The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by sailor734

So, did PAC recommend approval of both applications?

Those floor plans for Germain are unique....... although I'm not sure I'd want to live in a pie shaped trailer with no windows in the living areas.
I think this shows some of the challenges in converting buildings that were not originally designed as residential.

Kudos for an innovative design and doing their best to maximize an odd shaped building. I think they did quite well.

Having said this though, I can't imagine living there.

This is no fault of the design however. They did a good job.

[bingun]

Originally Posted by sailor734

So, did PAC recommend approval of both applications?

Those floor plans for Germain are unique....... although I'm not sure I'd want to live in a pie shaped trailer with no windows in the living areas.
I think this shows some of the challenges in converting buildings that were not originally designed as residential.

Yes, they both passed, 228 Germain was unanimous, but 421 Woodward was split 5-3.

I am not sure I would want to live in one of those super thin units they are proposing, with the only window being in the bedroom, but the floorplan for the larger space had more 'normal' looking units, some of which are multi-level, which is nice.

[homebody]

Is there a rendering or drawings available for the new school being constructed in the North End?

[DyAm00394]

Originally Posted by homebody

Is there a rendering or drawings available for the new school being constructed in the North End?

Nothing shared publicly yet as far as I know.

[sailor734]

I see 4 houses have popped up for sale in Lorneville this week. Wonder if some people there are seeing the writting on the wall?

[bingun]

Originally Posted by sailor734

I see 4 houses have popped up for sale in Lorneville this week. Wonder if some people there are seeing the writting on the wall?

It is funny you mention that. In this week's PAC meeting, the item for 160 Cosy Lake Road was related to subdividing the lot so the older couple could 'age in place' and their children could build their own units. The son was at the meeting, and he openly said that if the Lorneville rezoning goes ahead, he will likely be selling up and building a house next to his parents.

[sailor734]

I've always found the lack of demand and development around oceanfront properties odd here. Sure I get the fog and cooler temperature issues but go 100 mile SW down the coast and look at all the multimillion dollar houses or even vacant lots for sale in the high 6 figures. Climate is pretty much the same in downeast or even mid coast Maine.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by sailor734

I've always found the lack of demand and development around oceanfront properties odd here. Sure I get the fog and cooler temperature issues but go 100 mile SW down the coast and look at all the multimillion dollar houses or even vacant lots for sale in the high 6 figures. Climate is pretty much the same in downeast or even mid coast Maine.

Agreed, it’s a mystery that needs to be solved. It’s time to build

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by sailor734

I've always found the lack of demand and development around oceanfront properties odd here. Sure I get the fog and cooler temperature issues but go 100 mile SW down the coast and look at all the multimillion dollar houses or even vacant lots for sale in the high 6 figures. Climate is pretty much the same in downeast or even mid coast Maine.

I think there's a few factors at play here but I think the most important one is that the Maine coast is just generally more populated that the NB coast, which means you have a critical mass of people to offer up more amenities and services for residents. Route 1 is dotted with small towns full of great restaurants and shops and such and aside from St. Andrews we don't really have that here. Even St. Andrews had a relatively lackluster food scene until recently (aside from the Rossmount of course).

If you look at the values in Maine there's a noticeable decrease the further northeast you get, aside from some pockets like Bar Harbor. I feel like when it comes to attracting Americans to have summer homes in the Maritimes Nova Scotia is just more accessible in some ways and has more of those small coastal towns.

Of course it does mean that there is a lot of value in New Brunswick. There's a home that sold for over $4M in Bayside recently that would have been worth easily double in many parts of Maine.

[CharlotteCountyLogan]

I agree with Oliver. The bay of fundy coast isn't as developed as the Maine coast. I've lived me whole life in a small seaside community and houses here are cheap compared to what you would see on the maine and nova scotia coast. For example a house was listed for 1.1 million dollars and it's the most expensive listening I've ever seen here but in Maine or nova scotia 1.1 million would be a steal for this house.

[sailor734]

Just to be clear, I wasn't commenting about how prime waterfront homes and property aren't as costly here as they are in Maine or parts of NS. My observation was more about how it doesn't seem to be as desirable or in demand when compared to other options in the area. ....not the big premium for coastal property you see in Maine.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Just to be clear, I wasn't commenting about how prime waterfront homes and property aren't as costly here as they are in Maine or parts of NS. My observation was more about how it doesn't seem to be as desirable or in demand when compared to other options in the area. ....not the big premium for coastal property you see in Maine.

I think those two things are fairly closely related though.

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by sailor734

I see 4 houses have popped up for sale in Lorneville this week. Wonder if some people there are seeing the writting on the wall?

Someone I know actually put their house up for sale in Lorneville and it's due to not having enough rooms for kids instead of the impending industrial park.

[Ottawa]

Originally Posted by sailor734

I see 4 houses have popped up for sale in Lorneville this week. Wonder if some people there are seeing the writting on the wall?

What's the writing on the wall?

I get the impression you think they think their property values are going to decline.

I am pretty sure the real estate agents have canvassed every property in Lorneville lately. They would be crazy not to. If they only snagged 4, I don't think the writing on the wall is clear.

Some of those listings may just be testing the market. Or they may have opportunities to build/move elsewhere.

I would applaud those who decide to move because they are putting their words in action.

Those who move in will understand that they will be neighbours with some of the most valuable land in the province.

That alone will drive the property values northward. But I understand some people don't care about that. They have other priorities.

I can respect those who don't try to change the future of others who have other goals. I know the city wanted this developed 54 years ago. It looks like we now have a serious shot at making some changes to the same old same old.

I don't picture this development as attracting smokestack industries. I see a lot of effort has been put in to keep this a livable community and I think it will be a first class area where people will still enjoy living. This has always been on the edge of the city where future port development has been planned since day 1.

There's nothing so permanent as change.

[sailor734]

My use of "writing on the wall" was more about the project seeming very likely to be approved. Personally, I don't see it as being all that detrimental to the area but given the level of opposition it would seem the locals do.

[Pugsley]

Originally Posted by sailor734

My use of "writing on the wall" was more about the project seeming very likely to be approved. Personally, I don't see it as being all that detrimental to the area but given the level of opposition it would seem the locals do.

I really don't understand the issue. I know that sounds a bit elitist given I don't live in Lorneville, but this area was (still is?) the home of a major power plant that was (or still is) a major polluter. Yet people chose to build and live there while it operated. I'm struggling to support their cause when it is not like this area wasn't already home to a major industrial site or polluter, likely one that did far more damage to their health over the years.

My understanding is that there is a potential opportunity to attract greener technology jobs to an area that technically, isn't suitable for anything else. I would think that you can't build homes there given the plant's legacy. You can't even make it a nature preserve, for the same reason. It has always been industrial lands, so it being used as such has precedence. The fact that the land might be used to make EV batteries, or other more future-friendly light industrial uses for me, and this in just my opinion, a great story. How a part of the city that was once a gateway to a dirty electric plant, is now a green technology hub.

I just don't understand the issues I guess.

[adamuptownsj]

I take issue with the Coleson Cove slander. We need a healthy mix of power generation, especially if we are going to attract serious industry/adopt more electric heat and cars/grow our population, and unless we build a couple of new, reliable Lepreaus, we need Coleson Cove.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by Pugsley

I really don't understand the issue. I know that sounds a bit elitist given I don't live in Lorneville, but this area was (still is?) the home of a major power plant that was (or still is) a major polluter. Yet people chose to build and live there while it operated. I'm struggling to support their cause when it is not like this area wasn't already home to a major industrial site or polluter, likely one that did far more damage to their health over the years.

My understanding is that there is a potential opportunity to attract greener technology jobs to an area that technically, isn't suitable for anything else. I would think that you can't build homes there given the plant's legacy. You can't even make it a nature preserve, for the same reason. It has always been industrial lands, so it being used as such has precedence. The fact that the land might be used to make EV batteries, or other more future-friendly light industrial uses for me, and this in just my opinion, a great story. How a part of the city that was once a gateway to a dirty electric plant, is now a green technology hub.

I just don't understand the issues I guess.

People tend to overestimate the impact that projects like this will have on them, whether we're talking about property values or other factors. The same thing happened with the proposed jail in Fredericton which would have been tucked into the Vanier Industrial Park and no one would have noticed it was even there but people were up in arms about it.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I take issue with the Coleson Cove slander. We need a healthy mix of power generation, especially if we are going to attract serious industry/adopt more electric heat and cars/grow our population, and unless we build a couple of new, reliable Lepreaus, we need Coleson Cove.

Is anyone slandering Coleson Cove?

I just think it’s a bit rich the locals are upset about the potential for pollution while living that close to one of the biggest sources of industrial pollution in the entire province.

I think the location makes perfect sense for a data centre because of Coleson Cove, and because of Lepreau, and because of the wind farm. Moreover, with how big these buildings could end up being, there’s some serious potential for solar power on top of these proposed projects.

There may also be an opportunity to convert Coleson Cove generating station from oil to natural gas one day.

[Pugsley]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I take issue with the Coleson Cove slander. We need a healthy mix of power generation, especially if we are going to attract serious industry/adopt more electric heat and cars/grow our population, and unless we build a couple of new, reliable Lepreaus, we need Coleson Cove.

I wasn't slandering Coleson Cove, my point was if you bought or built a house next to heavy industry, I'm perplexed why now it is an issue for the residents - especially if what is being proposed would be significantly less polluting than an oil generating station.