adam-machiavelli
Nov 27, 2008, 4:15 AM
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1316068
Rejection of development shows anti-student bias
The Kingston Planning Committee's rejection of the proposed apartment development at 501 Frontenac St. is another disgraceful example of a city that is anti-business and not friendly to students.
The area in question, a former industrial site, is underdeveloped and in desperate need of revitalization. While there are many beautiful family homes in the area, there are also known drug houses, vacant lots and a myriad of low-quality, overpriced rentals.
As Kingstonians, we must ask why the same city that has handed over every valuable piece of waterfront property to developers will not endorse an attractive and well-planned project in a neighbourhood desperate for it. The answer appears to be related more to the prospective tenants -many of them students -than the neighbourhood. Also, we must ask council to answer for the massive loss of potential developer's fees and taxes generated by this project. Sound familiar?
Princess Street from Bath Road to Division Street has some empty and decrepit storefronts. At night the area is deserted, making it unsafe to commute through it on foot, especially for young people and students. Area residents cannot ignore the reality that their neighbourhood, if it is to survive, needs an infusion like the one proposed by the developer.
With 58 new high-quality rental units, there would be added traffic throughout the day of young, energetic students and professionals. Strength in numbers would increase the safety of the area for everyone, therefore improving the sense of community. Add to this the potential for retail and business development stemming from the consumer needs of the new residents.
Development, jobs, revitalization: sounds pretty good to me, given the current state of the economy.
The need for student housing in Kingston is growing every year. With many fourth-year Royal Military College students now living off-campus, combined with the needs of Queen's and St. Lawrence College students, the city must find innovative solutions to meet the demands of this expanding market. Cities such as London have embraced similar development styles that now set the standard for student-focused housing in those markets. Unless we want every home from the Queen's campus to Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard turned into a rental property, we must allow for this type of intensification.
I hope the prospective developer, Jay Patry, has learned a valuable lesson about telling the truth. With this city it gets you nowhere. Developers beware -any future pitches to the Planning Committee should read "luxury rental apartments for the affluent, retired and wealthy," in which case the committee will hand you Market Square.
Paul Tye Municipal Affairs Commission Alma Mater Society Queen's University Kingston
- while this is occurring in Kingston, I figured it's close enough to Ottawa. This op-ed raises some disturbing issues surrounding town-gown relations in Kingston. Basically, residents want to disperse the student population -but not into their neighbourhood, only those of other people. If you follow the article link at the top of the page, the reader comments on the article are extremely nasty and accurately reflect the paranoia of the non-student population in Kingston.
Rejection of development shows anti-student bias
The Kingston Planning Committee's rejection of the proposed apartment development at 501 Frontenac St. is another disgraceful example of a city that is anti-business and not friendly to students.
The area in question, a former industrial site, is underdeveloped and in desperate need of revitalization. While there are many beautiful family homes in the area, there are also known drug houses, vacant lots and a myriad of low-quality, overpriced rentals.
As Kingstonians, we must ask why the same city that has handed over every valuable piece of waterfront property to developers will not endorse an attractive and well-planned project in a neighbourhood desperate for it. The answer appears to be related more to the prospective tenants -many of them students -than the neighbourhood. Also, we must ask council to answer for the massive loss of potential developer's fees and taxes generated by this project. Sound familiar?
Princess Street from Bath Road to Division Street has some empty and decrepit storefronts. At night the area is deserted, making it unsafe to commute through it on foot, especially for young people and students. Area residents cannot ignore the reality that their neighbourhood, if it is to survive, needs an infusion like the one proposed by the developer.
With 58 new high-quality rental units, there would be added traffic throughout the day of young, energetic students and professionals. Strength in numbers would increase the safety of the area for everyone, therefore improving the sense of community. Add to this the potential for retail and business development stemming from the consumer needs of the new residents.
Development, jobs, revitalization: sounds pretty good to me, given the current state of the economy.
The need for student housing in Kingston is growing every year. With many fourth-year Royal Military College students now living off-campus, combined with the needs of Queen's and St. Lawrence College students, the city must find innovative solutions to meet the demands of this expanding market. Cities such as London have embraced similar development styles that now set the standard for student-focused housing in those markets. Unless we want every home from the Queen's campus to Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard turned into a rental property, we must allow for this type of intensification.
I hope the prospective developer, Jay Patry, has learned a valuable lesson about telling the truth. With this city it gets you nowhere. Developers beware -any future pitches to the Planning Committee should read "luxury rental apartments for the affluent, retired and wealthy," in which case the committee will hand you Market Square.
Paul Tye Municipal Affairs Commission Alma Mater Society Queen's University Kingston
- while this is occurring in Kingston, I figured it's close enough to Ottawa. This op-ed raises some disturbing issues surrounding town-gown relations in Kingston. Basically, residents want to disperse the student population -but not into their neighbourhood, only those of other people. If you follow the article link at the top of the page, the reader comments on the article are extremely nasty and accurately reflect the paranoia of the non-student population in Kingston.