Posted Jan 11, 2013, 3:58 PM
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 141
|
|
Last night, I went to the AGM of the Centrepointe Community Association (CCA), where this project was discussed. Councillor Chiarelli made a presentation and the CCA President also spoke. As expected, residents raised many traditional concerns: e.g. parking problems; increased traffic; height; a decrease in property values in homes in the immediate vicinity of this project. (The latter was a concern, given that Richcraft has esimated that all three buildings could take up to five years to build from start to finish).
What seemed to be unique, however, was that the CCA did not start from an inflexible position. Don't get me wrong, if most local residents had their way, they would opt for the full implementation of the Centrepointe Community Design Plan that was passed by council several years ago. For many, the Richcraft project goes against the spirit of the CDP.
However, the CCA also went out of its way to say that Richcraft had taken their concerns seriously, and that discussions were productive. While this was not a kumbaya session in praise of developers, local residents seemed to realize that development would occur, and that they had to be constructive in their feedback, rather than yelling "No!" at the top of their lungs.
My takeaway is that many local residents are opposed to this project, while realizing that it is not productive to fight a pointless battle. As such, the CCA actively engaged with the developer this fall and made several productive suggestions. For instance, they have requested that a pathway link the buildings to Baseline Station, in order to promote the use of public transit, which would address concerns about traffic. As well, the CCA has asked that any paths be open to the public.
According to Coun. Chiarelli, this project is a model for how a community and a developer should engage. This doesn't mean everyone got what the wanted (in fact, nobody got 100%) but at least it seems that everyone was left with the feeling that their voices were heard and taken into account. In short, an interesting meeting.
|