03-10-2018, 01:28 AM
Interestingly enough, the development of King Street in general has been the subject of quite a lot of public debate and discussion in Waterloo. One of the objections to this project is, "What was the point of all the work that citizens, politicians and committee members did for the past decade to plan for the next 30 years of Uptown change, if all of that work was going to be thrown out anyways?"
To whit (this was cribbed from an email that I received, so I don't have links to the documents):
1. “Buildings, infrastructure, and other built form should build on and protect the elements in the Uptown that have made it successful: its sense of history, human scale and pleasant and people-friendly environment.” From: Uptown Vision Committee, “Uptown Vision 2025”.
Uptown Vision Committee mandate: "...will provide input and advice to Council and staff on matters pertaining to issues impacting the economic, social, cultural, environment, physical and educational situation in order to strengthen the Uptown core.” “Terms of Reference,” City of Waterloo.
Since its inception, the City’s Uptown Vision Committee has repeatedly reported on a public consensus that the value of the Uptown is expressed in “its small-town feel.” The statement above summarizing the Committee’s “Uptown Vision 2025” reiterates its understanding of the residents’ dominant perception of the Uptown.
2. The concerns of an architect and a planner at the University of Waterloo on future development in downtown Kitchener were separately expressed in articles in the Waterloo Region Record. The comments of professors Markus Moos and Rick Haldenby apply equally to Waterloo’s Uptown respecting the proposal for 70 King Street North in Waterloo’s Uptown. (Terry Pender, Waterloo Region Record, December 29, 2017; Catherine Thompson, Waterloo Region Record, February 5, 2018).
Their specific concerns about Kitchener’s downtown are relevant to Waterloo’s Uptown and the 70 King Street North proposal:
3. Citizens in the Uptown have have given close attention to, and participated in the consultative process respecting the Waterloo’s on-going city-wide land-use zoning review. At its inception, councilors applauded this important exercise. The proposal respecting 70 King Street North is contrary to recommendations proposed for the area in the Second Draft of the city planner’s report to Council.
4. The “public realm” and Waterloo’s Uptown. A recent City-sponsored full-day event was held at CIGI to examine the future of the city’s Uptown Public Realm (co-sponsors Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Stantec). 70 King Street North is encompassed within the Uptown Waterloo map presented for purposes of the Uptown Public Realm discussion. Included in the discussion at the public meeting by Ken Greenberg and Harold Madi, both urban planning and urban design, was the importance of “celebrating heritage” respecting the Uptown “heritage resources” were deemed “vital to the public realm.”
To whit (this was cribbed from an email that I received, so I don't have links to the documents):
1. “Buildings, infrastructure, and other built form should build on and protect the elements in the Uptown that have made it successful: its sense of history, human scale and pleasant and people-friendly environment.” From: Uptown Vision Committee, “Uptown Vision 2025”.
Uptown Vision Committee mandate: "...will provide input and advice to Council and staff on matters pertaining to issues impacting the economic, social, cultural, environment, physical and educational situation in order to strengthen the Uptown core.” “Terms of Reference,” City of Waterloo.
Since its inception, the City’s Uptown Vision Committee has repeatedly reported on a public consensus that the value of the Uptown is expressed in “its small-town feel.” The statement above summarizing the Committee’s “Uptown Vision 2025” reiterates its understanding of the residents’ dominant perception of the Uptown.
2. The concerns of an architect and a planner at the University of Waterloo on future development in downtown Kitchener were separately expressed in articles in the Waterloo Region Record. The comments of professors Markus Moos and Rick Haldenby apply equally to Waterloo’s Uptown respecting the proposal for 70 King Street North in Waterloo’s Uptown. (Terry Pender, Waterloo Region Record, December 29, 2017; Catherine Thompson, Waterloo Region Record, February 5, 2018).
Their specific concerns about Kitchener’s downtown are relevant to Waterloo’s Uptown and the 70 King Street North proposal:
- The proposal is entirely out of scale with the Uptown. Beyond the obvious seen from the current streetscape, see THREE below for elaboration, and re-visit the “Uptown Vision 2025” above.
- Developments such as this could readily become exclusive enclaves of the “better-off”, illustrating concerns elsewhere in many cities about “the missing middle” in accommodation. “...a growing number of politicians, planners and urbanists say we need to build if we’re going to encourage gentle densities and make … prized neighbourhoods vital and accessible to young families,” Tess Kalinowski, real estate reporter, Toronto Star, September 23, 2017.
- What is left of Kitchener’s downtown [read Waterloo’s Uptown] heritage architecture could be entirely lost. Waterloo city planners are currently discussing heritage cultural landscapes in Waterloo. The Uptown BIA and the adjacent historic residential neighbourhoods are prime candidates for urgent, necessary attention as a cultural heritage landscape.
3. Citizens in the Uptown have have given close attention to, and participated in the consultative process respecting the Waterloo’s on-going city-wide land-use zoning review. At its inception, councilors applauded this important exercise. The proposal respecting 70 King Street North is contrary to recommendations proposed for the area in the Second Draft of the city planner’s report to Council.
4. The “public realm” and Waterloo’s Uptown. A recent City-sponsored full-day event was held at CIGI to examine the future of the city’s Uptown Public Realm (co-sponsors Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Stantec). 70 King Street North is encompassed within the Uptown Waterloo map presented for purposes of the Uptown Public Realm discussion. Included in the discussion at the public meeting by Ken Greenberg and Harold Madi, both urban planning and urban design, was the importance of “celebrating heritage” respecting the Uptown “heritage resources” were deemed “vital to the public realm.”