I have mixed feelings about this project. On one hand, that's a really remote location for this kind of density, and it does seem like it's just a 'towers in the park' type of proposal disconnected from the wider context of Orleans as a whole, but 10k people there are going to be closer, in time by LRT, to downtown workplaces than 10k people in the buildings lining Merivale are.
I really kinda wonder if all these are sellable. There was supposed to be 4 by now.
LRT great, but it's on the other side of the highway for starters and there are really no other amenities such as stores in that immediate area. Consequently, the LRT might be useful to get to work if you work somewhere that goes (ie downtown) but living here would still require a car for pretty much everything else.
Proposed Orléans towers are too tall, residents argue
4 towers between 18 and 32 storeys would surround 2 existing 15- and 16-storey towers
Darren Major · CBC News · Posted: Feb 12, 2019 9:12 AM ET | Last Updated: February 12
People living in Petrie's Landing aren't happy about a proposal to build four new highrises that are much taller than the two they already have.
The two existing towers are 15 and 16 storeys high.
Developer Brigil submitted a proposal to the city in November seeking permission to build four more towers nearby, standing between 18 and 32 storeys.
But the original plan was to keep any additional towers roughly the same size as the first two, and the developer's submitted proposal has left some residents upset about the prospect of that much densification.
"The property should be developed as originally envisaged," said David Primeau, who lives in one of the existing Petrie towers.
"We could put a lot of people in a lot of buildings but it doesn't necessarily achieve a sound community."
Primeau spoke in front of dozens of other residents and representatives of Brigil during a community information session put on by the city Monday night. Several other residents voiced concerns about increased traffic.
"The roadway is not really designed for that [amount of people]," said Lyle Gainsford.
The buildings are located on Inlet Private, a small street near Trim Road and Jeanne D'Arc Boulevard.
"The roadway has two very sharp corners. One corner cannot be navigated by [large vehicles]," Gainsford said.
LRT on the way
With Trim Road set to be the eastern terminus of Phase 2 LRT in 2022, the proposal falls in line with the city's goal to increase density around future light rail stations.
In their proposal, Brigil argued the proximity to light rail warrants the extra height and units.
Orléans Coun. Matthew Luloff, who inherited the file from former councillor Bob Monette, attended Monday night's meeting.
"I think that we hear that the height they're proposing is too much for the land to handle," Luloff said. "But I think that the residents understand that we need to have density around the LRT."
Primeau argued that if larger highrises are needed around LRT, he'd prefer to see them spread out a little more.
Luloff said he would work with Brigil to ensure the concerns of residents are taken into account going forward.
This is getting — ridiculous, pardon my french. The roadway wasn't designed to handle the traffic?! This is right on a freeway and about to be right on an LRT.
If Brigil is pitching these as justified based on LRT, then they should be ponying up to add a pedestrian bridge and a second entrance to Trim LRT station to the north side of the highway.
At present, there is only planned to be one entrance to the station, on the south side of the highway, at the Park & Ride lot.
If Brigil is pitching these as justified based on LRT, then they should be ponying up to add a pedestrian bridge and a second entrance to Trim LRT station to the north side of the highway.
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