HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-08-150 - Charles & Benton Parking Structure - Design Elementsl
K KR
Development&
Technical Services
REPORT
Report To: Council
Date of Meeting:
Submitted By:
Prepared By:
Wards} Involved:
Date of Report:
Report No.:
September 15, 2008
John McBride
John McBride
West-Victoria Park Ward (6)
September 11, 2008
DTS 08-150
Subject: Charles & Benton Parking Structure Design Elements
RECOMMENDATION:
That the inclusion of a stairwell and elevator in the north west corner of the Charles &
Benton Garage be maintained.
BACKGROUND:
As part of the site plan approval process, a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
(OPTED) review has been completed for the Charles & Benton Garage. The purpose of the
OPTED review was to make recommendations on safety and security improvements to the
design of the parking structure.
Through the review, three primary issues were identified. Reinstatement of the Charles Street
stairwell, elimination of the flush glass stairwell and elevator facing Siegner Lane and Halls Lane
and the need for washroom facilities for the retail units to be incorporated into the retail unit and
not accessed from within the parking garage.
REPORT:
The Charles & Benton Garage was designed to accommodate the majority of dedicated users,
while at the same time satisfying the need for parking from the larger community. It is
anticipated that approximately 70% of the users of the structure will be destined towards the
King and Benton Street area as monthly parkers from the Cora properties or clients of the new
Provincial Courthouse. The other 30 % of users are anticipated to be drawn towards the King
and Queen Street area as patrons of the Walper Terrace Hotel, Children's Museum and other
attractions along King Street. Fewer will be destined for the Charles and Queen Street area.
It is also anticipated that approximately 90% of the usage will occur during the weekday.
It was on this basis that the design of the garage included two elevators and a stairwell on the
Benton Street frontage and a stairwell and one elevator at the north west corner of the structure
at the intersection of Siegner Land and Halls Lane. A third stairwell has been included as an
option along the Charles Street frontage.
The CPTED review is intended to identify design elements of a project that may create unsafe
situations for users and make recommendations of measures that could be utilized to mitigate
these situations. In a parking structure this could include such items as white walls, white lights,
clearly identified signage for exits, security cameras and emergency call buttons, controlled
access points, etc.
The CPTED review for the Charles & Benton Garage made several recommendations for items
that have already been incorporated into the design such as painting the interior of the garage
with white reflective paint, use of a white light source in all light fixtures, regular security patrols,
etc.
The three primary areas of concern that have been identified are washrooms that are separate
from the retail area (they are being redesigned), preference for an additional stairwell on
Charles Street (which will be included as an optional item in the tender) and concern about the
stairwell and elevator in the north west corner leading to Halls Lane/Siegner Lane instead of a
public street.
CPTED principles aim to have stairwells and access points visible from a public street where
more activity and the opportunity for both casual and formal surveillance is possible. Between
the north west stairwell and Queen Street there is a building alcove and recessed parking area
that are potential entrapment sites, lighting is limited and visibility of the stairwell is restricted
due to adjacent buildings, at least without entering into the lane. The same situation is true
between the north west stairwell and Charles Street, however there is no visibility into the
stairwell as it is flush with the building and parallel to Siegner Lane.
As part of the design of the garage, exterior lighting has been included on both the Halls Lane
and Siegner Lane side of the structure to address deficiencies in the existing lighting along the
lane. In addition, Halls Lane and Siegner Lane are scheduled for reconstruction in 2010
following the completion of the garage at which time additional lighting will be implemented out
to Queen Street.
Security features will now include cameras, emergency call buttons and regular manned
Security patrols of the garage and will operate in a similar fashion as the Duke & Ontario
Garage.
The existing surface parking lot has been in operation for 35 plus years with no serious
incidents that we are aware of.
While we acknowledge the concerns raised in the CPTED review, the desired lines of travel, the
predominantly daytime use and the lighting improvements in the lanes will minimize any
potential risk of maintaining a stairwell and elevator access in this location.
In the event that Council does not agree with this position, then we would suggest that both the
stairwell and elevator be eliminated from the north west corner of the structure and relocated to
the Charles Street frontage of the garage.
2
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
COMMUNICATIONS:
Both the KDBA and Walper Terrace Hotel have been contacted as the major users of the
stairwell and elevator and both are in agreement that it should be retained in its present
location. While they recognize the potential safety issues that could arise, they also
acknowledge the travel desire lines of the people destined for the King and Queen Street area.
Lighting improvements in both Halls Lane and Siegner Lane and the reconstruction of the lanes
in 2010 will address many of the concerns.
John McBride
Director of Transportation Planning
Rob Browning
General Manager,
Development & Technical Services