The Westmount [398-406 Roosevelt Ave] | 21m | 6f | Approved

[rocketphish]

Domicile Developments Inc. is proposing to construct a six (6) storey mixed use building on the site at 398, 402, and 406 Roosevelt Avenue. The building is primarily composed of red brick with precast stone accents.

The proposed development includes two commercial units (one being a 2-storey unit), 35 residential condominium units, an underground parking garage with 23 parking spaces, and a rear surface parking lot with nine spaces.


Development application:
https://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans...appId=__AUG67E

Streetview:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.39099...7i13312!8i6656

Site:




Renderings:












Floorplan:

[rocketphish]

Wow, Domicile's designs are really going downhill. So much red brick! How disappointing.

[UrbOttawa]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Wow, Domicile's designs are really going downhill. So much red brick! How disappointing.

Sure its faux historic, but I find it hard to complain about red brick when the majority of the buildings in this city being built/proposed are cookie cutter cement board, yellow brick or grey aluminum that will likely age poorly. The design isn't earth shattering, but I think it's a nice fit for that area of Westboro.

[McKellarDweller]

I think it's very appropriate for the site.

[m0nkyman]

Agreed. I'm usually pretty OK with brick buildings. They rarely turn out horribly.

[J.OT13]

Does Domicile own the Flatiron and associated parking?

[Skipper]

This is totally out of place on a residential street. It’s land is zoned for up to three stories. Neighbors to the back are new semi detached homes that sold for up to a million dollar. Not only that, this Domicile building is hideous. I sure hope that this is not approved as it would create a precedent for building mid rise on residential streets.

[passwordisnt123]

Originally Posted by Skipper

This is totally out of place on a residential street. It’s land is zoned for up to three stories. Neighbors to the back are new semi detached homes that sold for up to a million dollar. Not only that, this Domicile building is hideous. I sure hope that this is not approved as it would create a precedent for building mid rise on residential streets.

Just so I understand, your argument is that a 6 storey building one door down from Richmond is out of place for the neighbours?

[Uhuniau]

Is there any finish or cladding that won't offend the aesthetic sensibilities of at least 15% of forum participants on any given day?

[McKellarDweller]

Originally Posted by Skipper

This is totally out of place on a residential street. It’s land is zoned for up to three stories. Neighbors to the back are new semi detached homes that sold for up to a million dollar. Not only that, this Domicile building is hideous. I sure hope that this is not approved as it would create a precedent for building mid rise on residential streets.

Those houses you're referring to are directly one door in from Traditional Mainstreet zoned properties. If you bought one of those semis, and are thinking a six storey building with 45 degree setbacks for the top two floors is out of place next door, you picked the wrong block and should have bought one of the other dozens of similar semis that continually come up for sale in the neighbourhood.

[Kitchissippi]

I find the recently built semis on Roosevelt quite hideous — bland suburban crap that hopefully gets replaced quickly with the arrival of LRT a block away. I wish they had all gone from the bungalows to these denser low rise buildings directly.

[Chris-R]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Is there any finish or cladding that won't offend the aesthetic sensibilities of at least 15% of forum participants on any given day?

No. Still a long way to go before it's as bad as UT though.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Skipper

This is totally out of place on a residential street.

How so? There are plenty of residential streets with buildings of that size.

It’s land is zoned for up to three stories.

Zoning is not cast in stone, and shouldn't be.

Neighbors to the back are new semi detached homes that sold for up to a million dollar.

The price of the neighbouring homes is of zero relevance.

Not only that, this Domicile building is hideous.

De gustibus non est disputandum.

I sure hope that this is not approved as it would create a precedent for building mid rise on residential streets.

In that case, I hope it is approved, because that's a wonderful "precedent", which not only already exists, it needs to be expanded.

[rocketphish]

Here are some higher quality renderings. It's looking less ugly to me now.











from the Urban Design Review Panel report

[kevinbottawa]

Not feeling the red brick and the design. I think it'll look out of place in that part of Westboro. It looks a bit like a senior's residence while the other condos in the area have a cool vibe to them. I'd like it more if they used a different colour of brick.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

from the Urban Design Review Panel report

That Berkley representation is highly inaccurate and a more accurate version could have helped them.

What is the overall neighbourhood/Councillor reaction to this?

[McC]

glad they put a bit more effort into the south side, since that will be very visible from the High St; but I think it could use still more work.

[Mille Sabords]

I think it look all right. The red brick is a good call and so's the retail. The step-back from the front is a good enough nod to being on a side street. The renderings should show a continuous sidewalk and no curb returns for vehicular access points, which would wrap up the city feel of the site and project, and tie it to the block more cleanly. I'm not clear on the size of the rear yard though.

[rocketphish]

Proposed Westboro condo building reduced in height by rare planning committee ruling

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: May 22, 2018 | Last Updated: May 22, 2018 5:42 PM EDT

The planning committee made a pair of rare moves Tuesday, rejecting the advice of staff and voting to reduce the height of a new condominium building proposed for Westboro.

But the final result — which could see a five-storey building at 398, 402 and 406 Roosevelt Ave., instead of the six-storey structure endorsed by staff — did not appear to ease Coun. Jeff Leiper’s fears about the uncertainty caused by an outdated plan for how his community should be redeveloped.

“This building is a radical departure from the zoning that is in place, it’s a radical departure from the secondary plan for the neighbourhood,” Leiper said after the meeting.

Domicile Developments wants to rezone the land to replace three detached homes on Roosevelt, north of Richmond Avenue, with a new building that would have commercial tenants on the first two floors and 35 units on the upper floors.

In her endorsement of the developer’s vision, planner Kersten Nitsche concluded the proposal is compatible within the existing residential neighbourhood and is in keeping with the city’s goal of urban intensification, especially near rapid transit. The site is 450 metres from the future Dominion LRT station.

Leiper and numerous residents argued the proposal would bring the attributes of a mainstreet-style building onto a residential street in an area that’s already seen its fair share of intensification.

“At what point do we stop the intensification?” asked resident Heather Nicolson. “We are already full in Westboro.”

Another said the damage to the trendy neighbourhood’s “vibe” has already been done. “Westboro is completely changing and that’s a big concern,” said Isabelle Martineau. “They are destroying the neighbourhood.”

More than 65 residents submitted comments to the city regarding the proposed development — all of which opposed it.

As Coun. Tobi Nussbaum noted, the urban design review panel also took issue with aspects of the proposal. It felt the height and size of the building is “too large for the size of the site.”

That prompted Nussbaum to seek a compromise: An amendment to reduce the size of the building from six storeys to five. His motion passed on a vote of 6-3.

Planning consultant Miguel Tremblay, who represented Domicile, did not speak to reporters after the meeting, so it’s unclear how the developer might respond to the committee’s decision should it be upheld by council next month.

“If the building doesn’t move ahead because it’s no longer viable without that sixth floor, I think you’ll find that most residents are just fine with that,” Leiper said.

Elsewhere in Kitchissippi ward, the committee agreed to rezone property at the southwest corner of Scott Street and McRae Avenue to allow for the future construction of a 25-storey tower.

The site is across from Westboro station, but Leiper urged the committee to defeat the rezoning because the proposed height is “wildly beyond” what’s anticipated in the Westboro secondary plan.

The plan is slated for a refresh early in the next term of council and will hopefully be in place by the end of 2019 or early 2020, Leiper said.

Earlier Tuesday, the committee approved the necessary rezoning and official plan amendments for the new Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital on Carling Avenue.

It also approved new rules to crack down on bunkhouses — dwelling units with six, eight or even 12 bedrooms that create much higher occupancies and densities than was ever intended by the city. The units, which are common in neighbourhoods near post-secondary institutions have also raised concerns about garbage storage and management.

The new rules would limit any dwelling unit to a maximum of four bedrooms unless it is located in a detached dwelling, which could have a maximum of eight bedrooms.

Council will have the final say on these items on June 13.

mpearson@postmedia.com
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...mmittee-ruling

[YOW613]

Apparently it got trimmed to just 4 storeys:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...ment-1.4673814

Yow