lanefab - comments on permitting barriers
TRANSCRIPT
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Illustrative comments on permitting barriers (and opportunities) for RS houses & LWH
September 2016
Lanefab Design/Build
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
In our view there is a hierarchy of ‘policy importance’.
Less important policies should be removed / expedited during periods w permit delays (or) low rental vacancy rates.
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Life SafetyFire separation, exposing faces, stair and guard dimensions, fire sprinklering etc
Energy & ClimateEnvelope thermal performance, thick wall exclusions, passive house relaxations etc
Floor Area & Height Compliance
Overlook and Shadowing
Accessibility
Tree Canopy Retention
Architectural Design Guideline ComplianceFront and rear yard compatibility, roof shape, window trim dimension etc
Landscape Design Guideline Compliance
A hierarchy of ‘policy importance’
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Our mental map of the process for an outright RS house or LWH
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Our mental map of the process for an outright RS house or LWH
Currently, our biggest source of delay
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Our mental map of the process for an outright RS house or LWH
Our biggest source of frustration
(and delay)
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Trees
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Had to go to BOV for relaxations to save/incorporate this magnolia tree Often there is not enough flex in the bylaw and guidelines… but this is improving…
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
More lumber in the barriers than in trees being protected.Nowhere to work.
146 W.22nd – new RS-1 outright house and lwh
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Late 90s: 4’ tree barrier when main house was builtAdding a garage, and re-doing the backyard
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Late 90s: 4’ tree barrier
Same trees in 2016: 24.5’ requested tree barrier (would have killed the entire project)
Adding a garage, and re-doing the backyard
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Late 90s: 4’ tree barrier
Same trees in 2016: 24.5’ requested tree barrier (would have killed the entire project)
Adding a garage, and re-doing the backyard
This was appealed (successfully), but after much delay. We need a simpler/clearer policy
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
1 arborist says building this lwh at 2’ from property line and tree is OK.2nd arborist does an air-spade inspection, and says it’s OK
City tree inspector says no… planners ask for a neighbour letter... neighbour refuses...project is killed after 8 months work and 15k in expenses.
Problem: no clear & early guidance regarding work near trees. Frequent discrepancy between private and city arborists.
5545 Larch St.1 storey lwh
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Client wants to preserve existing tree.City grants extra depth into the yard to move away from the tree (yay!)
City then asks for a neighbour letter due to the granted relaxation…. (grrr)
Solution: don’t ask us to jump through extra hoops if you grant a relaxation to save a tree
6627 Inverness
26’
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
38 E.37th RS-1 Passive House
Passive House: Low quality (topped) conifer in the footprint of the garage and basement well.
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
38 E.37th RS-1 Passive House
At permit review the city is asking for the tree to be retained… ...a choice that negates the ability to achieve the passive house standard.
Passive House: Low quality (topped) conifer in the footprint of the garage and basement well.
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
38 E.37th RS-1 Passive House
At permit review the city is asking for the tree to be retained… ...a choice that negates the ability to achieve the passive house standard.
Ongoing.... 5 weeks of discussion...We need to balance competing policy agendas (without freezing the triggering project)
Passive House: Low quality (topped) conifer in the footprint of the garage and basement well.
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Design Review
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
We need to talk about the cost vs.
value of design guidelines
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Design-review interventions to reduce ‘apparent massing’ of upper level.
Example of guidelines leading to time-consuming review…... with little net gain for the city.
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
“Too Two-Storyish”
Fake roof lines. Yay!
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
The design review committee is a ‘black box’ that can be subjective and arbitrary.
1168 Park Dr. LWH
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Rejected: “…creates too much “cluttered space” at the rear…”
This LWH scheme aimed to retain existing garage, fence and gate.
1168 Park Dr. LWHThe design review committee is a ‘black box’ that can be subjective and arbitrary.
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Rejected: “…creates too much “cluttered space” at the rear…”
5 different concepts with weeks in-between waiting for comments from committee
This LWH scheme aimed to retain existing garage, fence and gate.
1168 Park Dr. LWHThe design review committee is a ‘black box’ that can be subjective and arbitrary.
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
3106 Venables
The design review committee is a ‘black box’ that can be subjective and arbitrary…...and has unwritten rules
Staff are debating the imposition of unwritten limits on the width of sunken patios…
Staff are debating the imposition of unwritten limits on the width of sunken patios...…this would not have been allowed.
Staff are debating the imposition of unwritten limits on the width of sunken patios...…this would not have been allowed.
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
If design review staff see a need to create new rules…
...save them up, and propose them as part of a public process
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Not a Lanefab project
Meanwhile, this was approved…
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
The city’s view of how design guidelines impact projects:
Most projects (and the city) are
improved through design review and design
guidelines
Some projects would have been “ok” anyway, even without the guidelines
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Many crappy (but compliant) projects still get built
Good / different / interesting / innovative projects get
dumbed-down and ‘normalized’
Many projects meet the guidelines initially, but owners do post-inspection modifications to get what they actually wanted
Some projects are actually improved through design review
(but at a significant cost and delay)
Our* view of how design guidelines impact projects:
* designers, builders, & owners of small-lot residential projects
Some projects would have been “ok” anyway, even without the guidelines
Lanefab Design/Build Sept 2016
Trees / Landscape
• Allow relaxations without incurring additional hurdles (i.e. neighbour letter)• Remove the requirement for landscape review• Plan checkers can do tree review w simple formulas for barriers • Landscape staff can do a pre-check, and landscape supervisor can support PCs• Allow tree removal for trees in the building footprint (w/out city inspection)
Design Review
• Individual design reviewers can clear a project without the committee• The committee exists solely as an appeals process• Hidden guidelines are shelved until the next policy update process• Next policy update should reduce /simplify the guidelines
Permit Review
• Allow for a phone call or meeting to review deficiency lists• Allow older surveys (1 yr.)