| |
Posted May 9, 2014, 11:31 PM
|
 |
Ham-burgher
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 6,521
|
|
Meet the DRP...
The battle to banish bad buildings from Hamilton
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/45...from-hamilton/
By Meredith MacLeod
Nine professionals who have volunteered to review key downtown and waterfront developments will begin with a couple of contentious projects.
The city's first design review panel (DRP) includes experienced architects, landscape architects, planners and urban designers. Five members work in Hamilton and four are based elsewhere. Three of them sit on design review panels in other cities.
"This is an excellent panel. We had a lot of high-quality people apply. The city is lucky to have such people volunteering their time," said Steve Robichaud, director of planning.
Robichaud said many of the close to 100 applicants talked about a "buzz" around opportunities in Hamilton and wanting to help shape the city's future as their reasons for volunteering.
The panel will offer planning advice directly to city staff. Applicants seeking rezonings and site plan approvals will be required to submit their plans and make presentations to the DRP.
Among the first projects expected to come under the panel's gaze is the controversial redevelopment of buildings facing Gore Park and a proposed condo development at James Street Baptist Church.
James Street Baptist owner Louie Santaguida says he was told about the DRP last week. He has dealt with a similar process in Toronto and says he's hopeful the panel's review won't delay the overall approval process.
"We truly respect the City of Hamilton decision to put this in the process," Santaguida said. "I'm not sure how it will impact my development or developments at large but I don't see any harm in it. It will have an advisory role in urban planning."
Santaguida has approvals to remove at least 75 per cent of the church and plans to tie the historically designated tower and east facing entrance into a new condo tower. He says he will have detailed plans to show staff in a matter of weeks.
Nothing the panel advises is binding on a developer. But David Premi says volunteer experts will expect to play an active role. Premi is a Hamilton architect and panel member who advocated for professional design review. Seven members of Ottawa's DRP resigned en masse in 2009, saying their advice was ignored.
"The panel must be respected. They are professionals offering their expert advice. That's invaluable to developers and the city."
Hamilton's panel has been established under a two-year pilot. Though the focus is on the lower city, the director of planning can also refer a project from anywhere for review. The scope includes buildings of more than three storeys and 20,000 square feet, along with streets, parks and open spaces.
"I think it's one of the many positive things happening in the city right now. It will be very helpful," said Premi.
There are a lot of substantial projects queued up for the next few years, he said, so the panel will have an important role to play.
"We were in economic decline for decades so that fosters a kind of desperation: 'Please build anything and we won't get in your way.' We can't think like that anymore. You make a mistake with a major building in the downtown and you live with it for 50 years and more."
The DRP will not focus on esthetics or architectural style, says Premi, but rather whether the proposal fits its environment, adheres to city planning guidelines, promotes walkability and enhances the city's urban fabric.
The panel has had an orientation session with senior planning staff and a tour of the city. The next meeting is May 22. Presentations and recommendations will be open to the public, though deliberations will be held privately.
Robert Freedman, the former director of urban design for the City of Toronto who led the establishment of that city's DRP, says developers were initially wary. Some architects weren't thrilled to open their work to critiques by peers either.
But as bugs in the process were worked out, the DRP came to be mostly respected, he said. In many cases it sped up projects because developers offered their best right away.
"Cities and regions compete to attract people and businesses. Those that succeed the most are those who create a true sense of place. Hamilton has great bones," said Freedman, now an urban consultant and a member of Hamilton's new panel. "There's a great structure and history to Hamilton."
Western University geography professor Jason Gilliland served on the steering committee to set up a DRP in London, Ont. He says the panel review has delayed some projects but a focus on walkability, quality of public realm, heritage and place-making has led to better developments overall.
To be effective, he says, the panel's mandate and scope must be crystal clear and the process must remain non-adversarial.
"It's valuable if it doesn't stall valuable projects," said Gilliland, a Hamilton native who heads up WU's urban development program. "Developers know their business. They're not in it to make bad buildings. They realize they will make more money if they make good buildings."
mmacleod@thespec.com
905-526-3408 | @meredithmacleod
__________________________________________________
Hamilton's design review panel
Vincent Colizza, architect, Ottawa
Robert Freedman, Freedman Urban Solutions, Toronto
Mary Jo Hind, architect, Perkins + Will, Dundas
Sandy McIntosh, architect, Perkins + Will, Dundas
David Premi, architect, David Premi Architects, Hamilton
Yasin Visram, architect, Farrow Partnership Architects, Toronto
James Webb, planner, Webb Planning Consultants, Hamilton
Richard Witt, architect, Quadrangle Architects, Toronto
Mario Patitucci, landscape architect, Adesso Design, Hamilton
|
|
|
Linear Mode
