[Dartmouth] King's Wharf (16 Kings Wharf Place) | 85 & 49 m | 27 & 15 fl | U/C

[bluenoser]

I don't know if this is exactly King's Wharf related but anyway:

Halifax council to vote on sale of Dartmouth city hall to Fares

Halifax regional council will vote Tuesday whether to sell the old Dartmouth city hall to Fares & Co. Development Inc.

The municipality received multiple offers for the three-storey concrete office complex at 90 Alderney Dr. after it was listed for sale last month with a $2.6-million asking price.

...

“Residential would be the market right now but you never know what could happen. We’re open to all possibilities and if we find a solid tenant for an office building we’ll keep it as on office or build an office there. We have a lot of options.”

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/12511...-on-sale-of-dartmouth-city-hall-to-fares

[spaustin]

As a privately-owned property the biggest drawback of Old City Hall is the lack of vehicle access. Never a real problem for the city since they could just use Alderney. Might be okay for privately-owned offices too, but any residential redevelopment would require access and I assume that would be tricky off of Alderney. If Fares ends up getting his revised access plan for King's Wharf approved, than a road will come off Alderney close to the Old City Hall property line, which will make accessing it a lot easier. Fares is well-positioned to make the most out of this property. Not surprising that it looks like he's the winning bidder.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by spaustin

As a privately-owned property the biggest drawback of Old City Hall is the lack of vehicle access. Never a real problem for the city since they could just use Alderney. Might be okay for privately-owned offices too, but any residential redevelopment would require access and I assume that would be tricky off of Alderney. If Fares ends up getting his revised access plan for King's Wharf approved, than a road will come off Alderney close to the Old City Hall property line, which will make accessing it a lot easier. Fares is well-positioned to make the most out of this property. Not surprising that it looks like he's the winning bidder.

Parking for senior staff and councillors was available at no charge in the underground parking at Alderney gate. Underground access to City hall enabled one to walk from a heated car to a heated meeting, or a heated office.
He may ask for an exemption from providing parking.
The purchase price should be one aspect of a decision. It is important that the building not sit empty and the sale should contain requirements for occupancy or reconstruction within a short time limit.

[hokus83]

I believe there are plans to build a new museum on the grounds near the old Dartmouth city hall with this sale. Be interesting to see how that turns out

[Colin May]

" I moved to a condo next to the railway tracks and now I don't like the noise. I'll complain to my councillor. "
Duh. Shakes head.
Funnier than The Simpsons.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Colin May

" I moved to a condo next to the railway tracks and now I don't like the noise. I'll complain to my councillor. "
Duh. Shakes head.
Funnier than The Simpsons.

Anything that makes life more difficult for CN, I'm fine with. Hard to find a more disreputable company these days.

No other company has been less cooperative than CN when it comes to city issues. From lawsuits over maintenance to essentially blocking any light transit studies. They basically exercise a monopoly these days over railway lines that taxpayers originally built.

A for this issue, this isn't the 19th century, when you can blast steam whistles all hours of the night. People live in cities, and increasingly so. CN needs to learn how to do business with that reality. Modernize. Get with it, or get out.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

A for this issue, this isn't the 19th century, when you can blast steam whistles all hours of the night. People live in cities, and increasingly so. CN needs to learn how to do business with that reality. Modernize. Get with it, or get out.

Gloria is fond of telling voters who don't like a new building blocking a view that buying a home does not give a person a right to an unobstructed view, and she is correct. Although she will, and has, opposed a building that she mistakenly believed would cause a breeeze on a lake where her grandchildren paddle/kayak.
Buying or renting a condo next to a train crossing comes with the same caveat - buyer beware.
We hear the trains at 2 a.m and 3 a.m and just roll over and go back to sleep.
At the time she enthusiastically voted for the project she, and her colleagues, failed to realise the potential for disturbance and thus failed in her responsibility to ensure the possible disturbance was minimised by the developer paying for an interchange similar to the one at Alderney Landing. The same comment applies to planning staff.
I hope she doesn't expect taxpayers to remedy the mistake.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Anything that makes life more difficult for CN, I'm fine with. Hard to find a more disreputable company these days.

No other company has been less cooperative than CN when it comes to city issues. From lawsuits over maintenance to essentially blocking any light transit studies. They basically exercise a monopoly these days over railway lines that taxpayers originally built.

A for this issue, this isn't the 19th century, when you can blast steam whistles all hours of the night. People live in cities, and increasingly so. CN needs to learn how to do business with that reality. Modernize. Get with it, or get out.

This isn't about punishing CN for being difficult to deal with from a city standpoint, this is about safety regulations - regulations that are in place everywhere in the country. The reason for the regulation is to alert drivers and pedestrians that a train, which cannot stop immediately due to its mass and the low coefficient of friction between the steel rails and its steel wheels, is approaching. It is to prevent people from being killed, basically.

This situation reminds me of the people who build houses next to a pig farm and then try to get the farm shut down because they don't like the smell. I really don't understand the mentality - didn't they see the train tracks running next to the building before they moved in??

FWIW, I grew up in DT Dartmouth and train horns were just part of life there. You get used to it to the point that you don't even notice them after a while.

Regardless, it looks like they are launching a study - maybe they will decide that warning lights will be enough. Then I'm sure somebody will complain that they almost got run over by a train because it didn't give its audible warning while approaching the crossing...

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1262272-train-whistles-may-be-silenced-in-downtown-dartmouth

[JET]

In Dartmouth Downtown, I am very happy that I'm four blocks from a fire station, along with the sirens at all hours; I will be disappointed if the fire station closes.

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

This isn't about punishing CN for being difficult to deal with from a city standpoint, this is about safety regulations - regulations that are in place everywhere in the country. The reason for the regulation is to alert drivers and pedestrians that a train, which cannot stop immediately due to its mass and the low coefficient of friction between the steel rails and its steel wheels, is approaching. It is to prevent people from being killed, basically.

Right you are, ODM. Transport Canada will agree to silence train horns but will often impose on municipalities and/or the railways requirements to enhance other saftey measures to improve visibility, slow speed and so on. But the horn is fundamentally a safety measure and silencing it to preserve the sleep of well-heeled condo owners (who apparently were asleep when they failed to notice the tracks when they purchased their units) shouldn't be taken lightly. For example, the fatal accident in September 2013, when six people were killed on an Ottawa transit bus collided with a VIA passenger train, happened at just such a silenced crossing.

Given the number of people who will be living and working at King's Wharf by the time it's complete I expect Transport Canada will not rubber stamp its decision just because Councillor McCluskey has decided to make the issue her own. They would be right to ask why a developer spending tens of millions to build hundreds of residential units did not choose to grade separate the rail crossing.

[visualman57]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

Right you are, ODM. Transport Canada will agree to silence train horns but will often impose on municipalities and/or the railways requirements to enhance other saftey measures to improve visibility, slow speed and so on. But the horn is fundamentally a safety measure and silencing it to preserve the sleep of well-heeled condo owners (who apparently were asleep when they failed to notice the tracks when they purchased their units) shouldn't be taken lightly. For example, the fatal accident in September 2013, when six people were killed on an Ottawa transit bus collided with a VIA passenger train, happened at just such a silenced crossing.

Given the number of people who will be living and working at King's Wharf by the time it's complete I expect Transport Canada will not rubber stamp its decision just because Councillor McCluskey has decided to make the issue her own. They would be right to ask why a developer spending tens of millions to build hundreds of residential units did not choose to grade separate the rail crossing.

"but those flashing red lights keep me awake at night"......

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

Right you are, ODM. Transport Canada will agree to silence train horns but will often impose on municipalities and/or the railways requirements to enhance other saftey measures to improve visibility, slow speed and so on. But the horn is fundamentally a safety measure and silencing it to preserve the sleep of well-heeled condo owners (who apparently were asleep when they failed to notice the tracks when they purchased their units) shouldn't be taken lightly. For example, the fatal accident in September 2013, when six people were killed on an Ottawa transit bus collided with a VIA passenger train, happened at just such a silenced crossing.

Given the number of people who will be living and working at King's Wharf by the time it's complete I expect Transport Canada will not rubber stamp its decision just because Councillor McCluskey has decided to make the issue her own. They would be right to ask why a developer spending tens of millions to build hundreds of residential units did not choose to grade separate the rail crossing.

Excellent points.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

A for this issue, this isn't the 19th century, when you can blast steam whistles all hours of the night. People live in cities, and increasingly so. CN needs to learn how to do business with that reality. Modernize. Get with it, or get out.

Re-reading your comments, I can't help but wonder how those in big cities can sleep with such big-city noises as sirens and traffic (and the ubiquitous horn-blowing) going all night... seems to me that there is nothing more "city" than living in a condo and hearing loud noises all night. Sounds like Dartmouth is moving into the big time.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-york-city/1355903-cars-beeping-their-horns.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/nyregion/new-york-removes-no-honking-signs.html?_r=0

[mcmcclassic]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Re-reading your comments, I can't help but wonder how those in big cities can sleep with such big-city noises as sirens and traffic (and the ubiquitous horn-blowing) going all night... seems to me that there is nothing more "city" than living in a condo and hearing loud noises all night. Sounds like Dartmouth is moving into the big time.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-york-city/1355903-cars-beeping-their-horns.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/nyregion/new-york-removes-no-honking-signs.html?_r=0

I live very close to the Gardiner now and we can't hear a thing. The GO Train makes some noise but not enough to keep me up at night/disrupt things. Soundproofing makes this all possible I guess.

[Nilan8888]

The constant honking is, I think, kinda a New York thing.

Not that there's not plenty of honking in other cities, just that I've lived in TO for 7 years, and when I went to Manhattan last month for the first time on a business trip, my colleague brought up all the constant honking.

I sort of liked it though, myself.

[pblaauw]

I'm waiting for someone to complain that they were late for something because the train was 40+ cars long and took 5+ minutes to pass.

[JET]

Originally Posted by pblaauw

I'm waiting for someone to complain that they were late for something because the train was 40+ cars long and took 5+ minutes to pass.

I was thinking about fire and emergency vehicles needing to get in and out; that could be bad.

[Jonovision]

Originally Posted by JET

I was thinking about fire and emergency vehicles needing to get in and out; that could be bad.

No additional units beyond phase 1 (4 buildings) are allowed to be built on the site until the grade separated crossing is built for that exact reason. That is the next phase of the project.

[JET]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

No additional units beyond phase 1 (4 buildings) are allowed to be built on the site until the grade separated crossing is built for that exact reason. That is the next phase of the project.

Sort of sounds like a Seinfeld bit: the people in the first four buildings, no reason to be concerned about their safety; but building number five, gotta keep those folks safe.

[Dmajackson]

The train whistle at King's Wharf can be a bit over the top especially considering it can be heard in Halifax sometimes, however this is no different then the ones that go in Bedford multiple times a day. As long as the Dartmouth spur is at-grade with no fencing or protective barrier it is likely the whistle will keep on going. The mainline through Bedford is mostly grade separated and it still has whistles going so don't expect much of a change.