Western Expresso

[cheswick]

Personally have zero sympathy for any of them, and their excuses for not wanting them are asinine. With that said Amber Gates which is the smallish new community east of amber trails has the sidewalks right up against the street. Not sure why it’s ok there but not in this instance.

[bomberjet]

Do your due diligence! How could someone spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and not notice that a pathway was supposed to go in front of their house? How does the realtor not tell them? Surely they would've looked at plans of the area.

Sure I agree it's a pain in the ass and seems quite far up the driveways. For whatever reason, seems they located at the property line like in old grid street neighbourhoods. But still, purchasers should have realized this. Are people really that stupid they don't look to see what's being built around them? (rhetorical question)

This is the same thing for people who buy homes next to a railway and then cry about it.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

How does the realtor not tell them?

Because the realtor wants to make a sale.

Chances are the sidewalk plans were disclosed somewhere in the fine print, but let's face it, buying a home is an emotional decision and many people won't really notice or pay attention to things like that when they're caught up in the excitement of buying a home.

[ywgwalk]

One key thing here is that it's a collector road, not a quiet residential street.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by esquire

Because the realtor wants to make a sale.

Chances are the sidewalk plans were disclosed somewhere in the fine print, but let's face it, buying a home is an emotional decision and many people won't really notice or pay attention to things like that when they're caught up in the excitement of buying a home.

If I was a prospective buyer on that street, the first thing that would have turned the lights on and started me making enquiries is why the property line is so far from the edge of the street. I would immediately have concerns that the city must have future plans to either widen the road or do something that would adversely affect the property.

Look at residents along Moray Street. Most of the houses were built in the late 50s and early 60s. For over three decades it existed as a relatively quiet, though divided, secondary street. The intersections at Lodge and Bruce were controlled with 4-way stop signs. Now, after completion of the Charleswood Bridge in the mid 90s, it's a busy widened thoroughfare with traffic lights. The residents knew it was coming though...eventually!

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by esquire

Because the realtor wants to make a sale.

Chances are the sidewalk plans were disclosed somewhere in the fine print, but let's face it, buying a home is an emotional decision and many people won't really notice or pay attention to things like that when they're caught up in the excitement of buying a home.

You have to be caught up in it. Emotions, people need to put them aside just for a minute and focus when spending $100k's. Especially when you're buying in a brand new area that is still being developed. What is going to happen in front of me, behind me? Down the road? Maybe because I'm involved with planning as my career, I see these things as pretty obvious. No sympathy from me.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by cheswick

I love the guy who said he had a "a big beautiful driveway". Yikes.

Geez, what's wrong with liking your driveway? I like mine too.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Looking at the photo, with the design and colour of the houses including the focus on the garages, this is very dismal and unhealthy (physically and mentally) urban design.

It isn't urban design, it's suburban design. It is like this because this is what buyers of suburban homes want.

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

In 2018, many other cities are moving away from this type of design prevalent from the 70s through the 90s and building subdivisions that promote a connection with the neighbourhood. At a minimum houses should have garage access from a back lane and there should be some variety in design and with at least a rudimentary connection to outdoor spaces. Who is approving these horrible designs?

I just moved into a neighbourhood just like this and moved from your "urban ideal". The front driveway and also community mailboxes cause far more engagement with the neighbours than any garbage-strewn back lane would.

Plus, all the urbanists keep bitching about building new neighbourhoods being unsustainable. Now you want to double road maintainence by adding back lanes?

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Riverman

It isn't urban design, it's suburban design. It is like this because this is what buyers of suburban homes want.



I just moved into a neighbourhood just like this and moved from your "urban ideal". The front driveway and also community mailboxes cause far more engagement with the neighbours than any garbage-strewn back lane would.

Plus, all the urbanists keep bitching about building new neighbourhoods being unsustainable. Now you want to double road maintainence by adding back lanes?

By definition, suburban design is form of urban design.

Well, that was your choice, but it is almost universally acknowledged that such a built environment is unhealthy. I really like some of the new developments that I've seen recently in places such as Oakville, Ontario or parts of the suburban Twin Cities. A variety of architectural styles that do not give primary emphasis to auto storage, mixed development, so for example single family homes of varying sizes with townhouses, and an effort to integrate construction with art and nature, so for example installation of fountains or public art (sculpture or even a small clock tower, very neat!) in traffic circles and preserving old trees by building around them. Also, not every construct is beige, which looks beyond dreadful for the majority of the year in this climate. It is still terrible but not quite as so in places like Phoenix or Palm Springs.

Speaking of universally, I find that almost without fail people that I know or have met that live in such areas become as cookie-cutter and monotonous as their surroundings. They are the ones constantly bitching about "the traffic, the traffic", "taxes, taxes" and "gas is outrageous" (but still drive up to the drive through every day, perhaps even several times). Little do they realize that it is they that are being subsidized by older and more sustainable areas of the city.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Well, that was your choice, but it is almost universally acknowledged that such a built environment is unhealthy.

Why? Unhealthy in what way? After 35 years of urban living I far prefer this. I ride my bike far more now than I ever did in Winnipeg.

[LilZebra]

I'm a fan of smooth jazz music.
This year I discovered saxophonist Mindi Bair.

I was looking at the concert listing sites , but could not find her listed recently.

I would email Roxane Gagne of Classic 107 but they have some sort of email blocker that doesn't make it easy to contact staff there.

That's my question. When did Mindi last play Winnipeg?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5oZ2iaqIjc

[blueandgoldguy]

I filled out a survey recently that asked about my interests as it relates to Winnipeg ie. sports, arts, leisure activities. About half-way through there were some statements regarding Dreamscape and what it would entail - 500 acre mostly indoor facility with shopping, water park, amusement park, hotels, golf, aquarium. I was then asked a series of questions including what I would be most interested in.

I guess the "dream" of Dreamscape is still alive.

[LilZebra]

^^^
500 acres is a lot of space.

Think 5x the size of The Forks, including Shaw Park.

[optimusREIM]

^ a little less than one square mile. That is absolutely massive. I can't imagine any parcel of land big enough to build something that big nearby. Although in the unlikely event that something materializes the city better jump on the opportunity to collect hella taxes from such a project. Use the money to fund road and transit upgrades (definitely do not use extra revenue to expand "public safety".)

[rrskylar]

“I grew up in Winnipeg where it's always 100 below zero. Moose Jaw's very mild”.
- Burton Cummings

[vid]

Moose Jaw is a good 2 degrees warmer than Winnipeg, I'm surprised at that.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

“I grew up in Winnipeg where it's always 100 below zero. Moose Jaw's very mild”.
- Burton Cummings

That fat turd should move to Moose Jaw then and plaster his shitty name on their building and remove them from ours.

[Crisis]

Moose Jaw is a bit of a climatic oddball. Even compared to nearby Regina, Moose Jaw is noticeably warmer. Regina & Winnipeg have pretty similar climates.

Long term averages (1981 - 2010) from Environment Canada shows the following:

Moose Jaw__ Daily Average of 4.2___ Daily Maximum of 10.4__Daily Minimum of -1.9

Regina______ Daily Average of 3.1___ Daily Maximum of 9.3__Daily Minimum of -3.2

Winnipeg___ Daily Average of 3.0___ Daily Maximum of 8.7__Daily Minimum of -2.7


http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate...967&dispBack=1

http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate...002&dispBack=0

http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate...698&dispBack=1

[Riverman]

Also Moose Jaw has a lot of sunshine which is why the RCAF training base is located there.

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

That fat turd should move to Moose Jaw then and plaster his shitty name on their building and remove them from ours.

The fat turd did move there he just bought a house and everything. They can have him.

And I too am for removing all traces of him from our city. He's done nothing to contribute towards making Winnipeg a better place. And we as a city have been stupid enough to place him on some sort of pedestal and worship him like he's actually worth something.

I really can't stand the guy.