Here's what I wrote on the page:
"As a young resident of this community, I whole-heartedly support this proposal. It's checks key boxes for me:
-Nicely designed
-Appropriate scale relative to surrounding properties
-Adds new infill density to an inner-city neighborhood
-Very walkable with many services + transit connections within a kilometer radius
I think when it comes to inner-city neighborhoods like ours, it needs to be understood that they go through periods of gradual change over time depending on social and economic shifts in the area or city as a whole. While I agree that, as a whole, the character of our neighborhood should be maintained and that not every street is suitable for this kind of densification, we need to understand that communities like North Glenora and surrounding areas will not stay predominantly single-family and car-oriented as they go through the redevelopment cycle, and that densification and transit-oriented development are inevitable if we want to keep our communities attractive and vibrant places to live. This project is really only a small example of what can be done on these larger thoroughfares through the neighborhood, with the patio homes redevelopment, Candian Manor and new narrow-lot homes being other examples. Concerns about the parking for this property and the proximity to a school are valid, but these issues can be solved or explained with multi-faceted thinking:
-Residents in this building will have nearby bus (and future LRT) connections for travel around the city, reducing the need for a car
-Essential services like schools, grocery, pharmacy, etc. are all in relative walking/biking distance or quickly accessible by bus, reducing the need for a car
-When continued densification happens, we'll see services come even closer and be set up inside the neighborhood, reducing the need for a car
In short, these unknown aspects of densification and new development may seem strange or even frightening to long-time residents, but I would like them to be assured that once new infill projects like this come online we'll start to see the logical and attractive benefits of gradual densification.
Overall, I love that the people developing this project are community residents who have a focus on engagement, environmental stewardship, social connectivity, and overall forward-thinking ideas. I wish them the best in seeing this project through to completion
"
