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STEP 1: PRE-DESIGN CONFERENCE
Applicants should approach the Department of Planning and Community Development as early as possible in their
process of property acquisition or project planning. At the Pre-Design Conference, a planner will be assigned to your
project and will assist you scheduling and preparing for a Conceptual Design Conference with the DRB at the earliest
possible date. Where appropriate, the project planner will coordinate the Pre-Design Conference with other
Development Services staff to provide insight on other key development issues.
STEP 2: CONCEPTUAL DESIGN CONFERENCE
At the Conceptual Design Conference (CDC), the applicant should discuss the opportunities and constraints of the
project site and vicinity, together with the conceptual development program (including one or more conceptual site
plan and massing diagrams). The DRB will identify high priority guidelines and regulations for the proposed project and
what materials will be required for the design review application. Following the Conceptual Design Conference, staff
will send out a written summary of DRB direction. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their design development in
response to the conceptual design conference with the project planner before making the formal Design Response
Conference application.
Some tips to help you at the Conceptual Design stage:
1) Applicants should not submit a specific project design for the Conceptual Design Conference. The DRB will not
conduct design review at this meeting and applicants will likely be frustrated if conceptual direction differens
from their investment in a specific project design. More importantly, because public notice of the application
has not been given, the DRB will not be prepared to provide specific direction prior to hearing from the
community.
2) Illustrate your thought process to the DRB through the alternative (minimum of three) massing and siting concepts;
what options have been considered, and why do those options work or not work. If a preferred scheme is presented,
explain why it is preferred.
3) The project planner can provide successful examples of previous submittals.
4) Please limit your presentation to approximately 10 minutes.
5) Following the project presentations, the DRB will ask clarifying questions of staff and the applicant then
deliberate amongst themselves to arrive at recommendations.
6) If direction from the DRB is unclear to you, ask questions of the DRB to ensure that there is a mutual
understanding of expectations.
7) Prepare your DRB presentation either in a PowerPoint show or on presentation boards. Your project planner
can assist you in presenting on the City's computer and projector or you can bring your own equipment. For
presentation boards, graphics should be large and clear from a distance.
8) Include a presentation of the vicinity and site, starting with your observations on the bigger-scale streetscape,
architectural and urban design context, as well as the opportunities and constraints of the site itself. Continue
with your development objectives, and follow with a description of your siting and design concept(s). You may
also want to share alternative concepts.