Notes from Workshop # 3

Residential and Commercial Development
March 12, 2009

Facilitator: Bill Zebedee

Present: 8 residents; 3 Community Liaison Group members; 6 HRM staff

Process:

1. Visual Preference Survey

Participants (with the exception of staff) were invited to rate 85 slides on a scale from 1 to 5 (one signifying “dislike” 3 “neutral and 5 “like”). The slides were grouped in categories of “mainstreet commercial”, “indoor mall”, “big box commercial”, “residential above retail”, “outdoor small scale shopping”, "Housing” ranging from to medium and high density and “parking”.

2. Lego exercise

The second part of the workshop consisted of a “Community Form Charette” using lego block and to-scale aerial maps of Penhorn mall.

The parameters to work with (those items that could not change) were:

• Park & ride
• Sobeys store and parking
• Sears Store and parking
• Penhorn lake & residential buffer
• HRM parkland – Brownlow park
• Bus terminal along Portland Street

Participants were divided into 2 groups to develop their site plans. The idea was to demonstrate some key desired components of redevelopment.

Group1 results:

• Higher density closer to Circumferential
• A couple of higher density buildings near lake to capture the view
• Trail from Portland St. along edge to Lake
• A signature building in the corner by the Lake
• Leave bus terminal where it is but add greenery
• An anchor store, e.g. Zellers (accommodates all) with residential above
• Beautification of Portland St.
• Court yard in centre of mediumhigh density development
• A main route up the middle between Sobeys and Sears

Group 2 results:

• Improve Portland St. for pedestrians
• Wide sidewalk along Portland St.
• Skate board park – possible location in front of Sobeys Parking, on Portland frontage away from residential development
• Trails along the Circumferential because people use it anyway
• Bus terminal close to retail and higher density housing next to Sobeys & Sears
• Medium to high density housing to take advantage of Harbour view next to Brownlow Park
• Outdoor park/ public square for markets and community festivals
• Outdoor wading pool and freeze for outdoor rink in winter
• Affordable housing next to retail and bus terminal
• Green roves & trails through the site
• Fountains (one in the public square and one near Portland)
• Daycare
• Liquor commission
• Walkway over Circumferrential
• Higher density housing overlooking Penhorn Lake

Neighbourhood revitalization discussion:

• Joffre St. - do not feel safe; fix the road
• Rodney St. - Want school in area; broken units; vandalism; need more quality development and more people in the area; clean up Maynard lake; more bike routes
• Pleasant St./Hornes - Older neighbourhood; no community groups, but have street party; feel very safe; very hilly; lots of students and activity
• Scott St. - Old neighbourhood; lost Sobeys; feel safe during the day
• Bellevista Dr. - neighbourhood flux between safe and not; shortcutting on Spring
• Portland - has become very ugly; distasteful when they bulldoze for new development
• Valleyfield - most neighbours are 80 and 70 years old; basement flooding; have everything there; lost Canadian Tire but have new Sobeys & LC; some turnover; traffic problems; lots of garbage; miss having shops here
• Somerset - hard to find home with kids; lots of older folks; no home break ins but do not feel safe; a big turnover
• Clement St. - gardening; speeding; get together with neighbours; cul de sac off Summerset; do not feel safe because of green belt
• Summit St. - lots of trees; do not feel as safe; more graffiti; bring young families
• Gaston Rd. - have a Neighbourhood Watch

• Generally - do not feel as safe in some areas; loss of Community; more graffiti; bring young families; litter; Neighbourhood Watches

COMMUNITY FORM CHARETTE GAME (LEGO EXERCISE)

PURPOSE

To help non-planners explore community form options by making meaningful trade-offs.

INTERPRETATION

• Each regular-height Lego brick is equivalent to two storeys.
• A 2 x 2 brick equals roughly 40 ft. x 40 ft.
• Black tiles are surface parking for 6 cars.
• Green tiles are parks.

SETUP

• Base is an aerial photo showing lot lines, at an approximate scale of 3 cm = 80 ft.
• Each lot starts with one layer of 2x2 square bricks covering 50% of the lot.
• At least one brick on each lot must touch the sidewalk.
• Each lot gets as many parking tiles as can fit on the remainder of the lot.

RULES

Any lot can add one new 2x2 square brick in return for each of the following enhancements:

• A 45% pitched roof (use the sloping bricks)
• A parking tile moved from the front to the rear (the black tiles)
• Shared parking between lots
• A new 2x2 green space tile abutting a street
• A new green tile abutting another green tile
• A step-back above the second layer of bricks (i.e., above the 4th floor)
• A staggered setback from the street line

Any lot can double the number of 2x2 square bricks, by putting all the parking under the buildings and adding at least one green space tile (put a 2x2 black tile under each 2x2 square brick and add at least one green tile)

PRODUCT

• A temporary 3-D scale Lego model showing consensus on future community form
• Digital photos and digital movie walk-around of the model for discussion and analysis
• Rough dimensions for input to Sketch-Up and/or for drafting a form-based code