03-22-2017, 11:37 AM
(03-22-2017, 10:38 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: Owen, I have indeed attended sessions on the guidelines. Yes, the aims are to create better designs, but some of the logic there is severely flawed. The guideline that the building setback must equal the height of any podium does not create good design, it pushes people into a less welcoming space, less like City Hall or 1Vic (which has definitely picked up since Settlement Co.'s opening), more like the towers on King in Northdale. Yes, while there is no formal structure of guidelines for developers, they were still all very much in attendance at sessions, picking up packages which were very detailed about what the initial proposals for the TBUDG were, and indeed they will and do feel pressure to work within or towards those guidelines, I've attended enough sessions over the last decade to see this play out across multiple councils.
First - I think tall building setbacks are a very important issue (no surprise there) - I don't think expecting them to be set back the height of the podium is a bad idea. This is NOT the podium setback, it's the setback of the tall building on top of the podium from the property line. The intent here is to ensure that in the future, if another tall building should happen to go in next door, that there is adequate separation between them. I don't think it's good for Kitchener (or any city) if we end up with a bunch of low-value residential condos that no one wants to live in because they're staring directly at another tall building (let's just say - in 20 or 30 years when the market swings back the other direction and real-estate isn't so hot anymore - as it inevitably will - keeping in mind these buildings will be where they are for 100 years or so).
Second - that rule you're talking about didn't even make it into the statement of expectations - that was in an early draft. The official statement of expectations that was published is linked below - I don't think it restricts development at all - rather it makes sure that we don't accidentally construct a ghetto (in all of our excitement to see development happen). Everyone here gets so excited about seeing a beautiful shiny tower go up that you seem to forget that these towers all need to work with each other to create a great place for people to live (because we're going to be stuck with them for a loonnnnnng time!!)
https://www.kitchener.ca/en/businessinki...ations.pdf