The Green Solution for Northdale
Join Hugwaterloo and Help Urbanize the Ghetto
The taxpaying homeowners of Northdale invite you, students and taxpayers from the rest of Waterloo, and other interested parties, to resolve the unending struggle to “solve” the problems of a student ghetto by encouraging Waterloo City Council to move forward with a proactive 21st century design solution.
Re-urbanization through Intensification is the goal
The Problem: (www.universitiesneighbourhood.blogspot.com)
The current zoning (SR2) is not being used as it was originally intended: single family occupancy
The perception of the area as a “student zone” prevents homes from attracting owner-occupants
The large yards are not being used for any practical purpose, but instead encourage partying, lawn parking, garbage accumulation, fireworks, etc.
There are only 6 houses left used solely for owner-occupancy (no rentals) owned by people under 60.
The zoning is inappropriate for the natural evolution of the area and the city needs to find the will to rezone to MR zoning large enough for on-site property managers.
The city is stuck on defending a failed model and propping it up with your tax dollars.
The area between Lester, University, Columbia and King Streets is fast becoming a Kingston style embarrassment to the residents of the city and Region as the long-time owners leave their homes, unable to attract owner-occupants.
The city has rezoned WCI, St. David’s, and St. Michael’s church properties for apartment buildings, leaving nothing to attract families long-term.
Hundreds of charges are laid in a month (September) (seniors threatened, families vandalized)
The Vision:
Transit-oriented mixed-use development (bus is a 1 block walk and future LRT)
World class modern design replaces 1960’s inefficient housing stock
Green elements – LEEDS compliant
One-Neighbourhood context for housing, employment, education, retail, professional spaces, recreation, arts, culture (cars unnecessary)
First class team of architects and design professionals
Project that serves as a model of outstanding transit-oriented development
A neighbourhood of pride for all taxpayers of Waterloo City and Region.
Car-free neighbourhood
Intensification in the core to preserve the outlying green areas.
Showcase local energy efficient companies in the building form (eg. ARISE) for the world to see.
Reflects well on our close-proximity internationally renowned institutions and corporations
Reinforces “ intelligent community” label
Increased density supports Uptown Waterloo businesses (short walk away)
Benefits for the Community
Draws students back into an attractive, safe, urban neighbourhood and out of the suburbs freeing up housing stock for families.
Provides neighbourhood retail services for easy access.
Enhanced public environment and pedestrian experience through landscaping and streetscape improvements.
Carefully balanced layout and proposed design elements premised on Grow Up, Not Out
Provides modern managed condos/apartments for technology sector employees in close walking distance to work.
The neighbourhood can become an icon of modern urban design principles, building a community from the ground up, that the world coming to our streets (CIGI, Universities, RIM, etc.) can look on with respect – an ECOTOPIA.
Benefits for Taxpayers
Reduced cost of policing by creating a diverse neighbourhood that people take pride in
Free up policing resources for more significant crimes than managing noise and keg parties
Reduced demand on bylaw enforcement (lot maintenance, parties, property standards)
Avoid the proposed licensing costs ($800,000 hit for taxpayers) by eliminating the housing form that promotes partying, rundown housing, garbage, etc. (pg. 14 of the rental housing licensing review)
Increased tax revenue through rezoning for intensification
Preserve the moraine for Waterloo’s water resources
Exceeding the urban intensification guidelines of Places to Grow preserves limited green lands
Green design principles reduce the burden on water supplies, sewers, other infrastructure as Waterloo grows
Join Us - Be a Ghetto-Buster
Help turn Northdale into an energetic, urban neighbourhood, with a diverse population, environmentally progressive, a model of how a city can work together to turn a failed neighbourhood that pits resident against resident into a model of co-operation and pride. When Waterloo Intensifies Northdale we all WIN.
How you can help:
Sign the petition at hugwaterloo.com
Write letters to the paper.
Tell your friends they can help “green” Waterloo.
Tell your fellow taxpayers that Waterloo is wasting their taxes managing this when a better solution exists.
Next year is municipal election year: make sure that your councillor realizes you don’t want anymore of your tax dollars going to prop up a failure of policy and planning that has been unraveling for 20 years.
Make sure they know that you want Waterloo to move into the 21st century with Urban Design Principles that we can all be proud of.
Contact: hugwaterloo@gmail.com
Facebook: HUGWaterloo
Friday, November 27, 2009
No clear future
established
for troubled
neighbourhood
By Jeff Outhit, Record staff
Waterloo:
People agree city council has
failed to stabilize a campus-area neighbourhood
dominated by students, stress and trouble.
They disagree on how to move forward in
Northdale.
Deborah Easson, who chairs a coalition of
residents, says council should abandon zoning
restrictions meant to preserve the dwindling
remains of its single-family character.
Instead, council should let permanent residents
sell their properties to apartment developers.
Large, managed properties would solve student
parking, garbage and partying problems,
and might attract technology workers back into
the neighbourhood, she contends.
“When you have a neighbourhood that’s this
big a mess, and this big a sinkhole for tax dollars,
why wouldn’t you want to move to a modern,
urban, green-design standard?” Easson asked.
Coun. Jan d’Ailly, who represents the ward, is
not persuaded intensification will work, saying
it’s unrealistic to expect developers to gobble up
the remaining homes any time soon.
“What’s in place now is not working,” he said.
But “I can look at lots of communities that have
high intensities that just do not work.”
Northdale is bounded by University Avenue
and Philip, Columbia and King streets. The area
is home to many students from Wilfrid Laurier
University and the University of Waterloo.
Permanent residents say problems with noise,
garbage, parties and bad behaviour are getting
worse.
Thursday night, more than 80 residents gathered
in a neighbourhood church to draft a new
vision for Northdale, following up on a similar
session held last April. The result will be used to
help guide city officials in drafting solutions.
Many residents applauded calls for intensification.
In an interview before the meeting, Easson
took aim at d’Ailly, accusing him of refusing to
make intensification part of the community
vision.
“Our councillor seems to have an agenda all
his own,” Easson said. “He will not listen.”
“I don’t think that’s fair,” d’Ailly said. “I am
probably the only one who’s pushing through an
agenda here, to try to address the issues in Northdale.”
jouthit@therecord.com
established
for troubled
neighbourhood
By Jeff Outhit, Record staff
Waterloo:
People agree city council has
failed to stabilize a campus-area neighbourhood
dominated by students, stress and trouble.
They disagree on how to move forward in
Northdale.
Deborah Easson, who chairs a coalition of
residents, says council should abandon zoning
restrictions meant to preserve the dwindling
remains of its single-family character.
Instead, council should let permanent residents
sell their properties to apartment developers.
Large, managed properties would solve student
parking, garbage and partying problems,
and might attract technology workers back into
the neighbourhood, she contends.
“When you have a neighbourhood that’s this
big a mess, and this big a sinkhole for tax dollars,
why wouldn’t you want to move to a modern,
urban, green-design standard?” Easson asked.
Coun. Jan d’Ailly, who represents the ward, is
not persuaded intensification will work, saying
it’s unrealistic to expect developers to gobble up
the remaining homes any time soon.
“What’s in place now is not working,” he said.
But “I can look at lots of communities that have
high intensities that just do not work.”
Northdale is bounded by University Avenue
and Philip, Columbia and King streets. The area
is home to many students from Wilfrid Laurier
University and the University of Waterloo.
Permanent residents say problems with noise,
garbage, parties and bad behaviour are getting
worse.
Thursday night, more than 80 residents gathered
in a neighbourhood church to draft a new
vision for Northdale, following up on a similar
session held last April. The result will be used to
help guide city officials in drafting solutions.
Many residents applauded calls for intensification.
In an interview before the meeting, Easson
took aim at d’Ailly, accusing him of refusing to
make intensification part of the community
vision.
“Our councillor seems to have an agenda all
his own,” Easson said. “He will not listen.”
“I don’t think that’s fair,” d’Ailly said. “I am
probably the only one who’s pushing through an
agenda here, to try to address the issues in Northdale.”
jouthit@therecord.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
City drafts new noise bylaw
City drafts new noise bylaw
By Greg MacDonald, Chronicle Staff
News
Nov 11, 2009
The City of Waterloo is drafting a new noise bylaw and officials say the updated rules will make it easier to determine violations.
The new bylaw isn’t just good for people concerned about noise in the city, but those who have received complaints, said Coun. Karen Scian.
She pointed to a situation where a neighbour complained about the noise from students at a school singing the national anthem as a downside to the current bylaw.
“I think this adds a level of reasonableness to the situation,” Scian said.
In the past, citing bylaw violations was more art than science, but thanks to a recently purchased decibel meter, infractions will be assessed based on the actual loudness of the noise rather than the perceived loudness, said Jim Barry, director of bylaw for the city.
“This sets clear limits on noise,” he said.
“Our intent is to make the bylaw more clear and easier to follow.”
Barry presented the draft bylaw at Monday afternoon’s council meeting. It will now go out to the public for input before facing approval from council in the new year.
The purpose of the bylaw is to make violations more black and white — as Coun. Mark Whaley put it, essentially to “take the element of complaint out of it.”
The new bylaw will act as a fair barometer of noise, Barry said.
“Under the current bylaw, if someone has an exemption and we receive a complaint, we can still go and ask them to turn it down,” he said. “But now you’ll have the exemption as long as you don’t exceed the decibel levels.”
The bylaw sets the acceptable amount of noise in residential areas at 50 db during the day and between 45 db and 47 db overnight.
The proposed bylaw also includes a measure that would require any event with more than 60 people in attendance to hire a bylaw officer.
That sparked some concern, as the city reported last month that festivals are leaving Waterloo Park because of the costs associated with noise violations.
The requirement of a bylaw officer will be at the discretion of the city, Barry said.
“It won’t be a requirement on new festivals,” he said. “But if we’ve had complaints in the past, we can say that the festival merits this extra level of enforcement.”
In addition to clarifying violations, the new bylaw consolidates the two existing bylaws that govern noise in the city.
One decibel meter has already been purchased — a used unit which cost $2,000. Officers are now training and the city plans to purchase another.
“We’re on the road to be in good place in the new year to enforce the new bylaw to give an added level of protection in the city,” Barry said.
The bylaw will be open for comment on the city’s website at www.waterloo.ca .
By Greg MacDonald, Chronicle Staff
News
Nov 11, 2009
The City of Waterloo is drafting a new noise bylaw and officials say the updated rules will make it easier to determine violations.
The new bylaw isn’t just good for people concerned about noise in the city, but those who have received complaints, said Coun. Karen Scian.
She pointed to a situation where a neighbour complained about the noise from students at a school singing the national anthem as a downside to the current bylaw.
“I think this adds a level of reasonableness to the situation,” Scian said.
In the past, citing bylaw violations was more art than science, but thanks to a recently purchased decibel meter, infractions will be assessed based on the actual loudness of the noise rather than the perceived loudness, said Jim Barry, director of bylaw for the city.
“This sets clear limits on noise,” he said.
“Our intent is to make the bylaw more clear and easier to follow.”
Barry presented the draft bylaw at Monday afternoon’s council meeting. It will now go out to the public for input before facing approval from council in the new year.
The purpose of the bylaw is to make violations more black and white — as Coun. Mark Whaley put it, essentially to “take the element of complaint out of it.”
The new bylaw will act as a fair barometer of noise, Barry said.
“Under the current bylaw, if someone has an exemption and we receive a complaint, we can still go and ask them to turn it down,” he said. “But now you’ll have the exemption as long as you don’t exceed the decibel levels.”
The bylaw sets the acceptable amount of noise in residential areas at 50 db during the day and between 45 db and 47 db overnight.
The proposed bylaw also includes a measure that would require any event with more than 60 people in attendance to hire a bylaw officer.
That sparked some concern, as the city reported last month that festivals are leaving Waterloo Park because of the costs associated with noise violations.
The requirement of a bylaw officer will be at the discretion of the city, Barry said.
“It won’t be a requirement on new festivals,” he said. “But if we’ve had complaints in the past, we can say that the festival merits this extra level of enforcement.”
In addition to clarifying violations, the new bylaw consolidates the two existing bylaws that govern noise in the city.
One decibel meter has already been purchased — a used unit which cost $2,000. Officers are now training and the city plans to purchase another.
“We’re on the road to be in good place in the new year to enforce the new bylaw to give an added level of protection in the city,” Barry said.
The bylaw will be open for comment on the city’s website at www.waterloo.ca .
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Thursday November 26, 2009
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
St. Michael Church
240 Hemlock Avenue, Waterloo
(at University Avenue)
Agenda
6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Meet You Councillor
7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Update on Ward and City Projects
7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Focus on Building a Community Vision in Northdale
For further information, contact:
Jan d'Ailly at 519-884-9170 (email: jan.dailly@waterloo.ca) or
Linda Vandenakker at 519-747-8788 (email: linda.vandenakker@waterloo.ca
St. Michael Church
240 Hemlock Avenue, Waterloo
(at University Avenue)
Agenda
6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Meet You Councillor
7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Update on Ward and City Projects
7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Focus on Building a Community Vision in Northdale
For further information, contact:
Jan d'Ailly at 519-884-9170 (email: jan.dailly@waterloo.ca) or
Linda Vandenakker at 519-747-8788 (email: linda.vandenakker@waterloo.ca
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
From the Waterloo Chronicle November 4th 2009
The city has not done a ‘good job’ in Northdale
Letters
Nov 04, 2009
As a long suffering permanent resident of Northdale, I can tell you that Councilor d'Ailly is simply wrong when he says, “There are no more keg parties and street parties usually. We’ve done a good job but we have to keep going.”
Keg parties, Hot Shot parties are alive and well in Waterloo's student ghetto.
And St. Patrick's Day's festivities last March included another street party.
This year the partying has actually gotten significantly worse.
I invite Waterloo to drive around our neighbourhood and look at all of the keg party cups.
The garbage situation isn’t great either.
So no Jan, the city has not done a good job.
Coun. Diane Freeman is right— it is time to accept that families will never move back in here.
It is simply time to build something else here before we have a 400-500 person riot like London experienced this past weekend.
Christine Carmody Waterloo
The city has not done a ‘good job’ in Northdale
Letters
Nov 04, 2009
As a long suffering permanent resident of Northdale, I can tell you that Councilor d'Ailly is simply wrong when he says, “There are no more keg parties and street parties usually. We’ve done a good job but we have to keep going.”
Keg parties, Hot Shot parties are alive and well in Waterloo's student ghetto.
And St. Patrick's Day's festivities last March included another street party.
This year the partying has actually gotten significantly worse.
I invite Waterloo to drive around our neighbourhood and look at all of the keg party cups.
The garbage situation isn’t great either.
So no Jan, the city has not done a good job.
Coun. Diane Freeman is right— it is time to accept that families will never move back in here.
It is simply time to build something else here before we have a 400-500 person riot like London experienced this past weekend.
Christine Carmody Waterloo
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