Oakridge Park | 13 Towers | 154m | 52fl | 5M sqft | U/C

[VanK]

I am 100% for as much height and density around transit oriented developments but does anybody else think that 0.45 residential parking stalls per unit is absurd? They will run into parking problems at Oakridge IMO. The COV report argues that the downtown standard is 0.67 stalls p/u but that is downtown! Oakridge will be a more family oriented development with school age children. 1.1 stalls per unit is more in line with what the demand. Being on a transit line will enable the resident to take transit when possible but people are still going to own cars for when they need to drive.

[jlousa]

The retail demand for the parking should be lower then the retail supply of parking spots and thus allow them to rent excess space to the residential units... at least potentially. People w/o cars can buy units slightly cheaper while those that require a spot would be forced to bear the cost of parking.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by VanK

I am 100% for as much height and density around transit oriented developments but does anybody else think that 0.45 residential parking stalls per unit is absurd? They will run into parking problems at Oakridge IMO. The COV report argues that the downtown standard is 0.67 stalls p/u but that is downtown! Oakridge will be a more family oriented development with school age children. 1.1 stalls per unit is more in line with what the demand. Being on a transit line will enable the resident to take transit when possible but people are still going to own cars for when they need to drive.

I suspect there will be quite a few car-share stalls there, per VisionVan's eco-planning guidelines.

[officedweller]

Retail Insider suggests that Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue were enquiring about the new department store space.

http://www.retail-insider.com/2013/0...mingdales.html

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Are they really expecting troubles getting through with their plans? I mean, that is one very profound document trying to sell this great project.

I have no issues with project and although not the highest of the town center projects I may like it the most as the whole complex will be re-built (unlike Metrotown). Looking very much forward to seeing this being built one day.

I doubt anyone seriously believes the Vision Vancouver majority will not approve this.

[VanK]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

I suspect there will be quite a few car-share stalls there, per VisionVan's eco-planning guidelines.

Care-share programs coupled with Canada Line is great and that may get people to use their cars less - however it will not eliminate the need for a household to have at least one car. At 0.45 stalls per unit, there will be a shortage of stalls and families won't even be able to purchase a stall if they wanted to. - Damn Vision

[WarrenC12]

Wait since when is 0.45 spaces/unit a VV requirement? This is the developer's choice isn't it?

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by VanK

Care-share programs coupled with Canada Line is great and that may get people to use their cars less - however it will not eliminate the need for a household to have at least one car. At 0.45 stalls per unit, there will be a shortage of stalls and families won't even be able to purchase a stall if they wanted to. - Damn Vision

And as I mentioned once before parking stalls can be repurposed (temporarily or permanently). But to build more after the fact is not so easy.

They can be used for mini storage or other industrial / commercial uses such as agriculture. You can throw in some shelving and lights and have a indoor tomato farm, or strawberry farm. These are not difficult things to do and can be done even if they are not planned for in the original design, and if they are planned for then it would make things so much better. We have all heard about building high rise indoor farms, well how about giving it a shot in unused underground stable climate/temperature environment's. As a benefit you end up with multi use flexible space and can be certain you can meet future parking demand.

I would much rather have more stalls and repurposed a few then to not have enough stalls.

[red-paladin]

Not sure I'd want to eat anything grown in a parkade. Even if an entire parkade is no longer used for cars, the whole place and especially the insulation on the ceiling is like a smoker's lungs. Mini storage, redesigning a building to make an extra retail floor, those things make sense to me.

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

Not sure I'd want to eat anything grown in a parkade. Even if an entire parkade is no longer used for cars, the whole place and especially the insulation on the ceiling is like a smoker's lungs. Mini storage, redesigning a building to make an extra retail floor, those things make sense to me.

Good point about the food, I have no idea what materials they use in parkades and if there "could" be any risks. But then again the parkade can be built with all of this in mind right from the get go. Outside of the insulation and piping a parkade is usually just a concrete shell. The other issue would be how much moisture it could handle because ultimately plants = moisture.

But mini storage does sound like the best and easiest idea to implement and one that would make sense with vehicle access and people above living in shoe boxes. That and the column spacing and height would be a perfect fit. Just have to throw up some plywood walls and lights, nothing complicated.

The point is that parkades can easily be compartmentalized and put to other good uses, so why build to few and repeat history where we end up buildign giant offsite parkade structures to meet demand. (look at New West and Gastown)...

[jlousa]

The storage is a good idea and lots of people are already doing that unofficially with their spots. You can't build walls though unless you run a dedicated sprinkler head into the unit. You can however run chain link mesh fencing or wire mesh fencing which allows water to enter the unit from existing sprinkler heads. Workshops are another item that have demand and could easily be built into unused spaces. The truth is no one know with certainty what the future will bring, but it's best to have the space and not have use for it then to have the need for space and not have any.

[Pinion]

Must be nice. My building freaks out if you put anything more than a bicycle or car in your spot.

[Millennium2002]

I see a lot of comments in the presentation about "support in principle". lol. It seems rather obvious at this point that Westbank is low-balling some city requirement, but hopefully that will change by the final revision of the rezoning.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by VanK

Care-share programs coupled with Canada Line is great and that may get people to use their cars less - however it will not eliminate the need for a household to have at least one car. At 0.45 stalls per unit, there will be a shortage of stalls and families won't even be able to purchase a stall if they wanted to. - Damn Vision

I'm sure most of the mall parking spaces will be available for rent for residents. Considering that the mall closes overnight and that's when most cars are home, this might be a viable option for those who need a space but can't afford buying one or need an extra spot.

My building here in Madrid is mixed-used office/residential and they rent out office parking stalls to residents at a reduced rate, with an extra discount if you only use it from 8pm-8am.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Pinion

Must be nice. My building freaks out if you put anything more than a bicycle or car in your spot.

In our old place we had 4 spots (we bought two units and combined them into one) and we once got a letter telling us it was inappropriate for one of our cars to straddle two spots, even if the parking spots belonged to us...

[VanK]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Wait since when is 0.45 spaces/unit a VV requirement? This is the developer's choice isn't it?

Its never the developer's choice. Its a developer's wish and ultimately VV's choice to allow or not... and we all know what VV wants... less cars.

[Porfiry]

Originally Posted by Jebby

In our old place we had 4 spots (we bought two units and combined them into one) and we once got a letter telling us it was inappropriate for one of our cars to straddle two spots, even if the parking spots belonged to us...

What the heck? How did they rationalize that? Sounds like a classic case of enforcing the regulations a bit too closely.

[SpongeG]

condo associations - they can be ridiculous sometimes, they tell you what kind of window coverings you can have, what kind of christmas lights you are allowed to use etc. the power goes to their heads

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

condo associations - they can be ridiculous sometimes, they tell you what kind of window coverings you can have, what kind of christmas lights you are allowed to use etc. the power goes to their heads

I agree that some strata rules are archaic, but the whole thing is a democracy. People seem to let it all happen then bitch later...

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Porfiry

What the heck? How did they rationalize that? Sounds like a classic case of enforcing the regulations a bit too closely.

The only reason I can think of would be to prevent other users from getting the idea that they could do the same thing (but without owning both spots (ie other users wouldn't know that the owner owned both spots)).