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+--- Thread: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed (/showthread.php?tid=1617)
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400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - CP42 - 09-21-2021
81 units of condo townhouses by HIP Developments.
"The Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Huron (the “Applicant”) has submitted a zone change application for the lands municipally known as 400 Northfield Drive West (the ‘Site’). The Site is currently developed with a church, surface parking, and landscaped areas. The Applicant is proposing to construct a new church on the eastern portion of the Site which is currently vacant. The existing church will be demolished. The Applicant proposes to use the western portion of the Site for several blocks of stacked townhouses. Surface parking will be provided for each use, although shared parking may occur. A landscaped amenity area is proposed next to Northfield Drive West, between the church and the stacked townhouses."
https://www.waterloo.ca/en/government/resources/Documents/Zone-Change-Applications/400-Northfield-Dr-W/400-Northfield-Dr-W-staff-report.pdf
https://www.condoshq.com/waterloo-townhomes/400-northfield-towns
https://mycondopro.ca/400-northfield-drive-west-townhomes/
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - panamaniac - 09-21-2021
Unusual design, with one bedroom apartments on the lower two floors, rather than the usual stack of two storey towns.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - tomh009 - 09-21-2021
Original application proposed 84 units with 168 bedrooms -- basically all 2BR units. They revised this (based on the city's request) to 81 units with 123 bedrooms -- basically half the units were reduced to a single bedroom.
The developer didn't offer to build -- and the city didn't ask for -- any affordable units, even though this could have clearly been part of the negotiation process.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - taylortbb - 09-22-2021
In an era where we seem to be overrun with tiny 1bd units in towers, what on earth is the city doing negotiating for fewer 2bd units?
I already thought the City of Waterloo planning department was actively harmful for their meddling in the housing market, especially with student apartment buildings, but I didn't realize they were doing it for projects like this too.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - Coke6pk - 09-24-2021
(09-21-2021, 07:56 PM)tomh009 Wrote: Original application proposed 84 units with 168 bedrooms -- basically all 2BR units. They revised this (based on the city's request) to 81 units with 123 bedrooms -- basically half the units were reduced to a single bedroom.
The developer didn't offer to build -- and the city didn't ask for -- any affordable units, even though this could have clearly been part of the negotiation process.
Is HIP buying the land, or building on behalf of The Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Huron? If it's a church that will own these properties, I'd be disappointed if it wasn't 100% affordable housing.
Coke
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - ijmorlan - 09-24-2021
(09-24-2021, 09:30 AM)Coke6pk Wrote: Is HIP buying the land, or building on behalf of The Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Huron? If it's a church that will own these properties, I'd be disappointed if it wasn't 100% affordable housing.
Providing affordable housing is not the only way churches can do good. They may well be able to do more by renting apartments at top dollar and using the money to support various other programs.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - tomh009 - 09-24-2021
(09-24-2021, 11:21 AM)ijmorlan Wrote:(09-24-2021, 09:30 AM)Coke6pk Wrote: Is HIP buying the land, or building on behalf of The Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Huron? If it's a church that will own these properties, I'd be disappointed if it wasn't 100% affordable housing.
Providing affordable housing is not the only way churches can do good. They may well be able to do more by renting apartments at top dollar and using the money to support various other programs.
Possible, yes. But in that scenario there is no guarantee that those funds would be used for the benefit of the homeless or other vulnerable populations.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - ijmorlan - 09-24-2021
(09-24-2021, 12:12 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(09-24-2021, 11:21 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: Providing affordable housing is not the only way churches can do good. They may well be able to do more by renting apartments at top dollar and using the money to support various other programs.
Possible, yes. But in that scenario there is no guarantee that those funds would be used for the benefit of the homeless or other vulnerable populations.
Right, but again, there are many ways the church can do good.
For example (and this is totally made up because I don’t even remember which church we’re talking about), they could make top dollar from real estate and then split the proceeds between funds to support residential school survivors and programs to teach people in Africa how to build and maintain their own water supply systems. Is it so clear this would be a worse outcome?
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - tomh009 - 09-24-2021
(09-24-2021, 12:18 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:(09-24-2021, 12:12 PM)tomh009 Wrote: Possible, yes. But in that scenario there is no guarantee that those funds would be used for the benefit of the homeless or other vulnerable populations.
Right, but again, there are many ways the church can do good.
For example (and this is totally made up because I don’t even remember which church we’re talking about), they could make top dollar from real estate and then split the proceeds between funds to support residential school survivors and programs to teach people in Africa how to build and maintain their own water supply systems. Is it so clear this would be a worse outcome?
It is not so clear. But (1) few churches are donating to residential school survivors, and (2) some churches are spending most of their revenues on proselytizing or other religious activities. And I don't have a crystal ball to tell me what any particular church will do with their revenues.
So, I am still of the opinion that building affordable units would have been the best outcome.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - ijmorlan - 09-24-2021
(09-24-2021, 02:19 PM)tomh009 Wrote: It is not so clear. But (1) few churches are donating to residential school survivors, and (2) some churches are spending most of their revenues on proselytizing or other religious activities. And I don't have a crystal ball to tell me what any particular church will do with their revenues.
So, I am still of the opinion that building affordable units would have been the best outcome.
OK, those are fair points. It’s obviously good for them to build affordable housing; even if an alternative plan is better, it’s not necessarily obvious from outside that it is better.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - ac3r - 09-24-2021
If a church is involved, their only goal is to proselytize those who use the services. They're not in it for feel good points, they're in it to convert people to their cult.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - ijmorlan - 09-24-2021
(09-24-2021, 07:29 PM)ac3r Wrote: If a church is involved, their only goal is to proselytize those who use the services. They're not in it for feel good points, they're in it to convert people to their cult.
The depends on the church. What you say is absolutely untrue for any of the churches with which I have ever been significantly involved. I agree there are many churches for which that is true.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - nms - 09-25-2021
I wonder if there would be an option for the church to sell condos with the caveat that they be resold to the church at a fixed price in order to keep them somewhat affordable. I would wonder if the church hadn't worked out an arrangement to keep some of the condos in church hands which would mean that they could be used as affordable rental units.
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - Spokes - 09-27-2021
(09-22-2021, 12:45 AM)taylortbb Wrote: In an era where we seem to be overrun with tiny 1bd units in towers, what on earth is the city doing negotiating for fewer 2bd units?
I already thought the City of Waterloo planning department was actively harmful for their meddling in the housing market, especially with student apartment buildings, but I didn't realize they were doing it for projects like this too.
But, but, density, too many people, ahhh! Scary!
RE: 400 Northfield Drive West | 4 fl | Proposed - Rainrider22 - 09-27-2021
(09-24-2021, 07:29 PM)ac3r Wrote: If a church is involved, their only goal is to proselytize those who use the services. They're not in it for feel good points, they're in it to convert people to their cult.It is a shame that you see it like this. Many churches have strong out reach programs simply to assist others. My church has a portion of all its offering go to out reach and benevolence. This money goes out to various charities and organizations throughout the world and within Canada. The money is offered with no strings attached.
I look at the Central Mennonite committee which has built up an amazing program to react to those that need help throughout the world. They have gotten so good at what they do, they often have recourse to disaster before FIMA can.
I have personally been involved in charitable work through our church to help others. Sometimes it is as simple as delivering Christmas food hampers with my children so they can learn the importance of helping others that need some assistance. For me it about humanizing the experience with my children so that they can see the faces of people when you help them and appreciate the good. It hope it encourages them to be thoughtful of everyone. Same reason we walk around DTK and I let them see people sitting around and not be fearful but understand they are a part of our society too.
Charites as a whole whether run by church or other means are suffering huge because of a lack of donations and a lack of people volunteering. Look around at many of the volunteers and you will see they are in the senior years. Young people are not getting as involved with charitable work any more as in the past. It is a reality that all charities are discussing at the board meetings. I can only hope that my children will pick up the torch when they are adults.