The Pinnacle | ? | 2 x 10 fl | Complete

[SteelTown]

West Mountain highrise in the works

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...e-in-the-works

It could be one of the tallest buildings on the southwest Mountain.

Valery Homes is looking to build a three- to 14-storey, 192-unit condominium highrise at 1670 Garth St., on the southwest corner of Garth and Rymal.

According to the city’s sign on the property, the development will include commercial space on the ground floor.

“I think 14 storeys might be a bit ambitious,” said Ward 8 Councillor Terry Whitehead, who is in the process of gathering public input on the proposal.

The second of two public meetings on the project is slated for May 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. at West Highland Baptist Church on Garth.

Whitehead said he has spoken to Valery Homes owner Ted Valeri and the developer has been co-operative when it comes to accepting public input.

[SteelTown]

It's a perfect spot for 3 14 storey buildings. Across is St Elizabeth retirement village, on the other side is new retirement home being built at the moment, behind it is a church and than there's a park. On the other side of the park is new housing development, but still good cushion space.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

It's a perfect spot for 3 14 storey buildings.

Isn't it one 3-14 storey building?

[SteelTown]

Yep, my bad. Thought I read 3 14 storey.

In any case the area is suitable for 13 storey. I think the new retirement building is at least 6 storey.

[thomax]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

“I think 14 storeys might be a bit ambitious,” said Ward 8 Councillor Terry Whitehead, who is in the process of gathering public input on the proposal.

Hamilton is supposed to be the ambitious city.



I think 14 storeys is great. Build up, not out.

[SteelTown]

https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=hamilt...gl=ca&t=h&z=17

Looking at the intersection the bottom left corner is the proposed site. Bottom right is St Elizabeth village, top left is a new retirement home currently under construction and the top right is vacant land, beside it is a new housing development (guess who's the developer? Spallacci)

Spallacci and Valery seems to be working together a lot lately, developers for Connaught.

[thistleclub]

West Mountain highrise not carved in stone
(Hamilton Mountain News, Mark Newman, May 17 2013)

The vice president and general manager of Valery Homes says their quest to build a 14 storey condominium highrise at Garth and Rymal can be modified, within reason.

“We have to do what’s economically feasible,” said Paul Valeri prior to a public meeting Monday night on the proposed development that was hosted by west Mountain councillor Terry Whitehead.

Valeri said the 192 unit building with ground floor commercial space planned for 1670 Garth Street will be built in step-up fashion ranging in height from three to 14 stories.

“It will be a positive development for the area,” Valeri said. “It’s more progressive, what Hamilton needs.”

But some of the 40 or so area residents on hand at the meeting at West Highland Baptist Church weren’t so sure.

“Fourteen stories doesn’t fit no matter how you slice it,” yelled once resident.
Others raised concerns the development will mean increased traffic in an already busy area.

Valeri said the project is still in the early planning stages and they will consider the public input before submitting a final site plan proposal to the city, probably in the next six months.

“I think they’re bothered by the density, they’re bothered by the height,” Valeri noted following the meeting. “I think it’s something we’ll have to look at adjusting.”

He also suggested they would be willing to have a study done on how the project will impact traffic in the area.

Valeri said they would like to begin construction by mid or late summer in 2014.

Whitehead told the gathering the amount of traffic on Rymal Road has actually dropped since the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway opened several years ago and there are plans widen and add a centre turning lane to Garth, between Stone Church Road and Rymal, next year.

The Ward 8 councillor said he will be meeting with the developer in the coming weeks to see if the height of the development can be altered.

“Fourteen stories is scaring everybody,” Whitehead said.

[Beedok]

If the street is already busy then wouldn't adding a single building not make that much of a difference? I mean this isn't a Toronto 80 story mega condo, it's 14 floors.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

My Mum lives at St Elizabeth Village at Rymal and Garth. It's not busy up there. I've never seen anything remotely resembling a traffic jam in the area, but these are the type hysterical comments you get from Ward Eighters and their ilk. Naturally, you wouldn't hear a peep outta them if more sh*te tract housing were planned for that spot - that would be just fine.

[LikeHamilton]

Within a kilometre of the corner, there must be well over a thousand new homes gone in in the last few years. Aand most likely another few hundred going in right now and more being planned. I do not think 192 units would change much in traffic.
Now if a Tim’s went into the site, look out for traffic jams.

[SteelTown]

Seeking approval, rendering is included.....

https://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres...64PED14017.pdf

Looks very modern is funky design.

[lucasmascotto]

Holy f*ck! Why can't we build something like this in the core?!

[SteelTown]

Something like that is proposed for phase 2 of Lister Block.

[CaptainKirk]

Hamilton's planning committee will wait to hear from traffic management staff before voting on whether to approve a 10-storey condo development on the southwest Mountain.

Valery Homes initially proposed a 14-storey condo and commercial building but agreed to reduce the height after meeting with the ward's councillor, Terry Whitehead.

The committee heard from several neighbours during a public meeting Tuesday, residents of St. Elizabeth Village at Garth and Rymal, who said their roads are not equipped to handle more traffic.

Several councillors expressed frustration that there was no staff from the city's traffic department on hand to explain longer term plans to upgrade Rymal and Garth. They voted to defer approval of an official plan amendment and zoning amendment to allow the development until the next planning meeting Feb. 18.

Councillor Brad Clark said traffic and pedestrian safety concerns need to be taken more seriously in considering development applications in areas where roads are already congested.

"When do we stand up for the pedestrian? We say it in policy but we aren't doing it in practice."

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/43...er-condo-vote/

[HillStreetBlues]

I always love reading the letters attached at the bottom of these proposals (my favourite in this one is someone “heartily disapproving”). I did a double-take when I skimmed by and saw that one respondent lives at “Father Hitler Terrace.” Turns out I just need to get my eyes checked.

Anyway, in all seriousness, this looks fantastic. Wish we could get something like this in the lower city.




Edit: Also this was hilarious: “The prospected building (14 storey) is out of sync with other buildings- there is not one that size in the area- an area that serves Hamilton International Airport as a flight pattern.” I’m sure I shouldn’t make fun of people who take the time to get involved, but that is bananas.

[urban_planner]

Glad to see the planner knocked down most of the NIMBYs complaints

[Dr Awesomesauce]

It's an interesting looking project. There's a decent sized wood lot on that property - one of the few remaining on the Mountain. Hopefully some of it will be preserved. Otherwise, it's a refreshing change from the norm.

[KDP]

I like how the building is planned to be up along the sidewalk, with the parking hidden around in the rear. I don't know why this isn't done more often, such a simple change that makes the place so much more pleasing.

[fizzle]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

Edit: Also this was hilarious: “The prospected building (14 storey) is out of sync with other buildings- there is not one that size in the area- an area that serves Hamilton International Airport as a flight pattern.” I’m sure I shouldn’t make fun of people who take the time to get involved, but that is bananas.

The reason they give for it being bad is dumb, granted, but a 14 storey building at that corner is going to look really out of place and sort of ridiculous. Last I remember, there aren't even sidewalks around that area. Maybe it's changed?

People are sort of shooting down the residents complaints without giving it SOME thought. That whole area is subdivision heaven, and there's lots of room. And all of a sudden someone is going to prop up a condo building in the middle of nowhere (relatively speaking) which will look out of place and IS out of place in that part of Hamilton. The height is the issue - I'd have no sympathy for them if they were crapping on some other type of residential improvement (townhouses spring to mind as something homeowners in that area like to dump on for the same property value affecting reasons), but this seems a little bit of an odd decision in that location.

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by fizzle

The reason they give for it being bad is dumb, granted, but a 14 storey building at that corner is going to look really out of place and sort of ridiculous. Last I remember, there aren't even sidewalks around that area. Maybe it's changed?

People are sort of shooting down the residents complaints without giving it SOME thought. That whole area is subdivision heaven, and there's lots of room. And all of a sudden someone is going to prop up a condo building in the middle of nowhere (relatively speaking) which will look out of place and IS out of place in that part of Hamilton. The height is the issue - I'd have no sympathy for them if they were crapping on some other type of residential improvement (townhouses spring to mind as something homeowners in that area like to dump on for the same property value affecting reasons), but this seems a little bit of an odd decision in that location.

I apologize for not giving it some thought. You’re right that I didn’t really. Just like the suburbanites think “density means lower property values” automatically, I tend to think “density is good” automatically, when it isn’t ALWAYS the case. Point taken.

The area is suburb hell, but that’s no reason to keep it that way. And even if there’s a lot of room, it will eventually run out. If a developer is willing to add density and height, I think that’s a good thing. I don’t understand the economics of it, and would not have guessed that that kind of height is necessary in the middle of nowhere, but if the developer sees demand, that’s good.

14 stories is tall, but it’s not that tall. It’s not tall enough to disrupt flight plans of an airport that is seven kilometres away; not tall enough to shade properties hundreds of meters away. It’s a good mid-rise height for a building (maybe a tall mid-rise), which seems appropriate for the intersection of two important roadways.

I don't think that the residents’ complaints are not mostly to do with the height, but rather property values. They would have opposed townhomes as well. One said something to the effect that she had worked hard to escape a poor neighbourhood; another said that he didn’t understand who would want to live in an apartment in the area, so assumed it would become “low income, or worse, welfare housing.” It’s possible that it is a little on the tall side for the area, but now that the height is reduced due to NIMBY complaints we’ll see that the NIMBYs really just don’t want any risk of poor people living nearby, and poor people are to their mind the only types interested in living in dense non-car-dependent neighbourhoods.