For ease of reference, a summary of the key changes to the proposed development that have been made are summarized below:
- A revised site design has been prepared. This has resulted in the re-distribution and reorientation of proposed structures across the Site;
- A segment of the private road network that previously extended in a straight-forward manner from Kirwin Avenue has been redesigned to wrap around the western facades of Towers ‘2’ and ‘3’. This alignment has also enabled the elimination of a temporary turnaround area in the Site’s southwestern quadrant;
- A conscious effort to adhere to as many of the Council adopted Downtown Fairview, Cooksville and Hospital Built Form Standards guidelines as possible has been made. This includes the provision of pedestrian-scaled podiums that do not exceed a height of 6 storeys, the provision of balconies as a natural, logical extension of the interior living space, the provision of centrally located landscaped areas to encourage social interactions and gathering and the provision of height variation across the development;
- In order to support transit infrastructure investments and use of multi-modal transportation modes, the provision of car share spaces is contemplated. As has been proven in other jurisdictions such as Toronto, the provision of carshare spaces is one of many effective strategies available to ensure a right-sizing of parking spaces that meets user demands while also enabling the provision of efficient, desirable and cost-effective development forms;
- The provision of a reduced parking standard is reflective of the current Provincial and local policy objectives and priorities. As further discussed in Section 4 of this Report, the recent passing of Bill185 and City Council’s consideration of a reduced parking standard for lands along the Hurontario Street corridor supports this strategy; The provision of structures of varying heights supports the development vision for lands across the Downtown Cooksville community, is consistent with approved heights along the Hurontario Street corridor (including lands outside of the City Centre) and does not compromise the City Structure;
- In an effort to respond to the evolving market trends and resident needs, careful consideration of the location and potential programming of grade related non-residential areas has been made. The proposed development contemplates the introduction of high-quality, highly visible nonresidential areas that are easily accessible from the public realm and open to landscaped open spaces. This supports evolving market trends while also supporting complete community objectives given residents are to be given the opportunity to live, work, shop and play within their community and even the same building. Furthermore, the proposed non-residential areas are right-sized to enable the provision of a diverse range of users and providers to best meet the needs of residents and visitors;
- In an effort to provide a high-quality, vibrant development that also responds to a changing climate, a range of landscaped open spaces are planned. This includes a central landscaped area that includes plantings and areas for social interaction and gathering. These at-grade landscaped spaces are also complimentary to the proposed rooftop outdoor amenity areas and linkages to the surrounding active transportation network; and,
- In an effort to respond to a changing climate and advance the City’s Green Development Standard objectives, a number of site-specific sustainable development strategies are contemplated including the provision of Electric-Vehicle ready infrastructure, green roof areas and geothermal heating. Further detail is provided in the accompanying Low Impact Development Features Letter and the accompanying Urban Design Study. Further detail will also be provided during the future detailed design stage.
