General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[danbrotherston]

I'm not sure what Chapman's opposition is, they only quoted Gazolla. It really concerns me when I start to agree with Gazolla, but nonetheless here we are. And I mean, it's not entirely that I agree, for one, he says "it's not the city's job"...sure it is, the city's job is whatever the city decides to do within it's legal mandate, this clearly qualifies.  He doesn't want it to be the city job and he is entitled to that opinion, but he does not speak for everyone.

But in terms of funding, I'm still angry about the refusal to clear sidewalks, so the fact they'll just up and spend this money, well, again, it bothers me.

I also don't much like the project, that building is surrounded by a sea of parking, if UW really wanted to build it, they could probably sell off all the surrounding parking and fund the entire project with no help from any government. UW is addicted to parking and in my opinion, they can keep their addition out of my downtown.

I have to disagree with you. This is a much better use of city funds than clearing sidewalks. This investment has the potential to create a large number of high paying medical tech jobs and potential start something much larger in the region. The city taking over the responsibly of clearing sidewalks would be no improvement over having residents do it in my opinion. All you have to do is look at the city of London. It takes up to 48 hours after a major snow fall to clear sidewalks. Anecdotally, in my neighbourhood sidewalks are cleared within 24hours. If anything we just need a raise awareness campaign on responsibility of property owners. 

I don't disagree that UW is in love with surface parking. In reality it probably makes them money. It is a sea of parking in terms of downtown, but in reality its not that big. I also think UW has a future plan for that lot in terms of expanding the health sciences department, which could be accelerated, by this medical research facility.

Well, you're wrong, I've lived in London, I've lived here. Our sidewalks are not clear. Yeah, it take 48 hours, which is better than the 4 months it takes here. I'm not exaggerating, there has never been a time when I've walked up a clear sidewalk in KW.  Yeah, your neighbourhood might be clear, I don't care, major sidewalks are not, constantly.

This is the biggest problem with our policy, neighbourhoods look fine because their filled with guiltable homeowners, and able bodied folks who don't really not notice one uncleared walk on their way to the neighbourhood park or mailbox. But out here in the real world, it's impossible to actually get anywhere in the city on foot for four months of the year.

But if you don't want to take my word for it, then take the data that the city collected, the area they cleared sidewalks in had far clearer sidewalks than the area the city proactively enforced against residents doing it.

That's empirical data....it conclusively validated my experience, I'm sick and tired of bullshit denialism of my constant awful experience....so while I was never polite about it before, expect me to be even less polite now.

As for UW's parking, no they don't make money on it, sure they charge for it, but building and maintaining parking is expensive, they don't charge anywhere near the cost of maintining their parking anywhere on campus, least of all downtown where property values are higher. And no, their parking lot isn't the biggest in DTK, but it does still cover an entire city block. I really doubt they plan to do anything with it, besides pave it...it's a bad land use for downtown, and I am not going to support it.