[Moncton] Gateway Towers | 2 x 18s | Mixed Residential | Under Construction

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by lirette

So the 15 minute city people are jumping in?

I wish I had more kind words to describe these people but they are essentially insane. There isn't a reasonable conversation to be had with these people. There is absolutely zero reason to institute height limitations in downtown Moncton. Their goal here is to filibuster and wear everyone down. They must be shut down in a respectftul but effective way, they cannot be given an inch here.

There isn't any historical character to our downtown that needs to be preserved and there isnt any viewpoints that are being blocked due to the layout and flatness of our city. In fact our city is uniquely primed for this development over other cities.

I'm confused as to what this has to do with 15 minute cities?

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by OliverD

I'm confused as to what this has to do with 15 minute cities?

That's the thing. The people who rage against them don't even understand the concept. They think that making an area walkable, bikeable, less car-centric and more "green" will somehow lead to more class divides.

A Guide to 15-minute Cities

Good article explaining what they are and what they aren't. Demonstrates how little the conspiracy theorists know what they're talking about.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by OliverD

I'm confused as to what this has to do with 15 minute cities?

Nothing at all.

The conspiracy theory is that the international intelligentsia wants everyone to live in large downtown commie blocks, surrounded by walls, and forced to spend their entire lives within a 15 minute walking distance of their homes. No cars. No travel. All services would be provided in this 15 minute circle.

These people are nuts. There are a lot of benefits to a dense downtown, but nobody is being forced to live there. No one is taking away your right of car ownership. Freedoms are not being curtailed.

If however you want to live in a 20 storey high-rise, and get your basic groceries in the urban market in the building podium, and be able to walk to the riverfront park five minutes away, then what's wrong with that??? Exactly who is trying to curtail whose freedoms anyway????

[OliverD]

Yeah I understand the conspiracy theory, just wasn't sure how this was being linked to anything happening in Moncton, haha.

[MonctonPerson]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

A reliable source has informed me that an unholy alliance is forming to thwart the Gateway Towers, as well as all other meaningful developments in the downtown core. They want a study, and they want a complete moratorium on new construction above a certain height until the study is complete. They are advocating against all tall buildings in Moncton. This fight is existential, and they seek to prevent even already approved developments like the Infinity Tower.

The cabal is encouraged by the "Gang of 34", and seeks to emulate them and their tactics. The group includes the Sandpiper Lady who spoke against the Infinity Tower. Remember her, rattling on about 15 minute cities and TORONTO EAST as she was shepherded out of city council chambers??? I would not at all be surprised if Lori Barnes has been invited to join the group.

Their intention is apparently to pack the public hearings on the Gateway Development in September, and to hijack the meeting.

My source is very reliable. If this is what he is hearing, then I am becoming quite concerned about what is on the horizon.

This fight will be existential for the city. There is now an informal alliance of anti-development types at work. This makes the letter writing campaign even more important than it was before. If you haven't written the mayor yet, please do so now. [email protected]

If the proposed rezoning bylaw is introduced Aug. 19, the public hearing would likely be set for Sept. 3.

All council/committee meetings until the end of September are being held virtually while council chambers are renovated, which dulls the effect of a campaign to pack a room with opponents.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonPerson

All council/committee meetings until the end of September are being held virtually while council chambers are renovated, which dulls the effect of a campaign to pack a room with opponents.

Good point! Maybe they can drag on the renovations for an extra few months for good measure.

[MonctonGoldenTri]

Originally Posted by MonctonPerson

If the proposed rezoning bylaw is introduced Aug. 19, the public hearing would likely be set for Sept. 3.

All council/committee meetings until the end of September are being held virtually while council chambers are renovated, which dulls the effect of a campaign to pack a room with opponents.

I'll definitely be tuning in if this is a virtual meeting!

[lirette]

Originally Posted by OliverD

Yeah I understand the conspiracy theory, just wasn't sure how this was being linked to anything happening in Moncton, haha.

Some of the people who are joining the opposition (from environmental protestors) are part of the 15 minute city conspiracy group. We are getting a "big tent" of whackos trying to hold our city hostage from developments.

It just reiterates my point that there is no reasonable discussion to be had here. The entire theory here crumbles when you consider that these are upscale to luxury units. People who move into these do so because they WANT all the benefits of the location of them.

You'd think an environmental group would be anti-sprawl when you consider things like active transportation and whatnot, so I'd be quite curious if they even welcome these individuals into their protest, if they do they are only hurting their argument even further. In some ways it is actually better if they welcome them, so they can be quickly discredited.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by lirette

Some of the people who are joining the opposition (from environmental protestors) are part of the 15 minute city conspiracy group. We are getting a "big tent" of whackos trying to hold our city hostage from developments.

The cognitive dissonance in the room would be deafening if all of these whack jobs got together in one place at the same time.

The only thing they would have in common is screaming at clouds.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The cognitive dissonance in the room would be deafening if all of these whack jobs got together in one place at the same time.

The only thing they would have in common is screaming at clouds.

Those aren't clouds. They are chem-trails that the government is depositing in the atmosphere to poison us and reduce the world's population to save the planet

[David_99]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The only thing they would have in common is screaming at clouds.

I'm sure this has brought been up before, but it's fitting that someone painted a Grampa Simpson yelling up at the clouds on one of the street posts on Foundry St, looking up at the 3 Sisters.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by David_99

I'm sure this has brought been up before, but it's fitting that someone painted a Grampa Simpson yelling up at the clouds on one of the street posts on Foundry St, looking up at the 3 Sisters.

Ironic isn't it.

[SevenSquared]

Originally Posted by David_99

I'm sure this has brought been up before, but it's fitting that someone painted a Grampa Simpson yelling up at the clouds on one of the street posts on Foundry St, looking up at the 3 Sisters.

At this point, the city could make a statement by commissioning local artists to similarly paint Abe Simpson on all street posts in under-developed parts of the downtown core, in "honour" of this weird assembly of selective environmentalists, alt-right conspiracy kooks and faux-rural defenders of desolateness.

[MonctonRad]

Section of Main Street closed for downtown infrastructure renewal
Intersection of Main and Lutz will be closed to traffic until Sept. 27
Author of the article:Alan Cochrane
Published Aug 13, 2024 • Last updated 50 minutes ago • 4 minute read
https://tj.news/moncton-miramichi/section-of-main-street-closed-for-downtown-infrastructure-renewal (paywall)

This is necessary work to allow for the eventual development of downtown south of Main, including the Ashford/Downing project. All utilities are going underground and the road surface (Lutz) is being elevated to minimize risk of flooding.

Millions of dollars are being spent on this renewal (possibly pissed away if the Sandpiper Lady and the Gang of 34 are victorious).

This snippet about the Gateway Tower proposal at the end of the article was interesting:

A group of concerned residents presented a petition calling for a moratorium on the proposed development, saying it is too close to the river on land that is at high risk of flooding.

The city says the final plans have not yet been presented. The proposed new apartment building is scheduled for a presentation to city council on Sept. 3, with a public hearing tentatively set for Oct. 7.

So, the public presentation on the Gateway Towers won't be until October 7th. This will give both sides substantial time to marshall their resources for what promises to be an epic battle between the forces of good and evil. It will be like the Battle of Pelennor Fields from LOTR.

[MonctonGoldenTri]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Section of Main Street closed for downtown infrastructure renewal
Intersection of Main and Lutz will be closed to traffic until Sept. 27
Author of the article:Alan Cochrane
Published Aug 13, 2024 • Last updated 50 minutes ago • 4 minute read
https://tj.news/moncton-miramichi/section-of-main-street-closed-for-downtown-infrastructure-renewal (paywall)

This is necessary work to allow for the eventual development of downtown south of Main, including the Ashford/Downing project. All utilities are going underground and the road surface (Lutz) is being elevated to minimize risk of flooding.

Millions of dollars are being spent on this renewal (possibly pissed away if the Sandpiper Lady and the Gang of 34 are victorious).

This snippet about the Gateway Tower proposal at the end of the article was interesting:



So, the public presentation on the Gateway Towers won't be until October 7th. This will give both sides substantial time to marshall their resources for what promises to be an epic battle between the forces of good and evil. It will be like the Battle of Pelennor Fields from LOTR.

I just hope that the CITY doesn't buy-in to these Academics Gaslighting attempts. I'm sure they're likely to come out with these exaggerated worse case doomsday scenario's. If the City does cave my biggest fear is "WHO" will be leading this study? I hope they're not ignorant enough to use someone "THEY" recommend.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by David_99

I'm sure this has brought been up before, but it's fitting that someone painted a Grampa Simpson yelling up at the clouds on one of the street posts on Foundry St, looking up at the 3 Sisters.

Leader of the downtown Moncton anti-development cabal yells at tall buildings under construction.

I couldn't resist going down there and taking a photo.

[Monctoncore]

You can give them points, yes, it’s an area that could flood, but all of downtown could flood.The concern about it being on the side closest to the river also gets a bit lost because, so is Chateau Moncton, Rogers, bother the apartments next to Roger’s, and the l actual old dump.. that is still probably full of toxins. Imagine if they pushed hard off remediation for the soil. I get their points, but it just seems like grasping at straws because it’s no different than the current structure on the site, just bigger.

They are the same people who of this doesn’t get built, will continue to growl about lack of housing in the city.

[Nashe]

And to be honest, if a developer puts a new building on that site (complete with underground parking), you can be sure that that will include berms, shoring and pumps to keep that all dry. You'll get less erosion with a multi-million dollar building there than not, because the shoreline will be protected over time.

[Mud]

Flooding concerns are almost always laughable because nobody has more to lose than the developer. Someone's about to drop eight figures on fixed capital and these charlatans come out of the woodwork to ask if their engineers have considered the large river nearby.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Aren't tall buildings better suited to withstand flooding anyways? Seems like a pretty weak concern given the flooding risk in much of Moncton.