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Site Constraint without a view cone Massing Implications due to view cones How to calculate maximum building height Views
Guideline: |
VanMap View Cones Application
OverviewVancouver City Council has adopted a series of view cones to protect views to the North Shore mountains, the Downtown skyline and surrounding water bodies. Any development occuring within these cones may be restricted in height beyond what is specified in the Zoning and Development Bylaw or Official Development Plans. To determine if a site is affected by view cones, VanMap's View Cones Application will display all the crossing view cones, determine which view cones are the most restrictive, and accurately calculate the maximum height for any new buildings. For more information on view protection in the City of Vancouver, please follow this link to the Planning Department web pages. [ top ] Detailed InstructionsOpen the View Cones Application:Zoom to the general location of the site you are analyzing. You can use the Address Search, Search Options or Zoom buttons in the Toolbox . It is easier to zoom to the site before opening the View Protection Application, but it is not necessary. Select the View Cones Application from the Applications list box. Doing so will open up the floating View Cones Application window. If you need to move the View Cone Application window you can do so by clicking on the blue window title bar and dragging the window to a new location. figure 1 - Application Toolbar
[ top ] Step 1 - Select Site PointClick on the "Select Site Point" button. After you have clicked the button the focus will shift to the main VanMap Window and the View Cone menu will temporarily be hidden. As well, the cursor will change from a pointing arrow to a hand with a pointing finger. The indicates that the application is waiting for you to click on the site point. It is likely that you will need to determine the height at more than just a single point on your site. The View Cone Application will allow you to add additional site points to your analysis. This is explained in detail in Step 5 . figure 2 - Select Site Point Button
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[ top ] Click on the desired location. Doing so will create a small black star. If you are not zoomed in far enough to accurately place your site point you can use the zoom function. After the zoom is completed, you will need to click on the "Select Site Point" button once again to switch back to the digitize point mode. If you hover the cursor over your digitized point, the yellow Map Tip will display "VCSitePoint" (View Cone Site Point). figure 4 - Site Point Selected (Map Window)
[ top ] If you are not pleased with where you have placed the "Site Point" Clicking on the "Undo" button will remove the site point, and allow you to redigitize it. Figure 5 - Undo Button (Application Window)
[ top ] The application window now displays the exact location of your site point as define by "X" and "Y" coordinates. In the example above it is UTMX: 490689.0334578507, and UTMY: 548842.532129837. The UTM prefix refers to the datum system being used "Universal Transverse Mercator". As well, once the Site Point has been placed, a new layer is added to the VanMap legend. figure 6 - View Cone Site Point Layer
Zooming in closely to the site in question will allow you greater accuracy in placing the site point. [ top ] Step 2 - Determine Which View Cones Affect Your Site PointIf you are satisfied with where you have placed the site point you can proceed to the next step. Clicking on the "Display View Cones" button will initiate a process in which each view cone is turned on, allowing the application to check to see if your site point falls within the currently active view cone. As this is occuring you will see the display appear to flicker as the view cones are turned off and on. figure 7 - Display View Cones Button ( Application Window)
[ top ] When the application has completed its check, only the view cones that cross your site point will remain turned on. The numbers of these view cones are displayed in the View Cone Application Window (figure 7), and in the VanMap legend (figure 8).. figure 8 - Crossing View Cones
[ top ] figure 9 - Crossing View Cones Displayed in Legend
[ top ] figure 10 - View Cones Crossing the Site Point in the Map Window
[ top ] Step 3 - Provide Site Point Elevation InformationThe next step requires you to provide elevation information for your Site Point. There are two methods of doing this. The first method doesn't require you to have any detailed site information, as the elevation information is derived from the City's Contour Lines. These are a series of lines spaced vertically at 1 metre intervals. Clicking on the "Select Contour" button will turn on the contour lines. figure 11 - Select Contour Button
[ top ] Click on the contour line nearest to you Site Point . When you have done so, the elevation information will populate the blank field. If your Site Point falls with between the contour lines, you can interpolate what the elevation information is and manually enter it into the blank field. For example, if the site point appears to be equidistant between the 21 and 22 metre contour lines you could enter 21. 5 for the Site Elevation . If you have access to more precise grade elevation data, you can enter it directly into the box. Press the OK button to accept the information. Please recognize that unless your site point falls directly on a contour line or if you have entered known grade elevation data, the calculation result will only be approximate. If you have difficulty selecting a contour line, you may need to click on it at a spot where it crosses a lane or road. Note: All the elevation information is in a metric geodetic datum. For an approximate conversion to Imperial measures, multiply by 3.281 (metric to imperial conversion), and add 91.37 feet. figure 12 - Selected Contour Line
[ top ] Once the elevation information has been correctly entered by either of the two methods, it will be displayed in the VIew Cone Application Window. figure 13 - Elevation Information
[ top ] Step 4 - Calculate Maximum HeightsThe final step in the process is the calculation of the maximum heights as defined by each of the view cones crossing the Site Point . All that is necessary is to click on the Calculate button, which runs the formula to calculate the height. If you're interested in more information on how the formula works, follow this link to the Views page. figure 14 - Calculate
[ top ] Once the calculations have been completed, the results are displayed in the "View Cone Calculation Records" table. The results are sorted in order from most restrictive View Cone (least height) to most restrictive (most height). In the example shown in figure 15, the building would be limited to 86.49m in height above a grade elevation of 6.34m. figure 15 - Calculation Results
[ top ] Step 5 - Additional Calculations for the Same SiteYou may need to calculate the maximum height for additional points in the same area. To do so, click on the Reset button. This will erase your current site point, and allow you to repeat the steps for a new point. The new records are appended to your current list as show below in figure 16. figure 16 - Additional Calculations
[ top ] Additional FunctionsClicking on the Print Button will allow you to print out all the information in the View Cone Application window. figure 17 - Printing
[ top ] Comments or questions? Send us e-mail at vanmap@vancouver.ca . Or contact a member of Team VanMap .
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Questions or Comments? E-mail: planning@city.vancouver.bc.ca © 2004 City of Vancouver |
