Spitfire75
Jul 31, 2008, 1:18 PM
Group: There’s more to Halifax than its heritage (http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1070560.html)
Young professionals stand up for development
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
Thu. Jul 31 - 8:11 AM
http://thechronicleherald.ca/photos/large/ew073008development_Metro_07-31-08_T48RU48.jpg (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:viewfullsize%28%27ew073008development_Metro_07-31-08_T48RU48.jpg%27%29)
Tory Jarvis is chairwoman of the Fusion Halifax’s urban development team, a grassroots organization of young professionals who lobby for intuitive change for Halifax. (Eric Wynne / Staff)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/images/spacer.gif
A new wave is hitting the Halifax waterfront.
A group of young urban professionals wants to wash away the old ideas about development in the city to reveal its new potential.
And they’re stacking city hall public meetings to get their point across.
It’s led to more balanced hearings, a far cry from the days when heritage advocates were often the only ones to stand up and be counted.
"It’s amazing how it seems to have changed in such a short time," admits Tory Jarvis, the chairman of Fusion Halifax’s urban development action team. "We knew who was going to the public hearings and we knew there was a huge void that needed to be filled," she said in a recent interview.
"I don’t know if it was apathy on our part or what . . . but no one was saying what was on our minds."
Ms. Jarvis joined Fusion, an apolitical group of 25- to 40-year-olds, because of the alternative it offered to more established groups like the chamber of commerce.
"One of the goals of the organization since its inception was to make a difference in the community and be a voice of a younger generation."
She also works in commercial real estate in a city that hasn’t seen a new office building in two decades, so signing up for the urban development team was a natural fit.
"I work in an industry where the cold, hard vacancy rate is still low. And that’s my reality every day."
Her urban development team has a link on its website to the city’s list of public hearings. And it also has a direct line to developers who are going through the city’s lengthy development process.
Recently, team members have met with principals from companies like Armour Group and Halkirk and grilled them on every aspect of their proposed projects, from building materials to environmental footprint to future economic impact.
It’s all part of presenting another side to the often negative points of view brought forth by heritage advocates, Ms. Jarvis said.
"There certainly are a lot of them," she said of the interest group.
"In terms of quantity, they are winning. But we didn’t want to be the anti-Heritage Trust and go out and support every project. We really wanted to go out and be informed and educate ourselves on the process."
Ms. Jarvis believes there is a "huge place" for heritage in the city.
"But I don’t think that we can hang our hats on it. We don’t have the space that we need to make room for new companies and for growth and that’s really what we need to do with the city."
Another member of the group agrees that it doesn’t simply choose to support every project.
"We welcome smart development," Adam Conter said Wednesday.
He resists the temptation to pit Fusion and Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia members on opposite sides of the fence.
"What sometimes comes across is that there’s an ‘us’ and ‘them’ with the youth of Fusion and the longer-standing members of our community through Heritage Trust. I very much don’t see it as an ‘us’ and ‘them’ or as a ‘pro’ and ‘con’ on development."
Alan Parish, the former president of the Heritage Trust, doesn’t see it that way either.
He says he’s in favour of both promoting development — if done well — and protecting heritage.
Like current president Phil Pacey, Mr. Parish attended many public hearings at Halifax city hall during his term at the helm.
"As a heritage advocate, I was speaking on the basis of trying to protect the heritage that we do have in the city," he said Wednesday.
"I’ve always felt that my own view is that I try to go down the middle: To protect heritage and at the same time allow development. It’s a very difficult situation to deal with and right now, we are seeing a lot of developments coming forward and they’ve all been pretty well approved. I do think it’s time that council did look at some heritage protection."
Jim Spatz of Southwest Properties says he’s starting to see attitudes changing in terms of how people view development.
Almost 10 years ago, a lengthy public hearing for his Bishop’s Landing project revealed a majority of negative voices.
"There were a lot of naysayers and people who somehow thought that Bishop’s Landing threatened the heritage of the area," he said Wednesday.
Today, the building is often used as a benchmark for proposed downtown developments.
Haligonians are starting to realize that development has to happen somewhere, he said.
"Heritage is a hugely important . . . but to believe that it’s the only thing on the table is just such a retrograde position and it really reflects people burying their heads in the sand.
"It’s hugely encouraging to see people who talk in favour of good development, and it’s especially encouraging that they’re young people."
The resulting lengthy meetings at city hall — where it’s not uncommon to have more than 50 people turn out to speak — have caused regional councillors to sit up and take notice.
But council doesn’t tally up speakers for and against a project and make a decision based purely on numbers, he said Wednesday.
"Councillors weigh what they’re hearing, whether it appears to be the opinion of a particular interest group or a general citizen that has taken the initiative to come and speak to us."
He’s aware that council decisions have significant implications for the applicant, for the community at large and for the future.
"You approve a development of a major building, well, you know that building is going to be around for several generations and it’s going to shape, or change the shape of, the community you live in.
"So these decisions aren’t taken lightly."
( apugsley@herald.ca)I have to say I agree with this. Sounds like the Fusion group is doing good.
Young professionals stand up for development
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
Thu. Jul 31 - 8:11 AM
http://thechronicleherald.ca/photos/large/ew073008development_Metro_07-31-08_T48RU48.jpg (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:viewfullsize%28%27ew073008development_Metro_07-31-08_T48RU48.jpg%27%29)
Tory Jarvis is chairwoman of the Fusion Halifax’s urban development team, a grassroots organization of young professionals who lobby for intuitive change for Halifax. (Eric Wynne / Staff)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/images/spacer.gif
A new wave is hitting the Halifax waterfront.
A group of young urban professionals wants to wash away the old ideas about development in the city to reveal its new potential.
And they’re stacking city hall public meetings to get their point across.
It’s led to more balanced hearings, a far cry from the days when heritage advocates were often the only ones to stand up and be counted.
"It’s amazing how it seems to have changed in such a short time," admits Tory Jarvis, the chairman of Fusion Halifax’s urban development action team. "We knew who was going to the public hearings and we knew there was a huge void that needed to be filled," she said in a recent interview.
"I don’t know if it was apathy on our part or what . . . but no one was saying what was on our minds."
Ms. Jarvis joined Fusion, an apolitical group of 25- to 40-year-olds, because of the alternative it offered to more established groups like the chamber of commerce.
"One of the goals of the organization since its inception was to make a difference in the community and be a voice of a younger generation."
She also works in commercial real estate in a city that hasn’t seen a new office building in two decades, so signing up for the urban development team was a natural fit.
"I work in an industry where the cold, hard vacancy rate is still low. And that’s my reality every day."
Her urban development team has a link on its website to the city’s list of public hearings. And it also has a direct line to developers who are going through the city’s lengthy development process.
Recently, team members have met with principals from companies like Armour Group and Halkirk and grilled them on every aspect of their proposed projects, from building materials to environmental footprint to future economic impact.
It’s all part of presenting another side to the often negative points of view brought forth by heritage advocates, Ms. Jarvis said.
"There certainly are a lot of them," she said of the interest group.
"In terms of quantity, they are winning. But we didn’t want to be the anti-Heritage Trust and go out and support every project. We really wanted to go out and be informed and educate ourselves on the process."
Ms. Jarvis believes there is a "huge place" for heritage in the city.
"But I don’t think that we can hang our hats on it. We don’t have the space that we need to make room for new companies and for growth and that’s really what we need to do with the city."
Another member of the group agrees that it doesn’t simply choose to support every project.
"We welcome smart development," Adam Conter said Wednesday.
He resists the temptation to pit Fusion and Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia members on opposite sides of the fence.
"What sometimes comes across is that there’s an ‘us’ and ‘them’ with the youth of Fusion and the longer-standing members of our community through Heritage Trust. I very much don’t see it as an ‘us’ and ‘them’ or as a ‘pro’ and ‘con’ on development."
Alan Parish, the former president of the Heritage Trust, doesn’t see it that way either.
He says he’s in favour of both promoting development — if done well — and protecting heritage.
Like current president Phil Pacey, Mr. Parish attended many public hearings at Halifax city hall during his term at the helm.
"As a heritage advocate, I was speaking on the basis of trying to protect the heritage that we do have in the city," he said Wednesday.
"I’ve always felt that my own view is that I try to go down the middle: To protect heritage and at the same time allow development. It’s a very difficult situation to deal with and right now, we are seeing a lot of developments coming forward and they’ve all been pretty well approved. I do think it’s time that council did look at some heritage protection."
Jim Spatz of Southwest Properties says he’s starting to see attitudes changing in terms of how people view development.
Almost 10 years ago, a lengthy public hearing for his Bishop’s Landing project revealed a majority of negative voices.
"There were a lot of naysayers and people who somehow thought that Bishop’s Landing threatened the heritage of the area," he said Wednesday.
Today, the building is often used as a benchmark for proposed downtown developments.
Haligonians are starting to realize that development has to happen somewhere, he said.
"Heritage is a hugely important . . . but to believe that it’s the only thing on the table is just such a retrograde position and it really reflects people burying their heads in the sand.
"It’s hugely encouraging to see people who talk in favour of good development, and it’s especially encouraging that they’re young people."
The resulting lengthy meetings at city hall — where it’s not uncommon to have more than 50 people turn out to speak — have caused regional councillors to sit up and take notice.
But council doesn’t tally up speakers for and against a project and make a decision based purely on numbers, he said Wednesday.
"Councillors weigh what they’re hearing, whether it appears to be the opinion of a particular interest group or a general citizen that has taken the initiative to come and speak to us."
He’s aware that council decisions have significant implications for the applicant, for the community at large and for the future.
"You approve a development of a major building, well, you know that building is going to be around for several generations and it’s going to shape, or change the shape of, the community you live in.
"So these decisions aren’t taken lightly."
( apugsley@herald.ca)I have to say I agree with this. Sounds like the Fusion group is doing good.
