[Harris Green] The Dalmatian | Victoria No. 1 Firehall | Rentals, office space | Completed - Built in 2023

I’ve never seen the DRA take such strong positions against projects before. Construction noise, density concerns and impact on views seem like past concerns that have not been issues in downtown since the early 00’s.

The days of Rob Randall as Chair were no doubt some of the most effective at bridging the developer’s plan with public expectations, but not from a NIMBY point of view but from an urbanists point of view.

I’m seeing the DRA objecting and obstructing rather than assisting.

Seems to be a pattern here. Development runs into trouble, community association writes letter from out of the blue opposing it, Mayor and council get cover then to back away from development saving face.

 

...just enough residential space to house the people who currently live in Harris Green...

I get it, but it's interesting how the "current" number can slowly & surely increase over many years and yet always remain the correct & ideal value.

If you live in Harris Green now,

but you didn't live in Harris Green before.

because the building you live in now didn't exist before,

because the site was just a parking lot,

and if the addition of your building didn't ruin the neighbourhood,

but rather improved the neighbourhood significantly,

...then what exactly are you worried about?

Seriously, the prospect of seeing a few more people like yourself is really so alarming?

To explain the above one would first have to understand how NIMBY "logic" works. I am not sure that is possible without the introduction of mind-altering substances.

Seriously though, what's the premise here? That neighbourhoods never had fire stations in them before? That people didn't live right across from fire stations or right beside them? So many of the "concerns" that people raise nowadays are plucked out of thin air.

It might be annoying to live above the firehall when they get a call in the middle of the night. But why would the neighborhood association care about that? None of them are going to live in that building.

I don't speak for the DRA but they make some good points. It looks like this deal was created and the extra density negotiated well before neighbours were asked for input. 

As for the noise factor, it may be that they feel Downtown is again the easy dumping ground for urban issues the other neighbourhoods would rather not deal with.

It might be annoying to live above the firehall when they get a call in the middle of the night. But why would the neighborhood association care about that? None of them are going to live in that building.

Not that I agree with their stance, but I would imagine their concern is more about existing residents within the immediate vicinity. There are 5 existing residential buildings on the 1000-block of Johnson (where the firehall is proposed), another few within a block radius, and another few within that space currently under construction. Has to be at least 1,000 residents.

In years past there was always a respite between development, or the odd building (maybe two) would be heard/seen while under construction in the general vicinity. But now things are very different. Residents are literally surrounded by development and there are years of activity to go.

Consider the folks at Sutton East/West. Over the last five years they've been exposed to:

- Mondrian

- 1075 Pandora

- 989 Johnson

- 1002 Pandora

- Wade

With the Johnson/Yates block, Chard's development across the street, the Harris dealership and 1075 Pandora's second phase looming, I can understand the apprehension. But either way the development will happen regardless of whether it's a x-density or x-height.

...As for the noise factor, it may be that they feel Downtown is again the easy dumping ground for urban issues the other neighbourhoods would rather not deal with.

You mean an urban issue that is moving 750 meters west from its present location?

...With the Johnson/Yates block, Chard's development across the street, the Harris dealership and 1075 Pandora's second phase looming, I can understand the apprehension. But either way the development will happen regardless of whether it's a x-density or x-height.

I can't seem to grasp why people are surprised at increased density in the heart of a city's downtown core. 

The existing fire hall is ~two blocks away. If we're really going to regard such a short move as a relocation to an entirely different neighbourhood then it sounds like we're saying nothing can ever move at all.

(This is where somebody would normally play the "Victorians hate change" card, after which aastra would trump it by noting that fire halls in the CoV have relocated greater distances than that in the past.)

Check it out. If there were a neighbourhood designation for these blocks put together (something like "JubStadFernGreenField", it would be the most densely populated neighbourhood in Victoria. And yet there's been a large fire hall smack in the middle of it for several decades.

*the blue outlines are "dissemination areas", which are a bit smaller than the "census tracts" that we normally like to talk about

...the facades are broken up which makes them less like monolithic walls. nothing like Vancouver...

Because we know that is the one thing Victoria must never be: ANYTHING LIKE VANCOUVER!       

ps: I like the how the facades are "broken up" in the concept renderings, but the constant anti-Vancouver schtick is getting really tired (this is not directed at you adc)

^ The design is typical of Richmond: large podium with a short, squat "tower" at each corner. Richmond's short height is due to the YVR flight path, Victoria's short height is due to, well, we all know why.

...Victoria's short height is due to, well, we all know why.

Actually I DON'T know why.  I have never heard a rational explanation to the CoV's height restrictions.

Actually I DON'T know why. I have never heard a rational explanation to the CoV's height restrictions.

Because tall buildings are bourgeois and gauche

I thought it was because they cast shadows. And if you're in the shadow of a building while on the sidewalk, you'll die.

You'll die only if it's a very narrow shadow that you can walk across in three or four steps. Very long shadows that run half a block or more are actually nourishing.

Widescrapers = enhanced livability.