04-28-2022, 11:26 PM
(04-28-2022, 09:25 PM)nms Wrote: My impression of the comments that were published was that, now that the City is getting close to the density targets, perhaps there should be a reevaluation to make sure that things are still going the direction that they should be. Packing more tall towers into the small space in downtown without giving some thought to other things that would make the downtown more of a complete community, might not be the best option. For instance, what zoning restrictions are currently in place that limit what could be in the base of a tower? If the City were looking for dedicated community space (perhaps a community pool, a library, a seniors centre, a day care, or I don't know what), could it happen under the current downtown zoning? If Downtown Kitchener is clearly becoming an attractive development location, is the planned level of green space actually going to match the level of current project development? Most of these towers are going to be part of the urban fabric well past our lifetimes, so we've only got one chance to get it right.
Counterpoint: when your city is in boom time and piling up stacks of development fees, maybe its time to put a piece of that towards a stronger, larger planning department that can get that done in a reasonable time frame without (a) having to artificially block up an already supply constrained market indefinitely, and (b) having to spend hours upon hours of staff time on whining on about 1-2 stories of height on high quality midrises like 660 Belmont when there are bigger issues at hand.