3804 replies to this topic

[Jackerbie]

Great, but I wish they weren't demolishing an existing affordable market rental. But I understand the logic

 

There are a lot of factors at play, including land use policy that protects low density neighbourhoods, and the property assessment and tax structure. The Vancouver Sun did a story on it recently https://vancouversun...le-rental-homes

[Nparker]

There are a lot of factors at play, including land use policy that protects low density neighbourhoods....

Which discourages market redevelopment of affordable housing.

[G-Man]

forest heights-new.jpg

Good god that is ugly. There is simply no reason not to go up to six floors and increase the lot coverage to as much as possible. I also hope that is commercial space at ground level.

[Nparker]

Good god that is ugly...

I concur, but to be fair I am not sure it's much worse than this new build next door, where the architect apparently took inspiration from every tacky roadside motel from the 1960s.

You'll notice this turd also has an unnecessarily large setback at the Quadra street side, interrupting the established commercial street wall directly adjacent.

[G-Man]

Oh this new design is far worse. The street presence of the building next door will be fine with a new building alongside. 

[Nparker]

The motel-inspired project next door will always be awful, but I agree that something sufficiently massive adjacent to it will hide some of its flaws. It's a shame there is apparently no vision to properly redevelop all the properties along this southwestern section of the Quadra Village in a way that would blend low-rise (4-6 floors) residential with ground-level commercial and continue the architecturally dated, but conceptually (mostly) well-executed northern portions of the QV.

[aastra]

Methinks all neighbourhood developments should be required to face and engage the neighbourhood. No building edges or blank walls on the street side.

[Brantastic]

The one next door has never struck me as particularly ugly. I think it's fine, just a little forgettable. This proposal though, is a bit weird. It could use some more windows for sure. There's a looooot of blank wall there.

[Nparker]

Methinks all neighbourhood developments should be required to face and engage the neighbourhood...

Especially new buildings in "villages" along busy thoroughfares like Quadra.

[Nparker]

 

Does [the expansion of Big O's Quadra Street location] at least mean that the nearby Big O Tires facility on Johnson next to Vic City Barbers will be closing and potentially be up for redevelopment?...

That doesn't sound like an entirely unreasonable assumption. Then again, I never would have imagined a once classy downtown restaurant becoming a tire showroom, so nothing is guaranteed.

[Kapten Kapsell]

The Capital Regional Housing Coporation is seeking to replace the facility at 330-336 Michigan Street with a new 4-storey, 98-unit building. They are asking for Victoria to approve funds from the housing reserve fund when they go to CotW next week.

This presentation has some preliminary elevations etc: https://pub-victoria...ocumentId=34310

This project at 330-336 Michigan Street will receive $1.395 million from the City of Victoria.  Rent details:  "The proposed monthly rents range from $375 for for those with very low incomes, up to $2,300 for three-bedroom units".

 

Note that Council also approved a grant of $440,000 to the Forest Heights redevelopment (2558 Quadra) mentioned above in this thread..

[AllseeingEye]

That doesn't sound like an entirely unreasonable assumption. Then again, I never would have imagined a once classy downtown restaurant becoming a tire showroom, so nothing is guaranteed.

Huh? A tire showroom at that location...seriously?

 

I remember just a couple of blocks over on View when in its infinite wisdom the CoV permitted an automobile junk yard to blossom and fester in all its glory back in the 70's. Hard to fathom something that unsightly in a downtown location today, but true. So in an area that has finally begun to see some creditable and way overdue development and densify nicely, we now have....a tire shop. How, um......uninspiring.

[Mike K.]

All around that location are residential towers, office towers, mid-rises and whatever else has been built. Surely a little variety is a good thing, no? How many eateries, fitness gyms and pot shops can a city’s sidewalk realm contain before we start yearning for something a little different?

Big O’s expansion is a good thing. You guys would be going on and on if they dared moved out of downtown, citing a whole gamut of reasons why, and how those reasons are killing downtown. Yet they’re staying, expanding even, but it’s a problem? C’mon.

[Nparker]

...Big O’s expansion is a good thing. You guys would be going on and on if they dared moved out of downtown...

I respectfully disagree.

[AllseeingEye]

All around that location are residential towers, office towers, mid-rises and whatever else has been built. Surely a little variety is a good thing, no? How many eateries, fitness gyms and pot shops can a city’s sidewalk realm contain before we start yearning for something a little different?

Big O’s expansion is a good thing. You guys would be going on and on if they dared moved out of downtown, citing a whole gamut of reasons why, and how those reasons are killing downtown. Yet they’re staying, expanding even, but it’s a problem? C’mon.

Never even knew they were downtown there to be honest; "yes" of course to variety but since it appears the Douglas/Bay -> Hillside->Mayfair corridor is fast becoming Victoria's 'auto alley', including businesses that are car/parts/maintenance/services related, I would have preferred to see them out that way.....

[KMadvisor]

• If we want residents to be a part of evolving Victoria, rather than resisting that, we need a more honest and transparent engagement, one that is consistent and sincerely applied. That is too often not the case and it is hard to blame Victorian’s for getting in the way under such circumstances.  (This quote from my post on the 1301 Hillside project is prompted by the observation about Nimby-ism in this thread.) 

One of the greatest factors in public dis/satisfaction comes from lack of engagement and, therefore, understanding of issues sufficient to guide a choice. I hope Councillor Loveday's efforts in relation to the CALUC model may help while thinking that it is extraordinarily difficult for the City, for community associations and for the many neighbourhood groups and individuals to engage with each other for a variety of reasons. 

 

What one person dismisses as Nimby-ism another sees as a reaction to unrecognized impacts beyond the 100m limit set for consultation. What one person sees as an issue to raise through channels, another person sees as futile when the response is, "We'll put your comment on file and Councillors will see it."  What one person does with property assets to support housing and keep from raising rents, another dismisses from a medieval lord-tenant mindset, and another forms a corporation to lobby for profit. 

 

None of this is easy...but we have a right to expect decisions that look holistically at our city and take into account implications that are real, but not necessarily obvious, and that the silos of civic processes are mitigated. As a former community board member and current "champion", I know that there is little effective, practical support for reaching out to citizens. That would be an important forward step. 

[Mattjvd]

Personally, I'd rather have consultation limited to setting OCPs. City planners should set zonning, re-zoning in the 'spirit' of the OCP (in the opinion of city staff) shouldn't even go to council. Builing permit and development permits, within zoning, should have 0 'consultation' or council imput, should really just be double checked to ensure compliance and issued.

Edited by Mattjvd, 02 April 2019 - 09:33 AM.

[Kapten Kapsell]

A 7 unit townhouse development has been proposed for 514 and 518 Sumas in Burnside Gorge.

[Victoria Watcher]

it's pretty.  but why not some strategic overhangs here and there?  some of those faces would probably like less summer high sun.

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 April 2019 - 04:21 PM.

[aastra]

I complain when these little projects present the edges of buildings toward the street so I should give them a point for putting the front on the front rather than on the side.