Official Fredericton, NB projects thread

[cl812]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Seven-storey apartment building gets green light
Published Thursday August 21st, 2008


Opposition | Resident says it’s like having a beast move in
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
[email protected]


A seven-storey apartment building approved for 362 Victoria St. will rise up into the sky like a too-tall, too-small lighthouse, says Dundonald Street resident Jeanette Robertson.

Speaking on behalf of downtown neighbours who objected to developer Tony George's project Wednesday night at planning advisory committee, Robertson challenged committee members to think about how they'd like a towering building over their homes.

"It's almost like having a beast in your backyard," Robertson said.

Her property will back onto the brick-and-glass apartment building designed by local architect Carl Smyth.

While Robertson praised Smyth's other designs around the city, she said the building is too big for a predominantly residential area, particularly with the style of homes surrounding it.

She also mentioned the additional traffic on local streets.

"Forty-four units, if everyone has a car, that's 44 cars at rush hour potentially," she said.

But planning advisory committee members tried to explain to residents that their hands are tied.

The group unanimously approved the 44-unit, seven-storey building and the variances needed to allow it to be constructed. City council has no say over the committee's decision.

As a matter of legal right, George has the property zoning - mixed-use district zone - to build an eight-storey building on the land. All he would have to do is make his proposed building narrower and taller and it would still fit on the land and in the zone.

George would also have the right to build six storeys with surface parking surrounding the building, which would reduce the amount of grass and shrubbery around the property.

"He has all kinds of fallback positions," said Alex Forbes, assistant director of development services. "The reality is he doesn't need to come to this committee for an eight-storey building, but he'd have to reduce 44 units to 36. If he does that, he can achieve an eight-storey building."

George wrote a letter to the committee saying he would voluntarily reduce the building's height to seven storeys while retaining 44 apartment units and keep the underground parking in recognition of neighbourhood concerns.

George is able to modify his design and still retain 44 apartment units, because some of the apartments have the same internal floor space as a sprawling bungalow and can be scaled back in size.

Smyth said while he sympathizes with the concerns of neighbours, George bought the property in good faith based on its zoning and the fact he could build up to eight storeys of housing. The land could have other uses that would be less desirable than an apartment, including a nightclub or an office building, Smyth said.

Committee member Dan Koncz said by granting minor variances to the front, side and rear of the building lot, the planning advisory committee can ensure that the building is constructed with underground parking, rather than a sea of asphalt and surface parking for cars.

But when Koncz asked Robertson if she would prefer six storeys with an asphalt lot or the seven storeys, Robertson described the choice as ludicrous.

Even at six storeys, that's like taking two homes on Waterloo Row and stacking them on top of each other, she said.

Citizen member Zona Bovingdon said she understood neighbourhood frustrations, but more landscaping would be better than more asphalt.

This is surpsing, but good to hear. Too bad their scaling it down to 7 from 8 stories.

[kirjtc2]

Do these people not realize how ridiculous they sound to the rest of the city?

The style of homes surrounding it? Come on! Right now it's an old NAPA store with warehouses on either side, an ugly grey industrial building across the street, an empty shoe factory next to that and the abandoned train station around the corner! Not to mention the —-ugly changes Rogers is making to their building around there. Are they complaining about that?

44 cars at rush hour....so maybe if they all came home a few minutes apart from each other, you'd be stuck behind 5 cars at the York/Dundonald stop light instead of 3. Big whoop.

These NIMBY snobs should get a grip.

[kirjtc2]

The Gleaner gets it....here's their editorial today.


Seven storeys is better than some alternatives
Published Friday August 22nd, 2008
In our view: Don't buy in a mixed zone if you don't want development in your neighbourhood

Be careful where you buy your home.

That is the lesson many residents of the Victoria Street area have no doubt learned this week as they prepare for life with a seven-storey apartment building about to be constructed in their neighbourhood.

They went to the Planning Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday to voice their concerns, with one saying "it's almost like having a beast in your backyard."

But the PAC was powerless to deny the construction, because the lot on which the structure will be built does not require rezoning. It is, according to the city's zoning plan, appropriate for the area.

While most of Victoria Street is residential, this York Street end is not exactly in the heart of a single family housing zone.

When a person sets out to buy a house, he or she would be well advised to check the zoning map at city hall to see what is permitted on and around the properties they are interested in.

In this case, there are warehouses, the old train station, offices, other multi-tenant apartment buildings and many businesses.

The developer, Tony George, went to the PAC with a compromise that would cost him money, delay his project and require the re-configuring of his blueprints. Nevertheless, he agreed to reduce his eight-storey building to a seven-storey one to appease the neighbours.

They weren't accepting the olive branch he offered. They still fear the long shadows the building will cast, the traffic caused by the cars owned by the residents who will live in the 44 units and the sheer size of the building.

But let's consider what another developer would have every right to build there: a gym, a bowling alley, a bank, an office, a store, an auto repair shop or a bar.

Instead, the neighbourhood will enjoy an enhanced vibrancy with many new people whose presence will enrich the area. In addition, they will spend their money at nearby stores and shops. It's not a bad turn of events, given the alternatives.

Change can prompt apprehension, and a tall building, this one with as many storeys as the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel, might seem a bit overwhelming at first.

While we applaud the neighbourhood effort to have its concerns heard, we predict that by the time the apartment building is constructed, most of the neighbourhood will have largely forgotten what all the fuss was about.

[BradMacD]

Amen.

[kirjtc2]

Building boom continues in July
Published Saturday August 23rd, 2008
A2
By The Daily Gleaner

The value of construction this year to the end of July in the city has hit the $75-million mark. That's up nearly $10 million from last year.

The value of construction in July was worth $17.6 million. That's also up from last July's total of $15 million.

The figures include commercial, industrial, government and residential construction.

-------------------


Zoning hearing
Published Saturday August 23rd, 2008
A3
By The Daily Gleaner

Zoning amendments to allow for the construction of an office building and parking garage as part of the $75.5-million municipally owned convention centre development will be considered Monday.

That's the date for the public presentation of the zoning bylaw changes. The city needs height variances to construct the buildings.

Still ahead is a date for the public hearing of objections to the proposal and three bylaw readings to enact the zoning changes.

-------------------


City making changes to bus routes
Published Saturday August 23rd, 2008
A6
By The Daily Gleaner

Fredericton Transit is making changes to bus routes 11 and 16 starting Monday.

From Kings Place, route 16 will follow its regular route to Montgomery Street. From Montgomery Street, route 16 will turn right onto Regent Street to the Regent Street medical clinic, then to the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital and continue to the Regent Mall.

The route 11 bus, which in the past went to the Regent Street medical clinic, will follow its regular route from Kings Place to Montgomery Street. At the top of Windsor Street, it will now turn left to College Hill to Priestman Street, then to the Regent Mall. Northbound routes will follow the path as well.

New bus schedules are available on all transit buses, plus the 13 outlets that sell transit passes.

The locations area: Cigs N' Things, Kings Place; Shoppers Drug Mart, Kings Place; city hall's revenue desk; Reads, at 435 King St.; Paper Trail, Student Union Building; Shoppers Drug Mart, Prospect Plaza; Corner Post and Great Canadian News, both at Regent Mall; Shoppers Mart Drug, 259 Main St.; Jean Coutu, Devon Plaza; Riverside Convenience, 79 Riverside Dr.; Northside Pharmasave, 231 Canada St.; Lawtons Drug, Brookside Mall.

For more information, visit www.fredericton.ca or contact the transit division at 460-2200.

[mylesmalley]

Fredericton rental costs highest in N.B.
Published Monday August 25th, 2008

Low-income earners have difficult time finding affordable housing in New Brunswick's capital
A10
Canadaeast News Service

FREDERICTON - Finding an affordable place to call home shouldn't be a difficult thing to do.

But at any given time, there are hundreds of people on a waiting list who are looking for affordable housing in the Fredericton area.

Many are having trouble making ends meet. Living expenses often take up the biggest chunk of their budget.

"As the cost of living goes up for low-income earners, so are power rates and the cost of oil and gas. You have to balance where the money goes," said Cindy Sheppard, executive director of the Fredericton Community Foundation.

Vacancy rates are one of 11 key indicators the Fredericton Community Foundation is looking at as it prepares to release the community's first Vital Signs report.

The situation is a contradiction of sorts for a community that boasts the highest apartment vacancy rates among New Brunswick's three largest cities.

In October 2007, Fredericton posted a vacancy rate of 6.5 per cent. But vacancy rates weren't the only high number in Fredericton. The city also had the highest rents.

Figures released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. in December 2007 showed that for every category of apartment, the city had the highest average monthly rent anywhere in the province.

Average costs for every apartment type in the city were also highest in New Brunswick: $546 for a bachelor, $586 for a one-bedroom, $701 for a two-bedroom and $888 for a three-bedroom.

The city of Fredericton recently identified half a dozen properties it's willing to part with at a reduced price, provided the buyer builds an eight-unit apartment that includes two low-income units.

So far, only one property has been sold under the program.

Coun. Mike O'Brien, a proponent of increased access to affordable housing in Fredericton, said church and non-profit sectors are doing a good job, but private involvement is necessary to help address the situation.

Almost 400 people were on a waiting list for affordable housing in Fredericton, Oromocto, New Maryland and surrounding areas last fall.

The price of homes in the Fredericton area is on the rise as well. The average price paid for a home resold in the area in 2007 was $141,117, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. That's up from $138,094 in 2006, $105,245 in 2002 and $93,725 in 1998.

For some, even an apartment is out of reach.

"The challenge for our clients is not finding an apartment. It's being able to even afford a room in a rooming house," said Brian Duplessis, executive director of Fredericton Emergency Shelters Inc.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. doesn't keep statistics on rooming houses, which usually consist of rooms where residents don't have their own bathrooms or kitchens.

"The cheapest room in Fredericton is in excess of $300 a month," Duplessis said.

That may sound OK to some, he said, but people have to realize income assistance for a single, employable person is $285 a month.

Even a person with a certified disability who is getting $521 a month is in a bind, he said.

[BradMacD]

Rawr.
Apparently there have been quite a bit of robberies.
My brother lives near the Goody Shop and was watching while it was getting robbed. D:
They had a swat team and everything.
Crazy.

Where were the other 3?
Tim Horton's on Maine Street
The Irving on Main
and I saw an Esso on the news but I couldn't tell which one it was...
It was on the northside, too.
They said it was nearby the other ones.

[mylesmalley]

I used to live two houses up from the goody shoppe. Never saw it robbed, but i can say that neighborhood is no stranger to police...

There's something almost beautiful about the way light from three squad cars reflects off the mob of students and smashed beer bottles on a friday night...

I just might miss that place

[BradMacD]

LOL xD
Yeah, my brother is a student, too.
So...yeah. Meets the demographic.
It's odd how if you go just a couple houses up Hanson or Graham, it's ALL elderly folks.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by BradMacD

LOL xD
Yeah, my brother is a student, too.
So...yeah. Meets the demographic.
It's odd how if you go just a couple houses up Hanson or Graham, it's ALL elderly folks.

Graham Street: 1 old lady, one creepy old man, 200 students.

[mylesmalley]

Students breathe new life into Fredericton's economy
Published Friday August 29th, 2008


A1
By CHRIS FOX
[email protected]


More than 11,000 university students will soon descend on Fredericton's bars, restaurants and entertainment facilities, but some in the business community say they're already enjoying the spinoffs.


The Daily Gleaner/James West Pho
moving in: St. Thomas University student Matt Sheriko makes his bed after moving into Harrington Hall this week.
"It's already started and it really is like night and day between now and the business we were doing during the summer," said Patrick Tahan, general manager of Budget Cab.

"We really are an eight-month business and the difference students make for us is unbelievable."

Don Webster, owner of George's Skycab, agreed.

He said his company adds several vehicles to its fleet every September to cope with increased business.

"We have to plan ahead and have more cars and more drivers for when students arrive," he said Thursday.

"A lot of drivers are seasonal drivers in that they only work for us during the (school) year, so they will all be back, which increases our fleet by probably around 30 per cent."

Webster said business just gets better as the year goes on.

"It starts off pretty good and as we get into November, it gets even better because of the nasty weather," he said.

"It sort of builds up right through until May when the students leave."

Anthony Knight, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, said Thursday university students play a big role throughout Fredericton's economy.

"Students have a significant impact in our community and on our economy," he said. "When you consider the apartment rentals, the retail goods that are purchased, tuition ... there are so many benefits to having them here.

"We really welcome them back because they are a valued constituency for us."

Knight, whose organization represents more than 900 local businesses, said the impact of students is especially apparent in the downtown area.

"Our entertainment district really benefits because, obviously, some of our students enjoy a night out, and as long as it's done responsibly, we welcome it," he said.

Frank Scott, co-owner of the Lunar Rogue Pub on King Street, said he sees the effect university students have on downtown businesses every September, although he admitted his establishment doesn't get many

first-year students walking through its doors.

"We don't get a lot of the new students, but we do get all kinds of third, fourth, fifth and graduate students. They are certainly wonderful to have back," he said.

"Generally for the first couple of weeks we see a real spike in business when the students arrive, but then around the third week of September it will drop back off a little bit just because they start to hit the books."

[BradMacD]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Graham Street: 1 old lady, one creepy old man, 200 students.

Fine, Hanson and...that one street.
>>
<<

KITCHEN street
I remembered.

[Smevo]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

[B][COLOR="Green"]
Frank Scott, co-owner of the Lunar Rogue Pub on King Street, said he sees the effect university students have on downtown businesses every September, although he admitted his establishment doesn't get many
first-year students walking through its doors.

"We don't get a lot of the new students, but we do get all kinds of third, fourth, fifth and graduate students. They are certainly wonderful to have back," he said.

I actually met one of the co-owners of the Lunar Rogue just before my first year, I just can't remember if it was Frank or not. Oddly enough, it was while I was visiting family in Halifax.

Anyway, their target demographic doesn't include early year students, or really anything other than "professional students" by design, but all you really have to do is walk into the pub to see that. I believe his words were "we welcome students, but our target is the middle-age professionals and sometimes graduate students." I enjoyed it there the few times I was there, nonetheless.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by Smevo

I actually met one of the co-owners of the Lunar Rogue just before my first year, I just can't remember if it was Frank or not. Oddly enough, it was while I was visiting family in Halifax.

Anyway, their target demographic doesn't include early year students, or really anything other than "professional students" by design, but all you really have to do is walk into the pub to see that. I believe his words were "we welcome students, but our target is the middle-age professionals and sometimes graduate students." I enjoyed it there the few times I was there, nonetheless.

Certainly better than Nicky Zees...

[PostModernPrometheus]

HAPPY LABOUR DAY NB'ers!!!!!

[BradMacD]

Noooooooo
NOOOOOO
SCHOOL
D:

If I'm any contribution to this topic,
Apparently they put new lockers in at FHS.
They're black now, instead of blue.
And they replaced a bunch of locker spaces with benches, too.
I'll see them on Wednesday...
Starting grade 10.
Blehhhh.
I came down with the cold, too, right before the first day.
>___>

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by BradMacD

Noooooooo
NOOOOOO
SCHOOL
D:

If I'm any contribution to this topic,
Apparently they put new lockers in at FHS.
They're black now, instead of blue.
And they replaced a bunch of locker spaces with benches, too.
I'll see them on Wednesday...
Starting grade 10.
Blehhhh.
I came down with the cold, too, right before the first day.
>___>

Good luck with tenth grade.

I tell ya though, third year at UNB will be where it's at

[kirjtc2]

This is my first year since 1989 where I *don't* have to worry about going to school in September! I just need a better job.

Interesting about the lockers at FHS...I guess they didn't want them in the colours of their 2 biggest rivals anymore?

[BradMacD]

Haha. xD
The blue ones were so smashed up and full of graffiti...
I wonder how long it'll take for the black ones to get like that.
The walls are yellow...
Why didn't they have black ones in the first place?

[kirjtc2]

OK...I went to Montana's the other night and was told it would be almost a 2 hour wait, and I just heard on Fred FM that Shawn Graham and Brad Woodside were at the opening of East Side Mario's last night.

Is a friggin restaurant chain that big a deal in this city?