280 replies to this topic

[sebberry]

I know, it's enough to make you..

Ah geez.. you didn't add the spinning emoticon.

[LJ]

In the food court on McKenzie? Now I'm totally confuzzed.

I think you were thinking like I was thinking, McKenzie???, I thought this was the Cook Street Village thread. Oh, that Mckenzie, didn't know it existed.

[Bob Fugger]

Anyone driving through the Village lately will have noticed a tonne of sidewalk construction on Cook, between Chapman and Oxford on the east side of the street (in front of Oxford Foods).

Apparently, they are ripping out the bourgeious grassy boulevards that everyone must hate (why else rip them out) and paving them with red brick pavers.

Anyone know this was going on or was planned by the City? Given how long they've been there and how long they likely need to finish, this is probably not cheap - somewhere close to the tune of the Harris Green Pandora Street boulevard "upgrades."

Not having any other information, it looks again like the City is solving a problem no one knew we had. What is wrong with those nice grassy boulevards between the sidewalk and the road?

[aastra]

I'm not sure we could really call it a problem that no one knew we had if people were talking about it just a few posts back.

I was down in CSV today and noticed how flooded and muddy the sidewalks and grassy areas along the road are. It's a total mess and brings a bad feeling to the area. Does the city have any plans to fix this issue? Has anyone else noticed the mess?

Hah! Victoria sidewalks are no better than Saanich sidewalks!

[VicHockeyFan]

^If it's not muddy, it's just a patch of dirt. Always.

Ya, my recollections is that it's always been more dirt than grass in that section.

[Nparker]

Although this is probably not the best time for such an expenditure on the part of the city, the boulevards in the CSV usually look like crap about 75% of the year (and have for as long as I can remember - 20+ years at least). They are either patches of mud in the winter and spring or patches of dust & dirt in the summer. I also can't recall ever seeing anyone maintaining the bit of grass in them. If pavers solve the aesthetic problems and require little ongoing maintenance then as a CoV taxpayer I support this project.

[aastra]

Although this is probably not the best time for such an expenditure on the part of the city...

"Telus Cook Street Village"?

[Nparker]

"Telus Cook Street Village"?

Works for me!

[Bob Fugger]

I'm not sure we could really call it a problem that no one knew we had if people were talking about it just a few posts back.

Ooops, I guess I missed that. However, if they are flooded, muddy and crappy, it's a drainage issue - not a replace grass issue. Arguably, they could have solved the drainage problem and reseeded/sodded it. It worked for the rest of the block: why not here? I never really saw it as a problem.

Now, if local businesses were able to set up tables, foodcarts (paying appropriate taxes/permits, of course) etc. on there, that'd be one thing. But no chance the City allows this.

[VicHockeyFan]

Ooops, I guess I missed that. However, if they are flooded, muddy and crappy, it's a drainage issue - not a replace grass issue. Arguably, they could have solved the drainage problem and reseeded/sodded it. It worked for the rest of the block: why not here? I never really saw it as a problem.

Now, if local businesses were able to set up tables, foodcarts (paying appropriate taxes/permits, of course) etc. on there, that'd be one thing. But no chance the City allows this.

Isn't it maybe just an issue of people trodding all over the lawn at different points? Maybe no amount of drainage can fix. Kind of like the lawn in front of Market on Yates.

[Bingo]

Ooops, I guess I missed that. However, if they are flooded, muddy and crappy, it's a drainage issue - not a replace grass issue. Arguably, they could have solved the drainage problem and reseeded/sodded it. It worked for the rest of the block: why not here? I never really saw it as a problem.

I knew a backhoe operator that once worked in the area, and he said they were digging up clamshells back in the 1980's.

Apparently a creek that once drained most of Fairfield ran though the area and into the harbour near St. Anne's Academy.

[gumgum]

Actually this particular boulevard section that they are now beautifying in front of Oxford foods was previously just a sloppy unsightly patch of asphalt. Most of it wasn't grass or dirt, or mud at all.

I'm personally very pleased to see this brickwork over what was there previous. And it's certainly a lot better than grass!

[Bob Fugger]

I knew a backhoe operator that once worked in the area, and he said they were digging up clamshells back in the 1980's.

Apparently a creek that once drained most of Fairfield ran though the area and into the harbour near St. Anne's Academy.

You are correct - my understanding is that the creek was the main thoroughfare from the First Nations village to the harbour. This is why my backyard floods about 15' towards my house up to my knee.

Actually this particular boulevard section that they are now beautifying in front of Oxford foods was previously just a sloppy unsightly patch of asphalt. Most of it wasn't grass or dirt, or mud at all.

I'm personally very pleased to see this brickwork over what was there previous. And it's certainly a lot better than grass!

Maybe I am overestimating how far up they are going, because of the size of the area that is blocked off for tools, equipment & materials (i.e., all the way up to Chapman). Now that you mention it as such, the boulevard in front of Oxford was just some ugly asphalt - and then it changes to grass in front of the first MURB. Funny how I walk by it everyday and needed someone else to point it out to me, LOL!

Maybe I just need to find something else to complain about.

[aastra]

For the grassy parts, wouldn't having a few more of those small paved bits here and there be enough to address the muck problem? What do you call those paved bits that bisect the grassy parts from the curb to the sidewalk?


picture from http://vancouver.ca/...s/sidewalks.htm

[cakeman]

What do you call those paved bits that bisect the grassy parts from the curb to the sidewalk?

I call them "things that people dont bother to use, instead turning the greenery into trodden down muck holes"



cakes..

[phx]

"Telus Cook Street Village"?

"Telus Street Village"

The naming rights to the main streets could be worth a pretty penny.

[Bingo]

Coo Coo Cook's Day Off on Cook Street?

[Ms. B. Havin]

Actually this particular boulevard section that they are now beautifying in front of Oxford foods was previously just a sloppy unsightly patch of asphalt. Most of it wasn't grass or dirt, or mud at all.

Yes, mostly asphalt. From what I recall from a conversation over half a year ago, the businesses along that stretch have been after the city to fix that stretch of sidewalk (and, I guess, the rest of it, up to the road). My question is, is the city going to put grass where asphalt used to be (between sidewalk and road)? I hope not.

[gumgum]

^Nope. It's mostly brick.

[slinkyo]

Saw this post a while ago, and decided to check out that Mexican place called Rico's in the Cook Street Food Court for lunch. The two guys working there were both Mexican so I thought this is great! Authentic Mexican Food!

So me and my friend ordered a Vegetarian Buritto (her) and a Chicken Enchilada with Caesar Salad (me). Although we were there first, a couple of friends or regulars came in and got served first. The pumping techno music was annoying and loud. I quickly realised that this was authentic Mexican music because my ex-tenants who hailed from Mexico also listened to this annoying music.

The food: Mine was SO Good and a bit sloppy, but who cares, there was lots of cheese and it tasted great. The Caesar salad was the pits-basically plain shredded lettuce with very little dressing dribbled on top. My friend upon eating her burrito noticed she wasn't feeling well shortly after eating only half. Just got an email from her --She has been off and on sick for several days and after 3 days of this had to go to the doctor.