Waterloo Region Connected
General Suburban Updates and Rumours - Printable Version

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RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - panamaniac - 06-24-2016

A lot has been cleared and a construction trailer installed on River Rd E, next to the gas station/car wash on the corner of Ottawa and across River Rd from Stanley Park Mall . Does anyone know what's planned for the site?


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - rangersfan - 06-24-2016

I was wondering if that was construction vehicle storage for the Ottawa St widening?


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - rangersfan - 06-24-2016

There is a project under construction going in on River Rd near Victoria St called "Foxrun Townhouse.
"http://keystonecustomhomes.ca/foxrun-townhomes


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - rangersfan - 06-28-2016

Neighbours are nervous about a community housing project in Waterloo.

http://m.therecord.com/news-story/6744835-neighbours-nervous-about-community-housing-project-in-waterloo


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 06-30-2016

(06-28-2016, 09:15 PM)rangersfan Wrote: Neighbours are nervous about a community housing project in Waterloo.

http://m.therecord.com/news-story/6744835-neighbours-nervous-about-community-housing-project-in-waterloo

Concerns about architecture!  Given where it is, on a major thoroughfare, 100m from a major commercial intersection, across the street from a commercial building, and surrounded by a bunch of mid-rise apartment buildings ranging from 1960s original red brick to recent white brick, I really don't see this as a major issue.  Regardless of what the building looks like.

We need affordable housing.  Let's not allow that to fall victim to yet another NIMBY reaction.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - DHLawrence - 07-01-2016

Am I the only one skeptical of the reason they don't like it?


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - clasher - 07-01-2016

(07-01-2016, 06:29 PM)DHLawrence Wrote: Am I the only one skeptical of the reason they don't like it?

I don't know that anyone would listen to them if they just came out and said they don't wanna look at the poors.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - eizenstriet - 07-01-2016

tomh009
We need affordable housing.  Let's not allow that to fall victim to yet another NIMBY reaction.
DHLawrence
Am I the only one skeptical of the reason they don't like it?


It would really raise the quality of analysis of these issues if we could dispense with the conventions of (1) seeing a NIMBY with scaly skin and fangs behind every tree and (2) knowing deep in our psyche that these creatures have little reptile brains incapable of any thought besides “devour sentient urbanists”.

The headline writer for The Record was subtly pandering to such stereotypical reactions with “Neighbours nervous about community housing project…”. If you read the actual article, it would appear that all delegations were (a) supportive of a community housing project in that location and (b) OK with various out-of-the-norm details of the proposal, but not all of them. That is actually a pretty good indication of constructive urban discourse.

If you go even beyond the actual article, you would discover that the same gentleman seeking enhancement of the exterior finish of the project had actually consented to multi-unit development next to him in place of an existing single family home in a previous application, and had received compliments from Council. That his present inquiry is reasonable is confirmed by a comment made by Coun. Henry in the article.

Again, going beyond the article and beyond reflexive reactions, there was a neighbouring tenant who expressed reservations about the balcony setbacks. That his inquiry is reasonable is confirmed by a comment made by Coun. Freeman in the article.

The challenge of weighing merits and demerits of a multi-faceted issue is made very easy by “White Hat / Black Hat” thinking. That this easy way out of deliberation is part of human nature is confirmed by the fact that Donald Trump stands an outside chance of becoming the “Leader of the Free World”.

I know that patrons of a forum such as this one are not intellectual pushovers. They counter assertively when their ideals and aspirations are challenged. And I’m willing to bet that they would not hesitate to assert themselves if their interests were jeopardized.

Life is way too messy, complex and interesting to be compartmentalized by simplistic conventions.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - mpd618 - 07-02-2016

(07-01-2016, 06:29 PM)DHLawrence Wrote: Am I the only one skeptical of the reason they don't like it?

I am similarly skeptical.

(07-01-2016, 10:07 PM)eizenstriet Wrote: It would really raise the quality of analysis of these issues if we could dispense with the conventions of (1) seeing a NIMBY with scaly skin and fangs behind every tree and (2) knowing deep in our psyche that these creatures have little reptile brains incapable of any thought besides “devour sentient urbanists”....

You know, I certainly appreciate the perspective that projects in general need to be held to high standards of quality. However, it feels like there's always something "not good enough" that ends up being used to attack projects that add density and particularly lower-income or otherwise diverse density near low-density neighbourhoods. Which is to say: some concerns might be reasonable (though not the parking one), but if those are addressed I really have no confidence that it would quiet opposition.

FWIW having a councillor agree with a point does not, on its own, make it reasonable.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - Markster - 07-02-2016

(06-24-2016, 05:58 PM)panamaniac Wrote: Grey stone cladding has started to go up on part of the expansion of St May's Coptic Orthodox Church on Ottawa St S.  I am not sure what all they are building, but the completed complex is going to be enormous!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">While I'm in the neighbourhood, St Mary's Coptic Church <a href="https://t.co/c91hpYEA0O">pic.twitter.com/c91hpYEA0O</a></p>&mdash; Mark Jackson-Brown (@Markster3000) <a href="https://twitter.com/Markster3000/status/749267578422456320">July 2, 2016</a></blockquote>


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - rangersfan - 07-19-2016

Noticed recently that 818-824 Victoria St Kitchener has sold. I wonder what the plans for this property are.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.4629616,-80.468432,3a,75y,357.68h,85.7t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sryC-QwltLGcp3TKq0hgmAA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DryC-QwltLGcp3TKq0hgmAA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D392%26h%3D106%26yaw%3D62.30711%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - nms - 07-20-2016

(07-01-2016, 10:07 PM)eizenstriet Wrote: Life is way too messy, complex and interesting to be compartmentalized by simplistic conventions.

Well said eizenstriet.  Council has been good at encouraging various stakeholders to find a middle ground.  Let's hope that this one finds one too.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - rangersfan - 08-04-2016

Property owner of a site at Ottawa and Trussler wants to clear 3 hectares of trees.

http://m.therecord.com/news-story/6794565-kitchener-property-owner-wants-to-clear-three-hectares-of-trees


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - KevinL - 08-04-2016

Plantation conifers, which are pretty much the worst monoculture. I for one won't miss them.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 08-04-2016

Arguably not much different than a corn field or wheat field monoculture: it's just producing wood rather than grains.