[Kanata] 2 The Parkway | 49m | 16 fl | Proposed

[Cre47]

Here's the tenor of the spaghetti-string streets and crescents response
http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/01/14/...-condo-project

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Here's the tenor of the spaghetti-string streets and crescents response
http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/01/14/...-condo-project

And a great quote from one of the comments in the Reevely blog post:

I've lived in Kanata for 43 years and have always enjoyed the diversity and balance of housing, parks, and setbacks.

Ah, yes. The setbacks. People throng to Kanata to marvel at the fruqking SETBACKS.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Why should suburban neighbourhoods be immune from infill and increasing densities? That's an artificial brake on natural economic evolution. It needs to be lifted.

Fair enough, but of all the places in Kanata that a condo could be put, this location is pretty dumb. For one, it doesn't help bulk up the Kanata Town Centre's density, which is apparently required now to justify a light rail extension. These condo dwellers will likely need a car for just about everything (unless they work downtown in which case they would have bus service). If they work in the Kanata North or South business parks they'll probably just drive, as they'll have to do for everything else. Nor is this condo in or near the Kanata North business park, which could frankly do with some extra density.

It's as if Ottawa's developers can't bring themselves to put condos where they might make sense and instead prefer to put them in existing lower rise residential areas just to get a rise out of people. Parking lots though - especially large ones measured in acres - are apparently sacred territory that can't be developed into condos.

Just think about it for a moment: where have all the recent suburban condo projects been built/proposed? This one is on a former post office. The Centrepointe Drive condo is on a vacant woodlot (the last one in Centrepointe). The one further along Baseline is to replace an existing housing development. There are a couple more under construction on vacant land in Kanata (at least they're in the Town Centre boundaries) and some low-rise condo projects exist in Barrhaven, again on vacant land. There's a project on Merivale across from the Experimental Farm, and this is about the closest we get to a suburban condo project replacing a parking lot, but there really is nothing on any of the vast acreages of parking lot that we have, which we continue to build more of, as well. The purpose of intensification in practice seems to be to enable vast surface parking lots to continue to exist.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Dado

Fair enough, but of all the places in Kanata that a condo could be put, this location is pretty dumb. For one, it doesn't help bulk up the Kanata Town Centre's density, which is apparently required now to justify a light rail extension. These condo dwellers will likely need a car for just about everything (unless they work downtown in which case they would have bus service). If they work in the Kanata North or South business parks they'll probably just drive, as they'll have to do for everything else. Nor is this condo in or near the Kanata North business park, which could frankly do with some extra density.

It's as if Ottawa's developers can't bring themselves to put condos where they might make sense and instead prefer to put them in existing lower rise residential areas just to get a rise out of people. Parking lots though - especially large ones measured in acres - are apparently sacred territory that can't be developed into condos.

Just think about it for a moment: where have all the recent suburban condo projects been built/proposed? This one is on a former post office. The Centrepointe Drive condo is on a vacant woodlot (the last one in Centrepointe). The one further along Baseline is to replace an existing housing development. There are a couple more under construction on vacant land in Kanata (at least they're in the Town Centre boundaries) and some low-rise condo projects exist in Barrhaven, again on vacant land. There's a project on Merivale across from the Experimental Farm, and this is about the closest we get to a suburban condo project replacing a parking lot, but there really is nothing on any of the vast acreages of parking lot that we have, which we continue to build more of, as well. The purpose of intensification in practice seems to be to enable vast surface parking lots to continue to exist.

Well, the location might seem dumb to you, but if I remember correctly, it's up to a developer to choose a site and decide to build there, not up to local residents or even the City (though the latter can influence it through bylaws). So why did this developer choose to build here? My guess is that they think they can sell units and make a profit. Simple.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Well, the location might seem dumb to you, but if I remember correctly, it's up to a developer to choose a site and decide to build there, not up to local residents or even the City (though the latter can influence it through bylaws). So why did this developer choose to build here? My guess is that they think they can sell units and make a profit. Simple.

Or it could also be that lots such as the retired post office and various aging residential lots are the only lots that developers can buy for redevelopment, no matter how dumb the location actually is vis-à-vis the City's own claimed goals for intensification.

Parking lots are pretty much sterilized for redevelopment because the ownership is tied to the rest of the property and an odd confluence of factors (entrenched car culture, including zoning requirements for parking, value-based property taxes, remote/non-local land ownership) basically ensures it stays that way.

And even when a parking lot does get redeveloped, such as Fairlawn opposite Carlingwood, it seems that a retail box mentality dominates the thinking such that they get redeveloped without any residential component.

[waterloowarrior]

^ good observations... Urbandale owns a good chunk of the Kanata Town Centre designated lands... they seem to be doing their own thing and have gone at a pretty slow pace until recently. http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...=170732&page=2
An American REIT owns the Kanata Centrum lands... the only thing they plan to redevelop the parking for is a couple more big box stores.

[Lakche]

This location probably won't help with light rail extensions, but as it sits now, it's directly next to the current 93 transit-way route (Teron Road), and maybe a 10 minute walk from Eagleson Station

So not everyone would need cars...

Also being that it's right next to a 10-storey apartment building at the corner of Campeau and Teron, and adjacent to the high school, it doesn't really creep up against anyone's house... doesn't seem half bad to me.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

And a great quote from one of the comments in the Reevely blog post:

I've lived in Kanata for 43 years and have always enjoyed the diversity and balance of housing, parks, and setbacks.

Ah, yes. The setbacks. People throng to Kanata to marvel at the fruqking SETBACKS.

You'll be pleased to know that the setbacks will be preserved for a little bit longer.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Ka...465/story.html

[citizen j]

What? It's going to the OMB? Totally didn't see that coming.

[J.OT13]

Maybe we should just send all applications to the OMB right off the bat to save time, trouble and arguments.

[waterloowarrior]

deal between community association and developer is close
http://bulldogottawa.com/deal-near-o...way-in-kanata/

The City of Ottawa, Kanata Beaverbrook community association and developer Morley Hoppner are finalizing an agreement on the proposed redevelopment of #2 Parkway.


The agreement will result in increased protection for forest and greenspace on Teron Road and tree screening of the 7-storey tower City Council approved at The Parkway and Teron Road, Kanata.

“This arrangement will increase the value of our investment and provide substantial benefits to local and community residents. We’re committed to this objective”, said Ken Hoppner of Morley-Hoppner.

“The developer’s desire to work with the community to ensure the best possible solution is also a positive consideration”, said Councilor Marianne Wilkinson. “I will be working extensively with property owners and residents to work out exact details.”

The KBCA has agreed to drop its appeal to the OMB based on the confirmation of the commitment of the developer and City to these arrangements.

“This is a first step to improve green space protection for the whole of Teron Road”, said Gary Sealey, President KBCA. “It will help foster Teron Road’s evolution as a true parkway, with respect guaranteed for its open spaces. Residents will get enhanced environmental security and the opportunity through site planning to make the #2 Parkway project as attractive as possible.”

Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association is one of Ottawa’s oldest citizen associations. It was founded with the assistance of Bill Teron, O.C., recent recipient of the prestigious Jane Jacobs Lifetime Achievement Award. Over a thousand person-nights of meetings contributed to KBCA consultation on the developer’s proposal.