General Suburban Updates and Rumours

[danbrotherston]

Side note, what is this map they are using that seems to show a rapid transit line down Ottawa (with the extension over the river to Breslau)?

It's from ROPA 6 (Regional Official Plan Amendment 6). When you go reading it says the following in section 2.D.3.5,

As part of the next update to the Region’s Transportation Master Plan, the Region, in collaboration with the area municipalities, will examine the potential for establishing a new ION rapid transit route along the east-west Regional Intensification Corridor shown on Map 2 that would:
(i) provide a direct link from the Region’s transit system to the Region of Waterloo International Airport; and 
(ii) serve as a key transit corridor connecting the west side of the City of Kitchener to the East Side Lands Employment Area in the Township of Woolwich, and City of Cambridge via the Fountain Street corridor

So the region is considering Ottawa as a phase 3 LRT line instead of other potential routes like University or Victoria, I'm pretty sure we've had a conversation about this on here before.

I mean...I don't recall the exact conversation, but all the current iXpress lines are potential LRT options, but it's very clear that from ridership, Ottawa will not be Phase 3...if there even is a Phase 3.

[cherrypark]

So the council is asking to extend the urban boundary?!

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...b47fa.html

I remember looking at a house out there and thinking it was incredibly far away. Now there will be even further homes?  Sigh. I’ve said this before, we aren’t making progress we build new sprawling suburbs faster than we fix them.

Begging anyone on council to look at these suburban expansions with the same critical lens they use for every slim cent they labour over on homelessness, AT infrastructure, etc. $300k in trail interconnection improvements is a rounding error on the upkeep these new burbs are bringing to the city but only one of those had a question of dollar value brought up.

[tomh009]

Side note, what is this map they are using that seems to show a rapid transit line down Ottawa (with the extension over the river to Breslau)?

It's from ROPA 6 (Regional Official Plan Amendment 6). When you go reading it says the following in section 2.D.3.5,

As part of the next update to the Region’s Transportation Master Plan, the Region, in collaboration with the area municipalities, will examine the potential for establishing a new ION rapid transit route along the east-west Regional Intensification Corridor shown on Map 2 that would:
(i) provide a direct link from the Region’s transit system to the Region of Waterloo International Airport; and 
(ii) serve as a key transit corridor connecting the west side of the City of Kitchener to the East Side Lands Employment Area in the Township of Woolwich, and City of Cambridge via the Fountain Street corridor

So the region is considering Ottawa as a phase 3 LRT line instead of other potential routes like University or Victoria, I'm pretty sure we've had a conversation about this on here before.

Or BRT! It only says "rapid transit".

[danbrotherston]

It's from ROPA 6 (Regional Official Plan Amendment 6). When you go reading it says the following in section 2.D.3.5,

As part of the next update to the Region’s Transportation Master Plan, the Region, in collaboration with the area municipalities, will examine the potential for establishing a new ION rapid transit route along the east-west Regional Intensification Corridor shown on Map 2 that would:
(i) provide a direct link from the Region’s transit system to the Region of Waterloo International Airport; and 
(ii) serve as a key transit corridor connecting the west side of the City of Kitchener to the East Side Lands Employment Area in the Township of Woolwich, and City of Cambridge via the Fountain Street corridor

So the region is considering Ottawa as a phase 3 LRT line instead of other potential routes like University or Victoria, I'm pretty sure we've had a conversation about this on here before.

Or BRT! It only says "rapid transit".

Pfft...the road already has BRT by some politicians definitions.

[Elmira Guy]

I see the old White Rose building on Weber in Waterloo has been torn down. Anyone know if this is just because of the condition it was in or is there something planned/proposed for this site?

[panamaniac]

I see the old White Rose building on Weber in Waterloo has been torn down. Anyone know if this is just because of the condition it was in or is there something planned/proposed for this site?

Seems like decades that it has been sitting empty.

[SF22]

I see the old White Rose building on Weber in Waterloo has been torn down. Anyone know if this is just because of the condition it was in or is there something planned/proposed for this site?

Seems like decades that it has been sitting empty.

It definitely has been decades! I remember shopping there with my mom when I was quite young, but it's probably been sitting empty for 25+ years at this point. I always wondered why nothing was happening with it; it's a large property right near Laurier and one of the busier intersections in the city. Really curious to know what's going to happen here.

[Elmira Guy]

Seems like decades that it has been sitting empty.

It definitely has been decades! I remember shopping there with my mom when I was quite young, but it's probably been sitting empty for 25+ years at this point. I always wondered why nothing was happening with it; it's a large property right near Laurier and one of the busier intersections in the city. Really curious to know what's going to happen here.

I understand that property was once the location of the city's PUC so there might be some soil contamination issues.

[tomh009]

I think it was around 2005 that White Rose location closed. The company did two (!) bankruptcies, the last one in 2002, but a new company operated the White Rose location for a few years after that yet.

And, yes, there is a possibility of PCB contamination from the time that it was used by Waterloo North Hydro, so it will need soil remediation.

[ac3r]

White Rose...wow I haven't thought about them since the 90s. My only only memories are that it was a decent place to get Christmas trees and that the place always smelled like dried patchouli flower mix because old ladies loved getting their craft supplies there.

[KevinL]

It was the odd mix of garden centre and craft supply - like Sheridan met Michaels.

[bravado]

I was out and about driving in suburbia and almost caused a crash craning my neck to spot this beauty in the middle of a sea of shitty beige siding and SUVs that don't fit in driveways.

What do we have to do to make city planning policy make 8000 more of these?

[neonjoe]

I was out and about driving in suburbia and almost caused a crash craning my neck to spot this beauty in the middle of a sea of shitty beige siding and SUVs that don't fit in driveways.

What do we have to do to make city planning policy make 8000 more of these?

Welcome to Williamsburg, probably one best suburban neighbourhood in Kitchener for actually being able to walk to things.

[ijmorlan]

I like the building. I don’t like the excess of exterior stairs and complete lack of any shelter around the doors.

[ac3r]

I'll take 8000 more of these but without the setbacks...I hate those. I wish we would build like old North American cities did, with the buildings butting right up to the sidewalks. You save space and and it just looks nicer. There's no reason to set the building back a few meters just to have a bit of grass.