downtown Thornbury and Clarksburg from 258 00:20:06,748 --> 00:20:10,810 a compatibility perspective and how they should address the street and 259 00:20:11,310 --> 00:20:14,626 height And then specific guidelines as well we've introduced for 260 00:20:15,126 --> 00:20:18,587 buildings along Highway 26 in Thornbury. And then 261 00:20:19,087 --> 00:20:22,875 there's also just some guidelines that we've carried forward for site design for 262 00:20:23,375 --> 00:20:25,549 commercial, commercial sites. 263 00:20:28,647 --> 00:20:31,531 So that is through the main sections of the guidelines. 264 00:20:31,871 --> 00:20:35,598 And I've just left where the guidelines are posted at the link 265 00:20:35,695 --> 00:20:39,270 here. I know there's a dedicated project page on 266 00:20:39,303 --> 00:20:43,486 the town's website. Many staff reports and council decisions 267 00:20:43,518 --> 00:20:47,974 will be posted on this website as well, and I know subscribers 268 00:20:48,086 --> 00:20:51,292 will receive email notifications whenever we have posted 269 00:20:51,693 --> 00:20:54,931 new information. This presentation, I believe, will be on there, 270 00:20:56,278 --> 00:20:58,362 so that link is useful. 271 00:20:59,852 --> 00:21:02,834 I think we can proceed to the Q&A. 272 00:21:04,341 --> 00:21:07,499 Yeah, and if anyone has a question, you are welcome to come up front to 273 00:21:07,999 --> 00:21:11,250 the lectern here, and chances are if you are thinking it, 274 00:21:11,314 --> 00:21:14,765 someone else is probably probably thinking the same. So please come forward and share your 275 00:21:15,265 --> 00:21:16,114 feedback and comments with us. 276 00:21:34,519 --> 00:21:38,133 There we go. I guess I'm here more as an interested 277 00:21:38,633 --> 00:21:41,265 citizen tonight than I am as a member of the Committee of Adjustment. 278 00:21:41,987 --> 00:21:45,006 A lot of my questions will relate to that as well. 279 00:21:45,777 --> 00:21:49,004 You talked briefly about building design and 280 00:21:49,871 --> 00:21:53,853 the configurations. A couple of the things we've talked about at Committee 281 00:21:54,142 --> 00:21:57,578 of Adjustment, and from an environmental perspective, things that are 282 00:21:58,078 --> 00:22:00,838 important to me are things like lot occupancy, 283 00:22:01,994 --> 00:22:04,868 lot size, and building heights. 284 00:22:05,992 --> 00:22:09,232 And To what extent are 285 00:22:09,312 --> 00:22:12,790 those kinds of criteria— this is a guideline, 286 00:22:13,704 --> 00:22:17,728 and I think I've been told by staff before that things like lot 287 00:22:18,016 --> 00:22:21,335 coverage percentages are a bylaw issue rather than 288 00:22:21,835 --> 00:22:25,262 a guideline issue, and I'd appreciate an explanation of to what 289 00:22:25,762 --> 00:22:29,863 extent those things are detailed in the new community design guidelines, 290 00:22:29,911 --> 00:22:33,983 specifically around lot occupancy for residential and 291 00:22:34,483 --> 00:22:37,141 building height for residential as well as mixed-use and commercial. 292 00:22:40,796 --> 00:22:44,387 What do you mean by lot occupancy? Well, in the town 293 00:22:44,887 --> 00:22:48,475 of the Blue Mountains now, residential buildings are only supposed to 294 00:22:48,555 --> 00:22:52,466 occupy a maximum of 30% of the square footage 295 00:22:52,659 --> 00:22:56,570 of the lot. I see what you mean. And we're continuously at committee of adjustment 296 00:22:57,070 --> 00:23:00,836 having applicants coming and requesting relief. From that criterion. 297 00:23:01,782 --> 00:23:05,488 If anything, I as a citizen, as an environmentalist, 298 00:23:05,889 --> 00:23:08,857 would like to see the percentage reduced, not increased, 299 00:23:09,419 --> 00:23:12,996 in terms of the environmental impacts of larger structures, 300 00:23:13,093 --> 00:23:16,510 more roofs, more runoff, et cetera, less grass, less green space, 301 00:23:16,622 --> 00:23:19,205 et cetera. So that's what I'm talking about. Right. 302 00:23:23,392 --> 00:23:26,840 So with regards to Those specific 303 00:23:27,048 --> 00:23:30,638 elements that you identified, it is 304 00:23:31,535 --> 00:23:34,804 correct that the specifics of those are in 305 00:23:34,916 --> 00:23:39,211 the zoning bylaw. Where the guidelines can assist 306 00:23:39,788 --> 00:23:42,255 really comes with that compatibility piece. 307 00:23:43,073 --> 00:23:46,983 And so, more likely you're 308 00:23:46,999 --> 00:23:50,957 talking about infill type development, I would presume. 309 00:23:52,848 --> 00:23:56,677 And so, what we try and do through the guidelines 310 00:23:56,709 --> 00:24:00,876 is emphasize that context and compatibility 311 00:24:00,956 --> 00:24:06,500 piece so that people understand lot 312 00:24:07,189 --> 00:24:09,528 frontage, setback, 313 00:24:10,330 --> 00:24:13,214 space between existing buildings. So, 314 00:24:13,999 --> 00:24:17,300 if you're coming in for a committee of adjustment, that means you 315 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,551 are varying the existing permission, so you want to do something different. 316 00:24:21,969 --> 00:24:25,243 So if they want to do something different, then they 317 00:24:25,743 --> 00:24:30,988 should be looking at how they respect the existing building 318 00:24:31,181 --> 00:24:34,888 setback along the street, what that streetscape looks like, 319 00:24:35,274 --> 00:24:40,458 the spaces in between, the building mass. So often 320 00:24:40,730 --> 00:24:44,984 you probably see through Committee of Adjustment an 321 00:24:45,484 --> 00:24:49,046 addition on the back that would then change the mass of that building. 322 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:54,023 And so, you're trying to encourage developers 323 00:24:54,136 --> 00:24:58,198 or builders to look through the lens of that compatibility 324 00:24:58,776 --> 00:25:01,344 to maintain a rear yard setback, 325 00:25:03,448 --> 00:25:06,948 a similar type of maybe roof or design. 326 00:25:07,076 --> 00:25:10,287 It doesn't mean that the buildings have to be designed the same, 327 00:25:10,736 --> 00:25:13,525 But those are the things that the guidelines are pointing to, 328 00:25:14,262 --> 00:25:18,765 to make people think about how they should be designing the 329 00:25:19,265 --> 00:25:23,124 framework for their lot and how it can be compatible 330 00:25:23,172 --> 00:25:26,521 within that context. I don't know 331 00:25:26,761 --> 00:25:27,979 if that helps. 332 00:25:39,021 --> 00:25:42,163 Hi there. I will— Pamela Spence, 333 00:25:42,948 --> 00:25:46,506 and I mentioned a couple of things to you, and I will put other more 334 00:25:46,570 --> 00:25:49,488 detailed comments in the submission. 335 00:25:50,257 --> 00:25:54,585 But I did see that in the guidelines there is context 336 00:25:55,085 --> 00:25:58,479 where it references the zoning bylaw and some things and engineering standards 337 00:25:58,592 --> 00:26:02,503 on other things. One of my concerns under 338 00:26:03,003 --> 00:26:06,498 the category of sustainable sustainable design is 339 00:26:06,690 --> 00:26:10,110 low impact design solutions. The town doesn't 340 00:26:10,126 --> 00:26:13,498 have— correct me if I'm wrong, Shawn— but I haven't 341 00:26:13,998 --> 00:26:17,335 seen them, seen low impact design solutions 342 00:26:17,351 --> 00:26:21,461 in the engineering standards. I've asked the engineering department about 343 00:26:21,961 --> 00:26:25,395 it and they say, well, there's too many to choose from or something like that. 344 00:26:26,101 --> 00:26:29,634 And I think 345 00:26:30,134 --> 00:26:33,180 it I would appreciate under sustainable design there a 346 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:37,513 little bit more emphasis and maybe some descriptions of things in certain contexts 347 00:26:38,013 --> 00:26:41,686 where they would work here. Because of the escarpment and the 348 00:26:42,186 --> 00:26:45,617 bay, we have a huge drainage issue. So any ability to 349 00:26:46,117 --> 00:26:49,517 keep your moisture on your soil in your own property 350 00:26:49,629 --> 00:26:53,096 and, you know, increase the permeability or 351 00:26:53,596 --> 00:26:58,598 the retention of it and stop the bed load getting into the bay is 352 00:26:59,098 --> 00:27:02,219 something that I look for in these design solutions. So if 353 00:27:02,719 --> 00:27:03,405 you'd consider that, thank you. 354 00:27:12,314 --> 00:27:16,111 Thanks very much for doing this. And just, 355 00:27:16,304 --> 00:27:19,877 I wonder if you could walk us through an example 356 00:27:20,309 --> 00:27:23,642 of a developer comes forward with a 357 00:27:23,690 --> 00:27:27,061 proposal where and how are 358 00:27:27,561 --> 00:27:31,622 these integrated into the process? Like, you know, 359 00:27:31,638 --> 00:27:35,396 especially given the current environment where we keep hearing from the 360 00:27:35,896 --> 00:27:39,395 province how a municipality's ability to 361 00:27:39,572 --> 00:27:42,816 regulate certain things is being reduced and changed, 362 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:46,429 and it's kind of a dynamic environment we're in now. And I'm just wondering, 363 00:27:46,975 --> 00:27:50,958 like, we understand these are guidelines, they're not regulations, they're not policies, 364 00:27:51,135 --> 00:27:55,334 but How would this come forward 365 00:27:55,382 --> 00:27:59,067 to a developer with a proposal? Just a 366 00:27:59,567 --> 00:28:00,285 little bit on the process. 367 00:28:05,093 --> 00:28:07,881 I'll answer that one. Yeah, thank you, 368 00:28:07,961 --> 00:28:11,118 Brian. So I think you've hit the nail on the head. 369 00:28:11,182 --> 00:28:14,451 I mean, these are design guidelines. We don't have the 370 00:28:14,951 --> 00:28:19,018 teeth through regulatory tools to be able to require anything 371 00:28:19,518 --> 00:28:22,576 when it comes to the urban design side of things. But what we do do 372 00:28:22,864 --> 00:28:27,143 is early in the process, we encourage developers to meet with the town through 373 00:28:27,527 --> 00:28:30,123 pre-consultation meetings. So there, 374 00:28:32,078 --> 00:28:34,979 even the requirement for pre-consultation is no longer mandatory. 375 00:28:35,636 --> 00:28:39,626 So you're right, the rules keep changing. We do find though that most 376 00:28:40,126 --> 00:28:43,585 developers still choose to go through that process. It comes with a small 377 00:28:43,633 --> 00:28:46,490 fee, but it really flushes out issues, 378 00:28:46,747 --> 00:28:49,171 concerns, comments early in that process. 379 00:28:50,519 --> 00:28:53,954 And part of that review, we do take a look at our community design guidelines 380 00:28:54,147 --> 00:28:57,984 and take a look at opportunities for, you know, how could a concept 381 00:28:58,484 --> 00:29:02,494 plan, before we get too deep into the engineering design and commitments 382 00:29:02,994 --> 00:29:05,865 on certain matters, that the community design guidelines have been looked at. 383 00:29:07,053 --> 00:29:10,440 And in some recent pre-consultations, it's actually led 384 00:29:10,940 --> 00:29:14,323 to some significant some significant improvements, you know, whether it's being able 385 00:29:14,371 --> 00:29:17,996 to relocate park features, a lot of the gateway features that 386 00:29:18,496 --> 00:29:22,328 are in the proposed guidelines, things like that. You know, 387 00:29:22,392 --> 00:29:25,360 developers look at it and they're like, yeah, that's a great idea, we can do 388 00:29:25,860 --> 00:29:28,857 that. So we're going to continue to have those conversations, 389 00:29:28,969 --> 00:29:32,354 and again, it's trying to get in as early as possible before, 390 00:29:32,964 --> 00:29:36,686 you know, too much engineering design work gets done, and it's like, at that point, 391 00:29:36,750 --> 00:29:40,041 changes are much more difficult. So definitely as early as we 392 00:29:50,318 --> 00:29:54,316 Another related question, you've touched on it and Brian's question 393 00:29:54,348 --> 00:29:57,753 sort of dealt with it in part as well. The province's 394 00:29:58,170 --> 00:30:02,088 changes to the Planning Act that is encouraging additional 395 00:30:02,185 --> 00:30:04,963 residential units on residential lots, 396 00:30:06,456 --> 00:30:10,601 The earlier version of the guidelines didn't address that particularly because 397 00:30:10,617 --> 00:30:14,680 that was 15, 14 years ago, and we now have this new directive 398 00:30:14,713 --> 00:30:18,150 from the province. Are there specifics in 399 00:30:18,166 --> 00:30:22,615 the new guidelines that address the fact that both 400 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:26,230 infill situations and structure conversions, I guess, 401 00:30:26,776 --> 00:30:29,956 for individual lots rather than subdivisions or neighborhoods, 402 00:30:31,177 --> 00:30:34,565 So somehow that's going to change, the guidelines will change to reflect 403 00:30:35,065 --> 00:30:38,739 the fact that the province is encouraging this more higher 404 00:30:39,239 --> 00:30:42,513 density, if you like, infill with the additional residential units. 405 00:30:45,387 --> 00:30:48,839 Yes. So a lot of this was making sure, because we worked 406 00:30:49,339 --> 00:30:52,709 on the official plan, so making sure that the housing types that were introduced through 407 00:30:53,209 --> 00:30:56,289 the official plan policies were captured in the guidelines. 408 00:30:56,963 --> 00:31:00,252 So under the residential section, there's new sections 409 00:31:00,752 --> 00:31:04,214 that we added. So there's a section on infill development and replacement housing, 410 00:31:04,808 --> 00:31:08,706 and then there's also a section on ADUs, so additional 411 00:31:08,914 --> 00:31:12,123 dwelling units. And a lot of it speaks to— 412 00:31:12,684 --> 00:31:16,005 I know the zoning bylaw has specific regulations for that as well, 413 00:31:16,839 --> 00:31:20,561 but there are specific guidelines that we've added that speak to the 414 00:31:21,061 --> 00:31:25,423 compatibility with the original dwelling. And whether it's included 415 00:31:25,923 --> 00:31:29,678 within the building itself or as a separate unit. So that we have 416 00:31:30,178 --> 00:31:32,954 added new sections to address those built forms. 417 00:31:38,044 --> 00:31:41,496 Another process question would just 418 00:31:41,996 --> 00:31:45,591 be, during the official plan process, we talked a lot about 419 00:31:46,091 --> 00:31:49,636 the possibility of CPPS, the community Planning Permit 420 00:31:49,700 --> 00:31:53,856 System. How would this work 421 00:31:54,356 --> 00:31:57,241 with that if that were to be implemented? 422 00:32:02,263 --> 00:32:05,488 Yeah, you never give up an opportunity 423 00:32:05,988 --> 00:32:08,488 to bring it up, right, the CPP? So it's good, it's great. 424 00:32:11,039 --> 00:32:14,777 So yeah, as part of usually the CPP 425 00:32:14,793 --> 00:32:18,739 bylaws we work on, there's a guideline component that 426 00:32:18,787 --> 00:32:22,777 goes along with it. So, I think through 427 00:32:22,793 --> 00:32:26,383 the CPP process, there are more opportunities to actually 428 00:32:26,415 --> 00:32:30,036 apply the guidelines. So, we know 429 00:32:30,536 --> 00:32:34,555 that site plan opportunities, we can't really apply the guidelines 430 00:32:34,587 --> 00:32:38,690 in certain elements. So, with— through the CPP process, 431 00:32:39,475 --> 00:32:43,625 you have more teeth essentially to use the guidelines for wherever a CPP 432 00:32:44,125 --> 00:32:44,731 is. Is implemented. 433 00:32:50,935 --> 00:32:54,558 Any more questions? No? Okay. 434 00:32:54,767 --> 00:32:58,486 I was just going to say that it's important to note that 435 00:32:58,614 --> 00:33:02,349 the document will be endorsed by Council, so they support 436 00:33:02,798 --> 00:33:06,261 what's in there, and that's important regardless of 437 00:33:07,206 --> 00:33:10,797 what the province is doing. Most most 438 00:33:11,297 --> 00:33:15,817 developers or people that are coming to do work respect 439 00:33:15,865 --> 00:33:18,863 that and they want to follow the process, 440 00:33:19,072 --> 00:33:22,199 right? It's those outliers that— Yeah. 441 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,967 The pre-consultation, speaking through it, 442 00:33:28,372 --> 00:33:31,403 it's so important. And most people, 443 00:33:31,419 --> 00:33:35,043 like Sean said, and you see that in other municipalities, most people, 444 00:33:35,107 --> 00:33:38,507 they want to go through that process because They want a smooth 445 00:33:38,620 --> 00:33:42,550 application, so they want to know upfront what they're required 446 00:33:43,050 --> 00:33:46,706 to do. And so, from that perspective, 447 00:33:46,722 --> 00:33:49,321 I don't think there's been that much of a change. 448 00:33:50,508 --> 00:33:53,910 It's just that those that would have pushed back before 449 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:58,771 push back even more on certain things nowadays, but so. 450 00:34:08,704 --> 00:34:11,930 Still on that same theme, you talked about, and this is sort of directed to 451 00:34:12,430 --> 00:34:15,750 you also, Shawn, with major developments like a new subdivision, 452 00:34:15,846 --> 00:34:19,329 I understand they are given the guidelines and almost not directed 453 00:34:19,377 --> 00:34:22,908 to, but really encouraged to examine them and to develop 454 00:34:23,408 --> 00:34:27,065 their proposal in compatibility with them. Does that apply equally 455 00:34:27,097 --> 00:34:30,467 to someone that's bought a lot with a little cottage on it and they're going 456 00:34:30,967 --> 00:34:35,071 to do a teardown and build a new a new house, are individual lot applicants 457 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:39,144 encouraged in the same way, or will they be with the new guidelines, 458 00:34:39,689 --> 00:34:43,345 to consider compatibility and all those other things in their design? 459 00:34:44,885 --> 00:34:48,781 And if not, shouldn't that be the case for infill and 460 00:34:48,910 --> 00:34:50,305 teardown replacements as well? 461 00:34:53,143 --> 00:34:56,286 I think there's two components to that. 462 00:34:57,008 --> 00:35:01,145 If they're coming in and they meet the zoning building 463 00:35:01,161 --> 00:35:02,059 requirements, 464 00:35:04,528 --> 00:35:08,617 they have no requirement to follow the guidelines, although staff 465 00:35:09,258 --> 00:35:12,417 would definitely direct them to the guidelines. 466 00:35:13,443 --> 00:35:16,858 It's where that infill then is 467 00:35:16,971 --> 00:35:21,220 triggering other matters like a minor variance, 468 00:35:21,525 --> 00:35:25,469 that type of thing, where staff then have a stronger 469 00:35:25,969 --> 00:35:30,102 ability to say, "You know, you're varying from what you're permitted 470 00:35:30,602 --> 00:35:36,515 to do, so here are the guidelines and please follow them." Yeah. 471 00:35:37,412 --> 00:35:40,827 Well, and just to add as well, I think, you know, when folks are coming 472 00:35:40,843 --> 00:35:44,241 in for an individual consent, for example, you know, they may not be aware of 473 00:35:44,290 --> 00:35:47,672 things like the additional dwelling units and how they're permitted as of right. 474 00:35:49,195 --> 00:35:52,353 And it may be of interest to some folks that are looking to do 475 00:35:52,385 --> 00:35:55,910 just sever a double lot, for example, for a future new home. 476 00:35:56,823 --> 00:36:00,156 So this document is great to be able to show them, you know, here's some 477 00:36:00,172 --> 00:36:03,232 design ideas in terms of how you design things like your entrance, 478 00:36:03,296 --> 00:36:06,564 you know, separate entrances and parking and just how you could 479 00:36:07,064 --> 00:36:10,906 lay out, you know, whatever it is you're looking to construct. And also how 480 00:36:11,406 --> 00:36:14,335 to work with the building department to make sure that, you know, the proper rough-ins 481 00:36:14,835 --> 00:36:18,549 and HVAC and all those other components are included with that design. 482 00:36:19,398 --> 00:36:23,454 Because yes, it's a slight increase in cost in terms of the initial construction 483 00:36:23,470 --> 00:36:27,163 cost to include something like an ADU, but it's substantially cheaper 484 00:36:27,663 --> 00:36:30,776 and more efficient to do it during the original construction process than to go 485 00:36:30,792 --> 00:36:34,324 back in afterwards and try to do that type of work. So, it's a 486 00:36:34,824 --> 00:36:38,965 great resource for those that also may not be aware of some enhancements 487 00:36:39,465 --> 00:36:41,678 that they can do to their own current plans. 488 00:36:43,862 --> 00:36:47,362 Maybe our applicants need awareness of it as a matter of course when they 489 00:36:50,634 --> 00:36:53,343 [Speaker:CHRIS] So applicants would be made aware of it if they're going through like a 490 00:36:53,843 --> 00:36:57,592 consent process or minor variance, yes. If they're just coming in 491 00:36:58,092 --> 00:37:01,616 for a building permit, they may not be made aware of it. 492 00:37:02,562 --> 00:37:06,010 Perhaps the designer or the architect 493 00:37:06,250 --> 00:37:10,018 may look to those types of things, but unless 494 00:37:10,518 --> 00:37:14,171 it's triggering a planning application and sort of discussion and 495 00:37:14,267 --> 00:37:18,047 back and forth with the planning department, It'll be a resource 496 00:37:18,547 --> 00:37:22,027 that's available. It's gonna be promoted throughout the town, but not everyone may 497 00:37:22,527 --> 00:37:25,522 be aware of it, but we'll try to make it available. I was gonna say, 498 00:37:25,684 --> 00:37:29,013 is that a missed opportunity for all we do need 499 00:37:29,061 --> 00:37:32,516 to be at a stage where they 500 00:37:33,368 --> 00:37:35,691 can't— some of the guidelines, 501 00:37:36,149 --> 00:37:37,847 if they were aware of it. Yeah. 502 00:37:48,999 --> 00:37:53,311 Okay, then thank you for your questions and the discussion this evening. 503 00:37:53,744 --> 00:37:57,238 If anyone was unable to tonight, there's still opportunity to provide 504 00:37:57,254 --> 00:38:00,396 feedback, and I would like to note that we also have 505 00:38:00,896 --> 00:38:04,147 a public meeting on April 21st, and this meeting will be 506 00:38:04,163 --> 00:38:07,418 another opportunity to hear more, more about the proposal and 507 00:38:07,450 --> 00:38:10,916 share your comments. And if anyone was unable 508 00:38:10,980 --> 00:38:14,770 to attend tonight, the meeting will be posted on the town's 509 00:38:14,834 --> 00:38:18,366 website. And with that, I would like to thank you everyone for 510 00:38:18,431 --> 00:38:21,899 joining tonight, and we really appreciate you taking the time to come out. 511 00:38:22,300 --> 00:38:25,736 And before you leave, please engage with staff and consultants, and to make 512 00:38:26,236 --> 00:38:30,216 sure your feedback is recorded, please write it on the sticky notes and 513 00:38:30,891 --> 00:38:32,737 paste it on any of the boards. Thank you.