[Halifax] St. Joseph's Square (5450 Kaye) | 32 m | 9 fl | Completed

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

According to the HRM Calender this proposal will be approved (or rejected) on September 27th at Regional Council.

Draft Development Agreement

Well since it's my birthday and I'm in town - I'd love to go and speak.

[Dmajackson]

Worries arise about city development
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter
Sun, Sep 25 - 7:38 AM

It’s a mixed-use development plan in Halifax that’s been knocked down in height, but now a proposed parking garage entrance at street level is a bone of contention.

Concerns about pedestrian safety in a north-end school zone and possible air quality problems have been sent to regional councillors just days before planning amendments affecting the nine-storey St. Joseph’s Square project are to be the subject of a public hearing at city hall.

Proposed by ECL General Partner IV Ltd., a division of Sobeys controlled by Empire Company Ltd., the project includes two levels of underground parking, townhouse units on the ground floor and upper-storey residences.

But the local councillor said Saturday there’s support in his community for the Gottingen Street building, which would be built on the former St. Joseph’s Church site. The church was demolished in 2009

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Kind of surprisingly the comments left are from the pro-development side. Most so far want to see this built and see no problem with the garage door entrance.

[planarchy]

Worries arise about city development

By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter / Chronicle Herald
Sun, Sep 25 - 7:38 AM
It’s a mixed-use development plan in Halifax that’s been knocked down in height, but now a proposed parking garage entrance at street level is a bone of contention.

Concerns about pedestrian safety in a north-end school zone and possible air quality problems have been sent to regional councillors just days before planning amendments affecting the nine-storey St. Joseph’s Square project are to be the subject of a public hearing at city hall.

Proposed by ECL General Partner IV Ltd., a division of Sobeys controlled by Empire Company Ltd., the project includes two levels of underground parking, townhouse units on the ground floor and upper-storey residences.

But the local councillor said Saturday there’s support in his community for the Gottingen Street building, which would be built on the former St. Joseph’s Church site. The church was demolished in 2009.

Coun. Jerry Blumenthal (Halifax North End) said concerns voiced in an email note from a member of Dalhousie University’s Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre have not been expressed by others familiar with the project.

"Most people are for it," Blumenthal told The Chronicle Herald.

"I’m ready to listen to what people say" at Tuesday’s public hearing, he said.

The hearing begins at 6 p.m. in the council chamber.

Blumenthal said the proposed project started at around 14 storeys.

He said it’ll have residential and commercial components.

In his email, Daniel Rainham, an environmental science expert at Dalhousie University, said the planned garage access is almost directly across from the entrance of Shambhala School and adjacent to the entrance of St. Joseph’s-A. McKay School.

This could pose a traffic hazard with respect to students and parents travelling to and from either school, he said.

The garage proposal "will create additional localized air quality problems from automobile emissions in an area heavily populated with children who are already vulnerable to environmental contaminants," said the email from Rainham.

He said the garage entrance location should be reconsidered.

[someone123]

I'm surprised they didn't point out that the new building will give everybody cancer because of the condo users' wifi networks.

How busy could the parking garage entrance actually be? I live in a suburban condo complex with about as many units as this building would have. Most of the time there's about a 5-10 minute delay between each car entering or leaving the garage, which only takes a few seconds. Typically even if I leave at the peak of rush hour I do no see another car when I leave the garage. There would have to be a huge number of units and very heavy car use to generate any sort of horrible grid lock by a condo garage entrance.

[Jstaleness]

Originally Posted by planarchy

This could pose a traffic hazard with respect to students and parents travelling to and from either school, he said.
The garage proposal "will create additional localized air quality problems from automobile emissions in an area heavily populated with children who are already vulnerable to environmental contaminants," said the email from Rainham.

This must be the first building that has cars inside to be built next to a school? Where do teachers and staff at the school park? I vote that all cars are no longer allowed within 500 yards near the school in fear of localized pollution.


Seriously though, it would take that much in alterations to move the garage entrance would it?

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

This must be the first building that has cars inside to be built next to a school? Where do teachers and staff at the school park? I vote that all cars are no longer allowed within 500 yards near the school in fear of localized pollution.

If localized pollution was a legitimate complaint for residential areas Windmill Road would of never had been built (or Portland or Main St). And if they were built residential and institutional would of been banned for at least a few hundred metres away. Speaking from months of experience seeing a pollution cloud moving towards is not good for your health but nobody seems to care. Being "green" in Halifax CAN kill you, while driving ensures convenience and health. Anyways my point is the peninsula has no stance when it comes to pollution and traffic problems so the current parking garage entrance is in a good spot and should pose no issues when built.

Given the urban location of this proposal and the abundance of amenities nearby I cannot see the level of car usage being very high. The two schools next door should drastically reduce the flow of vehicles during peak hours (no school runs) and the Metro Transit routes on Gottingen should reduce the amount of SOV commuters. If I'm not mistaken the peninsula has an active transportation commute rate over 50%.

Just imagine the lack of cars using this parking garage if a Hydrostone mass transit system were built (like a streetcar/LRT on Agricola or bus corridor on Gottingen). A guy can dream can't he ...

[Jstaleness]

It's a dream now, but with the right promoting and additional population growth in North End it should become reality someday. It should be such an easy sell once the population is there. A north/south transit way with hopefully an improved street shopping experience along Gottingen or Agricola.

[halifaxboyns]

It's likely that there will be more pollution generated from the vehicles idling to pick up their kids at the schools than the building will ever generate.

I'm not sure if anyone is going to go to the public hearing, but I was planning to attend. I haven't decided if I'm going to speak, but I will be there.

[Jstaleness]

Anyone make it out tonight?

[Dmajackson]

The MPS/LUB ammendments were approved. This should go before Peninsula CC sometime in November for final approval.

[halifaxboyns]

I didn't end up staying; I had birthday plans. But it was good to talk to some former coworkers and I had a chance to chat with Councillor Sloane and a few others. I also snickered at a few people from the previous item...it was fun.

Poor Luc, the planner, had a bit of a rough time from the item before. It just proved to me that once again Councillors don't always read reports; because at least an hour was taken up about now understanding what they were approving. So annoying. If I hadn't had to go tend to my grandmother, I would've spoken as my notes from the first couple of speakers were quite extensive.

[spaustin]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Poor Luc, the planner, had a bit of a rough time from the item before. It just proved to me that once again Councillors don't always read reports; because at least an hour was taken up about now understanding what they were approving. So annoying. If I hadn't had to go tend to my grandmother, I would've spoken as my notes from the first couple of speakers were quite extensive.

I attended, said a few words at the very end. I did catch the mess that was the first proposal. I felt bad for Luc too! That said, I don't think it's quite right to lay that completely at the feet of council. I grabbed the staff report and flipped through it and it was a real mess. Quite confusing actually. I can understand how some of them got lost in it, especially if you just kind of flipped through. Obviously they should fully read everything that comes before them, but staff have a duty to present them with reports that are easy to read. More than enough blame to go around for that lost hour.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by spaustin

I attended, said a few words at the very end. I did catch the mess that was the first proposal. I felt bad for Luc too! That said, I don't think it's quite right to lay that completely at the feet of council. I grabbed the staff report and flipped through it and it was a real mess. Quite confusing actually. I can understand how some of them got lost in it, especially if you just kind of flipped through. Obviously they should fully read everything that comes before them, but staff have a duty to present them with reports that are easy to read. More than enough blame to go around for that lost hour.

Where were you sitting? I was in behind Councillor Mosher in the back row.

[spaustin]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Where were you sitting? I was in behind Councillor Mosher in the back row.

I actually was in the back row back behind Mosher as well. Was sitting next to Bernie Smith and the HRM staff at the end. You were probably only a seat or two away from me

[Dmajackson]

The final decision on this project will come down on Monday evening;

Peninsula Community Council - Agenda - January 9th, 2012

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

The final decision on this project will come down on Monday evening;

Peninsula Community Council - Agenda - January 9th, 2012

Anyone know the result?

[Jstaleness]

The latest update on the HRM website is the approval on Sept. 28th. Perhaps last nights vote will be updated sometime today.

[halifaxboyns]

The DA was approved by Peninsula Community Council.

[Jstaleness]

Finally. Will be nice to see this grow from the current hole.

[someone123]

Didn't really anticipate problems with this one since it is so small and had already been reduced in height. It will complement the Hydrostone area nicely and of course this will be a very hot area for housing in the future.

Hopefully work will begin soon. The site has been empty now for a long time. It's also shown up in a few ill-informed blog posts about how developers aren't following through with their projects (hint: they are not allowed to).