Viva Towns (19-41 Mill St) | 4 + 3fl | U/C

[tomh009]

So much for the affordable units. "Character of the neighbourhood" trumps all other arguments.

[Joedelay Highhoe]

Stacked townhouses isn't the worst compromise. Shame they scrapped over 100 units, but I'm sure none of them were very affordable anyway.

[Rainrider22]

Stacked townhouses isn't the worst compromise. Shame they scrapped over 100 units, but I'm sure none of them were very affordable anyway.

Do you  have inside knowledge of the project ?  You advise that your sure...

[ac3r]

There is nothing more infurating than NIMBYs...especially when they prevail.

[kwlifer]

Stacked townhouses isn't the worst compromise. Shame they scrapped over 100 units, but I'm sure none of them were very affordable anyway.

Do you  have inside knowledge of the project ?  You advise that your sure...

What a way to discourage commentary from someone who rarely does (Joedelay). I follow closely and very much appreciate all the input and commentary from all, but your comment gives me pause to think should ever I think of commenting.  To me the comment made is a saying/phrase as one would normally when talking.  We are not in court here here, are you sure?!? I guess he should have said it's highly likely/improbable none of them were? Would that make you feel better?

[Joedelay Highhoe]

Stacked townhouses isn't the worst compromise. Shame they scrapped over 100 units, but I'm sure none of them were very affordable anyway.

Do you  have inside knowledge of the project ?  You advise that your sure...

"Affordable" is subjective. In the context of this conversation, "affordable housing" would mean not too expensive for people with limited means. If the average gross family income is around 81K/y, an affordable price would be 3-5x that, so these should be listed between $244K and $407K. For someone with a less than average income, "affordable" probably tops out around $300K. That's my subjective analysis.

If you have insider information about the pricing perhaps you could let us all know if they're affordable.

[Rainrider22]

Do you  have inside knowledge of the project ?  You advise that your sure...

What a way to discourage commentary from someone who rarely does (Joedelay). I follow closely and very much appreciate all the input and commentary from all, but your comment gives me pause to think should ever I think of commenting.  To me the comment made is a saying/phrase as one would normally when talking.  We are not in court here here, are you sure?!? I guess he should have said it's highly likely/improbable none of them were? Would that make you feel better?

I was asking a serious question, I wasn't being a smart ass...  This is what I dislike about these boards, too easy for everyone to take something wrong and be offended....

[kwlifer]

What a way to discourage commentary from someone who rarely does (Joedelay). I follow closely and very much appreciate all the input and commentary from all, but your comment gives me pause to think should ever I think of commenting.  To me the comment made is a saying/phrase as one would normally when talking.  We are not in court here here, are you sure?!? I guess he should have said it's highly likely/improbable none of them were? Would that make you feel better?

I was asking a serious question, I wasn't being a smart ass...  This is what I dislike about these boards, too easy for everyone to take something wrong and be offended....

Okay, thanks for clarifying, I definitely appreciate that about boards, e-mails etc..., very true. I guess I was being a tad sensitive . No worries.

[Rainrider22]

We all have our days...lol I haven't seen Joedelay post much so I don't have a sense of what he or she does... I sincerely wanted to know if they had some inside information. Many times people on this board do have some intimate knowledge...

[Joedelay Highhoe]

We all have our days...lol  I haven't seen Joedelay post much so I don't  have a sense of what he or she does... I sincerely wanted to know if they had some inside information.  Many times people on this board do have some intimate knowledge...

Not offended (and not an insider)! Just a lifelong downtown Kitchenerite adding my .05¢

[Rainrider22]

We all have our days...lol  I haven't seen Joedelay post much so I don't  have a sense of what he or she does... I sincerely wanted to know if they had some inside information.  Many times people on this board do have some intimate knowledge...

Not offended (and not an insider)! Just a lifelong downtown Kitchenerite adding my .05¢

Cool,  thanks... keep adding your .05...

[danbrotherston]

So much for the affordable units. "Character of the neighbourhood" trumps all other arguments.

Well you folks have beaten me to the rant...

Yeah, this ticks me off.  This is literally beside a massive 17 storey apartment building. "Character of the neighbourhood" means only one thing "I refuse accept any change ever", the "poors", the "elites", doesn't matter, no change ever, nobody new ever.

[Bytor]

Stacked townhouses isn't the worst compromise. Shame they scrapped over 100 units, but I'm sure none of them were very affordable anyway.

Do you  have inside knowledge of the project ?  You advise that your sure...

About 11 of the apartments in the subdivided houses along there that were to be demolished are considered to be affordable housing, but in Polocorp's plan they only offered to make 5 of the units as affordable.

[tomh009]

About 11 of the apartments in the subdivided houses along there that were to be demolished are considered to be affordable housing, but in Polocorp's plan they only offered to make 5 of the units as affordable.

Yes. Five isn't much, and I really would have hoped that the city would have pushed for more, at least 11 to make up for the ones that will be lost. (Note: it's unclear whether those new units would have been for sale or for rent.) But, as things went, there will be none at all.

I am still mystified how the neighbourhood character would have been impacted, when there are only half a dozen residential houses within 100m of this project. Mostly it's bounded by Queen St S (commercial), Mill St (a few residential houses, most were recently donated by the region for affordable housing) and the IHT (which has a railway and a commercial facility on its other side). Where were these concerned neighbours from?

[danbrotherston]

About 11 of the apartments in the subdivided houses along there that were to be demolished are considered to be affordable housing, but in Polocorp's plan they only offered to make 5 of the units as affordable.

Yes. Five isn't much, and I really would have hoped that the city would have pushed for more, at least 11 to make up for the ones that will be lost. (Note: it's unclear whether those new units would have been for sale or for rent.) But, as things went, there will be none at all.

I am still mystified how the neighbourhood character would have been impacted, when there are only half a dozen residential houses within 100m of this project. Mostly it's bounded by Queen St S (commercial), Mill St (a few residential houses, most were recently donated by the region for affordable housing) and the IHT (which has a railway and a commercial facility on its other side). Where were these concerned neighbours from?

Neighbourhood character is a word people use when they don't want to sound like they're anti-progress but are.  As for where they're from, your guess is as good as mine. It's possible the half a dozen homes on Mill are quite tight nit, and it was entirely that group. It's also possible people came from further--I imagine the neighbourhood of Bruder has quite a bit of neighbourhood organization, although that neighbourhood already had a big development with polocorp, that..honestly went very well with not much opposition--mostly just on point suggestions (in fact, it's the singular example of a development I have, where community input improved the project).