08-14-2018, 09:55 AM
(08-13-2018, 11:17 PM)GtwoK Wrote: I actually agree with Haalboom. Weber should be "the line" downtown for building condos. Kitchener has FAR too little pre-1950 (or whatever) homes near the downtown core. We need to build up, yes, but like hell if I'll stand for demolishing every ounce of character and every mature tree in order to do so. I'm tired of bland as hell, boujie retail spaces in the bottom of condos that only very wealthy people can open up shop in. The older houses — especially in these heritage neighbourhoods — are the lasting character of the city. I want to see more of the uniqueness and creativity that houses-turned-retail presents. Like the Yeti, for example. There has to be a balance of both, and I think that "bulldoze everything within 5 blocks of an LRT station" is a foolhardy and dangerous opinion.
I don't think anyone is proposing to demolish every house, cut down every tree and bulldoze everything.
But on the other hand, I don't think we should assign heritage designation to every house, either. "Far too few older homes" is hard to argue with as the criteria are subjective. But there certainly are many hundreds of pre-war homes in the downtown area (roughly ward 9), likely well over a thousand. And many of them are protected, including the entire Victoria Park neighbourhood, so there is little risk of all of them disappearing.