1676 replies to this topic

[Bingo]

     

If it isn't going to be 28 floors then make it 38 or higher for good luck....otherwise 

Feng Shui numerology

Numbers considered lucky

8, 18, 28, 38, 48, 54, 68, 80, 84, 88, 99, 168 & 108 are all good numbers,

https://www.fengshui.../numerology.htm

 

[Nparker]

If it isn't going to be 28 floors then make it 38 or higher...

That's what Pam is afraid of... "if we allow 29, then why not 35? And if 35, why not 45?". I am paraphrasing, but that was the gist of her "argument". When you have no reasonable justification for your concerns, invoke the slippery slope.

[LJ]

If you can sell out 35 floors of accommodation why would you want to restrict them? Let them build 50 floors until they can't sell/rent them anymore then you can start restricting what gets built so that you don't have a bunch of white elephants in the city.

[aastra]

 

Numbers considered lucky

8, 18, 28, 38, 48, 54, 68, 80, 84, 88, 99, 168 & 108 are all good numbers,

 

You may be on to something here. Maybe superstition explains their whole obsession with numbers above all else?

[Jackerbie]

 

 

'Project needs to be brought back down to earth'

Not everyone, however, is on board with Townline's proposal.

Victoria Coun. Ben Issit says even though the city approved higher building heights, this building is inconsistent with the city's downtown vision.

"I think this project needs to be brought back down to earth to a more livable scale recognizing that Victoria is not a metropolis and development should be pursued more in line with a midline approach to densification," he said.

Another councillor, Pam Madoff, concurred.

"Once you start to say 29 [storeys] is OK, what's wrong with 35 [storeys] and what's the difference if you're at 35 to 45 [storeys]? Is that the kind of city we want to be?"

But Mayor Lisa Helps says it's too early to reject the height increase outright. 

"Do we want a building built right out to the lot lines with no green space, with no livability, with no breathing room or are we willing to entertain a bit of extra height? Is 29 storeys the right number? I don't know," she said.

The approval process for the height variance will likely take a few months.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...ntown-1.4249862

 

I don't think Issit understands that a "livable scale" is exactly what Townline is hoping to achieve through slimming the tower portion.

[Nparker]

24 floors is so much more liveable than 29. I mean no one on earth has ever lived above 72 meters - right?

 

And if I am not mistaken, Townline is asking for no change in density simply a re-arrangement of the density already approved, but perhaps that is beyond the good comrade's grasp. One has to wonder if a 29-storey subsidized housing project were being suggested for this location if certain members of Council would be as opposed? 

Edited by Nparker, 16 August 2017 - 01:55 PM.

[Mike K.]

Makes you wonder what the reaction from councillors would be if the building contained an affordable housing component, or the new phenomenon that's starting to take hold, condo units with 'mini self-contained suites' that allow owners to rent them out as mortgage helpers.

[aastra]

 

...recognizing that Victoria is not a metropolis and development should be pursued more in line with a midline approach to densification,

 

Interesting point. Should Victoria get serious and require its tallest buildings to be more in line with the tallest buildings in places like Kelowna, Halifax, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, and London, ON?

 

It's funny, I could have sworn that I read somewhere about little Nanaimo's tallest building being the tallest on the island.

[Nparker]

And what exactly is a "midline approach to densification"? 

[Mike K.]

This is typical positioning/soundbite stuff of no consequence.

 

We already know Isitt and Madoff will vote against this project. Next...

[Jackerbie]

And what exactly is a "midline approach to densification"? 

 

You take a measurement around your midline (in inches, because honestly who knows their waist size in metric?) and that's the maximum building height in metres for the city.

[Nparker]

...We already know Isitt and Madoff will vote against this project...

And of course Isitt's lapdog will be against it as well. The mayor is being coy, but sounds supportive of the additional height. So that leaves 5 up-in-air votes. Any idea when this comes to the Council table?

[jonny]

We knew right off the bat that Madoff and Isitt are not going to support this in any way, shape or form. They would rather see a hole in the ground than a great new building that in their view is too tall. They are so blatantly anti-development, anti-private sector, anti-change and so entrenched in this belief that downtown Victoria needs to forever remain modest [whatever that means]. The opinions of these two aren’t worth discussing, IMO.

 

Look, we need five of Helps, Young, Coleman, Lucas, Alto, Thornton-Joe and Loveday. Totally achievable.

 

My assumption is that Townline has done their due diligence. They first floated the idea of taller buildings back in the spring. They threw the idea out there to get a sense of how the community would react. Obviously, they feel that they can get the support they need, otherwise, they would be forging ahead with what the already have approved. By now, surely Townline knows its way around this city council. Maybe they are taking a bit of a gamble, but my guess is they are fairly confident they will get the green light. 

 

I’ll reiterate why I think this will go through:

1. There is no entrenched, vocal, well organized neighbourhood association that is going to oppose this project. There will be no rallies or protests. People won’t line up to speak at the council meeting for hours. The downtown neighbourhood association is not going to oppose this. In fact, they will probably support it.

2. Townline has credibility and goodwill in their back pocked. My sense is the majority of city council views the transformation that has gone on as a positive development. The refurbishment of the BBC building and the three new rental buildings do give them credibility. 

[Nparker]

From your text to Council's ears jonny.

[Mike K.]

Yup, well said.

 

I think among the folks on this forum, folks who are part of the DRA and the general attitude that things really have turned a corner in Victoria, they'll submit enough written support that council won't be able to uniformly state that there is "no support." Heck, when Townline announced they'd be going for 29 or 30-storeys at their block party nobody even batted an eye as the news came over the loudspeaker. Folks just kept gnawing on their BBQ ribs. But can you imagine the scene even 15 years ago when certain political powers were at the top of their game? Yikes.

 

Who's going to oppose this? Folks in Sidney and Saanich that regularly write in about how quaint little Victoria will be quaint and little no more? Folks in Oak Bay who never come downtown because it's [insert x] who ...still won't come downtown because of [insert x]?

[aastra]

 

Folks in Oak Bay who never come downtown because it's [insert x] who ...still won't come downtown because of [insert x]?

 

The folks who never come downtown because they don't like downtown are a very important demographic, Mike. You don't want to alienate them.

[Nparker]

...I think among the folks on this forum, folks who are part of the DRA and the general attitude that things really have turned a corner in Victoria, they'll submit enough written support that council won't be able to uniformly state that there is "no support."...

To that end, I encourage everyone here on VV to take a moment and send a brief message in support of Townline's request for additional height on this project. Why leave anything to chance?

[Mattjvd]

This will be the first time I write to council. I really want this project to succeed at (or above) 29 floors. The rendering looks great, it's a good area for density. That neighborhood Townline is building has totally revived the SoF Arena end of town and I'd love to see a flagship tower go in.

[aastra]

What do you salivating highrise fanboys really like about it, specifically? I'm not crazy about it.

[Bingo]

The folks who never come downtown because they don't like downtown are a very important demographic, Mike. You don't want to alienate them.

 

I used to live in Oak Bay and only went to town when my parents dragged me there to see the annual May Day parade.

Then when I used to live in the Executive House in my early 20's I never left downtown except to see my parents who still lived in Oak Bay.

Now I live in Saanich but I am never there because I spend my time in Oak Bay and downtown, but only in the middle of the day.

Otherwise methinks (aastra taught me this word) I am a lost sole wandering aimlessly feeling alienated, and making no sense at all in this post.