Constructive conversations

NRU
May 23, 2018
Rob Stewart

he City of Burlington has inaugurated its first Urban Design Advisory Panel.
The panel was formed to help city staff and developers urbanize downtown Burlington by adding height and density. The city is out of greenfield sites, so there is no room to expand out.

“The strategic plan acknowledges the fact that the city’s not growing outwards... We’re growing from within,” says urban design manager Jamie Tellier. “And as we intensify and grow from within that obviously creates a lot of new urban design challenges, and we wanted to raise the bar for design excellence in the city.”

The decision to establish the panel follows the April 26 adoption of a new official plan and approval the city’s tall building guidelines last year.

“It’s not too different from what... other urban design panels do,” Hamilton public art and projects program manager and panel chair Ken Coit told NRU.

“We meet with planning staff and architects and design teams and developers and property owners and review larger-scale designs.”

The review is a voluntary process whereby developers can bring a proposal to the panel before the formal application process starts, says Tellier. “If there’s anything that perhaps is standing out to staff that we’re not totally sure about, we can ask those questions of the panel and seek their advice before the actual formal application comes in.”

Panel member and The Planning Partnership principal Wai Ying Di Giorgio agrees. She says the panel is meant to complement the development review process.

“It’s really meant to be a collaborative effort and a constructive conversation with the developer or applicant. They’re encouraged to come forward to present their ideas and their applications early on so they can get useful and constructive feedback.”

Like most municipal design review panels in the GTHA, Burlington’s meetings will not be open to the public. Di Giorgio says that confidentiality protects and enhances the work done by the panel.

“It’s easier because then the conversations are between the panelist members, and the developer applicant. It’s very free-flowing, and I think in that way it’s way more creative,” she says.
Panel member and Diamond Schmitt Architects associate Nigel Tai adds that the confidentiality aspect was a compromise to encourage developers to seek out advice in advance of submitting an application to the city.

“I think there was quite a bit of pressure from the developers’ side that they don’t like this idea of having a design review panel in Burlington, but I think the City of Burlington thinks this is the right way to go,” he says. “I think this is a baby step.”
The urban design panel meets monthly.