239 replies to this topic

[Casual Kev]

I always found the "but tourisms won't find us as quaint" argument against densification extremely disconnected. Victoria is the capital of a nearly 5-million strong province, home to a major university, host to Canada's Pacific fleet and perennial retirement spot for Canadians. The city will grow regardless, and even the tourism sector will be just fine without the faux-British outpost reputation. Besides, no one's actually demolishing old town so the premise of the argument is moot.

[Citified.ca]

If approved, the project will set a new Vancouver Island height record multiple times with towers up to 32-storeys in height.

 

1,500-unit Harris Green Village rental dev headed to council with more affordable housing, parkland improvements

https://victoria.cit...d-improvements/

[Nparker]

How much effect will the anti-height brigade ultimately have on this proposal?

[kitty surprise]

Victorians have been complaining about highrise buildings deterring tourists for decades now.

Martha, I don't want to go to Victoria anymore. Those high-rise buildings are out of control and I don't feel safe. They're in parks and backyards now. Even a bunch from Alberta!

[VIResident]

Cities and climate change: why low-rise buildings are the future – not skyscrapers

 

October 27, 2021 11.31am EDT

 

https://theconversat...scrapers-170673

 

 

 Ruth Saint, Francesco Pomponi, Edinburgh Napier University

 

It is the job of city developers and urban planners to figure out how to build or adapt urban environments to accommodate the living and working needs of this rapidly expanding population. There is a popular belief that taller, more densely packed skyscrapers are the way forward, because they optimise the use of space and house more people per square metre and limit urban sprawl.

But given the global commitments to emissions-reduction targets and mitigating climate change, is this the most sustainable solution from a carbon-reduction perspective?

 

Our recent study, which examined whether building denser and taller is the right path to sustainability, busts this myth: we found that densely built, low-rise environments are more space and carbon efficient, while high-rise buildings have a drastically higher carbon impact.

 

".......Moving to a smaller scale, the embodied carbon share across construction materials shows that minerals have the largest proportion by far, at 45%."

Edited by VIResident, 31 October 2021 - 06:35 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Opinion: ‘Behemoth’ Victoria-area condos fought for blocking sunsets, adding shade

Is a five-storey building producing shadows enough of a reason to oppose it


https://www.vicnews....s-adding-shade/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 March 2023 - 09:18 AM.

[Nparker]

It's ludicrous to decry the "horrors" of the shade from a 5 storey building, especially in a neighbourhood filled with buildings of similar height.

[Victoria Watcher]

Again, I give credit to BP writer Chris Campbell. His stuff is over the top, but pretty readable.

[mbjj]

Where we live, the neighbouring property has a pretty large juniper tree. Over the past forty years it's expanded upwards and outwards a huge amount. They've never kept it in check. Now our back yard has shade for much of the afternoon whereas before it was sunny, we even have our greenhouse in that spot. It certainly makes an impact on what you can grow. I thought we were all supposed to be growing our own veg? Getting more difficult to do, esp. things like tomatoes and cukes. Before we could sit out back in the sun for much of the afternoon, now it's shade. 

[Nparker]

The CoV has some barely used planter boxes along Blanshard Street you could use to grow your vegetables.

[Barrrister]

There are a couple of other planters on Pandora, you might have to keep an eye out for some of the vegetables.

[Lashlarue]

“Shangri-La dethroned: BC's tallest building is no longer in Vancouver”

https://dailyhive.co...ritish Columbia.

[Mike K.]

I’m still rooting for Nanaimo to one day claim the title.

[Nparker]

I’m still rooting for Nanaimo to one day claim the title.

I expect either Metchosin or Oak Bay will ultimately be victorious in this category. 

[aastra]

1971 view from Camosack Manor showing how tall the grain elevator at Ogden Point was compared to other things.

[aastra]

I'm pretty sure this was the tallest building ever proposed in Victoria by floor count (38 stories):

 

 

Daily Colonist
January 24, 1970

Council Eases Zoning for 38-Storey Tower

Construction of a 330-foot motel-apartment tower just north of the Bay on Douglas was approved Friday by Victoria council despite and objection that it will be unsuitable to the city's skyline.

Council relaxed the zoning bylaw setback regulation under its discretionary powers on recommendation of the Advisory Planning Commission.

Victoria builder John Copp announced earlier this week that he hopes to build a 38-storey tower worth $8,500,000 at Douglas between Herald and Chatham...

There would also be a lowrise wing composed of two shopping levels topped by two parking levels, fronting on Douglas.

Mayor Courtney Haddock noted that the tower would be five times the height of the Bay which would be adjacent.

Ald. Hugh Ramsay was the only councillor to voice opposition to the project.

"This is out of all proportion to what the city of Victoria should have," he said.

Ald. Ramsay said he supported development within the city but was "completely amazed" that the Advisory Planning Commission had approved this project.

Ald. Peter Pollen, chairman of the commission, termed the tower "esthetically outstanding"...

Ald. Pollen added that the area on north Douglas "very urgently needs vitality."

"It (the project) should not only be approved, but encouraged," said Ald. Pollen.

Mayor Haddock said: "We should be careful not to make Victoria a concrete jungle."

[Mike K.]

I think you’re right, aastra.

[aastra]

What was that very tall one at Bear Mountain that never happened?

[Mike K.]

Those were the Capella towers, topping out at 45 storeys.

 

So technically, on the south Island 45 was the peak. 38 in the City of Victoria.

[aastra]

Here's another one for the file:

 

 

Daily Colonist
March 16, 1966

Needle Will Soar Above Harbor

A 300-foot observation needle which will tower to twice the height of Capt. Vancouver's statue on top of the legislative buildings will be part of the Victoria skyline early in 1967, two Victoria men said Tuesday.

...the all-aluminum structure will provide a view for miles in every direction. It is expected by its sponsors and the city's industrial development research commission, which has been working on the project for months, to be a major tourist attraction. It will be about half the height of Seattle's 600-foot Space Needle.

...Victoria will be the first city in the world to have an all-aluminum skydeck tower.

...the proposed tower would have some features of Hill Island Skydeck in the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River.

The tower would be almost eye-to-eye with the city's landmark water tower, which juts about 350 feet above sea level. Mount Tolmie is a bit higher -- 390 feet...

Mount Douglas, at 728 feet, would be the nearest point appreciably higher.

Described as a "privately sponsored centennial project," the tower will be financed locally, it is hoped. It will cost in the neighborhood of $450,000.

Erection of the tower on four lots on Belleville Street, now held in trust by the city, will be made possible by the passage of validating legislation introduced in the provincial House Tuesday.

The legislation, which was part of a number of City of Victoria "housekeeping" bills... will remove restrictions on the four lots between Pendray and Oswego Streets and give the city full title to them.

They may then be sold to the skydeck tower backers and used for private development.