General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[panamaniac]

That asphalt HAS to be temporary. Nobody makes a permanent sidewalk from asphalt, it's not done. And I doubt the Walper would agree with it.

In fact, I'm gonna presume there's some kind of special treatment coming here just for the Walper, but will be delayed a bit so it's asphalt for now.

I think you’re probably right.  It seems odd that they wouldn’t have used the opportunity to recess the ramp.

[REnerd]

Amazing to see in the context of today (pandemic days) that the city designers choose to allocate space to a turning lane instead of a sidewalk.  Sidewalk at Charles has to be less than a metre between poles and building.  

Also the paving machines destroyed the decorative cross walk, which were new last year?  Hopefully the contractor is held accountable to fix that.

[danbrotherston]

Amazing to see in the context of today (pandemic days) that the city designers choose to allocate space to a turning lane instead of a sidewalk.  Sidewalk at Charles has to be less than a metre between poles and building.  

Also the paving machines destroyed the decorative cross walk, which were new last year?  Hopefully the contractor is held accountable to fix that.

To be fair, city planners/transportation engineers haven't looked at this since around 2017...plans for this reconstruction have been in the works for 5 years, it was supposed to have been paved last year or even the year before.

[cherrypark]

Vacant lot between the tracks and Victoria?

This grassy triangle: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.4481554,-...a=!3m1!1e3

Not a big development, but interestingly this lot had basically every tree clear cut as of yesterday. Not sure what spurred it unless it was just some clean up by someone who acquired it. Gravel drive laid down and some digging happening at the site.

[tomh009]

165 Courtland Ave E has been demolished. A narrow, very long lot (about 18 m wide x 120 m deep) which seems best suited for a townhouse complex.

I think these urban townhouses are the answer to the question about the lack of larger apartments in high-rise buildings.

   

[panamaniac]

165 Courtland Ave E has been demolished. A narrow, very long lot (about 18 m wide x 120 m deep) which seems best suited for a townhouse complex.

I think these urban townhouses are the answer to the question about the lack of larger apartments in high-rise buildings.

Do I recall correctly that we've seen details of a proposal for that site, as some point in the past couple of years?

[tomh009]

165 Courtland Ave E has been demolished. A narrow, very long lot (about 18 m wide x 120 m deep) which seems best suited for a townhouse complex.

I think these urban townhouses are the answer to the question about the lack of larger apartments in high-rise buildings.

Do I recall correctly that we've seen details of a proposal for that site, as some point in the past couple of years?

I was trying to remember, but I couldn't find anything.

[jeffster]

Do I recall correctly that we've seen details of a proposal for that site, as some point in the past couple of years?

I was trying to remember, but I couldn't find anything.

I thought there was, a couple years ago, IIRC, a 6 storey apartment, which I believe got cancelled due to NIMBY's busting into council meetings.

[tomh009]

I think the current zoning only allows three stories. Although there is a four-storey (I think it's four) retirement building next door ...

[white_brian]

When the old lady that lived there passed away the property was taken over by the retirement home. There had been an agreement years back

[panamaniac]

So most likely an expansion?  BTW, is the existing place a retirement home or seniors’ apartments?

[tomh009]

Hopefully not just extra parking! But this makes sense, the retirement complex (it's really seniors' apartments, not an LTC facility) also has a very deep lot that is essentially only used for parking. Hopefully that's not the church's plan, and they will either build more seniors' apartments or affordable housing (almost half of the current 41 units are subsidized/affordable).

A 16m available width provides much more flexibility, even if it might necessitate the construction of some structured parking. The current building's property is zoned CR-2, but the new one is CR-1 so they would need a zoning change on that one.

[panamaniac]

The church on Madison bought the site?

[tomh009]

I do believe that church owns the retirement apartment building, yes.

[panamaniac]

I do believe that church owns the retirement apartment building, yes.

Which church?  The one on Madison or St Joe’s?