URBAN DESIGN BRIEF Oxford Westdell Centre Inc. AUGUST 2019€¦ · Oxford Westdell Centre Inc. AUGUST 2019 …. in support a Zoning Bylaw Amendments to permit a gas bar, convenience

URBAN DESIGN BRIEF …. on behalf of …… Oxford Westdell Centre Inc. AUGUST 2019

…. in support a Zoning Bylaw Amendments to permit a gas bar, convenience store and restaurant with drive –thru facility.

…. at 1919 and 1929 Oxford Street West at Westdel Bourne (northwest quadrant), London.

Urban Design Brief | 1919-1929 Oxford Street West | London ON | August 2019

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SECTION 1 - LAND USE PLANNING CONTEXT

1.1 Subject Lands

Municipal Address: Owned by Oxford Westdell Inc. , the subject

property is known as1919 and 1929 Oxford Street West at Westdell

Bourne, located on the northwest quadrant of the intersection. SEE

Location Plan Figure 1.

This Urban Design Brief is in support of a Zoning Bylaw

Amendments to permit a gas bar, convenience store and drive

thru restaurant development on a site of 4804 m2. The existing

gas bar and residence would be demolished.

SITE AND PROPOSAL FEATURES:

Gas bar with canopy – 4 pump island stations

Restaurant - 232 m2 gfa with drive thru facility

C-Store – 234 m2

Stacked parking spaces for restaurant – 11

Static parking spaces -- 40 (includes 2 Barrier Free spaces)

Building Height – 4.5m and 7.0 m to top of restaurant roof column for sign

Landscaped Open Space coverage – 17%

Site Area -- 4804 m2

Site Frontage on Oxford Street West – 60.23 m

Site Flankage on Westdel Bourne – 70.77 m

Oxford Westdell Inc., anticipates that the subject

development will be the first phase of other phases to enlarge

the commercial development on this quadrant in keeping with

the London Plan place type fo Shopping Area.

THE PROPOSED ZONE would retain the CC3 zone, apply it to

both 1919 and 1929 Oxford properties, and add special

provisions.

The current 1989 Official Plan designates the subject lands as

Community Commercial Node – CCN. A broad range of

commercial uses are permitted. Restaurants and Drive Thru

facilities may be permitted in this designation, and therefore

the proposed rezoning would be in conformity with the

policies is contemplated.

The new London Plan establishes a SHOPPING AREA place

type on the subject lands which permits the proposed uses

along major roads or Urban Thoroughfares, such as Oxford

Street West which carries about 19,000 vehicles per day.

1.2 Design Goals & Objectives

The design objectives for the proposed small scale commercial

development, arise primarily from the 1989 Official Plan and the.

London Plan.

The Planning and Design Goals and Objectives are as follows:

To provide an attractive and functional commercial

development at a gateway location into the City of London;


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To be compatible with the scale and form of surrounding

existing lower intensity c residential uses to the north and west,

and future commercial uses and intensities.

SURROUNDING LAND USE (see photos Figure 2-4)

to the south - Oxford Street West and then rural residential

development and zone Urban reserve- UR1.

to the north -- single detached residential and zoned

Residential R1-14

to the east – Westdel Bourne and then commercial - part of

Sifton’s West Five development and zoned Community

Shopping Area - CSA

to the west -- rural residential on 1 acre lots and zoned

Residential R1-14.

SITE DESCRIPTION

Roll number: 090110012000000 for #1919 and

090110013000000 for #1929

Legal description: CON GORE PT LOT D REG COMP PLAN

376 LOT 8, 9 and 10

Site Area – 4804 m2 – combined properties gross area.

Lot Frontage on Oxford Street West – 60.23 m.

Lot Flankage on Westdel Bourne – 79.77 m.

Figure 2 – oblique aerial photo looking northerly showing the

approximate boundaries in red of the site to be developed.

(Google)

Figure 3 – viewing northerly from Oxford Street West showing the

existing gas bar and residence (left), with Westdel Borne on right.

(Google)


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Figure 4 – viewing westerly from Westdel Bourne showing the

existing gas bar (left) and existing residence rear yard partial (centre)

and part of residence abutting to the north which is not part of the

Site. (Google)

1.3 Design Response to City Documents

1989 OFFICIAL PLAN

The current Official Plan designates the lands as COMMUNITY

COMMERICAL NODE, a designation which permits a broad range of

commercial uses and trade that primarily consist of the surrounding

community which includes a number of neighbourhoods within

convenient driving or walking distances.

The CCN designation is located on all four quadrants of the Oxford

Street West and Westdel Bourne intersection. The subject site is one

of the quadrants and located on the northwest corner of the

intersection.

Section 11 of the Official Plan sets out Urban Design Policies for

and the following is an explanation of how the relevant policies are

satisfied.

Site and building design to produce and attractive and aesthetically

pleasing residential-commercial development with architectural

harmony, by:

The use of high quality materials;

Front façade at the street line and within a heavily

aesthetically pleasing landscaped setting;

A strategic Landscape Design that enhances the appearance

of building, and enhance streetscapes and pedestrian

areas;

Ensuring all components are handicap accessible and with

barrier free parking;

Providing Parking and Loading facilities but not focused on

being visually appearing from the public streets;

Through the study of Noise and analysis of potential

adverse noise conditions, the use of building design

noise attenuation measures;

Incorporating waste reduction and storage facilities


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THE LONDON PLAN

The London Plan place type is SHOPPING AREA

Policy 871 sets out part of the Vision which states that: “Shopping

Areas will constitute an important part of London’s complete

communities, providing commercial centres with a wide range of

retail, service, business, recreational, social, educational, and

government uses within easy walking distance for neighbourhoods.”

The role, permitted uses, form and intensity policies from 873

through 879 have been reviewed within the associated a Planning

Justification Report and policy conformity results. It is to be noted

that the Shopping Area place type is located on all four quadrants of

the Oxford – Westdel Bourne intersection, with the easterly

quadrants consuming a much larger area than the two westerly

quadrants. Of note are two specific FORM polices which are being

adhered to in the conceptual site design.

Landscaping, street furniture, patios, and other amenities

should be designed and provided on the site to attract

pedestrian activity to the front of these buildings. Sites

should be designed such that these street-oriented pads

serve to screen any large fields of parking from the street.

Parking should not be permitted between these smaller

buildings and the street.

Car washes, service stations and gas bars should be sited

where they do not detract from the pedestrian environment

of the street and pedestrian connections from the street to

building entrances

The site design and building architecture have been developed

within the context of the LONDON PLAN CITY DESIGN section. City

Design objectives are set in the following:

1. Character 2. Street Network 3. Streetscapes 4. Public Space 5. Site Layout 6. Buildings

Site Layout and Buildings are the focus of this analysis. SITE LAYOUT The Westdell proposal respects the physical and planned

context base of the Shopping Area, and particularly

commercial development. Substantial aesthetically pleasing

and functional landscaping and street oriented built form

interfaces with fronting major streets and adjacent land uses

(sections 252-256) can be seen in the site design and

conceptual landscape plan to be further developed at the Site

Plan Approval stage of development. .

The placement of the building at the building line of Oxford

Street West creates the edge for a street wall, contributing to

the gaining a sense of enclosure and more comfortable

pedestrian environment.


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Loading, garbage and other service areas are located

strategically using the in-ground deep container technology.

Garbage collection and storage facilities are provided within

the buildings as well.

The site design is intended to provide a direct, comfortable and safe connection from the principle building entrance to the public sidewalk on Oxford (268). The building is sited to minimize the visual exposure of parking areas to the street. (269). The impact of parking facilities on the public realm will be minimized by strategically locating and screening these parking areas. Surface parking should be located in the rear yard or interior side yard (272). BUILDINGS Being an “interior” site, no blank walls are proposed along the

street edges (285).

The proposed building is intended to fronting “abutting” onto

the public spaces of Oxford Street West. To provide definition

and edge and a sense of enclosure (288).

Principal building entrances and transparent windows are to

be intended to be located to face to Oxford Street West, to

reinforce the public realm, establish an active frontage and

provide for convenient pedestrian access. (291)

Rooftop utility equipment would be screened from view with

equipment through facades or to be enclosed within the

structure of the buildings and integrated into the overall

building design (296).

A diversity of materials is intended in the design of buildings

to visually break up massing, reduce visual bulk and add

interest to the building design. Transparent glass is used

abundantly on the south and east elevations.(310 and 302)

THE PROPOSED ZONE would retain the CC3 zone but add a

special provision to permit:

restaurants with drive thru facilities,

0 m front yard to reflect current Urban Design standards,

reduced parking setback on the Westdel Bourne flankage

to 1.0 m

reduced stacked parking from 12 to 11 spaces

reduce the requirement for a noise study from 15 m to 13.8

m.

reduce the westerly side yard landscape strip to from 3m to

1 m

1.4 Spatial Analysis

The Westdell proposal is located in the Riverbend Neighbourhood

and on a major gateway into the City form the west which is Oxford

Street West within the City and Glendon Drive (County Road)

outside the city in Middlesex Centre.


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1.4.1 Community Context - 400m & 800m

The spatial analysis maps below show the community context.

The 400 m radius Map shows the roads and streets with sidewalks.

The notable features are the commercial node on all four quadrants

of the Oxford – Westdel -Bourne intersection. Particularly on the

north east quadrant major commercial uses comprising the Sifton

West Five mixed use development, and the commercial centre at

Oxford West Commercial Inc. on the southeast quadrant. The 800

m radius map shows more of the same but extending to the River

bend Golf Course residential development, schools and parks, and

the open space system along the Thames River. .

The two Spatial Analysis Maps are shown on the

following two pages.

1.4.2 SWOT ANALYSIS

A brief account of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

(SWOT) analysis of the site/proposal and its relation to the

surrounding neighbourhood is outlined below:

STRENGTHS

The proposed development would contribute to the Shopping

Area place type Node and gateway into the City from the west;

The site is of a reasonable size, shape and area to accommodate

the intended commercial development and be of a nature an

expanded commercial development on adjacent lands could be

accommodated.

Located on a gateway location into the City of London.

WEAKNESSES

The smaller frontage on Oxford challenges all way turns into

and out of the site.

OPPORTUNITIES

Build on the above mentioned strengths

Replace a derelict commercial site an under-utilized rural

residential lot into a more efficient and complimentary use

commercial development – serving the traveling public on

leaving the City.

Create pedestrian connections to and through the site from all

directions using the public sidewalks and walkways to the

entrances of buildings on site.

THREATS

None if all agencies and private sector co-operates and

collaborates.


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SECTION 2 - LAND USE PLANNING CONTEXT

Site Design

The site design and layout took direction from the London

Plan insofar as:

1. Recognizing the City “gateway” location and thereby:

a. Placing a significant building at the widened

street line;

b. Placing substantial landscaping along the

frontage

c. Selecting a restaurant as the lead people active

USE

d. Placing the restaurant at the front of the site

e. Placing an outdoor café area with the

restaurant along Oxford Street;

2. Ensuring complimentary uses with a C-store and gas

bar, which continues the existing use;

3. Ensuring functionality of vehicle turning movements

with respect to the gas bar and the drive thru

restaurant facility;

4. Ensuring compatibility with adjacent residential uses

with respect to the placement of the noise barrier

along the west and north property boundaries and

appropriate setbacks of drive thru facilities and gas

bar islands.

Built Form

The building addresses the street (oxford Street West) well as it is

set on the widened road allowance line. The building is mostly

glazed and transparent across the front and east elevations with

the restaurant and C-store ( which faces east).

The e Entrances are along the east and south elevations for both

stores – public street intersection oriented.

Massing and Articulation

The Setbacks of the building is zero so as to place the building at the

front of the site with massing appearing as a 2-storey building both

from Oxford and Westdel Bourne. The transition to adjacent

uses/buildings is well articulated in view of setback and 2.4 m high

noise walls, along the north and west boundaries adjacent to the

rural residential uses. There would be no shadowing impacts on the

surrounding area.

Character and Image

The existing street character is one of fast vehicle arterial road, rural

residential and agricultural uses to the west of the site with little

pedestrian activity. To the east, urbanization is occurring with

commercial development and mixed use development. Pedestrian

activity would be increasing in this area. The landscape is changing

rapidly with urbanization. The proposed Westdell development is

small scale compared to other commercial developments occurring


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in the area, but would contribute good site and building design to

the overall fabric of character and image.

Architectural Treatment

The architectural treatment is considered to be “franchise” which

has the consumer benefit of familiarity and recognition. The

Pioneer Gas Bar, the associated C-store and Wendy’s are well

known.

Good design has been made with Wendy’s newest model which

understands Urban design to the extent of massing, materials and

composition. Materials are of high quality and well composed.

Prefinished painted metal, brick or stone and abundant glass are

the predominant materials with complimenting and contrasting

colours.

Lighting

Lighting will be low level and humanly scaled so as to prevent glare

on roadways and adjacent residential uses. This will be regulated at

the Site Plan Approval (SPA) stage where a photometric lighting plan

will be likely required. Actual lighting fixtures will be selected at the

SPA stage and are intended to be attractive and functional.

Signage

Signage will be regulated at the SPA stage As well and wall fascia

and pylon sign types will be used. Directional traffic signs will also

be used for the drive thru.

Servicing

Again at the Site Plan Approval stage, proper access design will be

carried out to accommodate vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists with

public sidewalks, private on-site walkways and storage facilities for

bicycles. If transit serves the area and stops are needed along the

frontage or flankage, the site design will so accommodate. Utilities

will be underground.

Plans, Drawings and Perspectives follow.

Barry R. Murphy, O.A.L.A. C.S.L.A. DATE

LONDON, ONTARIO (519) 667-3322.BARRY R. MURPHY, OALA, CSLA, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT,TENDER PURPOSES UNLESS SIGNED AND DATED BYTHIS DRAWING SHALL NOT BE USED FOR CONSTRUCTION OR

WITHOUT THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS WRITTEN PERMISSION.ARCHITECT AND SHALL NOT BE REPRODUCED OR REUSEDALL DRAWINGS REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE LANDSCAPE

KEY MAP

LANDSCAPE PLANSCALE = 1:200

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

TEM

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ARKI

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DEDI

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AD A

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WAN

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EXISTING RESIDENTIAL

PROPOSED GAS BAR

PROPOSED GAS BAR

1.0M HIGH LANDSCAPE WALL

DECORATIVE FENCE

EARTH BINS

EARTH BINS

PYLON SIGN

DECORATIVE FENCE

PROPOSED FAST FOOD RESTAURANT

W E S T D E L B O U R N E

OX

FO

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TR

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ST