HomeMy WebLinkAboutDevelopment Permit Guideline Checklist - Multi Residential1
Multi-Family Development Permit Area Guidelines Checklist
Pursuant with Section 8.7 of the Official Community Plan, multi-family developments will be
assessed against the form and character guidelines established by Council and summarised
below.
This checklist is to be prepared by the architect of record for the project to demonstrate the
proposed design was developed in accordance with the form and character guidelines. Please
assess and describe the compliance of the proposed design of the project with respect to the
Key Guideline Concepts and with the Form and Character Guidelines.
Description of the Key Guideline Concepts should be suitable for File Managers to quote in
Development Permit Application Reports to Council. For the Form and Character Guidelines,
clearly describe how the proposed design complies with each of the listed guidelines, or
describes why a guideline is not complied with or why it is inapplicable.
This checklist is to accompany Development Permit Applications and submissions to the ADP.
8.7.1 Key Guideline Concepts Describe how this project and the design complies
1. New development into established areas
should respect private spaces, and
incorporate local neighbourhood
elements in building form, height,
architectural features and massing.
2. Transitional development should be used
to bridge areas of low and high densities,
through means such as stepped building
heights, or low rise ground oriented
housing located to the periphery of a
higher density developments.
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Key Guideline Concepts (Continued)
3. Large scale developments should be
clustered and given architectural
separation to foster a sense of
community, and improve visual
attractiveness.
4. Pedestrian circulation should be
encouraged with attractive streetscapes
attained through landscaping,
architectural details, appropriate lighting
and by directing parking underground
where possible or away from public view
through screened parking structures or
surface parking located to the rear of the
property.
Guidelines 8.7.1 A
Building Design, Massing and Siting
Describe how the proposed design complies with each of the
listed guidelines, or describes why a guideline is not complied
with or why it is inapplicable.
1. Design and siting of buildings should take
advantage of natural features or views
and should enhance privacy and
livability.
2. Residential buildings should front or
appear to front onto public roads
through the use of appropriate
treatment of exteriors, through direct
pedestrian access to individual units from
the public street/sidewalk, or through
the provision of pedestrian walkways
linked to the street. Street frontages
should be emphasized by incorporating
differentiated front, side and rear
oriented facades, with a minimum two
storey facade on the fronting street to
foster a human scale. Buildings that are
designed with an end wall or unit
adjacent to a public street should design
the end unit with the pedestrian entry
facing the street. At significant
intersections, the definition of corners
should be reinforced by buildings that
front on both streets and incorporate
corner cuts.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 A (Continued)
3. Higher density dwellings should be sited
adjacent to major streets in order to
minimize access problems and to provide
a transition to lower density uses.
4. Multi-family developments adjacent to
lower density or single detached
residential dwellings should:
a) be consistent in form and massing with
the surrounding area;
b) be sited adjacent to major streets to
provide a transition to lower density
uses;
c) concentrate density to the centre of the
development or towards a non-
residential boundary and locate lower
density components adjacent to lower
density residential uses;
d) create a transition in building mass and
form towards the setbacks of the
adjacent neighbourhood;
e) minimize access conflicts;
f) be designed to maximize privacy and
minimize views onto adjoining sites,
particularly for portions of the
development abutting the side yards of
adjacent single detached residential uses.
5. Larger buildings, roof forms and building
frontages should include design
elements and features to:
a) provide variation in the facades to help
reduce the visual length of individual
buildings;
b) have the appearance of a series of
smaller buildings, or as identifiable parts
of a larger concept; and
c) incorporate components that express
strong unit identity and incorporate
direct access to grade for ground-floor
units.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 A (Continued)
6. New multi-family developments should
use design themes, architectural
features and elements of the
surrounding neighbourhood by
incorporating common elements such as
form, scale, massing and proportion into
the design as a means to reinforce
neighbourhood stability. Examples
include:
a) the articulation of facades, using where
appropriate, elements such as porches,
chimneys, projections, recesses, and
balconies;
b) the placement, size, shape and number
of doors and windows;
c) the location and visual appearance of
garages and/or parking facilities;
d) the selection of appropriate and
compatible roof forms; and
e) the design of hard and soft landscaping.
7. The exposed undersides of balconies and
porches that are visible from a street or
public walkway should be covered with
exterior finishes to provide a finished
appearance to public view.
8. Developments are encouraged to use
the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEEDS) standards
in the design of buildings. Techniques
such as rain gardens, vegetated swales,
separation of impervious surfaces,
installing below surface infiltration beds
and tree box filters, and redirecting
water from drain pipes into vegetated
areas are encouraged.
9. Variation in individual unit designs is
encouraged to provide visual interest
and avoid significant repetition either
within a row of townhouses, or between
adjacent rows of units.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 A (Continued)
10. Garage doors should not face public
streets. Where front facing garage doors
are unavoidable, the impact of garage
doors on the public realm should be
mitigated by:
a) designing residential units with enough
width to include attractive entrances
and windows between garages;
b) recessing garage doors behind the main
building façade;
c) keeping a sufficient width in residential
units to allow the creation of attractive
entrances and fenestration between
garages.
d) grouping garage doors in pairs between
adjacent units to allow building
entrances and facades more prominence
on the street;
e) providing interior spaces that overlook
the street;
f) separating and orienting unit entrances
to the street;
g) providing individual pedestrian
walkways linked to the street;
h) including design details such as transom
windows or glazing in garage doors;
i) a comprehensive landscape plan that
identifies how the visual impact of
garage doors from the street will be
mitigated.
11. Landscaping of rooftops is encouraged
where possible, to provide shared or
private outdoor space for residents and
to provide attractive views for residents
and passersby.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 B
Vehicle Access, Parking and Circulation
Describe how the proposed design complies with each of the
listed guidelines, or describes why a guideline is not complied
with or why it is inapplicable.
1. Parking and servicing should be located
underground or to the rear of buildings,
with access from lanes wherever
possible. Where lane access is not
possible, access should be from streets
via narrow driveways to minimize the
impact on streetscape appearance and
disruption to pedestrian movement.
2. Parking structures should be adequately
screened and architecturally compatible
with the rest of the building. Large
surface parking areas should be divided
into smaller sections to avoid a
monotonous appearance with
landscaping strips, trees, building edges,
pedestrian pathways, and pavement
treatment to enhance their visual
appearance.
3. Developments with large parking areas
should provide a direct pedestrian
pathway system through the parking
area to facilitate convenient and safe
pedestrian access between building
entrances, parked cars, and sidewalks of
adjoining streets. Features such as
special landscaping with trees and
benches, overhead weather protection
and distinct paving should be
incorporated where appropriate.
Pedestrian movement should be
designed to avoid any obstruction by
parked vehicles.
4. Shared vehicle access between adjoining
sites should be considered where access
for parking at the rear of the property is
limited. Joint or shared access should
also be considered between adjoining
developments to minimize disruption of
pedestrian sidewalks and to maximize
landscaping and permeable surfaces.
Integration of driving aisles and
pedestrian walkways between adjacent
sites is also strongly encouraged.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 B (Continued)
5. Locate parking spaces allocated for
people with disabilities as close as
possible to the main entrance to a
building.
6. Crime Prevention through
Environmental Design (CPTED) principles
should be incorporated into the design
of all parking facilities with convenient,
safe, identifiable and universally
accessible access routes to building
entrances, lobbies or other principal
areas of buildings, and to grade level
from any underground or above ground
parking structures.
7. To increase safety, consider using
electronic security devices and
monitoring systems as a supplement to
natural surveillance opportunities in
parking structures and parking areas.
8. The amount of asphalt surfaces in
parking areas should be minimized by
integrating a variety of paving materials
such as concrete, decorative pavers, etc.
or by using alternate surface treatments.
9. Road grades, streets, lanes, and
driveways should conform to the
existing grades as closely as possible to
ensure minimal disruption of slopes and
vegetation. On steep terrain, roads
should be aligned, wherever possible, to
run parallel rather than counter to,
natural contours and existing grades.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 C
Landscaping and Open Space
Describe how the proposed design complies with each of the
listed guidelines, or describes why a guideline is not complied
with or why it is inapplicable.
1. Landscaping both within and outside the
development should:
a) provide definition for pedestrian
corridors;
b) delineate private and semi private space
from public space;
c) provide adequate screening between
private outdoor spaces;
d) present a pleasing street image;
e) provide suitable buffering between
public road and privacy areas;
f) soften the transition between adjacent
land uses;
g) provide a buffer between residential and
non-residential land uses;
h) create interesting views and focal points
into and out of the site;
i) reinforce design continuity with
neighbouring properties, the scale and
massing of buildings, and the
streetscape by providing consistency in
street trees, plant materials, and other
landscaping elements.
2. Landscape drawings for development
applications should include, but are not
limited to, the following information:
a) the location of mature and existing trees
to be retained or removed,
b) the location of all protective tree
fencing;
c) a grading plan or cross section indicating
finished grade; and
d) a drainage plan for the site.
3. Street trees will be a required
component of all development.
Incorporate deciduous tree species into
streetfront landscaping to define site
boundaries, to enhance public space,
and to permit light penetration in
winter.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 C (Continued)
4. Energy efficiency and conservation
should be considered in the design of
landscaped areas and in the selection of
plant material. This can be
accomplished through:
a) using native and/or drought-resistant
species;
b) designing the landscaping to moderate
the effect of wind;
c) providing shade in summer;
d) allowing natural drainage to occur
throughout the site;
e) allowing daylight into buildings; and
f) redirecting water from rooftop runoff
and downspouts into vegetated areas or
rain barrels for later irrigation use.
5. Maintain continuous landscaping along
abutting streets and minimize the
number of interruptions such as
driveways and parking entrances.
Continue the sidewalk pavement across
driveways and parking entrances.
6. Create visual landmarks on significant
street corners and at locations of high
visibility. Provide landscaping and
consider incorporating features such as
flag poles, banners, visual art,
ornamental trees, fountains,
architectural elements, and landscape
structures.
7. Any portion of a building site left vacant
for future development should be
landscaped consistent with the
landscape plan for the overall site. The
minimum ground surface treatment
should be lawn. Where possible, the
natural state should be retained for
those portions of a property not being
developed.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 C (Continued)
8. Identify, preserve and incorporate
stands of mature trees into the overall
site landscaping design. Retain unique
tree species, significant vegetation,
natural landscape features and nesting
areas on a site wherever possible. To
attain this objective, prior to the design
of a project, a detailed survey prepared
by a qualified professional indicating the
location and condition of existing trees
and vegetation on a site should be
conducted and provided to the District
as part of the development application
process.
9. Existing vegetation should be enhanced
with new planting wherever
construction activity has destroyed
vegetation. Replanting with indigenous
or native species is encouraged.
10. Consider incorporating rain gardens and
vegetated swales into parking lot
landscaping to increase the natural
absorption of rainwater runoff from
paved areas into the ground.
11. The height and location of a landscape
screen should ensure that:
a) privacy to adjacent properties is
adequately protected;
b) driving site lines are maintained from
adjacent roads, manoeuvring aisles,
parking lots; and
c) the quality of the streetscape and
outdoor living spaces is enhanced.
12. Maximize the amount of landscaped
areas and minimize the amount of
impervious paved surfaces to increase
the natural absorption of rainwater on a
site.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 D
Universally Accessible Design
Describe how the proposed design complies with each of the
listed guidelines, or describes why a guideline is not complied
with or why it is inapplicable.
1. All non-vehicular routes should be fully
accessible. Sidewalks and pathways
should be wide enough for
wheelchair/scooters and should include
a tactile strip for the visually impaired.
Curb-cuts and curb let-downs should be
provided in appropriate locations to
facilitate safe, convenient, and direct
access from parking spaces to buildings
for people with disabilities.
2. Building entries should be:
a) clearly addressed with large numbers
visible from the street;
b) directly accessed from the street
without stairs;
c) provided with level areas measuring a
minimum of 1.5m x 1.5m (4.9 ft. x 4.9 ft.)
both inside and outside of doorways;
and
d) provided with weather protection,
exterior lighting, and power-assisted
door openers.
Guidelines 8.7.1 E
Refuse, Recycling and Service Areas
Describe how the proposed design complies with each of the
listed guidelines, or describes why a guideline is not complied
with or why it is inapplicable.
1. Integrate vents, mechanical rooms,
mechanical equipment, and elevator
penthouses into the roof design or
screen with materials and finishes
compatible with the overall architectural
design.
2. The design of a roof, placement of
mechanical units and satellite dishes,
etc. should take into account views of
the roof from adjacent buildings.
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3. Garbage containers and recycling bins
must be:
a) easily accessible;
b) appropriately sized for the building
occupants;
c) contained within roofed/walled
enclosures;
d) incorporated into the overall design of
the development; or
e) screened from public view and
weatherproof and animal-resistant
within the boundaries of each site.
4. Service areas should be internalized
within the development. For
developments with multiple buildings,
common refuse, recycling and service
areas are to be provided. Storage areas
should be located to be convenient and
readily accessible from most buildings or
units on the site. Avoid direct exposure
from public streets and allow for
adequate manoeuvring space for
removal vehicles.
5. Enclose or screen all exterior mechanical
units or equipment, including roof top
units, equipment, and satellite dishes
within upper floors or structures that
from part of the overall design of a
development.
6. Locate building ventilation systems to
minimize noise and exhaust pedestrian
areas, residential units, and outdoor
spaces and locate less sensitive land uses
closer to sources of noise.
7. Buildings should be designed and
constructed maximize sound
attenuation:
a) between units;
b) between public roads and units; and
c) between adjacent land uses and units.
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Guidelines 8.7.1 F
Signage and Lighting
Describe how the proposed design complies with each of the
listed guidelines, or describes why a guideline is not complied
with or why it is inapplicable.
1. All signage must conform to the Maple
Ridge Sign Bylaw. In the event of a
conflict between the Maple Ridge Sign
Bylaw and these guidelines, the latter
shall take precedent.
2. Signage design, materials and message
should be integrated and complement
the scale and architectural detail of the
building.
3. Pedestrian level lighting is encouraged
along all pedestrian routes and
pedestrian plazas. The lighting should
be pedestrian focused.
4. Lighting should be designed so as to
have no direct source of light visible
from the public right-of-way or adjacent
residential land. Care should be taken to
ensure that lighting glare does not pose
a nuisance to adjacent residences,
pedestrians, or motorists.
Guidelines 8.7.1 G
Bicycle Parking and Storage
Describe how the proposed design complies with each of the
listed guidelines, or describes why a guideline is not complied
with or why it is inapplicable.
1. Short term and long term bicycle parking
facilities should be considered for all
developments. Short term bicycle
parking should be in well-lit locations
and clearly visible from a main building
entrance and/or public roads with
bicycle racks made of sturdy, theft-
resistant material that is securely
anchored to the floor or ground. Longer
term bicycle storage areas provided as
part of a parking structure should be
located close to elevators and access
points.
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Project Information
To be completed by the Architect on record for this project:
File Number ________________________
Date prepared: _______________________
Architect ________________________ ___________________________
Print Name Signature