November 27, 2014
Re: 595 Pandora Avenue – Development Permit Review
Dear Mayor Fortin and Council,
The DRA LUC has recently met with the applicant and reviewed the drawings for the above mentioned project.
Based on the information presented by the applicant the purpose of the Development Permit is to convert an existing office building to a market rental apartment building with ground floor commercial space fronting Pandora Ave. The building would have an underground parking structure with the entry from Pandora Street.
Comments and concerns raised at the Land Use Committee meeting by the members are as follows; • It was commented that the unit size was generous when compared to other development proposals and having storage lockers on each floor was a desirable bonus. • The conversion and inclusion retail units at street level is highly desirable and will bring much needed vibrancy to this part of Pandora Ave. at street level. • As the addition of the additional storeys will be highly visible from the street and especially from the Macpherson to the east, it is strongly recommended that particular attention is paid to the design of the additional storeys and at minimum integrate design cues from the existing building including cladding type and colour and window “eyebrow” and cornice corbelling details. • It was also a consensus that the reworking of the central portion of the façade glazing and parapet seems to weaken the focus of the design. It would be desirable to include some strong design elements that would enhance the central bay of the façade. • Members who reside in the immediate area point out that the shared vehicle entry/exit on Pandora has visibility issues exist due to the close proximity of a metered vehicle parking spot immediately to the east of the driveway that can screen westbound traffic on Pandora from vehicles exiting this site making that manoeuvre dangerous at times. The addition of visibility aides would be helpful. • The committee was otherwise pleased with the design and finishes that were proposed by the applicant.
The DRA supports this proposal as it appears to be of high quality, and will provide rental accommodation for downtown residents.
Sincerely,
Ian Sutherland Chair Land Use Committee Downtown Residents Association