202 replies to this topic

[GRT]

In today's Times Colonist . . . Cook St food carts may vanish:

http://www.timescolo...5269/story.html

[GRT]

Did you see that there's a butcher shop coming into the old Eyeland Optical? Fabulous!

[VicHockeyFan]

Did you see that there's a butcher shop coming into the old Eyeland Optical? Fabulous!

Yes, and this butcher shop arrival is becoming a bit of a running joke. Holden, cue the past references!

[Kapten Kapsell]

It looks like a public hearing will be held for this project on Thursday, May 13.

[gumgum]

Marc ***en appears to have taken this property off the market.

This isn't over.

[Lover Fighter]

Marc ***en

Hah! This censorship is a bit out of control.

[VicHockeyFan]

Hah! This censorship is a bit out of control.

As long as you aren't using this forum to find reasonable whar***e rates for your boat, or a nice new house plant with generous lea***e, it's not so bad. If you are searching for the lead singer of Steely Dan, you might be out of luck.

[Nicole]

nice pics!

I walked by the site today and noticed a board announcing a public hearing on May 17th at 7:30pm at City Hall. Does anyone have any more details? I looked on the city's website, but nada.

[Bob Fugger]

I looked on the city's website, but nada.

Another potential unoffical CoV motto!

Lynn Hunter is the Fairfield council liaision. Maybe I'll give her eminenece a call to see what Mark is up to...

[Rob Randall]

I recommend Fairfield residents join the Fairfield Community Association to receive info on projects.

[Bob Fugger]

I recommend Fairfield residents join the Fairfield Community Association to receive info on projects.

I'm not sure of others' experience, but my only dealings with the FCGA left me with the impression that they are insular and kind of closed-door/closed-minded - a little club of homeowners looking after their own, narrow self-interest.

I'm happy to be wrong, but that was my first impression.

[Bob Fugger]

Here is a link to a letter from Wayne Hollihan (FCA) re: 325 Cook. It alludes to a mailout, but I never received anything...mind you, that might have to do with the NO JUNK MAIL sticker on my front door.

http://www.fairfield...and Counci1.pdf

[gumgum]

I'm not sure of others' experience, but my only dealings with the FCGA left me with the impression that they are insular and kind of closed-door/closed-minded - a little club of homeowners looking after their own, narrow self-interest.

I'm happy to be wrong, but that was my first impression.

That's been my impression as well. However keep in mind that many of the members are renters, not homeowners.

I want to support this project. I love the idea of this. But this Marc guy leaves me shaking my head. His dealings with the city and the community - not to mention his currents vendors - gives me no confidence that he can do this right.

Has anybody walked past the site lately? In front of the deserted food carts (That are all for sale btw) there is a series of pictures of what this project could look like. A rendering put together with pencil crayon (yes, pencil crayon), a random article about how food carts are beneficial to the community, and a series of pictures taken - from what it seems - from online catalogs, of different kinds of garden sheds.!

I'd like to think of this guy as innovative grass roots, but I'm starting to think he's just scatter-brained, half-assed and cheap.

There are some really legitimate gripes other vendors have mentioned. Why does this guy get a free pass when other business owners have had to jump through a hundred hoops before they could get things off the ground?
Not to mention waste water, waste disposal. I could go on.

The only thing that would really encourage me about this project would be if F@gen abandoned this and handed it over to someone competent.

[gumgum]

Outdoor kiosks at Cook Street Village given go-ahead
BY BILL CLEVERLEY, TIMES COLONIST MAY 14, 2010 6:19 AM

[Holden West]

Hold up; what's this?

Council is requiring fencing and a gate that would screen the kiosks from the roadway

Really? There's going to be a solid fence along the sidewalk so you can't see the carts? Isn't the main benefit of the kiosks that they bring vitality and colour to the street? Can anyone confirm this?

[Bob Fugger]

Outdoor kiosks at Cook Street Village given go-ahead
BY BILL CLEVERLEY, TIMES COLONIST MAY 14, 2010 6:19 AM

This is awesome!! I can't wait to tell my restaurant manager to cancel our grease collection service, because we can just start pouring it into the catch basins like these guys. Oh and no worries about seating capacity, because clearly that's not an issue. We will just tell the liqour/fire inspector that people are free to roam around with takeout containers, so we can pack the mutha****er to the gills.

EDIT: Don't get me wrong, I do like the idea of food carts in my neighbourhood, but Marc Fa.gan and how he's gone about this really rubs me the wrong way. It seems like a backdoor way to rent space to businesses without having to go through the bother of building/maintaining any infrastructure. And the fence idea is ridiculous - let's take the vibrancy and hide it.

Again - unlike other cities that have FIGURED IT OUT - why can't we have food carts on SIDEWALKS AND BOULEVARDS!? What's makes us so freakin' special that we need a food trailer park? Or dare I get super cooky and suggest that I be able to get an ice cream and a kebab from carts in...oh God, please don't have their Praetorian Guard smite me for saying this: Beacon Hill Park?

[G-Man]

This is great news but I too am concerned about the fence...

[gumgum]

The pencil crayon rendering suggests a wrought iron gate.
I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being a chain link.

[Holden West]

The pencil crayon rendering suggests a wrought iron gate.
I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being a chain link.

a gate that would screen the kiosks from the roadway

If the purpose of this fence is indeed to screen the kiosks from the roadway, the only way you can do that is with a solid fence. A wrought iron fence would be for keeping intruders out in the off hours.

I can only hope the reporter made a transcription error when writing the article, since I can't believe Council would say something so dumb. What next? Cinder block walls around Beacon Hill Park putting green?

[gumgum]

I noticed there's 3D rending now on display at the site. It appears the front fence/ gate will be wood and metal. I take pics tomorrow.