The oft promised better days are said to be coming soon, a sudden surge of people that will apparently leave us all gasping in wonderment as to where everyone will live.
Should the multitudes arrive shortly the city has identified three areas of the city where housing developments could spring up, and when they refer to housing developments gone apparently will be the days of a string of ten or twelve homes, or the development of the odd vacant lot around town.
Identified as the most likely spots for housing in the city are Seal Cove, something called the Oldfield slopes (land in the shadow of the mountain and where the proposed shopping village is destined to go) and a stretch of land between the golf course and the cemetery out by Fairview.
The three sites were mentioned in the draft official community plan and would feature some 3640 homes hold up to an estimated 6100 people. With a market driven housing boom, some are concerned about the need for affordable housing and the worry that it may become an overlooked aspect of the anticipated demand for housing. It was a concern that Coun. Joy Thorkelson in particularly made strides to bring up as the council discussed the future of what they hope will soon be a growing city.
The full details of the report and the concerns of the different participants were presented in the Monday edition of the Daily News.
HUNDREDS OF HOMES COULD BE BUILT, SAYS EXPERT
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, May 14, 2007
Page one
The city’s draft official community plan has identified three areas in the community where thousands of people could live, should the city need more housing.
However, Tom Becker of UMA Engineering, who presented Quality of Life Community Plan, said the city should develop comprehensive neighborhood plans before it lets developers go ahead and build.
“The suggestion that is being made is that these newer areas be preceded by a planning study, led by the city that would stipulate how you would like to see that area develop. We are very much advocating these planning studies be undertaken for these new areas.”
The three areas include the Oldfied Slopes in the vicinity of the proposed Royop shopping centre, Seal Cove and Fairview, in between the golf course and the cemetery.
Oldfield slopes include a largely undeveloped area of 59 or 60 hectares that could accommodate 1,700 homes and population of about 3,000 people according to the plan.
The most desirable land to develop, because its easiest to connect with existing city services such as water and sewer, is Seal Cove. There is about 60 hectares there that could hold 1,440 homes and a population of 2,600.
“Clearly, you have to have significant growth to look at this but I really think it would be worth working with the community to develop a community plan for this area,” said Becker.
The Fairview area is considered the least desirable because it doesn’t get a lot of sunshine. The area on the south side of town includes 29.2 hectares with the potential for 500 homes and a population of 1,000.
Putting together community plans before these areas are developed allows the city to collect public input, and determine the housing mix so it’s not all single-family housing, said Becker.
He also encouraged council to keep the streets narrow in order to keep traffic moving at a slower pace.
“One of the things I like about your residential areas is the narrow roads. Some communities have very wide roads… it makes for a very unpleasant environment.
However, the community plan does not provide for a way for council to address the low income housing shortage that was identified in the quality of life survey.
Becker noted that it is ultimately the market that will drive developers to build certain types of housing, unless council decides to take action and work with either the province or a housing corporation to address the low income housing issue.
Coun. Joy Thorkelson said that if council takes no control over where low income housing is built, the city could end up with ghettos rather than healthy mixed neighborhoods.
“I have great concerns if we don’t have control over what we want to do, we will just have all the good looking neighborhoods go to the Graham style operations… and the areas with no sun will go to rentals,” she said.
The draft copy of the city’s Official Community Plan is available at city hall and on the web site. Consultants will be gathering public input on the plan later this month.
Should the multitudes arrive shortly the city has identified three areas of the city where housing developments could spring up, and when they refer to housing developments gone apparently will be the days of a string of ten or twelve homes, or the development of the odd vacant lot around town.
Identified as the most likely spots for housing in the city are Seal Cove, something called the Oldfield slopes (land in the shadow of the mountain and where the proposed shopping village is destined to go) and a stretch of land between the golf course and the cemetery out by Fairview.
The three sites were mentioned in the draft official community plan and would feature some 3640 homes hold up to an estimated 6100 people. With a market driven housing boom, some are concerned about the need for affordable housing and the worry that it may become an overlooked aspect of the anticipated demand for housing. It was a concern that Coun. Joy Thorkelson in particularly made strides to bring up as the council discussed the future of what they hope will soon be a growing city.
The full details of the report and the concerns of the different participants were presented in the Monday edition of the Daily News.
HUNDREDS OF HOMES COULD BE BUILT, SAYS EXPERT
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, May 14, 2007
Page one
The city’s draft official community plan has identified three areas in the community where thousands of people could live, should the city need more housing.
However, Tom Becker of UMA Engineering, who presented Quality of Life Community Plan, said the city should develop comprehensive neighborhood plans before it lets developers go ahead and build.
“The suggestion that is being made is that these newer areas be preceded by a planning study, led by the city that would stipulate how you would like to see that area develop. We are very much advocating these planning studies be undertaken for these new areas.”
The three areas include the Oldfied Slopes in the vicinity of the proposed Royop shopping centre, Seal Cove and Fairview, in between the golf course and the cemetery.
Oldfield slopes include a largely undeveloped area of 59 or 60 hectares that could accommodate 1,700 homes and population of about 3,000 people according to the plan.
The most desirable land to develop, because its easiest to connect with existing city services such as water and sewer, is Seal Cove. There is about 60 hectares there that could hold 1,440 homes and a population of 2,600.
“Clearly, you have to have significant growth to look at this but I really think it would be worth working with the community to develop a community plan for this area,” said Becker.
The Fairview area is considered the least desirable because it doesn’t get a lot of sunshine. The area on the south side of town includes 29.2 hectares with the potential for 500 homes and a population of 1,000.
Putting together community plans before these areas are developed allows the city to collect public input, and determine the housing mix so it’s not all single-family housing, said Becker.
He also encouraged council to keep the streets narrow in order to keep traffic moving at a slower pace.
“One of the things I like about your residential areas is the narrow roads. Some communities have very wide roads… it makes for a very unpleasant environment.
However, the community plan does not provide for a way for council to address the low income housing shortage that was identified in the quality of life survey.
Becker noted that it is ultimately the market that will drive developers to build certain types of housing, unless council decides to take action and work with either the province or a housing corporation to address the low income housing issue.
Coun. Joy Thorkelson said that if council takes no control over where low income housing is built, the city could end up with ghettos rather than healthy mixed neighborhoods.
“I have great concerns if we don’t have control over what we want to do, we will just have all the good looking neighborhoods go to the Graham style operations… and the areas with no sun will go to rentals,” she said.
The draft copy of the city’s Official Community Plan is available at city hall and on the web site. Consultants will be gathering public input on the plan later this month.
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