half moon bay catholic elementary school site …

HALF MOON BAY CATHOLICELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SITE PLAN CONTROL DESIGN BRIEF

February 12, 2015

BRYDEN MARTEL ARCHITECTS INCORPORATED1066 somerset street west, suite 200, ottawa, ontario K1Y 4T3

tel: (613) 724-9914

DESIGN BRIEFHalf Moon Bay Catholic Elementary School, River Mist Road, Ottawa Page i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1

1.1 The Application Submission

1.2 Response to City Planning Criteria

1.2.1 City of Ottawa Official Plan1.2.2 City of Ottawa Urban Design Guidelines for Barrhaven South1.2.3 Zoning By-Law 2008-2501.2.4 City of Ottawa Private Approach By-Law 2003-447

1.3 Context Plan

1.3.1 Site Context1.3.2 Site Description

SECTION 2

2.1 The Design Proposal

2.1.1 Site Design2.1.2 Traffic Design2.1.3 Landscape Design2.1.4 Building Design

SUMMARY

Bryden Martel Architects Incorporated February 12, 2015

DESIGN BRIEFHalf Moon Bay Catholic Elementary School, River Mist Road, Ottawa Page 1

SECTION 1

1.1 The Application Submission

The Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) is in the process of purchasing a 2.77 hectare site onRiver Mist Road that is situated in the Barrhaven South community. The legal description of theproperty is Part of Lot 8, Concession 3 (Rideau Front), Geographic Township of Nepean City ofOttawa. The OCSB intends to construct a new elementary school on the site for occupancy byAugust of 2016 in preparation for the school year starting in September of that year.

The subject property is situated in a draft plan of subdivision submitted to the City of Ottawa byMattamy Homes Company. The Mattamy Homes Company has agreed to the OCSB submittinga Site Plan Control application for this property. The draft plan is currently under review by theCity. See the drawing below dated June 25, 2014.

The proposed single-storey school building is planned to face River Mist Road and side on DesSoldats Riendeau Street. An off-road lay-by will be provided for school busses at the front of thebuilding. A parking lot is planned for staff and visitor parking to the south of the building and thiswill be accessible from River Mist Road. A fenced playground, including an asphalt play area anda large landscaped area will be developed to the west of the school building.

This Design Brief has been prepared on behalf of the OCSB to support an Application for Site PlanControl for development of the school site and to demonstrate how the proposed development isin conformance with:



• Policies of the City of Ottawa Official Plan• City of Ottawa Urban Design Guidelines for Barrhaven South• City of Ottawa Zoning By-Law• City of Ottawa Private Approach By-Law

1.2 Response to City of Ottawa Planning Criteria

1.2.1 City of Ottawa Official PlanThe site is located within the General Urban Area as shown on Schedule B - Urban Policy Plan. School construction is permitted within this designation as described in Policy 1 of 3.6.1- GeneralUrban Area of the Official Plan. In accordance with Annex 5 of the Official Plan, the site does fallwithin a Community Design Plan area and this is the Barrhaven South Community Design Plan.

1.2.2 City of Ottawa Urban Design Guidelines for Barrhaven SouthThe Barrhaven South Community Design Plan (CDP) is the Council-approved guide to the long-term growth and development of Barrhaven South. The purpose of the CDP is to create aframework for the future development of these lands, which fulfills the policy directions outlinedin the City’s Official Plan and sets the specific objectives for the Barrhaven South community. TheCDP provides the land use concept for these lands, as well as the servicing and transportationstructure for future development.

The Guiding Principles in the CDP establish the qualitative framework for the Land Use Plan. Theyrepresent value statements about the kind of urban environment that is desired for thecommunity and include the following principle that is relevant to the proposed schooldevelopment:

“Each neighbourhood will be designed around identifiable focal points – areas of interest thatattract residents and become memorable landmarks within the community. These nodes willorganize neighbourhoods into legible districts, and may consist of a variety of activities/amenities, for example, schools, parks, plazas, community facilities, and entrance features.These focal points will be well distributed within the community and easily accessible fromhomes both on foot or bicycle.”

The CDP establishes design guidelines that are based on two overarching themes:1. Development should capitalize on the abundant natural features of the site, both existing

and proposed.2. Development should create a more urban, intimate environment.

These broad, community-wide considerations are then followed with design guidelines related tospecific land uses including general guidelines for institutional uses.

All the general guidelines provided for institutional uses and schools have been adhered to in thedesign of the proposed elementary school development with the exception of the part of theguideline related to the amount of glazing on street facing facades. The guideline suggests a 50%level of glazing. For educational spaces this is considered excessive for a number of sound reasons.These include the need to manage distractions for students and the unfortunate increasing needto address the security of students within institutions. Furthermore, the Ontario Building Coderequirements related to building envelope design, energy conservation and sustainability



encourage a limitation on glazing areas. The required envelope performance can be achieved with50% glazing but the sustainability of such a move is questionable. Triple glazing would be one ofthe countermeasures that could be used but significant costs are involved. The level of glazingprovided in the proposed design is 14.1%.

1.2.3 Zoning By-Law 2008-250The subject property is currently zoned DR, Development Reserve Zone. It is however understoodthat the subject property will become zoned I1A which is a Subzone of the Minor InstitutionalZone.

The purpose of the Minor Institutional Zone is to:(1) permit a range of community uses, institutional accommodation and emergency service

uses to locate in areas designated in General Urban Area or Central Area in the OfficialPlan; and

(2) minimize the impact of these minor institutional uses located in close proximity toresidential uses by ensuring that such uses are of a scale and intensity that is compatiblewith neighbourhood character.

Schools are a permitted use within the provisions of the Zoning By-Law for the I1A InstitutionalZone. The maximum building height allowed in the zone is 11 metres. The zone regulationsrequire a minimum front, interior side and rear yard setbacks of 7.5 metres. Corner side yardsetbacks are required to be 4.5 metres. Maximum allowable lot coverage is 35%.

The front yard setback proposed is 11.8 metres; the corner side yard setback is 22.3 metres; theinterior side yard setback is 58.8 metres; the rear yard setback is 107.8 metres; the lot coverage is16.6%. The proposed building height is 7.75 metres which is the height of the centrally locatedgymnasium. Part 4 of the Zoning By-Law stipulates parking, queuing and loading provisions. The proposedparking lot contains 86 parking spaces, which exceeds the requirement of the By-Law for 1.5 spacesper classroom in an elementary school, calculated as follows:

Number of classrooms in the school 22Number of portables (Possible future) 8

Total classrooms and portables 30Total required parking spaces (1.5 x 30) 45Total parking spaces provided 86

The parking in excess of zoning requirements is proposed based on the experience of the OCSBwith actual requirements for elementary schools of this population in similar communities. In orderto manage the impact of the parking the zoning bylaw allowance for reduced sizes of parkingspaces has been taken advantage of in the design.

One loading space has been provided. The By-Law requires one loading space for school buildingsup to 4,999 square metres in area. The area of the proposed school is 4,602.2 square metres.



The Zoning By-Law requires 1 bicycle parking space per 100 square metres in area for a schoolbuilding. Therefore, the minimum number of bicycle spaces required would be 46. Forty-eight areproposed for this Site Plan Application.

The development as proposed conforms to the requirements of the City of Ottawa Zoning By-Law.

1.2.4 City of Ottawa Private Approach By-Law 2003-447The design of the three private approaches to the site conform to the regulations of the City’sPrivate Approach By-Law. The Official Plan designates River Mist Road and Des Soldats RiendeauStreet as a collectors.

For the frontage along River Mist Road of 229.00 metres the By-Law allows one two-way privateapproach and two one-way private approaches, or two two-way private approaches. If thefrontage was 240 metres the letter of the By-law would permit the following:

• two two-way approaches and two one-way approaches or • three two-way approaches or • one two-way approach and four one-way approaches.

Two two-way approaches and one one-way private approach are proposed along this frontagealthough the frontage is short of the 140 metres by 11 metres. The background to this proposal isas follows.

Three main vehicular movements are required to be accommodated on this school site. Looking atthese with reference to the time when they occur on normal school days they are.

The arrival of the support and teaching staff. Conveniently located parking for this group alsodoubles as visitor parking during the course of the day. Support and teaching staff are the first toarrive on site and generally the last to leave in the course of the day.

The second and third vehicular movements occur essentially in parallel. They are the arrival anddeparture of school busses and the student drop-off and pick-up activity associated with studentswho neither walk to the school nor use the school busses. A segregated school bus drop-off loopthat accommodates 7 school busses is located off River Mist Road and is designed for one waytraffic with a wide disembarking apron that is linked to the fenced playground on the west side ofthe building. The student drop-off area is separated from the school bus activity and is located tooffer access to the South entry of the school building.

If there was sufficient frontage for the school site the ideal arrangement of accesses would be asfollows:

• 1 two-way access for staff and visitors• 2 one-way accesses for school busses• 1 two-way access for student drop-offs and pick-ups

The proposed compromise that does not meet the letter of the Private Approach By-Law is:• 1 two-way access for staff and visitors• 1 one-way access for school busses• 1 two-way access for school bus egress and student drop-offs and pick-ups



This proposed compromise of combining school bus egress with the drop-off entry and exit hasbeen found to be very workable on many school sites that the OCSB has where a similararrangements are made use of. It should be noted that the school busses generally leave and enterat only one time in the morning and one time in the afternoon.

River Mist Road is a collector road, therefore the requirements of sentence 25. (l) (ii) apply to thesite. The nearest distance between a two-way private approach and any other private approach is15 metres. The approaches on River Mist Road all meet this criteria. Also, the nearest limit of aprivate approach to an intersecting street line is to be no less than 18 metres. Again thisrequirement is satisfied.

In summary the size and placement of the private approaches on the site are in generalconformance with the By-Law.

1.3 Context Plan

1.3.1 Site ContextThe site is located within the developing Barrhaven South community. This community is part ofthe South Urban Community and lies generally South of the Jock River, East of Provincial Highway416, West of Greenbank Road and North of an irregular boundary that lies North of BarnsdaleRoad. The community is laid out generally in an orthogonal pattern parallel to major arterial roads,interrupted by some curvilinear streets.

The proposed school site is on River Mist Road at the intersection of Des Soldats Riendeau Street. The site has no buildings directly adjacent to it at this time but housing is already in place on theNorth side of Des Soldats Riendeau Street opposite the school site. The nature of development tothe South of the site is unknown and the draft plan of subdivision shows residential developmentto the West of the site and residential development coupled with a neighbourhood park to the Eastof the site.

1.3.2 Site DescriptionThe site is 2.77 hectares in size and is generally rectangular in shape with the long dimensionoriented approximately North-South. There are no existing buildings on the site. The topographyis generally sloping from the South to the North. Non-native soils appear to have been depositedon the site in mounds. The site has been subject to recent developer construction traffic andmaterial storage and is otherwise covered with weeds and grasses. Des Soldats Riendeau Streetis constructed and a short extent of River Mist Road runs South from the intersection with DesSoldats Riendeau Street. Photographs of the site and surroundings are shown below. Refer to thekey plan below for photograph locations.



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SECTION 2

2.1 The Design Proposal

2.1.1 Site DesignAs depicted in the Site Plan a single storey school of 4,602.2 square metres is proposed to be locatedfacing River Mist Road and sited against Des Soldats Riendeau Street. The building is consciouslysited parallel to River Mist Road and thus is at an angel to Des Soldats Riendeau Street. The massof the building is used to anchor and reinforce the street corner . This placement also positions themain facade of the building directly across the road from the proposed neighbourhood park on theEast side of River Mist Road.

2.1.2 Traffic DesignA school bus drop-off is placed off River Mist Road to accommodate the required number of schoolbusses that will serve the school. One-way traffic is proposed for the bus drop-off from North toSouth.

A parking lot for 83 vehicles is placed to the South of the school and is accessible from a distincttwo-way access from River Mist Road. This parking area is for staff and visitors. Vehicular access is also provided to the South of the school building for a number of purposes.Three barrier-free parking spaces are located here in close proximity to the South entry to theschool. This is also the location for a drop-off area. Again close proximity to a building entry isessential. Another critical function for this access point is fire department access to the building thatconforms to the requirements of the Ontario Building Code. The City prohibition of establishinga double function for the school bus drop-off so that it functions as the fire lane for the buildingnecessitates a separate location for fire department access. Lastly garbage removal activities areaccommodate from this access point.

Pedestrian access to the site is accommodated through sidewalk connections to the proposedsidewalks on River Mist Road and Des Soldats Riendeau Street. Crosswalks are proposed forpedestrians crossing the access to the parking lot and bus lane. Access tot he fenced play yard isgained from the South and North sides of the school It is proposed that the gates will be equippedwith locks and access to the site is to be controlled by the OCSB.

Bicycle parking for 48 bicycles is provided both in the front and rear of the school adjacent tosidewalk accesses to the site.

2.1.3 Landscape DesignAn asphalt play area is to be provided on the West side of the building, with an open grass andlandscaped play area beyond. Trees are proposed to provide visual screening on the property linesadjacent to residential development. Trees are also proposed on the south side of a sand play areafor shade. Street planting is understood to be the responsibility of the subdivision developer. Treesare proposed on the East, North and West sides of the main parking as visual screens. Landscapingwill also be used to accentuate the main entrance of the school and to define exterior teaching areasboth within the paved play area and the grassed yards for outdoor education when weather



permits. Garden plots are planned in a separately fenced area in the yard for student instruction. An area has been reserved at the street corner of the site for the introduction of a public art featurethat would act as a distinctive neighbourhood reference point. The OCSB is open to discussionsregarding this. Refer to the Landscape Plan for details.

2.1.4 Building DesignThis elementary school is designed as a single storey building to create a strong sense of aneducational community and facilitate easy internal circulation by the young occupants and anybuilding users who rely on a fully accessible environment. Building elevations are submitted withthis application for Site Plan Approval. The building is to be clad on all facades in two differentclay brick colours used to break the building massing into visually separate blocks. The facadeswill be animated by brightly coloured bands of glazed concrete block in an pixilated pattern. Theprimary entrance is accented with a curvilinear flowing metal canopy that contrasts with therectilinear character of the building massing. The gymnasium walls rise above the lower roof andare proposed to be clad in ribbed light grey coloured metal siding.



SUMMARY

The proposal for Site Plan Control complies with the City of Ottawa Official Plan, the City ofOttawa Urban Design Guidelines for Barrhaven South, the City of Ottawa Zoning By-Law, and theCity of Ottawa Private Approach By-Law. The proposed development is therefore consideredappropriate for the site.

Prepared by:David J. BrydenB.Sc., B.Arch., OAQ, OAA, MRAIC


BRYDEN MARTEL ARCHITECTS INCORPORATED1066 somerset street west, suite 200, ottawa, ontario K1Y 4T3

tel: (613) 724-9914

half moon bay catholic elementary school site …

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