Next Meeting: Wednesday October 2, 2019
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Bennetto Community Centre
A federal election is underway. You have probably already seen the lawn signs asking you for your vote. Make sure to take the time to inform yourself about your local candidates and get out to vote for your preferred choice. It is important for us to have a strong voice in Ottawa representing our community and its interests.
Work continues on the new John Street bridge, as well as the watermain replacement and reconstruction of Ferguson Avenue between Simcoe and Burlington Streets. The notice sign on the John Street Bridge now suggests work will be complete by the end of October. No definitive timeline has been provided for the reconstruction of Ferguson Avenue, except that it should be complete before the end of the year.
We are still waiting for more information on the timeline and process for the redevelopment of CityHousing Hamilton’s Jamesville townhouses. In late July, the Hamilton Spectator reported that Stoney Creek based Marz Homes had been selected as the preferred bidder for the redevelopment site, but nothing further has been disclosed to our knowledge.
This past month, City Council rejected a proposal for a 9-storey apartment building at the corner of James and Burlington where the old Scotiabank was located. Councillor Farr provided several reasons for rejecting this proposal, including that it represented an overdevelopment of the site and would cause parking issues for adjacent properties such as the Guise Street Co-op.
City Council previously approved an 8-storey apartment building at James and Ferrie on the basis that it would provide affordable market housing using an innovative “flexible unit” concept. In early September, the developer put the site up for sale with an asking price of $2.9 million citing the complexities of the project and that a planning appeal had been filed (by Herman Turkstra and Harbour West Neighbours). The asking price represents a healthy increase from the $1.6 million the developer reportedly paid for the site in 2017 and reflects, in large part, the value created when City Council approved increasing the height permission for the site from 4 to 8 storeys.
NENA continues to take issue with development proposals along James Street North that seek heights in excess of our secondary plan, Setting Sail, which was approved by the Ontario Municipal Board (now Local Planning Appeal Tribunal) in 2012, and the recommendations of the James Street North Mobility Hub Study approved by City Council in 2014.
At our October meeting we will be discussing whether NENA should ask to speak at future meeting of the City’s Planning Committee to request the City initiate a process to determine what the appropriate building heights and character of the James Street North should be.
As noted in previous NENA updates, the impact of larger buildings along James Street North than contemplated by our secondary plan or the mobility hub study needs to be carefully and thoughtfully reviewed, so that updated rules and design criteria can be adopted.
Regardless of your views on these or other matters, NENA wants to hear from you. To let us know your thoughts and concerns email us at nen.president@gmail.com or attend our monthly meeting.
For more up to date information visit www.NorthEndNeighbours.com
