Builder bumps up size of new townhomes, but makes cosmetic changes to please critics
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Maria Cook
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The Ottawa Citizen
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Monday, October 27, 2008
Residents of Old Ottawa South have won some concessions from a developer in the form of cosmetic changes to the design of two massive townhouses set to replace a 1,200-square-foot house.
However, the changes by Campanale Homes do not address neighbours’ central concern — the sheer size of the buildings. At a total of 6,752 square feet, they are more than five times the size of the existing house at 35 Brighton Ave.
Demolition of the house, which faces the Rideau River and Brighton Beach Park, is expected to take place today.
“While opinion is divided, a number of people have remarked that the updated design is improved,” next-door neighbour Kristen Ostling says.
“The support of the community and over 400 signatures on our petition were no doubt instrumental in bringing about changes to the design.”
Instead of making the three-storey, semi-detached houses smaller, the revised design actually makes them bigger. “We were hoping it would go down in size,” says Ms. Ostling. “It’s the absolute opposite.”
The 60-by-81-foot lot is zoned for a double and was purchased for $540,000. No rezoning or variance was required.
The City of Ottawa has recently done away with “floor space index,” a zoning provision that sets a limit on building area, and now relies on the setbacks from property lines and height limits — a change that generally allows bigger buildings.
“There is no law that says you can’t build a monster home,” says Councillor Clive Doucet, who represents the area and helped negotiate the design changes.
Currently, he says, the term “intensification” is “not much more than a licence for spot rezoning.”
In future, there may be hope for Ottawa residents concerned about inappropriate and over-scaled development.
Community design plans “will become an important tool for controlling esthetics, size and height,” Mr. Doucet says. “They are a detailed response to the Official Plan’s requirements for intensification.”
About a dozen community design plans have been completed so far, and Mr. Doucet estimates there could eventually be at least 100. Old Ottawa South begins working on its plan next year.
“The community is going to be exercising much more control over the landscape. We’re hoping it will become the vehicle that will bring quality control to intensification.”
But, says Mr. Doucet, the vision of communities is not always aligned with that of city hall.
“The city doesn’t want this to happen,” he says, noting that city officials have not yet approved Westboro’s community design plan because it “puts teeth in the height limits.”
In Ottawa East, “the city doesn’t want to see main streets limited to four or five storeys. There’s a power struggle going on.”
In Ottawa South, a group of neighbours held two meetings in June and July with developers Rocco and Vince Campanale. The Citizen was unable to reach them for comment.
Concerned that the proposed development did not fit the scale and character of the area, the neighbours noted that two double garages dominate the ground level.
The city’s urban design guidelines for infill housing state: “A garage should not dominate any façade facing a street, public space or other residential dwelling.”
Asphalt parking for four cars eliminates virtually all of the front garden and the second- and third-storey balconies over the garage create a cold, high-rise-like façade, they said.
In contrast to the design’s more than 6,000 square feet, one of the largest houses on the street is 3,000 square feet on a lot of the same size. “It resembles tract housing in the suburbs,” says Ms. Ostling.
The revised design borrows stylistic details from the neighbourhood. It adds decorative gables to the roof and eliminates the balcony on the third floor. It is now enclosed, making each house 143-square-feet larger. The entrance seems wider, and there is a small gabled roof over the front porch. The garage doors now have windows.
“I think the changes are good,” says Mr. Doucet. “They made it more friendly and less intrusive.”
The price has gone up, too. At 3,133 square feet each, they were just under $1 million. At, 3,376 square feet, they are advertised at $1,195,000.
The front is still mostly asphalt and the garage doors remain the same.
Ms. Ostling said many people are disappointed. Neighbours had suggested a smaller garage door that led to a same-sized interior or a stepped-back façade to lessen the bulky appearance.
“We hoped that they would come up with a much better design and even consider using an architect,” she said.
Still, Mr. Doucet says it’s unusual for developers to agree to make changes when they don’t have to. “Nor do (developers) normally meet one-on-one with the neighbours and city councillor. This is the only time I can think this has happened.
“Campanale is one of our best developers,” he adds. “They are very respectful of the zoning.”
The developer describes the houses as “nestled on a quiet street in a preferred neighbourhood.” Features include an elevator and “over-sized balconies with glass panels to enjoy the river views.”
In a letter to Campanale Homes, the residents had said their area is defined by “welcoming entranceways, front gardens, front porches and mature trees lining the street.”
“Communities are saying intensification is OK, but you’ve got to do it in a way that increases the quality of life, and doesn’t decrease it,” says Mr. Doucet.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=fd58bceb-e2c2-4851-87dc-a5fd89b8ab46
The old zoning by-law application notice sign has been replaced with the new Site Plan Control Proposal sign.
