Circa 1877 (née Brick Brewery) | 20 fl | Complete

[mpd618]

I think this discussion should be moved to the parking in Waterloo Region thread.

(Can you do it for us? The latest posts would work just fine there.)

[schooner77]

I'm not sure if this is related to the Hip development on the old Brick Brewery site, but they've been drilling out soil samples in the Erb&Good Funeral Home parking lot for the last few days. Anyone have an idea as to what is going on?

[darts]

I'm not sure if this is related to the Hip development on the old Brick Brewery site, but they've been drilling out soil samples in the Erb&Good Funeral Home parking lot for the last few days. Anyone have an idea as to what is going on?

Probably looking for coal tar contamination

[Lens]

Looks like this has had some adjustments: http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news-sto...residents/

This quote was particularly interesting...

"In a letter to the Chronicle, Dick Tyssen, past chair of the city’s uptown vision committee, said the revisions were “inadequate” and he believes the uptown core should have a height limit of six storeys to act as a buffer between the low-rise residential areas and the large, 20-storey buildings outside the core."

[Andy]

Was he misquoted? Where are these 20-storey buildings outside the core?

Seems like the building height is fine with the bauer lofts and 144 park buildings behind. This building won't break up or impose on either neighbourhood bordering King. Maybe those townhomes on Caroline, but those seem really out of place to begin with. Hopefully some format of this building gets approved without losing too much density.

[rangersfan]

To me it seems like Waterloo Council is lost. For a few years everything that went up for proposal in the Northdale area was approved. Now in the core the ideal location for density is being fought right near an LRT stop ( this sounds like a repeat of my post about 155 Caroline from the other day) . In this case the developer has really scaled back the amount of parking required. I think I am glad Mr
Tyssen is the "past" chair of the Uptown vision committee.

[Spokes]

I think some think that this is outside the "core" that it ends at William st.

What a disaster. Rangersfan hit the nail on the head. They approve all kinds of crap in Northdale and then reject quality projects in the core. Makes sense.

[MidTowner]

This talk about "established neighbourhoods" is only going to get worse. The neighbourhoods on both sides of this stretch of King are affluent and influential- they're going to be able to exert a lot of pressure to get each and every development shorter and less dense.

I think they're acting against their own interests, ultimately, especially if there's some idea that they want these "established" neighbourhoods to remain "family" neighbourhoods. In the new proposal, there would be far fewer units with more than one bedroom- that's not good for attracting a diversity of family types to the neighbourhood, and it's also a pretty logical response for a developer who is forced to cut. Force him to cut back enough, and you'll see an entire building full of bachelor and one-bedroom units with the highest prices per square foot- which I bet is what the nearby residents want least, if they really think about it.

I have a lot of sympathy for things that other people might scoff at as NIMBYism, even the little things like "headlights shining into homes." The existing residents certainly have the right to voice their concerns, and developers should be willing to tweak proposals to meet some of them. But it's nuts to advocate for a six-storey limit, and undermines a lot of what are probably legitimate issues that could be addressed in any given project.

[Viewfromthe42]

For UpTown to push for no development that's not on King, and that development to be 6 storeys max, or just low low low in general, at the confluence of LRT stops and regional roads is the same attitude as places which want multi-lane highways to nearly their front door, but without allowing any new neighbours or traffic to be generated behind the end of their commute.

I understand the constant reference to the "small town feel", but this is becoming more of a small minded feel.

[Markster]

Durrell highlighted the recent condo project adjacent to MacGregor Senior Public School that council rejected in July because it was too big and too close to the schoolyard.

“We have to decide if that’s the appropriate place for buildings of those heights,” she said, adding she’s in favour of using shorter towers to create a buffer between established neighbourhoods.

"Shorter towers", buffering what from what?

[tomh009]

This quote was particularly interesting...

"In a letter to the Chronicle, Dick Tyssen, past chair of the city’s uptown vision committee, said the revisions were “inadequate” and he believes the uptown core should have a height limit of six storeys to act as a buffer between the low-rise residential areas and the large, 20-storey buildings outside the core."

Mr Tyssen may characterize himself as the past chair of the uptown vision committee, but a more relevant fact is that he is (or at least has been) the representative of the Catalina townhouse community, coincidentally located next door to the Brick Brewing development.  I do believe he has more than just the betterment of uptown on his mind, given that he lives in a single-storey townhouse metres from the proposed development.

You can find his presentation on (really, against) the LRT (from 2011) here:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/region...1-0531.pdf

Some sampling of words from his presentation: so-called, premature, staggering, fiasco, albatross, not reasonable, threat, gurus, unbelievable, rub salt in wounds, incomprehensible, absurd.

So I can't say that I'm surprised he's now railing against this project.

[rangersfan]

Hopefully he finds the same success here as he did against Ion.

[Watdot]

The Catalina townhouse community is a disaster. Never understood how they could approve that for our city core (even pre-ION) and now the new Council is catering to them. Would be nice if an ambitious developer bought them all out. Such a significantly sized and positioned area which is counter "smart-growth". Really hope the developers for 181 King continue to push for their project despite the NIMBYs.

[Markster]

Mr Tyssen may characterize himself as the past chair of the uptown vision committee, but a more relevant fact is that he is (or at least has been) the representative of the Catalina townhouse community, coincidentally located next door to the Brick Brewing development.  I do believe he has more than just the betterment of uptown on his mind, given that he lives in a single-storey townhouse metres from the proposed development.

You can find his presentation on (really, against) the LRT (from 2011) here:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/region...1-0531.pdf

Some sampling of words from his presentation: so-called, premature, staggering, fiasco, albatross, not reasonable, threat, gurus, unbelievable, rub salt in wounds, incomprehensible, absurd.

So I can't say that I'm surprised he's now railing against this project.

Now that is a great contextualization of this man's motives.

[Viewfromthe42]

A bit hilarious that no hint of that kind of appropriate context appears in the Record article.