1225 replies to this topic

[RFS]

Wonder where they got that rendering from. It loos great to me! Is that a trolley? What a grand vision

[Coreyburger]

Wonder where they got that rendering from. It loos great to me! Is that a trolley? What a grand vision

 

From the OCP for "Large Urban Village". Better screenshot below

[sebberry]

This flyer is being circulated around the Cook Street Village neighbourhood.
 
Image supplied by Steve Hurst.

Because the couple dozen businesses in the village couldn't possibly benefit from some new residential developments.

Treasured by thousands of people? No room for a few hundred more?

[VicHockeyFan]

Ooooooh, people would love a satellite downtown!

[nagel]

They will pitchfork anything in CSV.  Haters gonna hate.

[aastra]

 

Out of character? What is the present character? Would changes add or detract character? Or would you characterize it as merely a different type of character?

 

More of the same character is what Victorians seem to fear the most. There are 99 lowrise apartment blocks in a neighbourhood but when somebody wants to build one more (a decent one) it's a catastrophe in the making.

[Nparker]

More of the same character is what Victorians seem to fear the most....

To be fair, Victorians fear change even more than the status quo.

[aastra]

Like I say, I don't think that's true. Victorians routinely show their enthusiasm for massive/drastic change, if it's of the "right" variety.

• Demolishing historic buildings to insert open space or parking lots is fine.
• Erasing a city block to create a large intersection is fine.
• Replacing a unique/historic bridge is fine.
• Leaving the abandoned HBC building to languish for years was fine.
• Drawing a line in the sand that might have forced Rogers' Chocolates to vacate their historic shop was fine.
• Endless scheming to move or eliminate cruise ships or the Coho or the floatplanes... all fine.

But propose to restore the neglected Northern Junk buildings and you have a major controversy.

 

Anything that bites off a chunk of Victoria's essence is perfectly acceptable. Regression and decay are perfectly acceptable, even desirable. Pile a huge load of social services into a small area of downtown... no problem! Even though doing so will absolutely transform the neighbourhood and force long-established operations to leave and so forth. Perfectly fine. But propose to build some new lowrise apartments and look out. Outrage and uproar.

 

Summary:

Maintaining or restoring or (gasp) enhancing what you already have is controversial. If you want to do something positive or potentially positive then expect a ton of opposition. Detractive change is good, but positive change is bad.

 

The stinkers in the CSV can see with their own eyes how their previous ultra-controversial development saga turned out. The new building fits in well. The CSV is very much the same as it was before, except a little better. So now another project threatens to continue the trend. Do we want the CSV to continue to be pretty much the same as if was before, except a little better? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

 

Etc.

[VicHockeyFan]

Some CFAX coverage of this coming up today.

[VicHockeyFan]

Opposition group website:    http://www.fairfieldneighbours.org/

 

http://vancouverisla...endly-1.2976278

 

...One of the main concerns is over the commercial space proposed for the ground floor.

 

“It’ll draw more and more commercial vehicles further down Cook Street, closer to ecologically sensitive areas in Beacon Hill Park,” Ramin added.

 

According to the group, the new rental units won’t appeal to families.

 

“Any new building will not be affordable,” Ramin told CTV News. “The current proposal has 53 units, 20 of which are 410 to 430 square feet each, so we’re not sure who might rent those. Somebody did suggest it would be suitable for Airbnb type rentals.”

 

Ramin noted that the new complex would also change the face of Cook Street.

 

“We’re not anti-development, we recognize that there will be development over the next 25 years, but we would like to have an influence on what is developed here. Our view is that what’s proposed at the moment looks like an extension of downtown and is not consistent with the character of the village,” she said.

 

[2F2R]

groan

[VicHockeyFan]

The proponent ought to "threaten" a Red Barn Market as the commercial tenant.  All opposition would likely dissolve.

[Bingo]

Any new building will not be affordable,” Ramin told CTV News.

“The current proposal has 53 units, 20 of which are 410 to 430 square feet each, so we’re not sure who might rent those. 

 

 

Rent them out as storage lockers and they will be gone instantly.

[aastra]

 

“It’ll draw more and more commercial vehicles further down Cook Street, closer to ecologically sensitive areas in Beacon Hill Park...

 

Which area of BHP along Cook Street would be regarded as more ecologically sensitive? The tennis courts or the maintenance yard?

 

 

Our view is that what’s proposed at the moment looks like an extension of downtown and is not consistent with the character of the village,” she said.

 

I just wonder why the equivalent developments in James Bay or Oak Bay don't look like extensions of downtown? Is the jump from 4 stories to 5 stories really so big in people's minds? I guess it is.

[Bingo]

Which area of BHP along Cook Street would be regarded as more ecologically sensitive? The tennis courts or the maintenance yard?

 

Lover's Lane!

[jonny]

Oh brother...

[manuel]

Good god. Just approve it and send the CSV haters back to exclusionary nimby school to learn a thing or to about fallacious arguments. The guts of it is that someone (people) whose character house(s) will be close to the development doesn't want the development because he or she fears it will impact him or her in unimaginable ways. And said individual(s) are good at raising a ruckus.

Edited by manuel, 06 July 2016 - 08:52 PM.

[jonny]

Good lord. You have to love when the old "we’re not sure who might buy/rent those" argument is rolled out.

 

"Who would even want to live in a brand new, modern condo located just steps away from Dallas Road and fabulous Beacon Hill Park. Conveniently located within walking distance of downtown, and of course right in the heart of Cook Street Village with all of its lovely establishments, including cute coffee shops, grocery stores and a neighbourhood pub. I mean ewe. You can essentially bike or walk anywhere. Yuck. I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to live there, especially in this real estate environment."

 

Victorians are sure good at organizing protest movements, but they sure aren't very creative with their arguments.

 

What exactly does an extension of downtown even mean? It's a building. Downtown is full of buildings. Therefore this is just like downtown?

 

It looks more like a Fairfield/Rockland/Oak Bay Ave. building than a "downtown" building to me.

Edited by jonny, 07 July 2016 - 07:58 AM.

[dasmo]

Who would rent a 400 sqft wet basement suite? Oh wait.... Half of Fairfield....(edited "soft wet" hehe)

Edited by dasmo, 07 July 2016 - 09:58 AM.

[eglazier]

I live in 580 sq ft and love it! This resistance to the development of a well planned, aesthetically pleasing building that the village needs is much like Brexit! The people who oppose it aren't going to be here in 25 years! The old buildings in Cook St. are for the most part tear down dumps. We need options in the form of affordable units, commercial space, and room for the younger generations who can't afford the million dollar homes. The complainers were lucky enough to buy their houses 20-30 years ago for 200k. Guess who's deferring their property taxes yet want a say in future developments?! It's ludicrous.