Not really suited for a high concentration of students, too far away from Western.
The ones out near Hyde Park and North Rutledge are nice looking units and that's where they should be, near the busy road.
not really...there are students in our area, and if you go a block south (Aldersbrook and Sarnia) there is a whole subdivision of townhouses that are student rentals...we aren't that far from them.
it isn't NIMBYism, it was simply asking the city to stick to its original zoning, which played a part in us picking our lot when we built our house...since it is likely the zoning change will be approved (we were already told by the councillor it would be), we are simply now asking for our concerns to be addressed regarding the complex.
i'd already considered moving, but everywhere that i would like to move to was $500k and up...many of the people on our street have sold, about 10 homes sold this year alone.
See all that open land back there? In the coming years it will all be developed, you may be fortunate to know the "worst" you need to look at is a townhouse. Or would you rather see a 30 story highrise, 24 hour gas station, drive through fast food joint, metal working plant with industrial shipping docks ?.
Welcome to suburbia.
as i said, i would rather see single family homes, since that is what it is zoned for.
Unfortunately that sort of thing (breaking plans and rezoning after the fact) is the status quo around here, the only thing that is more common is the demolition of anything remotely historic.
Unfortunately that sort of thing (breaking plans and rezoning after the fact) is the status quo around here, the only thing that is more common is the demolition of anything remotely historic.
which is kind of our point...why bother with zoning at all??...perhaps i'll bring that point up tonight at the meeting...might as well save everyone some time and get rid of the Residential, Commercial and Industrial zoning and simply zone everything WE (for whatever).
it isn't NIMBYism, it was simply asking the city to stick to its original zoning, which played a part in us picking our lot when we built our house...since it is likely the zoning change will be approved (we were already told by the councillor it would be), we are simply now asking for our concerns to be addressed regarding the complex.
No offense, but your concerns are largely irrelevant at this point.
Once a developer has decided to submit a plan for something well past what the city's official plan permits, it's a clear sign that the developer is going to take the application to the OMB to get what the developer wants - and they get what they want @ OMB about 95% of the time.
The city is effectively powerless at this point in regards to the OMB, as are you and your neighbours. If you 'stick' with the city, you will be assimilated. If you (neighbours) go to the OMB independently to object, you will be characterized by the developers lawyers as meddling beyond your rank.
If you want an 8' plank fence, you'll be told by the city that all you can have is a 6' one, as per the bylaw, yet the developer will get what they want via the OMB. Best you can hope for is to ask the developer to include an 8' fence in their OMB application as it's likely to be approved that way.
If you want to be heard, you have to get the OMB abolished, or at the very least influence who sits as commissioners on the OMB - and that's a provincial matter, and that will take years no matter who is in power as developer money fuels a large part of the political process for Liberals/Cons.
My view is that the OMB should not meddle in the development decisions of cities larger than about 250,000 population, unless city council ask them to. At that size, cities have planning departments and full-time councils.
No offense, but your concerns are largely irrelevant at this point.
as i said, i'm not fighting the re-zoning, it's going to happen...it would just be nice if our concerns were addressed in the plans, that's all...and it's not ME saying this, it is the almost 300 people who signed the petition.
of course, after seeing a 3rd methadone clinic get approved for Wharncliffe Road, i knew this would get approved as well.
To be fair, they're not changing a major zoning designation of that kind. Condos are still residential -- it's not like they were building a cement factory behind you! I don't blame you for being a little pissed off but as they say, shit happens. You could have ended up backing on to a nice detached house that was occupied by the Loud Family (as featured on SNL ). That's life. It's nice to back on to vacant land but you knew it wouldn't be that way forever.
It's nice to back on to vacant land but you knew it wouldn't be that way forever.
the land was owned by the church...it wasn't simply a field that would someday be built on (unless the church wanted to put something there)...the church's plans included a variety of possibilities, but in the end (around 2008), they decided they didn't need that chunk of land and sold it...the developer who bought it purchased it to fill it up with townhouses...we all realize the church is free to sell extra land they decide they no longer need/want, that's isn't our beef...our beef is what is going back there...as i said, why even bother with zoning it at all, if it can be changed on a whim.
I guess as posted earlier an empty lot is an invitation to trouble if you abut it.
i understand that.
the original plans (when we built our home) was the church was going to fill the north side of the land with soccer fields and perhaps a community center for the church...however, the church decided instead to build a really large church that included everything incorporated into one building (rather than a church structure, and separate structure of other uses)...they have put in some soccer fields, but since they longer needed to build a separate structure, they sold the land.
there is plenty of partially built on land around here that is already zoned for medium density...they should be using that land, which looks somewhat dumpy, as it is already serviced and shovel ready, but just sitting there unused and "messy"...it isn't a "dump", but certainly not nice looking for the residents that live there and everyone else to see it.
but since then there has been piles of dirt and some construction materials (paving stones, bricks, etc) dumped in various spots, along with overgrown with weeds, etc.
here is the other lot, which has since been selling single detached homes, since no one was buying the condos after the "Phase I" stage:
this lot has recently been purchased and is once again seeing some construction...it has looked like this for over 5 years: »maps.google.ca/maps?hl=e ··· ,,0,8.75
this lot is now full of units, but only about 50-60% are sold (likely, when you buy it, you pick your flooring/paint colours and the finishing touches are done), but no street view is available: »maps.google.ca/maps?hl=e ··· t=h&z=19
and this development, which has almost half of the land "just there", and has been this way for the past 5+ years: »maps.google.ca/maps?hl=e ··· ,,0,5.86
that's why i said, there is no need to develop this land into more townhouses, since the ones already here aren't selling...it is nothing but a cash grab by the city, as the 102 units will likely pull in $300,000/year in tax revenues (which is why they will push it through).
this large parcel of land is already serviced, is currently zoned for industrial, but could easily be changed (since zoning doesn't mean shit around here anyway) and this land has been for sale by the city for about 2-3 years now...the price??...free...just pay the back taxes (which last i heard were about $700k)...perhaps that is even negotiable...they could even put in a decent highrise or brownstone complex that would look really nice for that area, fit with their revitalization planning for that neighbourhood and provide housing for people who would even benefit from public transportation and quick easy access to downtown (a 5 minute bus ride).
As I consider this obnoxious blight infringing on your carefully orchestrated life it makes my insignificant problems with my old house seem tranquil by comparison. After all I can fix anything on my own land but I have no control beyond those boundaries. When I was searching for a house in university I picked the most run down dump on the biggest lot in a nice neighborhood.
When I was searching for a house in university I picked the most run down dump on the biggest lot in a nice neighborhood.
i think elwood did the same thing, he just hasn't got around to finishing it up ...unfortunately, i'm not handy like you, so buying some dump and paying someone (with no idea of who is good) to renovate it isn't really an option...i just know i'd end up on "Holmes on Holmes".
it isn't NIMBYism, it was simply asking the city to stick to its original zoning, which played a part in us picking our lot when we built our house...since it is likely the zoning change will be approved (we were already told by the councillor it would be), we are simply now asking for our concerns to be addressed regarding the complex.
i'd already considered moving, but everywhere that i would like to move to was $500k and up...many of the people on our street have sold, about 10 homes sold this year alone.
Problem is the city is being greedy. They are changing the zoning next door to me (for a 40 townhouse unit), and the amount of money that the developer pays the city is quite a lot. The city is also selling some of their land to the developer at a pretty high price too. So basically it's a conflict of interest having the city actually hear your case. It should be an impartial board of volunteers who are impartial and not associated with either the city or the developers.
I wish you good luck in your battle and hope you can stick it to em'!!!!
I received a call from an LFP reporter yesterday about a proposed zoning change that is going through on some land behind my house. I spoke to him for about 20 minutes or so, and he asked if he could send a photographer by to get a couple of pictures. The photographer came by earlier and grabbed some photos of me and the land (I was thinking of giving him a Blue Steel or Magnum look, but it wasn't that kind of photo shoot ).
I am not sure if/when the story will run (I guess tomorrow, but am not sure). I think we were contacted as my wife and I started a petition about the proposed changes, as well as to get more clarity on what is being done with the land and how our privacy concerns will be addressed. We will be attending the meeting at City Hall tomorrow night.
make sure you moon them and on each cheek put harper on one side and the word USA on other... ROFL
well, that was a 4 hour wait at city hall...me thinks they do that on purpose in hopes people go home...in the end (as i suspected), the approved the changes, but one of the councillors did require the developer to factor in several of our requests.
Maybe you should watch BURLESQUE, and learn about "air rights" after all it did have to do with new condo's n such. ofc the hollywoodian world and the real world are quite a bit different.
i already have a 6 foot fence...we have already planted some trees along the back (you can see them in the photo, sans leaves of course) to help provide some screening.
Smart move, it keeps them from messing with it (attaching things or painting it to their taste). Unfortunately for DJ the most he can put up is a solid 7 foot fence, that said people will do whatever they want, it only becomes an issue if some one snitches.
It could always be worse. He could have next door neighbours like this: »cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Can ··· 276.html or, it might be better. Each to their own.
Maybe that's better. He's not called "dirty"jeffer for nothing.
Unfortunately for DJ the most he can put up is a solid 7 foot fence, that said people will do whatever they want, it only becomes an issue if some one snitches.
Are you kidding me, DJ is so law abiding he would turn himself in.
And when it went to court testify against himself and beg the judge to throw the book at him
It could always be worse. He could have next door neighbours like this: »cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Can ··· 276.html or, it might be better. Each to their own.
Maybe that's better. He's not called "dirty"jeffer for nothing.
loud music and throbbing jacuzzi has to be more exciting than an open field. Down right distracting.
as expected, the city approved the zoning change, but have asked the builder to address the concerns raised...in early February, there will be a site planning meeting scheduled...hopefully it goes well.
to give you an idea of how things are just rubber stamped here, take a look at the condo complex a couple of blocks away:
these units have been for sale for about a year...nobody wants them...why, do you ask??...i don't know, perhaps because of how much of a pain in the ass it would be to get into and out of your driveway every friggen time!??!...seriously, didn't anyone look at these before giving them the green light??...of course not...the city sees $300k in property taxes and creams their pants.