445 replies to this topic

[Szeven]

Makes the Janion look unreal.

[29er Radio]

They do have bike storage inside but the city's space per bike is making it hard to store a lot of bikes

[VicHockeyFan]

They do have bike storage inside but the city's space per bike is making it hard to store a lot of bikes

 

They could lose a suite or two and fit lots more bikes in.  Obviously the developer wants to maximize his rental return, and does not want to do that.

[Mike K.]

They do have bike storage inside but the city's space per bike is making it hard to store a lot of bikes

 

I guess expecting people to fit bikes on hooks in very small apartments is too much for council to side with.

[VicHockeyFan]

I guess expecting people to fit bikes on hooks in very small apartments is too much for council to side with.

 

When the developer owns an 18-car parking lot next door, it's hard to see how he can't find room for more bikes.

[sebberry]

[Hotel Mike]

^ In fact I think Council passed this unanimously. I watched a bit of the feed last night. The proponent spoke about the desire to build "Dominion Commons" where the parking lot is. That wowed the Councillors. Also everyone was calling it Dominion Rocket. Foo spoke in favour of the plans, as did Modo for the car-sharing arrangements. 

[VicHockeyFan]

^ In fact I think Council passed this unanimously. I watched a bit of the feed last night. The proponent spoke about the desire to build "Dominion Commons" where the parking lot is. That wowed the Councillors. Also everyone was calling it Dominion Rocket. Foo spoke in favour of the plans, as did Modo for the car-sharing arrangements. 

 

My difficulty with it is that people are going to invariably lock their bikes outdoors, rather than taking it in the elevator and into your 220 sq. ft. unit.  Why would you put 24 bike stalls outdoors if you did not think there were to be used by residents?  If you live in one of the units with no bike parking, where are you to put your bike when you buy one?    Hudson Mews and The Hudson only have 36 bike stalls outdoors for 300 or so units.   And a bike locked outdoors overnight is not safe.  As Lisa helps found out last night when both her wheels and seat were stolen from outside of an occupied City Hall.

 

The developer could still do his Commons by using a couple ground or 2nd-floor units as bike parking.

[Rob Randall]

I think we have to start thinking of decent bike parking as part of the essential infrastructure of a building, alongside fire suppression, stairwells and mailboxes, not just a frill that can be excused by assuming people are going to lug their heavy bikes up six storey buildings into their tiny microsuites.

 

I wonder what sort of precedence this will set, how many businesses and apartments will apply for rezonings to change their parking lots into revenue property. It would help to wow council with buzzwords like "Dominion Commons". Some councillors are too easily "wow-able".

[VicHockeyFan]

I think we have to start thinking of decent bike parking as part of the essential infrastructure of a building, alongside fire suppression, stairwells and mailboxes, not just a frill that can be excused by assuming people are going to lug their heavy bikes up six storey buildings into their tiny microsuites.

 

I wonder what sort of precedence this will set, how many businesses and apartments will apply for rezonings to change their parking lots into revenue property. It would help to wow council with buzzwords like "Dominion Commons". Some councillors are too easily "wow-able".

 

I agree.

 

This was my letter:

 

I'm writing today to ask council to decline the Development Variance Permit Application #000385 for 759 Yates St.

 

I toured the building this summer and have seen over a half-dozen completed suites.  I've studied the floor plans and the proposed bicycle parking plan.  And I've had a brief in-person discussion, and a lengthy telephone conversation with the developer about the project, the latter just two weeks ago.  

 

I'm impressed with the suites, and I agree with most of the developer's vision for the project.  And I agree with the parking variance to allow for no automobile parking requirement.  But in return for the parking variance requested, I do not believe bicycle parking has been adequately addressed. 

 

I believe that 72 or 73 in-building bike parking spaces is not sufficient for a 97-unit building that has no car parking, and I believe the proposed 24 outdoor bike parking spaces are an invitation for bike theft for any bikes left outside overnight.  For 14 years (1996 to 2010) I lived in a downtown building at Blanshard and North Park with 63 suites (a near-equal split of studio, 1br, 1+den and 2br) and 36 car parking stalls.  We had over 60 bikes in our bike room, and this is a building with at least 36 car owners. 

 

Consider for comparisons:  The Juliette building (95 suites) at Johnson and Douglas, that has a total of 6 unsecure outdoor bike parking stalls.  Hudson Mews (rentals, 120 suites) and The Hudson (condos, 150 suites) combined have a total of 36 bike parking stalls outdoors around their perimeters and in the laneway (7x 4-bike racks, and 4x 2-bike racks), that they share with the commercial clients of the Market, bank and coffee shop. 

 

I draw the above comparisons to point out that the 24 stalls offered outside the Dominion Rocket will be used by tenants there, and not just daytime "bike visitors" to the building and commercial area.  And why wouldn't you use the convenient racks, rather than taking your bike up and down to your 2nd or 3rd floor unit, that's well under 350 sq. ft., or to your 3rd floor storage area?  And in the daytime, as you come and go, outdoor racks are a great amenity, and probably safe if you use a quality bike lock.  But the first time you "short cut" and consider leaving the bike out overnight, no matter how securely it's locked, it's at serious risk.

 

I keep an office at 733 Johnson Street (through Millie's Lane), and walk daily to work - 7 days per week - through the Dominion parking lot and across Yates, most days before 7am, some days as early as 4 or 5am.  I can assure you, the 700-block Yates St. is not a safe place for bikes overnight.  A VicPD news release from this July states "From January to June 2015, we received 335 reports of stolen bikes and have, so far, returned 120 of them to their rightful owners. We’ve also found 180 bikes that were not reported missing to us."  For comparison, ICBC last reported that for all of Vancouver Island, they only had 400 car thefts in 2013.

 

Now I'm not suggesting that the developer is promoting these outdoor bike stalls for overnight use.  He has made no indication of that.  But Ido suggest the unintended consequence of installing 24 of them - in front of a building with 97 suites, no resident or guest automobile parking, relatively small elevators (try taking your bike in an elevator) and admittedly the smallest suite sizes in all of Greater Victoria - will by design encourage their overnight use.  And I'm afraid the first or second time a tenant or guest leaves a bike out overnight, it'll be gone in the morning.

 

I stated earlier I'm not opposed to the project, I support it.  Indeed, the building has an occupancy permit now and people are already living in the building now, suite leases have been signed, the project is nearly complete.  And so I also want to provide alternatives should you decline the variance application, as I suggest.

 

By my understanding the developer has at least two options.  1.  Designate more in-building space for bike parking, by eliminating some common area interior features or deleting a suite or two from the rental pool and converting them to bike parking.  2.  Use a portion of the parking lot that he owns adjacent to the building (the current Foo and liquor store parking lot) for extra-secure private resident/guest-only bike parking.  Extra secure locking systems can be found here in Victoria at the City's covered compound behind the Save on Foods Memorial Centre.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

VHF

[Hotel Mike]

The proponent (sorry I forgot his name) tried to make it seem that Dominion Commons was not meant for commercial returns, rather for the atmosphere it would give the residents when they look down, and for the ambience of the area. I also forgot to mention the other thing that may have wowed Council. The current building still has a hotel zone. The proponent estimated that the City could turn that into parking meters, bringing in $300k a year. Hmm thought some Councillors.

[gumgum]

A Warning About the Dominion Rocket
 

Thinking about getting a cool trendy microsuite downtown? Don't do it, the place is a **** show. Here's a list of bullshit I've dealt with.

 

 

[VicHockeyFan]

Doesn't surprise me.  I mean, they ran out of money mid-project, all work stopped, then it began again.  Same ownership.  Love the $50 TV rental lol.  Too bad for the staff, that had to face all the criticism, but looks like many of them just split rather than deal with it.

 

Communal kitchen seems like a pain of you have to book it.  But I already said that would not work out well, ie. nobody is going to clean someone else's mess, yet alone their own often.  So maybe booking it is a way to inspect it after your departure to make sure it's 100% clean.  That's also a pain really.  I think it's one thing if you are in a home with 7 others, you kinda know each other, respect each other hopefully.  When you have 91 people - mostly very young people - potentially using the communal kitchen and you know at best 4 of them, it's not going to work.

[Mike K.]

So I'm going to assume that UVic has not rented 50 rooms as was their initial plan way back when?

[VicHockeyFan]

So I'm going to assume that UVic has not rented 50 rooms as was their initial plan way back when?

 

I think those were only rumours (UVic was never mentioned in news items), and/or maybe it never opened in time for this year.

[Mike K.]

I think those were only rumours (UVic was never mentioned in news items), and/or maybe it never opened in time for this year.

 
But Bob Fugger never spreads rumours:

 

I understand that UVic has already signed an agreement to let 50 of them - I assume as a downtown overflow residence.

[weirdie]

I would say "don't say his name lest you summon him," but we all know that won't happen.

And communal kitchens can definately work. The one at the Ocean Island worked pretty well when I lived there as a youngin' but that might be because of the different category of tenant using the space than those at the Dominion.

[VicHockeyFan]

I would say "don't say his name lest you summon him," but we all know that won't happen.

And communal kitchens can definately work. The one at the Ocean Island worked pretty well when I lived there as a youngin' but that might be because of the different category of tenant using the space than those at the Dominion.

 

I think the Ocean Island has a more communal sort living there and the kitchen is always busy.  I think it's a little different.

[Mike K.]

For sure, and if you cause a mess you'll get booted out. That's a little harder to do if you have a tenant renting an apartment who thinks being a slob is his or her right.

[sdwright.vic]

I have heard from a reliable source that there have been many issues with these new suites with half @ss finishing, and slum land lord conditions already developing. Also some issues with leasing/ renting and contacts.

As I predicted this place is not going to be good for the neighborhood.