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9th Avenue SE CorridorUrban Design AnalysisInglewood, Calgary

Interim ReportJuly 15, 2020

1. Introduction2. Brief History of 9th Avenue SE 3. The 9th Avenue SE Corridor Today4. Current Policy Context5. Review of Draft East Calgary Historic Communities Local Area Plan6. Built Form Analysis7. Preliminary Conclusions and Next Steps

Contents

9th Avenue SE Corridor Urban Design Analysis | Interim Report, July 15, 2020

All photos: Marilyn Williams and Dan Allard, unless otherwise noted

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1. Introduction

Urban Strategies was retained by the Inglewood Business Improvement Area (BIA) to undertake a peer review of the Draft East Calgary Historic Communities Local Area Plan (LAP), also referred to as an area redevelopment plan (ARP), as it applies to the height and massing of future development in the 9th

Avenue SE commercial corridor. We initiated our analysis of the corridor and its surroundings in May 2020, in the context of the Historic East Calgary Area Redevelopment Plan Recommendations Report, prepared by B&A Planning Group (November 27, 2019), and in advance of the Draft LAP, released June 16, 2020.

Recognizing that the timeline for Council adoption of both the LAP and the related Guidebook for Great Communities is uncertain, the BIA requested this interim report to inform their evaluation of active development proposals in the 9th Avenue SE corridor that exceed the general height limit of 20 metres (six storeys) established in the Land Use Bylaw. The report summarizes the history of 9th Avenue SE, its existing defining characteristics and the opportunities for intensification. It also reviews both the existing applicable policies of the Calgary Municipal Development Plan and the proposed policies of the Draft LAP. The report then focuses on an analysis of the potential impacts of 12-storey buildings where they would be permitted by the LAP, specifically at the intersection of 9th Avenue SE and 12th Street SE, as well as the south side of 9th Avenue SE between 9th and 11th Streets SE.

Fraser & Seabloom Block

9th Avenue SE Corridor Urban Design Analysis | Interim Report, July 15, 2020 1

2. Brief History of 9th Avenue SE

For millennia the west end of the 9th Avenue SE corridor, at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers, served as a significant navigational intersection and stopping place for First Nations people, and later evolved as an important centre for encampments and trade. In 1875 the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) built their forts on the east and west banks of the Elbow. These forts became a nucleus for European and Métis settlement, and the HBC trading post represents 9th Avenue’s earliest commercial build-out. In the early 1880s landowners Irvine and Stewart registered the first subdivision in East Calgary naming 9th Avenue SE ‘Atlantic Avenue’, its commercial main street—and briefly Calgary’s original town centre.

In 1887 Wesley Orr registered his subdivision, promoting it as the municipality’s first industrial area. Five years later Alfred E. Cross erected the Calgary Brewing & Malting Co. at the east end of 9th Avenue SE. For a while the surrounding residential area took the name ‘Brewery Flats’ and homes for the families of workers in early East Calgary industries were built on 8th Avenue SE and 10th Avenue SE. 9th Avenue SE also became an important central street in Inglewood, and institutional buildings like schools and churches were erected. In the 1930s AE Cross contributed the 1932 public gardens fronting the brewery and the 1936 Inglewood Lawn Bowling Club to the community.

The busy 9th Avenue SE east-west traffic corridor has also been an important transportation route for over a century. The most intense period of commercial development followed the introduction of the ‘Red Line’ streetcar line in 1909. From the 1920s the corridor became part of the first east-west highway through Calgary and automobile-related businesses began appearing by the mid-1930s. This trend increased significantly during Alberta’s Post-war economic oil boom and continued through the 1950s, when the street was almost fully developed.

Alexandra School, 1912 | Glenbow Archives

Atlantic (9th) Ave looking west, 1935 | Glenbow Archives


3. The 9th Avenue SE Corridor Today

Ninth Avenue SE today is a successful commercial corridor, with an eclectic mix of retail, restaurant and other commercial uses that draw visitors from across the city. Figures 1-3 illustrate the existing uses (Figure 1), heights (Figure 2), and recently approved and built development (Figure 3) along the 9th

Avenue SE corridor.

Ninth Avenue SE’s historic, low-rise character has largely been maintained, with most buildings in the range of 1-4 storeys (see Figure 2), with multi-storey buildings containing office space or apartments above ground-floor retail space (Figure 1). The corridor features a fine-grain lot pattern, and generally consistent, human-scale street wall, although there are remaining gaps, including surface parking lots and auto-oriented uses. Nearly all of the properties along 9th Avenue SE have a consistent depth of approximately 37 metres and back onto residential properties containing detached homes, many of them historic. Two City parks, Jack Long and Mills, anchor the east and west ends of the corridor, respectively.

More recent development along the 9th Avenue Corridor has generally maintained and contributed to the human-scale environment of the corridor with minimal impact on community character while intensifying the area. West of 11th Street SE, mixed-use buildings of 5-7 storeys have recently been built, and a 6-storey building is nearing completion at 9th Avenue SE and 13th Street SE (see Figure 3). The generally small parcel sizes in the area have meant that more recent development has typically occurred through lot assembly, where small sites are combined to create larger, more viable redevelopment sites.


Private Green Space

Residential

Mixed Use/ Commercial

Institutional/ Cultural

Industrial

Public Parking* Land use based on Google Earth visual survey

Figure 1: Existing Land Use

LEGEND

Parks


LEGEND

1 Storey (4-6m)

2 Storeys (6-9m)

3 Storeys (10-13m)

4 Storeys (14-18m)

5+ Storeys (18m+)

* Height ranges & categories based on Google Earth visual survey

Figure 2: Building Heights


LEGEND

Recently Built

Approved

Under Construction

Figure 3: Recent and Approved Development


Built HeritageThe rich history of Inglewood and 9th Avenue SE, dating back to 1875, when the Hudson’s Bay Company established a trading post on the east bank of the Elbow River, has left a remarkable legacy of built heritage, second only to that of Stephen Avenue. The street has a wide representation of significant commercial and mixed residential-commercial architecture, including one of Calgary’s best collections of intact Edwardian Commercial-style buildings.

Buildings in the “boomtown commercial style”, featuring gabled roofs, wood frames, bevelled wood siding and boomtown false fronts, were built on 9th Avenue SE (then Atlantic Avenue) from 1884 to 1903. Although buildings with intact elements of this style do not remain, some may be uncovered in future restorations.

Edwardian Commercial-style buildings built from 1904 to 1914, and ranging from one to four storeys, characterize the street more than any other style. There are 13 buildings of this style on the historic inventory, with 12 on 9th Avenue SE , and one on 10th Avenue SE. They feature flat roofs, wood-frame or solid brick construction (later examples included structural steel and/or concrete floors), often red face-brick cladding on the front façade, and pressed metal upper and lower cornices. All had storefronts on the ground floor with recessed entry ways and large plate glass display windows with full-width, multi-light transom and a sign band above. Most buildings over one storey were mixed-use, with residential apartments and office space on the upper storeys.

Burn Block

Fraser Block

Replace photo


Built Heritage (cont.)

Significant inter-war (1918-1938) buildings on 9th Avenue SE include 1923 Spanish Colonial Revival Blyth Hall and the 1936 Art Deco Garry Theatre. There are also good vernacular examples of post-war (1946-56) buildings, including the 1946 utilitarian Commercial-style Lyon’s Confectionery Building at 1221 9th

Avenue SE and the 1946 Economy Cleaners & Tailors Building with International Style influences at 1209 9th Avenue SE.

Many of the Edwardian Commercial-style buildings on 9th Avenue SE are located between 11th Street SE and 12th Street SE and, together with other buildings, form a continuous and distinctive street wall that is fundamental to 9th Avenue SE’s, and Inglewood’s, character and sense of place (see Figure 4). The street wall features one to four-storey, flat-roofed buildings with 25-foot bay rhythm and ground floor storefronts.East of 12th Street SE, the fabric of heritage buildings is more fragmented, with gaps between buildings, although the look and feel of a historic main street remains strong and continues east of 13th Street SE.

The wealth and variety of built heritage on 9th Avenue SE led the Province to declare in 1991 that “Inglewood is endowed with one of the province’s richest collections of historic sites and structures.” In the same year, the City of Calgary acknowledged that “Inglewood contains the greatest concentration and variety of heritage resources in the City,” and Council passed a resolution with the intention to designate an area of Inglewood as a Historic District to “support the physical integrity, social character and history of the area.” Almost three quarters of the historic sites in Inglewood are located in the 9th Avenue SE Corridor.

Befus Block

Carson Block


Registered Property (3)

Municipally Designated (1)

Provincially Designated (3)

Heritage Inventory (27)

Streetscapes with concentrations of Edwardian Commercial-style buildings

Inter-war and Post-war vernacular buildings

Figure 4: Built Heritage

LEGEND


Transportation ContextNinth Avenue SE’s location within the city and its accessibility by all modes of transportation—driving, transit, cycling and walking—are fundamental to its success as a destination and make this corridor a logical and desirable place for intensification.

Ninth Avenue SE and 12th Street SE effectively provide the only road access to Inglewood. The former is also a key vehicular connection to Downtown Calgary from Blackfoot Trail, and 12th Street SE and 11th

Street SE provide north-south access from Memorial Drive to East Calgary’s Highfield industrial area. Three bus routes running along 9th Avenue SE provide convenient access to and from Downtown. These will be complemented by Stage 1 of the Green Line LRT Project, expected to be completed by 2026, which will include a station a few hundred metres south of 9th Avenue SE, at 12th Street SE (see Figure 5).

As a Neighbourhood Boulevard within the City’s hierarchy of roads, 9th Avenue SE is one of Calgary’s most important pedestrian and cycling corridors. Planned streetscape improvements, including additional traffic signals, curb bump-outs, bus shelters, cycling facilities, and new paving, street trees and furnishings, will contribute to a safer and more inviting environment for walking and biking. Rendering of planned streetscape improvements on 9th Avenue SE |

City of Calgary


LEGENDCollector Road

Neighbourhood Blvd

Local Road

Bus Route

Future LRT Station

Future LRT

Entryway

Cul-de-sac

Existing Signalized Intersection

Trail/Bike Path Proposed Pedestrian Crossing

Proposed Signalized Intersection

Figure 5: Transportation Context

Proposed Cycle Track


Redevelopment and Intensification OpportunitiesInglewood is a desirable inner-city community, with higher-order policy direction to create transit-supportive densities and a planned LRT station located to the south of the corridor. A number of properties within the corridor present the opportunity to redevelop in the foreseeable future. As part of this study, sites along the corridor were assessed at a high level to understand potential for redevelopment, which was considered in our built form analysis. Based on this analysis, there appears to be significant potential for redevelopment along the 9th Avenue SE corridor.

Figure 6 identifies properties along the corridor that are most appropriate for redevelopment based on one or more of the following criteria:• Underutilized sites such as surface parking lots, auto-oriented uses, single storey buildings• Large parcels which allow greater flexibility in design and potential height• Older buildings and parcels with no assessed heritage value• Adjacent sites which could be assembled into a larger redevelopment site

For the purposes of this study, sites not anticipated to redevelop include:• Buildings constructed in the last 20 years• Properties with identified heritage value including registered heritage properties (see pages 8-10)

Figure 6 also identifies appropriate sites for intensification south of the corridor, within short walking distance of the future Green Line station.

Photos: Google Earth


Figure 6: Proposed and Potential Redevelopment Sites

LEGEND

Potential Redevelopment Site

Brewery Site

Future LRT Station

Future LRT

Potential Redevelopment Sites Outside Study Area

Proposed Redevelopment Site


4. Current Policy Context

Municipal Development Plan

Calgary’s Municipal Development Plan provides policy guidance to be implemented through local area plans and the Land Use Bylaw, among other tools. The MDP, in Map 1: Urban Structure, identifies the 9th Ave corridor in Inglewood as a Neighbourhood Main Street, which “serve one or more communities, providing a strong social function, and typically support a mix of uses within a pedestrian-friendly environment.” Additionally, “Some areas have a more regional draw because of the unique uses present or the quality of the environment, while others serve a more local population base.” Neighbourhood Main Streets also are intended for moderate intensification in jobs and population over time, supported by existing and planned transit facilities.

As outlined in Section 2.2.1(b), Neighbourhood Main Streets should have a pedestrian-friendly environment, with development that:

• Maintains compatibility and avoids dramatic contrast in height and scale;• Locates the tallest buildings and highest densities closest to transit stops and in strategic sites;• Masses new development to frame adjacent streets in a way that respects the existing scale of

the street;• Limits the impacts of shadowing on neighbouring streets, parks, and properties.

9th Ave. SE


Municipal Development Plan (cont.)

Policies relevant to intensification and built form in the 9th Avenue SE corridor can be found throughout the MDP, including policies related to protecting and enhancing heritage assets and ensuring appropriate building scale, transitions and compatibility, transit-supportive densities and a pedestrian-scaled public realm. Key policies include the following:

• Development should be compatible and transition appropriately to surrounding areas, and avoid dramatic contrast in height and scale (2.2.1);

• Encourage transit-supportive densities and land uses (2.2.2(a));• Tall buildings, where appropriate, should be designed with a pedestrian scale at the base, be

integrated with surrounding areas, and consider shadow impacts on surrounding residential areas, parks, and public spaces. (2.3.2(f));

• Identify, protect and enhance districts, public spaces and buildings of special historic quality and character (2.3.3(c));

• Development should create a human-scale environment with a strong relationship with the public realm and street, generally encouraging a maximum of a 1:1 building height to right-of-way width ratio (3.4.1(q)).

Are the policies in the Draft LAP consistent with the MDP?

Calgary’s Municipal Development Plan provides important policy direction for the built environment on Neighbourhood Main Streets. The following questions flow from this policy direction and have guided our review of the Draft LAP policies found in the next section.

• Do they promote transit supportive densities and land uses, in appropriate locations?

• Do they identify, protect and enhance areas of special historic quality and character?

• Do they sufficiently ensure that development is compatible and transitions appropriately to lower scaled development?

• Do they ensure that new development creates a human-scale environment?

• If tall buildings are considered, do policies ensure they are pedestrian-scaled at the base, are strategically located, and minimize shadow impacts?


5. Draft Local Area Plan Review

The Draft Historic East Calgary Local Area Plan (LAP) works in parallel with The Guidebook for Great Communities (Guidebook), which provides a framework for local area planning. At the time of this report, both of these plans are in draft form and have not been finalized or adopted by Council. As the Guidebook and LAP are closely linked, they are discussed together in this section.

The Guidebook provides the framework for local area plans as well as general policies applicable to all plans in the developed areas of the City. As stated on page 3 of the Draft LAP, the Guidebook “establishes the basic, foundational policies for the Plan Area that are supplemented or superseded by community specific vision and policy set out in this Plan.”

The Guidebook identifies an Urban Form Classification System to be applied at the local area plan level. The classification system organizes form according to a range of categories, determined by:

• Purpose, which identifies “the most common function, current and future, of an area”, and includes Neighbourhood, Parks and Open Space, Industrial, Regional and Campus categories.

• Function is a sub-category of Purpose which identifies the dominant activity of the area, such as commercial, housing, civic and recreation uses.

• Activity Level refers to the “anticipated activity generated by people in an area” and include Major, Minor and Local categories.

The Guidebook also includes Policy and Scale Modifiers, which are applied at the local level. Scale modifiers “determine building height and define how building mass should be managed” and Policy Modifiers “are optional policy components that are used to tailor an urban form category to address specific situations in communities.” The application of these Modifiers are discussed below.


The LAP, once approved by Council, will be a statutory policy document (area redevelopment plan) intended to provide a framework for local area growth in the communities of Inglewood and Ramsay and a portion of Alyth/Bonnybrook over the long term (future policy work for the remainder of Historic East Calgary will be incorporated into the plan in the future).

Chapter 1 of the LAP, Visualizing Growth, outlines the Vision and Core Ideas for the plan area, which are followed by a three-page history of the area and a brief description of community characteristics and attributes.

Vision:With strong connections to Bow and Elbow rivers coupled with freight rail and industrial development, Historic East Calgary Communities will continue to evolve as culturally diverse, vibrant and eclectic historic neighbourhoods anchored by the 9 Avenue SE Main Street, Green Line LRT stations and MAX Purple BRT stops.

Core Ideas:Growth in Historic East Calgary will:• support intensification and economic viability while integrating existing heritage and industrial

development;• provide inclusive and diverse housing options focusing along 8 Street SE, 9 Avenue SE and

areas adjacent to Primary Transit Network;• promote walking, cycling and transit use to access local employment, commercial and

amenities, focusing on 9 Avenue SE and 11/12 Street SE; and• encourage social interaction in parks and open spaces for all ages and abilities.

Chapter 1 CommentsThe Guidebook identifies Identity and Place as one Principle for Great Communities on which the vision should be built. While the draft Vision in the LAP is concise and speaks to unique assets of the Historic East Calgary Communities, it does not describe an aspirational future state; nor does it suggest how the area is intended to evolve and build on its special historic qualities, which are fundamental to its ongoing desirability and success as a place to live and visit.

The Core Ideas capture important planning principles and are similar to the Goals for Great Communities in the Guidebook; however, as ideas to support the Vision, they are vague and open to interpretation. For example, the idea of integrating existing heritage may be more loosely interpreted than the MDP policy to “protect and enhance districts, public spaces and buildings of special historic quality and character.”


Chapter 2, Enabling Growth, applies building scale and form guidance at the local level. As seen in Figure 7, the plan identifies the study area primarily as Neighbourhood Commercial Major, which means the area is “characterized by the highest concentrations of shops and services, varied destinations and uses that attract people, more transit service and infrastructure, and high pedestrian movement along the street.” Some areas at the east end of the corridor have the commercial flex modifier applied, where there is potential for higher street-level activity, but where active uses arenot required in the short term but should be planned for over time, as the market dictates.

Figure 7: Map 4 – Urban Form (excerpt from June 2020 Draft Historic East Calgary LAP)


Map 5 of the Draft LAP (see Figure 8) addresses building scale. Ninth Avenue SE includes Low (up to 6 storeys) and Mid (up to 12 storeys) scale modifiers, as well as one location at the western entrance to the corridor designated as High (up to 26 stories). Most of the 9th Avenue SE corridor is designated as Low, with the Mid modifier applying to properties on the south side of 9th Avenue SE, between 9th Street SE and 11th Street SE, and to the properties at the four corners of the 9th Avenue SE and 12th Street SE intersection.

Figure 8: Map 5 – Building Scale (excerpt from June 2020 Draft Historic East Calgary LAP)


Comments on Map 5 – Building ScaleThe Draft LAP provides no rationale for doubling the height limit along the 9th Avenue SE corridor from 6 storeys to 12 storeys in the selected locations. The Historic East Calgary ARP Recommendations Report, dated November 2019, states that the “intersection of 9 Avenue and 12 Street SE allows for intensification and an iconic centering element - taller buildings marking the center of Inglewood’s 9 Avenue SE and a place where Ramsay’s new main street meets the 9 Avenue SE corridor.” Scale recommendations from the 2019 Recommendations Report are shown in Figure 9. With surface parking on two of the corner properties and one- and two- storey buildings on the other corners, there are clearly intensification opportunities. However, it is not clear why, from an urban design perspective, 9th

Avenue SE needs an iconic centering element, what benefits it would bring, and why the element should take the form of a 12-storey building. Furthermore, Ramsay’s aspirational main street is more than four hundred metres to the south.

The intersection of 9th Avenue SE and 12th Street SE is certainly an important crossroads within East Calgary, but there are many different ways of marking it as such, for example, with distinctive, high-quality architecture, a civic building or open space, and/or enhanced streetscape features. Following an analysis of impacts, there may be a rationale for buildings taller than 6 storeys at the intersection, but why 12 storeys, particularly when the historic character of the street is defined by buildings of 1-4 storeys?

There is also no rationale provided for a height limit of 12 storeys on the south side of 9th Avenue SE, between 9th Street SE and 11th Street SE, either in the Draft LAP or the Recommendations Report, which notably recommends a height limit of 6 storeys on these properties facing 9th Street SE.

Figure 9: Main Street Recommendations (excerpt from November 2019 Historic East Calgary ARP Recommendations Report)


Section 2.5 of the Draft LAP contains general policies, none of which applies to the built form of future development, although Policy 2.5.1 states, “Buildings with historic value should be rehabilitated, adaptively reused and/or integrated into new development.”

Section 2.6 contains area-specific policies for the 9th Avenue SE Main Street. The introduction states that it will “have a cohesive, pedestrian-oriented streetscape with mixed-use development that include active frontages with a street wall height of generally up to six storeys. Historic buildings interwoven with new development will create an eclectic streetscape that will continue to evolve over time.” The policies of Section 2.6 address a range of urban design and site planning matters, although not built form; for those, one needs to turn to the Guidebook.

The Guidebook provides high-level built form guidelines which apply to scale modifier categories, and are applied at the local level. Relevant Scale modifier policies are as follows:

2.23 Low Scale Policiesa. Buildings should:

i. be six storeys or less in height;ii. provide ground floor units direct access to grade;iii. provide a street wall that proportionately frames the street and creates a people focused

public realm; and,iv. step back or differentiate the primary building façade for storeys above the street wall.

Chapter 2 CommentsThe City’s vision for 9th Avenue SE becomes clear in the introduction to the policies in Section 2.6. However, the vision downplays the significance of the street’s heritage to the corridor’s identity and success as a place, stating that historic buildings will be “interwoven with new development,” the meaning of which is unclear. Although architecturally the streetscape is, and should continue to be, eclectic, the historic low-rise scale of the street should be acknowledged as a characteristic to be respected by future development. In addition, the applicable heritage resources policies in the Guidebook should be referenced and reinforced in Section 2.6.


2.24 Mid Scale Policiesa. Buildings should:

i. be twelve storeys or less in height;ii. provide ground floor units direct access to grade;iii. avoid long, uninterrupted rooflines and façades;iv. provide a street wall that proportionately frames the street and creates a people focused

public realm; and,v. have a reduced building volume above the sixth storey.

Built form is addressed in sections 3.1-3.7 of the Guidebook. Section 3.1 provides building design policies, which address base building articulation, proportionate streetwall heights, streetwall rhythms appropriate to the anticipated activity level, sunlight access, perception of mass, and architectural variety. Policy 3.2 outlines considerations for ensuring building frontages contribute to a pedestrian-oriented, human-scaled environment for a range variety of contexts and uses.

Policy 3.3 contains the following scale transition policies, which are of particular relevance to 9th Avenue SE, given the intensification it is experiencing:

a. New development should transition building height, scale and mass between higher and lower scale development in accordance with the identified scales in the local area plan.

b. To transition building height, scale and mass, combinations of the following strategies may be used:i. building step-backs and stepping down heights within individual buildings;ii. angular planes to step building height between higher and lower building scales;

Chapter 2 Comments (cont.)

Three of the 11 policies in Section 2.6 address the opportunity for publicly accessible private amenity space along the corridor. Given the narrowness of 12th

Avenue’s sidewalks, such spaces could bring many benefits to the public realm and to businesses; on the other hand, too many of them or spaces that are too large could unnecessarily interrupt the street wall. The LAP should provide more specific direction regarding the scale and function of such spaces; for example, if they are intended to accommodate restaurant patios or retail displays, what is an appropriate depth? If there are strategic locations for gathering spaces, a map should identify them; are such spaces encouraged at all four corners of the intersections identified in Policy 2.6.7?

Section 2.6 does not specifically address future built form along 9th Avenue SE. The intent is that the urban design guidelines in the Guidebook for Great Communities will apply, although this should be made clear with a policy stating such.


Comments on the GuidebookThe Guidebook’s built form policies are comprehensive and reflect sound principles of good urban design. Since they are intended to be applied across the built-up city, they are general and flexible. To be an effective guide for future development on 9th Avenue SE, the Local Area Plan should reference these policies and clarify which ones are most relevant to the corridor. As intended, the LAP should also supplement the Guidebook’s policies with more specific ones that respond to Inglewood’s unique context and the challenges and opportunities for redevelopment in the area. Without area-specific built form policies, the result may be inconsistent outcomes that are detrimental to the character and vitality of the street.

For example, Guidebook Policy 3.3(b) identifies a range of strategies for building transitions. The LAP should select the strategies that will be applied along 9th

Avenue SE and provide more specific guidance, including metrics (e.g., angular planes and/or minimum step-backs).

i. reducing the street wall height to transition the visible mass of a taller building to match the cornice line for a shorter building;

ii. decrease scales incrementally through a block;iii. setbacks and landscaping to buffer higher intensity development from lower-intensity

development; and,iv. design buildings to have complementary massing on both sides of the street.

Policy 3.11 of the Guidebook addresses heritage resources and includes these policies:

3.11(a) Encourage the adaptive re-use of heritage resources in order to retain and conserve them, and, where appropriate, support development applications and Land Use Bylaw relaxations that enable their retention, including, but not limited to, relaxations of parcel coverage and setbacks.

3.11(b) Encourage property owners to designate Inventory properties as Municipal Historic Resources by enabling additional development potential on sites containing a designated Municipal Historic Resource.

3.11(e) Encourage the design of new development to be compatible with abutting sites on the Inventory through architectural design, the use of setbacks, massing, street wall height and landscaping.


Chapter 3 of the Draft LAP, Supporting Growth, sets out goals and objectives intended to guide business plans and budget decisions regarding future amenities and infrastructure associated with growth. The Supporting Growth Goals provide a more detailed description of the core ideas outlined in Chapter 1 of the LAP. Each goal has a series of associated general, long-term objectives. Objectives associated with the “Support intensification and economic viability while complementing existing heritage development” goal include:

• Recognize and support community character through public realm investment.• Enhance the quality of the pedestrian realm along the 9th Avenue SE Main Street and in station

areas.• Ensure residents have access to a variety of public spaces in which to create and develop social

connections with their neighbours.• Recognize, re-adapt and preserve community heritage, where appropriate.

Chapter 4 of the LAP describes mechanisms for implementation and interpretation guidance.

Comments on the Guidebook (cont.)The Guidebook’s heritage resources policies provide important general considerations for retaining heritage assets within the community but, like the built form policies, have not been adapted to Inglewood’s unique context in the Draft LAP. For example, the LAP should clarify how much additional development potential may be granted where a Municipal Heritage Resource is protected, and more specific guidance should be provided for how new development on 9th Avenue SE can achieve compatibility with neighbouring properties on the Inventory.

Chapter 3 CommentsChapter 3 repeats and expands on the Core ideas identified in Chapter 1 with Growth Goals and also includes general objectives to guide investments in the community. The goals and objectives of the LAP should appear in Chapter 1, where they would help to clarify the Vision and Core Ideas, and they should address public investments and private development, since both work together to make a great community. As per the direction in the Guidebook, Chapter 3 should include policies regarding amenities and infrastructure, identify specific potential investments, provide guidance for future service plans, and identify potential funding tools.


6. Built Form Analysis

When significant physical change is proposed for an area, particularly for a historic and generally healthy community like Inglewood, careful analysis should be undertaken to assess the potential impacts of that change and ensure negative impacts will be minor and the overall impact will be positive. The analysis also should inform policies, guidelines and regulations intended to ensure compatibility between new and existing development.

Methodology

To assess the impacts of future 12-storey buildings on 9th Avenue SE, we digitally modeled and analyzed built form conditions along the corridor under four scenarios:

1. Existing Conditions2. Intensification to the Height Limits in the Land Use Bylaw (generally 6 storeys or 20-23 metres) 3. Intensification to the Height Limits in the Draft LAP (6 storeys and 12 storeys)4. Intensification as Proposed Under Active Development Applications and the Draft LAP Height Limits

(up to 16 storeys)

Scenarios 3-4 take a long-term view of potential intensification along 9th Avenue SE, assuming eventual redevelopment of the “Potential Redevelopment Sites” identified in Figure 6 (page 14). This approach illustrates both the impacts of individual potential redevelopments, regardless of their timing, and the cumulative impacts of intensification over time.


Although it is conceivable that some of the future intensification along 9th Avenue SE will take the form of office buildings, Scenarios 3-4 illustrate mixed-used development consisting of commercial uses on the ground floor and residential uses above on all redevelopment sites, since this form is expected to be more common. Where 12-storey buildings are shown and do not reflect an active proposal, a step-back of 1.5 metres is provided above the sixth storey, which is consistent with City policy to reduce a building’s mass above this height.

Figure 9 illustrates the four scenarios from a bird’s eye view looking west toward downtown from just east of 12th Street SE.


1. Existing Conditions 2. LUB – 6 Storeys

3. LAP – 6 & 12 Storeys 4. LAP with Active Proposals

Figure 9: Bird’s Eye View of Built Form Scenarios

View Key Map

Existing Buildings

Recently Built

Potential Future Buildings

Active Proposals


The built form analysis, illustrated on the pages that follow, focuses on two types of potential impacts of 12-storey buildings:

• Pedestrian Views of the Streetscape – Pedestrian-level views of each built form scenario have been generated from intersections along 9th Avenue SE and 12th Street SE to illustrate the impacts of 6-storey, 12-storey and proposed buildings on the character of the street and the pedestrian experience, in terms of building scale and massing. These views inform an evaluation of whether or not the changes proposed in each scenario support the Municipal Development Plan’s objective to “protect and enhance districts, public spaces and buildings of special historic quality and character” and to achieve “pedestrian-friendly environments” where development is massed “to frame adjacent streets in a way that respects the existing scale of the street.”

• Shadows on 12th Avenue’s Sidewalks, Public Open Spaces and Neighbouring Residential Properties – Focusing on the segment of the 9th Avenue SE Corridor where 12-storey buildings are proposed, the analysis illustrates the shadows that would be cast by future 6-storey buildings and overlays the shadows from 12-storey buildings, from late morning to late afternoon on June 21st

(summer solstice) and September 21st (fall equinox).




View Looking East from 9th Ave. SE and9th St. SE

Recent buildings on 9th Avenue SE of 5-6 storeys are dominant in this view. Additional future 6-storey buildings in the distance, east of 10th Street to 12th

Street SE (Scenario 2), would extend this contemporary street wall. Twelve storey buildings between 10th Street SE and 11th Street SE and at 12th Street SE (Scenario 3) would signal to the pedestrian that ahead is an important centre within the city, not a historic neighbourhood main street. The 16-storey building proposed between 10th

Street SE and 11th Street SE would reinforce this sense of place and significantly diminish the sky view that is fundamental to the experience of the street today.

View Key Map

Pedestrian Views of the Streetscape


View Key Map

View Looking East from 9th Ave. SE and11th St. SE (north side)

This view today highlights a sizable gap in the main street at 11th Street SE. Future 6-storey buildings on the northeast and southeast corners (Scenario 2) would create a view similar to the existing view looking east from 9th Street SE (see previous page), with a sheer 6-storey street wall contrasting sharply with the historic buildings directly east. Distant six-storey buildings at 12th Street SE and further east would appear less dramatically different in scale from the neighbouring low-rise historic buildings. Twelve-storey buildings at 12th Street SE (Scenarios 3 & 4), however, would overwhelm and detract from the historic buildings in the middle-ground. They would also diminish the sky view and, like the previous view from 9th Street SE, would signal to the pedestrian that ahead is an important centre within the city.





View Key Map

View Looking East from 9th Ave. SE and11th St. SE (south side)

As in the previous view from the north side of the street, 6-storey buildings in the foreground would contrast sharply with the two-storey historic buildings on the north side of the block ahead. Twelve-storey buildings at 12th Street SE, however, would mark a much more dramatic departure from the historic scale of the streetscape, overwhelming and detracting from the heritage on this block. The significantly reduced sky view would further reinforce the sense of being in a downtown, not a neighbourhood.





View Key Map

View Looking West from 9th Ave. SE and12th St. SE

In this view, both 6-storey and 12-storey buildings at 12th Street SE, with no step-backs below the 6th storey (Scenarios 2 & 3), would contrast sharply with the existing scale of the street established by historic buildings of 1-4 storeys on the south side of the block. In Scenario 4, the setback and massing of the proposed 12-storey building on the north side of the street gives the impression of a more gradual height transition and mostly maintains the sky view. A 12-storey building at 11th Street SE, however, is out of scale with the existing streetscape, and the proposed 16-storey building at this location would have an even more dramatic impact, detracting from the historic buildings in this view.





View Key Map

View Looking East from 9th Ave. SE and12th St. SE

Compared to the block between 11th Street SE and 12th Street SE, there are fewer historic buildings and much more potential for change in the next block to the east, as these views would suggest. Continued intensification will dramatically change the scale and character of this segment of 9th Avenue SE over time. Six-storey buildings with no step-backs would contrast sharply with the heritage buildings in this view (note, the historic East Calgary Telephone Exchange building, set back from the street, disappears from view). The visible portion of a future 12-storey building on the existing parking lot at 12th Street SE would reinforce the juxtaposition between new and old.





View Key Map

View Looking West from 9th Ave. SE and 13th

St. SE (north side)

As suggested in the previous view, future 6-storey buildings with no step-backs on the block between 12th Street SE and 13th Street SE will fundamentally change its character and the pedestrian experience. With the possible exception of the historic Fraser & Seabloom Building, the heritage of the block will be overwhelmed. Twelve-storey buildings at 12th Street SE, diminishing sky views, will signal that Inglewood is not a neighbourhood main street but rather an important centre in the city or part of downtown.





View Key Map

View Looking West from 9th Ave. SE and13th St. SE (south side)

Like in the view from the north side of the street, future 6-storey buildings with no step-backs will overwhelm the low-rise heritage buildings in this view, and 12-storey buildings at 12th Street SE would create an even more dramatic height juxtaposition and reduce sky views.





View Key Map

View Looking North up 12th St. SE

This view illustrates a sense of arriving in Inglewood from the south and approaching 9th Avenue SE. Today, it is not immediately apparent where the residential neighbourhood ends and the main street begins. Six-storey buildings at 9th Avenue SE and 12th Street SE (Scenario 2), standing out from the homes in the foreground, will clearly change that and suggest a neighbourhood commercial corridor ahead. Twelve-storey buildings (Scenarios 3 and 4), on the other hand, would signal to the pedestrian that ahead is an important centre within the city, not a historic neighbourhood main street.





View Key Map

View Looking South down 12th St. SE

These approach views from north of 9th Avenue SE, give similar impressions to those from the south. Future 6-storey buildings will identify 9th Avenue SE’s point of arrival; whereas 12-storey buildings would suggest a distinct high-density centre or an extension of downtown.





Shadow Impacts – Summer Solstice (June 21)

The illustrations on the following pages show the extent of shadows cast by currently proposed buildings (purple line) and conventional 12-storey buildings as supported by the Draft Historic East Calgary LAP (red line) on the summer solstice. For comparison purposes, these are shown on top of the shadows cast by existing buildings (grey shadow) and conventional future 6-storey buildings (blue shadow).

The shadow study shows that 12-storey buildings at 9th Avenue SE and 12th Street SE would:• shadow the sidewalks on both sides of 9th Avenue SE in the late morning;• shadow the sidewalks on both sides of 12th Street SE in the early afternoon;• shadow the sidewalks on both sides of 9th Avenue SE in the late afternoon and early evening;• shadow approximately a third of the lawn bowling green in the late afternoon;• completely shadow the rear yards of two homes on 8th Avenue SE in the evening.

11:18 am 1:18 pm 3:18 pm

Existing Building Shadow

LEGEND

Parks & Open Space

Land Use Bylaw (6 st) Shadow

LAP (12 st) Shadow

Current Application Shadow


In addition, the study shows that a 12-storey building on the south side of 9th Avenue SE, between 10th Street SE and 11th Street SE would:• shadow the sidewalks on both sides of 9th Avenue SE in the late afternoon and early evening;• shadow all four corners of the 9th Avenue SE and 11th Street SE intersection in the evening. The shadow impacts of the proposed 16-storey building at 9th Avenue SE and 11th Street SE would be similar to those of a 12-storey building but less severe, since the tower element occupies only a portion of the site.

The afternoon and evening shadowing of both sides of 9th Avenue SE by buildings of 12-storeys or more, which would not be the case with 6-storey buildings, is of particular concern, since it would have a negative impact on the micro-climate experienced by most pedestrians, most days.

Shadow Impacts – Summer Solstice (June 21)

5:18 pm

UPDATE AND ADD 7:18

7:18 pm


LEGEND

Parks & Open Space


LAP (12 st) Shadow



The illustrations on this and the next page show the extent of shadows cast by actively proposed buildings (purple line) and conventional 12-storey buildings as supported by the Draft LAP (red line) on the autumn equinox, when the weather generally encourages outdoor activity. For comparison purposes, these are shown on top of the shadows cast by existing buildings (grey shadow) and conventional 6-storey buildings (blue shadow). They show that 12-storey buildings at 9th Avenue SE and 12th Street SE would:• shadow the sidewalks on both sides of 9th Avenue SE in the late morning;• heavily shadow the lawn bowling green through the late afternoon and early evening;• entirely shadow the rear yards of three homes on 8th Avenue SE in the evening.

In addition, the study shows that a 12-storey building on the south side of 9th Avenue SE, between 10th

Street SE and 11th Street SE would appear to shadow the sidewalks on both sides of 9th Avenue SE in the early afternoon, whereas a 6-storey building would not.

Shadow Impacts – Autumn Equinox (September 21)

11:18 am 1:18 pm 3:18 pm


LEGEND

Parks & Open Space

Land Use Bylaw ( 6st) Shadow

LAP (12 st) Shadow



In comparison, the shadow impacts of 6-storey buildings on the street, the lawn bowling club and backyards would be far less severe than those of 12-storey buildings.

Shadow Impacts – Autumn Equinox (September 21) (cont.)


LEGEND

Parks & Open Space


LAP (12 st) Shadow

Current Application Shadow5:18 pm 7:18 pm


7. Preliminary Conclusions andNext Steps

Based on our analysis of existing conditions in the 9th Avenue SE corridor, our review of the Draft Historic East Calgary Local Area Plan and our analysis of potential built form scenarios for the corridor, we have reached the following conclusions.

Ninth Avenue’s unique and rich historic character is fundamental to its identity and sense of place. This character should be respected and celebrated through a sensitive approach to intensification. Other than Stephen Avenue, there are no other commercial streets in Calgary with as much history and architectural heritage as 9th Avenue SE. Over the past century, the street’s character has become more eclectic, but the collection of Edwardian commercial-style buildings, in particular, is remarkable and essential to the street’s identity. The most historic part of the corridor and neighbouring residential areas are expected to be studied as a potential heritage district, and until then it should be treated as such: the conservation of significant properties should be a priority, and the form of new development should complement historic buildings and not detract from or overwhelm them.

The Draft Local Area Plan is inconsistent with the principles and policies of the Municipal Development Plan and does not provide sufficient or appropriate guidance for intensification along 9th Avenue SE. The MDP’s intentions with respect to new development on Neighbourhood Main Streets are clear and are contravened by the Draft LAP, specifically:

• In permitting 12-storey buildings among historic buildings of 1-4 storeys, the Draft LAP is setting up conditions of incompatibility and dramatic contrasts in height and scale;


• Twelve-storey buildings are planned on strategic sites south of the 9th Avenue SE corridor, close to the Green Line station, but also directly on 9th Avenue, where the strategic benefits are not apparent and would be outweighed by the adverse impacts of tall buildings;

• Given the limited depth of the properties where 12-storey buildings would be permitted along 9th Avenue under the Draft LAP, they provide limited opportunity for built form transitions and would result in massing that does not frame adjacent streets in a way that respects the existing scale of the street;

• The Draft LAP’s 12-storey height limit on selected sites, and the lack of context-specific built form policies or guidelines in the LAP or the higher-level Guidebook for Great Communities, will make it difficult or impossible to limit the impacts of shadowing on neighbouring streets, parks and properties.

The development of six-storey buildings will dramatically increase density along the 9th AvenueSEcorridor over time; however, policies and guidelines are needed to ensure the massing of buildings over four storeys is compatible with existing heritage buildings and reinforces the existing character of the street. Given the number and size of appropriate redevelopment sites along 9th Avenue SE, there is the potential to increase the population and employment density in the corridor by several times in the foreseeable future within a general height limit of 6 storeys. Over the long term, permitting 12 storeys on a limited number of properties will have a marginally greater density impact. Our built form analysis, however, demonstrated that if intensification continues to extend the street wall of 6 storeys beginning to be established by recent development, in time, the existing scale of the street, at mostly 2-3 storeys east of 11th

Street, will change dramatically. This change will diminish its heritage character, increase shadows and diminish sky views. These impacts can be mitigated by requiring upper floors to be stepped back along the street along with similar built form transitions where a new building is adjacent to a low-rise heritage building.


There is no clear and compelling urban design rationale to permit 12-storey buildings on 9th

Avenue SE, and such buildings would have significantly adverse impacts on the character and pedestrian experience of 9th Avenue SE and on nearby properties, including a historic open space. There are many ways to mark and celebrate important crossroads like 9th Avenue SE and 12th Street SE—for example with a civic building or open space, enhanced streetscaping and/or buildings with distinctive architectural features, potentially including elements that are slightly taller than neighbouring buildings. In the context of 9th Avenue SE’s historic scale of 1-4 storeys, buildings up to 12 storeys would be excessive and have significant negative impacts. The rationale for permitting buildings up to 12 storeys further west, between 9th Street and 11th Street, is less clear.

As our built form analysis illustrates, the mass of 12-storey buildings along 9th Avenue SE would overwhelm existing heritage buildings, diminish sky views, and fundamentally alter the character and pedestrian experience of the street. The experience of walking (or cycling or driving) toward or among tall buildings would feel more like being downtown or in a secondary centre within the city and less like being on a neighbourhood main street. The shadow impacts of 12-storey buildings, from late spring to early fall, would also be significant, covering lengthy stretches of sidewalk on both sides of the street in the late morning, later afternoon and early evening, popular times for strolling, shopping and dining out. Twelve-storey buildings at 12th Street SE would also heavily shadow the historic lawn bowling club beginning mid-afternoon through much of the summer and into the fall. The backyards of some residential properties on 8th Avenue SE would also be adversely affected by shadows, and there will be a loss of privacy for some residents on 8th Avenue SE and 10th Avenue SE from residents of adjacent 12-storey buildings overlooking their properties.


In summary, we acknowledge that permitting 12-storey buildings on 9th Avenue may result in perceived improvements to the street by encouraging the replacement of undesirable uses or unattractive buildings, and the population in such buildings should be good for business along the corridor. However, the historic lotting and built form context of Inglewood cannot comfortably accommodate such buildings; by being so ill-fitting and out of scale with existing development, their adverse impacts on the unique character and pedestrian experience of the street will be significant. These negative impacts would outweigh any positive impacts, in our opinion, and should be considered in light of the ongoing opportunities for intensification and streetscape enhancements through built form in the range of 5-7 storeys.

Next Steps

In the final phase of our analysis, we will study the impacts of potential future buildings along 9th Avenue in the range of 5-7 storeys but with a lower street wall and upper floors set back, to be more compatible with the historic character of the street. This work will be informed by best practices in Calgary and elsewhere (see examples on the next page). Our findings will in turn inform recommended height limits and built form policies and guidelines for 9th Avenue. Our final report will also suggest other improvements to the Draft LAP intended to help ensure the corridor evolves in ways that harmonize old and new and reinforce 9th

Avenue SE as one of Calgary’s great places.


RNDSQR – Courtyard 33 | Marda Loop

City of Toronto Mid-Rise GuidelinesSarina – Harrison | Marda Loop

Illustrations of alternative “main street” massing approaches to achieve compatibility with existing low-rise development

Battistella – Lido | Kensington

Opus – South Bank | Inglewood


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