Waterloo Region Connected
Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development - Printable Version

+- Waterloo Region Connected (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com)
+-- Forum: Land Development and Real Estate (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Suburbs (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Thread: Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development (/showthread.php?tid=1266)



Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development - Pheidippides - 09-09-2018

Zoning amendment meeting tomorrow for the property at the corner of Fischer Hallman and Bleams (1250 Fischer Hallman).

   
   
   
   

The apartments would seem to be really close to the Huron Natural Area, but I guess it is kind of surrounded anyway.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - panamaniac - 09-09-2018

This would be on the "south-east" corner?


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - jeffster - 09-10-2018

(09-09-2018, 10:47 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: The apartments would seem to be really close to the Huron Natural Area, but I guess it is kind of surrounded anyway.

I think it's very nice looking, hopefully they can push it through.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - timio - 09-10-2018

(09-09-2018, 11:00 PM)panamaniac Wrote: This would be on the "south-east" corner?

Yes. There's a sign suggesting a grocery anchored retail will be there in 2018.


RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - Spokes - 09-10-2018

Interesting amount of density in such a location.


RE: Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development - Markster - 09-10-2018

There's a whole master plan for the Fisher-Hallman & Bleams area, so I figure we may as well break off a thread for it.


RE: Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development - danbrotherston - 09-10-2018

Is it dense though? There's an enormous amount of surface parking, distances between things are going to be really large. Is this a development where people will walk? Or is it simply going to be the same ~100% driving that we see in most suburbs.


RE: Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development - panamaniac - 09-10-2018

(09-10-2018, 08:59 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Is it dense though?  There's an enormous amount of surface parking, distances between things are going to be really large.  Is this a development where people will walk?  Or is it simply going to be the same ~100% driving that we see in most suburbs.

Considering where it is, I find it surprisingly dense, although still very car-centric.


RE: Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development - ijmorlan - 09-10-2018

(09-10-2018, 09:02 PM)panamaniac Wrote:
(09-10-2018, 08:59 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Is it dense though?  There's an enormous amount of surface parking, distances between things are going to be really large.  Is this a development where people will walk?  Or is it simply going to be the same ~100% driving that we see in most suburbs.

Considering where it is, I find it surprisingly dense, although still very car-centric.

I don’t really like the layout. Even once one is there (for example, because one lives in the apartments), there are still substantial and rather unpleasant walks through parking lots to get anywhere. What would be wrong with putting one continuous building along the roads, with the retail component on the bottom floor and apartments above? Then just have a single huge parking lot out back. Also, have a continuous covered walkway around the entire building (or at least around the entire front of the building, connecting both retail and residential entrances). This enormously improves the pedestrian experience (once you’re under cover, you stay there until you’re done) while really not changing the driving experience at all. It also brings the whole development closer to whatever is built on the other corners (haven’t actually checked what is existing/likely on those corners).


RE: Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development - KevinL - 09-10-2018

I believe the residences have been deliberately placed to maximize views over the Natural Area.


RE: Fisher-Hallman & Bleams Development - danbrotherston - 09-10-2018

(09-10-2018, 09:08 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:
(09-10-2018, 09:02 PM)panamaniac Wrote: Considering where it is, I find it surprisingly dense, although still very car-centric.

I don’t really like the layout. Even once one is there (for example, because one lives in the apartments), there are still substantial and rather unpleasant walks through parking lots to get anywhere. What would be wrong with putting one continuous building along the roads, with the retail component on the bottom floor and apartments above? Then just have a single huge parking lot out back. Also, have a continuous covered walkway around the entire building (or at least around the entire front of the building, connecting both retail and residential entrances). This enormously improves the pedestrian experience (once you’re under cover, you stay there until you’re done) while really not changing the driving experience at all. It also brings the whole development closer to whatever is built on the other corners (haven’t actually checked what is existing/likely on those corners).

Indeed, they've placed the main access road between the residences and the shops.  One could easily imagine instead a pedestrian plaza or even parket, with all the shopping snugged up around this, and parking and facility access in the back.  This just seems like more of the same broken suburban development, just a little taller.

If you look at the renders, it becomes even more obvious (although I'm sure this could be an oversight missing in the renders), there isn't even frontage access from the trail/sidewalk/bus stop to the stores that are street facing.