1571 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Anyone else have their volume on max just to hear the discussion?

[marks_28]

Anyone else have their volume on max just to hear the discussion?

 

Yes. I've been half listening, half working, half eating lunch. It sounds like Lisa is on board. What do you sense from the other councillors so far?

[Mike K.]

It sounds like T-J is not keen on the project, and cites a lack of forested/park space in the downtown core. She does say instead of five rental towers, one should be an attainable ownership tower. I’m quite bullish on that myself and feel we’re too focused on rentals and need to make attainable ownership a bigger part of the pie.

Council is now on lunch break.

[Kapten Kapsell]

The DRA has just posted a new letter opposing this project: https://www.victoria...-911-1045-yates

[Mike K.]

T-J now says more affordable housing is desired, which in other words is renters in the buildings will be subsidizing other renters. There is no magic solution here.

[Victoria Watcher]

starlight doesn’t build condos does it?

housing is housing isn’t it? why should the city council even care?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 July 2021 - 12:24 PM.

[Nparker]

...T-J is not keen on the project, and cites a lack of forested/park space in the downtown core....

She's about 150 years too late with her concerns.

[Rob Randall]

Forest is not the precise term of course but the OCP from almost ten year ago said some sort of open park space is essential in Harris Green and here we are so many years later and here's this giant corporation proposing massive high-rise towers and if there's no significant park space connected to this in any way then what the hell do we even bother with an OCP in the first place.

[Victoria Watcher]

isn’t Harris Green literally green space?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 July 2021 - 12:59 PM.

[Mike K.]

Harris Green is named for a giant green space, which spans from Chambers to nearly Quadra along Pandora, and we have green spaces at Pioneer Square and Reeson Park.

 

The OCP is outdated and out of touch. The day it came into effect it was a decade out of date, and today we are 7,000-units of housing short, according to the mayor, of where we should be.

[Nparker]

Harris Green is named for a giant green space, which spans from Chambers to nearly Quadra along Pandora, and we have green spaces at Pioneer Square and Reeson Park...

Centennial Park & Central Park are pretty close as well.

[Mike K.]

Young supports.

[Mike K.]

Centennial Park & Central Park are pretty close as well.

 

And Central Middle School's giant field.

[Casual Kev]

You might want to write council. The project goes before its fate tomorrow.

 

Too bad it's been a busy few weeks for me, would've liked to get my chops in... 

[Casual Kev]

I did take a quick look at the DRA letter and I wonder - where do their members even live? If we're looking at existing downtown residential buildings most of them are homes-only or provide a small amount of commercial square footage on the first floor. Are parking lots and strip malls the "public amenities" these people want from developers? 

[Mike K.]

It's kind of sad, really, that every single councillor agrees there is a housing crisis, and yet they will still reject this proposal as currently conceived, because it's not supplying the right kind of rental housing.

[Mike K.]

And FYI, the height and density massing were suggestions from City of Victoria staff. Planners, essentially, helped shape this project.

[Victoria Watcher]

how many active members do they have?

these special-interest community groups should have to prove a certain level of community support. or they should be de-funded. they can still operate - but on their own dime.

[Kapten Kapsell]

It's kind of sad, really, that every single councillor agrees there is a housing crisis, and yet they will still reject this proposal as currently conceived, because it's not supplying the right kind of rental housing.

This was rejected today by CoTW? 

[Mike K.]

They are voting on it now.