City of Hamilton General Discussion Thread

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by atnor

Douggie the GOAT.

Seriously though. Probably the best premier this province has had. Actually gets shit done.

[RaginRonic]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Seriously though. Probably the best premier this province has had. Actually gets shit done.

Things like criminalizing the operations of both the Liberal and New Democratic Parties because neither will do what he tells them to do?

And making anything resembling liberal thinking and public expression of those ideas illegal in Ontario?

That's not below him. At all.

To him, the 'left' have no rights except to be the indentured servants of the PC Party of Ontario, and the personal slaves of the Ford Family.

Makes me think of how those who were part of the 1940s New York Mafia did business.

He wants NO criticism of what he says and does. That's how he rolls.

o.o

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by RaginRonic

Things like criminalizing the operations of both the Liberal and New Democratic Parties because neither will do what he tells them to do?

And making anything resembling liberal thinking and public expression of those ideas illegal in Ontario?

That's not below him. At all.

To him, the 'left' have no rights except to be the indentured servants of the PC Party of Ontario, and the personal slaves of the Ford Family.

Makes me think of how those who were part of the 1940s New York Mafia did business.

He wants NO criticism of what he says and does. That's how he rolls.

o.o

Hoo boy.. *backs away..*

[StEC]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Seriously though. Probably the best premier this province has had. Actually gets shit done.

Our healthcare system begs to differ...

[atnor]

It’s a shame JT isn’t funding health care but if we can incorporate private health options I’m all for it.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by atnor

It’s a shame JT isn’t funding health care but if we can incorporate private health options I’m all for it.

Same here. There's a reason why some Canadians go south of the border for health care. It's simply far better service.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Now the province needs to delete the downtown limit with their new ability to unilaterally modify municipal OPs. It's absurd downtown has a 30-storey height limit while the suburbs can build 40+ floors.

It would be poetic if a developer proposed a 40+ residential building in Ancaster. Some of the fiercest NIMBY comes from Ancaster.

Anyways, I can envision 40+ buildings being proposed for the redeveloped Eastgate Mall area within the next couple of months as more details get flushed out.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

It would be poetic if a developer proposed a 40+ residential building in Ancaster. Some of the fiercest NIMBY comes from Ancaster.

Anyways, I can envision 40+ buildings being proposed for the redeveloped Eastgate Mall area within the next couple of months as more details get flushed out.

there is already a 42 storey proposal at Eastgate


Part of the changes the province made also include permitting up to 8-storeys in downtown Ancaster, which is already majorly pissing off the Ancaster NIMBYs.

[spaghettisam]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

there is already a 42 storey proposal at Eastgate


Part of the changes the province made also include permitting up to 8-storeys in downtown Ancaster, which is already majorly pissing off the Ancaster NIMBYs.

as a resident of this area I think that having some height downtown (Ancaster) would make it an interesting area to be. Expanding some of the areas off of just wilson.

[mikevbar1]

Originally Posted by spaghettisam

as a resident of this area I think that having some height downtown (Ancaster) would make it an interesting area to be. Expanding some of the areas off of just wilson.

I know this is tongue-in-cheek, but Ancaster is ironically well set up for density in quite a few ways.

1. Old Ancaster is peppered with parking lots, and everything heritage will never be touched.

2. These lots could easily absorb midrises from 4-8 floors that typically don't pencil out in most places because of lower real estate values, etc.

3. Further down Wilson are more plazas ripe to be developed in a tasteful fashion. I could see most retailers wanting to stay amidst the transition, too.

4. Golf Links' power center could easily be intensified ala Toronto-style redevelopment. All the real high-density growth can go there and form 'uptown' Ancaster or simply 'Meadowlands center'. Could become a gateway and play host to a GO bus terminal alongside the future T-line terminus. The lack of planning vision from the city and province is the only thing holding regional transit off the mountain at the moment.

5. It's in the developer's backyard. Not to get specific, but almost all local players live in Ancaster and many have tried to build there.

People are under the impression changing what is already there will damage RE values, but I'd argue to the contrary. I see old Ancaster as being one of those places held back by its decision to embrace the automobile. It is an area that has lost vitality and would only amplify its character if it chose to go for some moderate density, akin to Dundas. It would be a city-building exercise and would get built relatively quickly if the will is there. It just needs to slowly embrace density, which requires tasteful infill that residents can see is acceptable and improves the town, not damage it.

Ancaster could logically double in population by focusing on the areas mentioned above. I may pursue penciling this out if anyone is interested as a pet project.

[TheHonestMaple]

Spec posted an article today about how more than 30 floors is bad for Hamilton. This is the same organization that constantly writes articles that we don't have enough housing.

[ScreamingViking]

I think you're quite right. I never understood outgoing councillor Ferguson's "from my cold dead hands" approach to never wanting change in town, yet despite the historical builds there is much that has been lost. Heck, they have an auto-friendly plaza right in the "historic" core, with a Timmies drive thru!

Want things to blend well with the old stock? Make it a requirement when approving stuff. Make sure the shorter parts of new-builds are street-side, and let developers step it up toward the rear. Ensure ground floors along Wilson have retail that suits the street and the area. Work with developers to do all this, in a non-confrontational way... if many of them do live around those parts, they'll get it. And just maybe some of the lessons can be applied elsewhere in the city.

So much can be done with the big box retail lots in the Meadowlands and west of Shaver along Wilson. Doesn't have to be like what's proposed for Eastgate, but what about 10-12 storey mid-rises? Or even 8-10?

But Fergie got his performing arts centre. So there's that.

Originally Posted by mikevbar1

I know this is tongue-in-cheek, but Ancaster is ironically well set up for density in quite a few ways.

1. Old Ancaster is peppered with parking lots, and everything heritage will never be touched.

2. These lots could easily absorb midrises from 4-8 floors that typically don't pencil out in most places because of lower real estate values, etc.

3. Further down Wilson are more plazas ripe to be developed in a tasteful fashion. I could see most retailers wanting to stay amidst the transition, too.

4. Golf Links' power center could easily be intensified ala Toronto-style redevelopment. All the real high-density growth can go there and form 'uptown' Ancaster or simply 'Meadowlands center'. Could become a gateway and play host to a GO bus terminal alongside the future T-line terminus. The lack of planning vision from the city and province is the only thing holding regional transit off the mountain at the moment.

5. It's in the developer's backyard. Not to get specific, but almost all local players live in Ancaster and many have tried to build there.

People are under the impression changing what is already there will damage RE values, but I'd argue to the contrary. I see old Ancaster as being one of those places held back by its decision to embrace the automobile. It is an area that has lost vitality and would only amplify its character if it chose to go for some moderate density, akin to Dundas. It would be a city-building exercise and would get built relatively quickly if the will is there. It just needs to slowly embrace density, which requires tasteful infill that residents can see is acceptable and improves the town, not damage it.

Ancaster could logically double in population by focusing on the areas mentioned above. I may pursue penciling this out if anyone is interested as a pet project.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Seriously though. Probably the best premier this province has had. Actually gets shit done.

Is it the best shit that could be done. That is the issue for me. I disagree with so much of it.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by mikevbar1

I know this is tongue-in-cheek, but Ancaster is ironically well set up for density in quite a few ways.

1. Old Ancaster is peppered with parking lots, and everything heritage will never be touched.

2. These lots could easily absorb midrises from 4-8 floors that typically don't pencil out in most places because of lower real estate values, etc.

3. Further down Wilson are more plazas ripe to be developed in a tasteful fashion. I could see most retailers wanting to stay amidst the transition, too.

4. Golf Links' power center could easily be intensified ala Toronto-style redevelopment. All the real high-density growth can go there and form 'uptown' Ancaster or simply 'Meadowlands center'. Could become a gateway and play host to a GO bus terminal alongside the future T-line terminus. The lack of planning vision from the city and province is the only thing holding regional transit off the mountain at the moment.

5. It's in the developer's backyard. Not to get specific, but almost all local players live in Ancaster and many have tried to build there.

People are under the impression changing what is already there will damage RE values, but I'd argue to the contrary. I see old Ancaster as being one of those places held back by its decision to embrace the automobile. It is an area that has lost vitality and would only amplify its character if it chose to go for some moderate density, akin to Dundas. It would be a city-building exercise and would get built relatively quickly if the will is there. It just needs to slowly embrace density, which requires tasteful infill that residents can see is acceptable and improves the town, not damage it.

Ancaster could logically double in population by focusing on the areas mentioned above. I may pursue penciling this out if anyone is interested as a pet project.

I could only see this working if the podiums were highly traditional looking.

[mikevbar1]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

I could only see this working if the podiums were highly traditional looking.

I don't think that's too much to ask, especially around these parts. I can foresee lots of brick and stone making its way into an Old Ancaster Design guidelines

[King&James]

Interesting focus on Ancaster Village, I really don't see the type of infrastructure that would support that much intensification. I do think that there are simpler redevelopment sites across suburbia (Upper James and Mohawk (actually almost all of Upper James), Mohawk and Upper Sherman, Centennial Parkway).

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by King&James

Interesting focus on Ancaster Village, I really don't see the type of infrastructure that would support that much intensification. I do think that there are simpler redevelopment sites across suburbia (Upper James and Mohawk (actually almost all of Upper James), Mohawk and Upper Sherman, Centennial Parkway).

It just has to be scaled right. Old Ancaster has too many open lots and underused properties. What is being preserved there? Why leave them empty?

It will never be intensified to the degree other places will. But I think it certainly can be filled in, made a bit more dense, with more businesses on the main drag.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Same here. There's a reason why some Canadians go south of the border for health care. It's simply far better service.

Uhuh, and that’s why the US life expectancy is… oh, wait, it’s 4 years lower than Canada’s, while the US spends substantially more per capita on healthcare.

[atnor]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Uhuh, and that’s why the US life expectancy is… oh, wait, it’s 4 years lower than Canada’s, while the US spends substantially more per capita on healthcare.

Canadians aren’t as fat as Americans.

[Pulkvedis Pods]

Americans don't have that machine that goes "ping".