3.161 ALA - Ambleside Low-Rise Apartment Zone

To allow for the development of quality low-rise residential developments in compliance with the Ambleside residential urban design objectives. The intent is to incorporate appropriate development controls and urban design guidelines to ensure that low-rise residential development is architecturally appealing and compatible with adjacent and future developments in the neighbourhood.

3.1. A Permitted Use listed in the Zone becomes a Discretionary Use when it prevents another Site of less than 800 m2 in the Zone from being able to develop in compliance with the minimum requirements of this Bylaw. 
Commercial Uses
3.2. Indoor Sales and Service
3.3. Residential Sales Centre
Community Uses
3.4. Child Care Service
3.5. Community Service
Agricultural Uses
3.6. Urban Agriculture
Sign Uses
3.7. Freestanding Sign, limited to On-premises Advertising
3.8. Portable Sign, limited to On-premises Advertising

 

Residential Uses
4.1. Home Based Businesses must comply with Section 6.60.
Commercial Uses
4.2. Indoor Sales and Services must be designed as an integral and secondary component of a residential development consisting of 150 Dwellings or more.
4.3. Indoor Sales and Services in the form of convenience stores are only permitted on Sites that front onto a Collector Road and are limited to a maximum of 10% of the total Floor Area of the building.
Community Uses
4.4. Child Care Services must comply with Section 6.40.
4.5. Special Events must comply with Section 6.100.
Agricultural Uses
4.6. Urban Agriculture is not permitted in a standalone principal building.
Sign Uses
4.7. Sign Uses must comply with the regulations found in Subsections 3 and 4 of Section 6.90
4.8. Signs must be designed to complement the architectural features of a building, identify specific addresses, and act as wayfinding on Sites with multiple Dwellings. 

 

5.1. Development must comply with Table 5.1:
Table 5.1. Site and Building Regulations
Subsection Regulation Value
Site Area
5.1.1. Minimum Site area 800 m2
Site Width
5.1.2. Minimum Site Width 20.0 m
Height
5.1.3. Maximum Height for flat, mansard, and gambrel roofs or any other roof type with a pitch of less than 4/12 (18.4 degrees) 14.5 m
5.1.4. Maximum Height for a roof type with a pitch of 4/12 (18.4 degrees) or greater 16.0 m
Floor Area Ratio
5.1.5. Maximum Floor Area Ratio 1.3
Unless the following applies:
5.1.6. Despite Subsection 6 of Section 7.100, a Development Planner may grant a variance to the maximum Floor Area Ratio when underground parking is provided, up to the following 1.5
Residential Density
5.1.7. Maximum Density 125 Dwellings/ha
Front Setback
5.1.8. Minimum Front Setback 6.0 m
Rear Setback
5.1.9. Minimum Rear Setback 7.5 m
Side Setback
5.1.10. Minimum Interior Side Setback 2.0 m
5.1.11. Minimum Flanking Side Setback 4.5 m
5.1.12. Additional minimum side Setback distance for each Storey or partial Storey above 2 Storeys 1.0 m
5.2. Despite the other regulations of this Zone, where Multi-unit Housing or Row Housing developments Abut a Site zoned to allow Single Detached Housing or Semi-detached Housing as a Permitted Use (the “Subject Site”), the following regulations apply:
 
5.2.1. a minimum Landscaped Setback of 7.5 m is required from any Multi-unit Housing or Row House Dwelling to any property line Abutting the Subject Site. No surface parking or loading facilities may be located within this Setback area.
5.2.2. no outdoor parking, waste collection or outdoor storage areas may be developed within 3.0 m of any property line that Abuts the Subject Site;
5.2.3. a screen Fence, 1.8 m in Height, may be installed along all property lines that Abut the Subject Site, except for common flanking Front Yard boundaries;
5.2.4. design techniques including, but not limited to, the use of sloped roofs, variations in building Setbacks and articulation of building Facades, may be employed in order to minimize the perception of massing of the building when viewed from adjacent residential areas and roadways;
5.2.5. building finishes must be complementary with the exterior finishing materials and colours typical of adjacent Single or Semi-detached Housing; and
5.2.6. where Multi-unit Housing is to be developed directly adjacent to the Subject Site, the portion of the building exceeding 10.0 m must be stepped back from the Facade so that the Subject Site is not adversely impacted by excessive building, massing, or sun/shadow.

 

6.1. The Development Planner must ensure that the following architectural and Site design regulations are incorporated in all developments within this Zone to improve the livability and appearance of Multi-unit Housing complexes in Ambleside. The intent is to enhance the character of the area through the design of buildings and the pedestrian environment by incorporating pedestrian scaled architecture and amenities.
Site Planning and Design
6.2. The design of the project must establish a specific architectural theme over the entire Site ensuring consistency and continuity of design with regards to elements such as building design, layout and massing, finishing materials, and colours, signage and landscape treatments be applied to the proposed building(s), with minor variations, regardless of the staging sequence of the project.
6.3. New buildings should harmonize with adjacent developments by ensuring that siting and massing of new structures are compatible with (anticipated) building Street Wall and Setbacks.
6.4. Buildings and entrances should generally be located closer to the Street to enhance pedestrian interest and activity.
6.5. The Site should be organized such that buildings frame and reinforce pedestrian circulation or to create view corridors between pedestrian destinations within and adjacent to the Site including building entrances, transit stops, or public amenities.
6.6. In larger multiple building projects, Amenity Areas should be grouped to create at least one central ”Commons” to serve as a central gathering place or focal point for the residents. Such spaces may be developed for active or passive recreation, for more formal courtyards or plazas or left in its natural state.
Building Design and Architectural Standards
6.7. The design of Multi-unit Housing should reflect the use of appropriate high quality materials and architectural expressions to reduce the impact of height, bulk and density on adjacent lower density development and contribute to the visual enhancement of the streetscape.
6.8. Building Facades must include design elements, finishing materials and variations that will reduce any perceived mass and linearity of large buildings and add architectural interest.
6.9. The roof line of buildings must consist of either:
 
6.9.1. sloped roofs of varying pitches and may include gable-ends, dormers or steeples, and be finished in any roofing material selected from metal, wood shakes, architectural asphalt shingles or clay tiles; or
6.9.2. flat roofs where such roofs are concealed by parapet walls that include articulation and use of design elements that are in harmony with the principal architectural theme of the project.
6.10. All mechanical equipment, including roof mechanical units, must be concealed by screening in a manner compatible with the architectural character of the building, or concealed by incorporating it within the building framework.
6.11. The predominant exterior finishing materials must be applied consistently on all sides of a building and may be any combination of brick, siding, stucco, stone or other masonry materials having a similar character, with wood or metal trim limited as an accent, to ensure the overall development is consistently of a high quality compatible with surrounding residential areas.
6.12. Multi-unit Housing on Corner Lots, or where visible from public amenities such as stormwater management facilities, Parks and dedicated major Pathways, must incorporate architectural detailing and style consistent with the front elevation, as well as features and or elements to balance the overall massing in these highly visible locations. Elements may include stepbacks of the upper floor, projections for relief in wall plane and intentional roof lines between Ground and upper Floors, and appropriate wall Heights and window placement consistent with the front elevation.
Pedestrian Environment
6.13. Development within this Zone must ensure that the design of the pedestrian environment is comfortable, convenient, visually attractive and safe for human activity.
6.14. Buildings and Site amenities should be scaled to enhance the pedestrian environment.
6.15. Development must provide safe and direct pedestrian connections to unify urban design and Landscape elements on Site and to connect to other neighbourhood facilities and amenities.
Inclusive Design
6.16. All buildings and public facilities must be designed to be accessible to persons in wheelchairs, motorized scooters, and strollers.

 

Landscaping
7.1. A detailed Landscaping plan must be submitted in compliance with Section 5.60 prior to the approval of any Development Permit, which must include pedestrian connection and Fencing details, exterior lighting and street furniture elements, pedestrian seating areas, varied sizes and species of new plantings for the entire Site, and special treatment to clearly delineate between the public and private realm and access to the public open spaces or pedestrian linkages.
7.2. All Fencing located on property lines adjacent to commercial and open space Amenity Areas, stormwater management facilities, and pedestrian corridors must be consistent in design, materials, finishes, and colours with the Fencing styles established for the neighbourhood.
Parking, Loading, Storage and Access
7.3. Entrances to the Site from Streets must provide an enhanced feature in the form of public art, on-Site amenity, or architectural feature consistent in design, material, and construction with the overall project.
7.4. Convenient, safe, and attractive access to the building’s entrances should be provided through appropriate lighting and security measures.
7.5. Internal circulation within project oriented Multi-unit Housing developments should be designed to facilitate access to building clusters, take advantage of views or amenities, and to reduce conflict with pedestrians.
7.6. Underground parking is encouraged for low-rise Multi-unit Housing on smaller Sites to allow for more useable Landscaped open space and amenities at ground level.
7.7. For multiple projects on a Site, surface parking must be screened from view of adjacent small scale residential development, stormwater management facilities, open space Amenity Areas, corridors, or adjacent roadways. If surface Parking Areas are covered (Parkades), then such areas must be integrated into the overall architectural theme of the associated residential buildings through the use of similar roof lines, materials, colours, and roof pitch.
7.8. Parking and loading facilities must be located a minimum 3.0 m from any public or pedestrian corridor and the Setback must be Landscaped and screened to the satisfaction of the Development Planner.