Creating precincts

The old cliché of being able to drive through a standard-issue suburban development and get lost looking for your own driveway reflects the fact that master-planned communities which simply “step and repeat” end up feeling homogeneous. 

To help avoid homogeneity at Harbourside, the development and planning team envision the creation of distinct sub-precincts within the public realm (click here to view a diagram). These sub-precincts will have their own unique character and transition from Marine, to Urban and ultimately Natural as you move from east to west through the site. The neighbourhood’s  overarching “industrial chic” character, inspired by the working industrial waterfront, will unite the precincts and work towards the creation of a  “sense of place”. 

Marine 
Inspired by the working waterfront of the Burrard Yacht Club, the Marine precinct features elements reminiscent of marina wharfs and dry-dock yards. 

Urban 
As the heart of the community, the Urban precinct contains a dynamic mix of retail services, housing and a hotel – uses that define this as the core of the community. 

Natural
The Natural precinct creates strong green linkages to the neighbouring Kings Mill Walk trail and references the idyllic waterfront location.   

In the coming weeks we will delve deeper into these individual precincts and describe how they will work in unison to create a dynamic, and truly unique mixed-use community. 

Sustainability

Sustainability has increasingly become a hot topic within the building community. Today it is widely recognized that to build an innovative, forward-thinking community, it must embody the principles of sustainability throughout the entire planning, design and construction process. 

These considerations have been an integral part of Concert’s vision for Harbourside. In addition to targeting LEED Gold certification on all residential and commercial buildings, we aim to do better than the City of North Vancouver’s current building bylaws. To meet this goal, we are committed to pursuing a broad range of sustainability initiatives: 

Energy use

• Prioritize building envelope efficiency & passive design.
• Utilize efficient lighting and HVAC systems, and Energy Star appliances.
• Connect to the City’s district energy system to share energy resources among other high-density developments.
• Sub-meter the commercial buildings and the residential rental building to motivate energy conservation.

Water conservation

• Utilize low-flow fixtures and dual-flush or high-efficiency toilets.
• Collect and repurpose rainwater. 
• Utilize drought tolerant and indigenous plant species, along with computerized irrigation control systems, to reduce irrigation requirements.

Waste management

• Implement a waste management plan during construction to reduce landfill waste.
• Include advanced recycling stations for all future residents and tenants, in all buildings. 

Materials selected

• Select materials with a high recycled content and with low or no off-gas content.
• Utilize BC-based manufactured & harvested materials/products where possible.

Rainwater management

• Incorporate rainwater gardens into the design of the community.
• Implement an erosion & sediment control plan during construction.

Urban agriculture

• Include urban agricultural plots for residents on intensive green roofs.

Transportation 

• Enhance the frequency of bus service to and from Harbourside. 
• Increase street parking to support existing and future commercial and recreational demands.
• Integrate electric vehicle charge stations within buildings.
• Provide bike and car sharing systems.
• Promote walking and cycling for commuters by improving the existing network of trails and by providing “end of trip” facilities. 

Our team is proud to have truly “pushed the envelope” with respect to the integration of sustainability at Harbourside. When complete, we envision that Harbourside will be the most environmentally sustainable community in the City of North Vancouver. 

This week at Harbourside: week ending February 15

A weekly summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Follow-up meetings with APC & PEAC
This week the team had follow-up meetings with two City advisory bodies to address comments they had previously received. 

In meetings with both the Advisory Planning Commission (APC) as well as the Parks and Environment Committee (PEAC), Concert received support for their rezoning application. APC commended the team on the commercial component of their plan and supported the “splaying” of buildings to optimize views. PEAC encouraged Concert to continue striving for sustainability excellence and maintain efforts to manage parking at Harbourside for the benefit of park users. 

With the support of the Integrated Transportation Committee (ITC), APC and PEAC, the team will meet again with the remaining two advisory bodies next week.

Preserving views

When a development site is surrounded by the natural beauty of mountains and ocean, there are bound to be concerns over how views will be impacted. Fortunately, a key benefit of constructing master-planned communities is the ability to plan holistically and respond to these sensitivities, while at the same time not sacrificing the project’s viability. 

Right from the beginning, preservation of views has been an important consideration in the Harbourside planning process. Along the way these plans have evolved in response to what was learned through the extensive community consultation process. The team heard that area residents, as well as businesses within Harbourside Business Park, were concerned that new buildings could encroach on their waterfront views. There was also concern from users of the Kings Mill Walk park, previously constructed and donated to the City by Concert in conjunction with the Harbourside Business Park, regarding preservation of mountain views. Here’s how these concerns were addressed in the team’s plan for Harbourside.

Cap building height

• Building heights have been prescribed in the approved Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment. The majority of proposed buildings are subject to a maximum height of seven stories, while up to four buildings would be limited to nine storeys.

Strategic building orientation

• Proposed buildings and internal roads are oriented north-south to minimize impact on views to the mountains for park users as well as to the ocean and downtown Vancouver skyline for neighbouring residents. 
• A north-south building orientation also has sustainability benefits; more details to follow in next week’s post focusing on sustainability. 
• Strategic “splaying” of the proposed buildings serves to preserve key view vantage points; ocean views for those driving into Harbourside on the Fell Avenue overpass and views of the North Shore mountains for pedestrians at the Fell Plaza gathering point, as well as those on the new Lions Lane pedestrian path through the site.  

Click here to check out view study diagrams

With a comprehensive plan in place to minimize the community’s impact on views, Concert’s vision for a dynamic mixed-use community with a unique sense of place is that much closer to a reality. 

This week at Harbourside: week ending February 8

Addressing issues raised by advisory bodies

This week the team met internally to work on responses to comments from various City advisory bodies they met with last month. Some of these include:

• Widening of view corridors.
• Exploring further storm water management solutions.
• Clarifying the phasing of commercial space.
• Working with neighbouring tenants to improve ambient lighting.
• Clarifying public realm enhancements.
• Encouraging Concert to work with City staff to finalize the Spirit Trail connection between Harbourside and Lonsdale Quay.

Meetings are scheduled for next week with three of the advisory bodies to address these comments.

Revisions to DPA guidelines

The team completed the second draft of the Development Permit Area (DPA) guidelines document this week. These guidelines control the form and character of a development in addition to regulating the look and feel of the surrounding public realm.

The second draft has now been circulated to both City staff and advisory bodies for their review prior to finalization. Once finalized, the document will be submitted to City Council for consideration. 

Community phasing

Sometimes the term “mixed-use community” is used to refer to little more than street-level retail below residential buildings. However, what is being envisioned for Harbourside goes well above and beyond the typical definition of a mixed-use community. By combining  216,000 square feet of high-quality office space, 100,000 square feet of hotel and 55,000 square feet of retail with 795,000 square feet of residential within 18 buildings on 12 acres, Harbourside will be a truly diverse and complete community.   

During the envisioning process, time was spent considering how these mixed uses would relate to each other and how a phasing plan could create “mini-communities” that support and complement each other while working towards the establishment of an authentic sense of place at Harbourside. (click here for a diagram that compliments the below description of phases)

Phase one: The first phase will be the catalyst for Harbourside waterfront and create momentum for the community that is sure to accelerate as the other phases are completed. This phase proposes four residential buildings, of seven to nine storeys, which integrate street-level retail and office space. Particular attention will be given to the selection of retail tenants to emphasize unique and local businesses and establish a tone for Harbourside as an area with a distinctive sense of place. There will also be a seven-storey office building that includes “store front office” space – think medical office or insurance agent. 

Phase two: The second phase will build upon the “heart of the neighbourhood” established in the first phase. In addition to a proposed hotel at the foot of Fell Avenue, four residential buildings between seven to nine storeys are envisioned with a mixture of office and retail space.

Phase three: The third phase will be a balanced mix of office and residential uses. Two five-storey office buildings are proposed for  the eastern edge of the site and provide a buffer between the neighbouring Seaspan facility and the residential buildings in this phase. Two, seven-storey residential buildings with “store front office” fronting Harbourside Drive would provide the residential component of the phase.  

Phase four: Harbourside’s final phase will emphasize residential use while adding rental homes to the community. Three residential buildings, seven to nine storeys in height, will be combined with a seven-storey residential rental building.

It should be noted this proposed phasing and development plan is far from static. The team’s ongoing community consultation, collaboration with the City and changes in market demand for residential and commercial space will all have an effect on Concert’s evolving vision for Harbourside. Over the course of the 10-15 years it will take to construct this master-planned community, the team will continually monitor and adapt their plans in order to create one of the most dynamic mixed-use communities in the Lower Mainland.

This week at Harbourside: week ending February 1

A weekly summary of what’s happening in the Harbourside planning process.

Meetings with ACDI
In December 2012 Concert made a group presentation to five City of North Vancouver advisory bodies. After having met individually with four of the five advisory bodies in January, the team met with the Advisory Committee on Disability Issues (ACDI) this Thursday. Their presentation outlined the specifics of Concert’s vision for universal accessibility within Harbourside which entails the inclusion of adaptable homes for persons with disabilities (25% minimum). The team also addressed inquires regarding beach access, underground and at-grade parking, and how navigation along Harbourside Drive would be impacted for persons with disabilities given sea level rise mitigation strategies. The ACDI has recommended their comments be referred to their sub-committee which specializes in real estate development.