Phil Elsworthy is leading a walk in Northdale on Sunday:
http://janeswalk.net/walks/view/northdale_past_and_future/
1 pm Sunday May 8 at the statue in Veteran's Green.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Northdale resident speaks to council: March 7, 2011
Madam Mayor and Council members:
Thank you for the opportunity to submit some additional facts for your consideration.
As a permanent resident, I am concerned with the special impact upon the Northdale area.
It has been well covered that many land-lords will suffer significant losses with the 3 renter rule and that many houses have been bought with maximum mortgages and a default in payments can result in foreclosure and perhaps personal bankruptcy. Foreclosures will result in financial institutions black-listing the Northdale area for mortgage investment.
Most of the remaining permanent residents in Northdale are on fixed income and, when inflation is factored in, are on diminishing disposable income. They can’t afford to loss a significant (major) portion of their assets. It should be noted that devaluation of the property values of long time residents affects us to a much greater degree than that of the landlords. We have no claim for any capital losses and will bear the full impact of these changes.
We are not helped at-all by any grand-fathering clauses.
Our homes will be hard to sell at other than fire sale prices!
.
Who will buy these houses in the Northdale area?
· Not landlords for student homes!
· Not families for residential homes!
1. The ability to obtain a mortgage in the Northdale area from a financial institution would be nil.
2. The homes are no longer designed or suitable for families and it would be costly to modify them back from student accommodation to family style.
3. Young families could no longer rent a room or two during the first years to help them get started.
4. There are no junior schools, parks, stores, neighbours or other amenities for families.
5. The large number of temporary people passing through the area would not create a suitable environment for raising small children.
6. Heavy parking demand in the area is not compatible with raising small children.
7. Several thousand students will be displaced from the adjacent area that is only a short hike to WLU creating time and travel pressures on the students who will still pass through the area to and from school.
Please consider deferring
or excluding this by-law
action in the Northdale student residence area.
Please wait for the already approved land use study for Northdale, and only then, develop appropriate zoning for this special area that is so important to the life style of our VALUABLE student population. We are a University town. The City should openly welcome these students rather than putting severe restrictions and inconvenience on their accommodations. Education is our major industry. It should be nurtured not abused.
Once the by-law is passed the results can not be undone!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Northdale rates low walkability score!
Walk Score
63
Out of 100
Somewhat Walkable
corner Albert/Columbia
from: walkscore.com
Considering how many people live in or very near to this corner (or work near it) this score is dismal.
Urban planning possibilities abound!
Oshawa's situation now
- Councillor suggests using square footage to determine bedrooms in student rentals
Feb 09, 2011 - 04:30 AM
OSHAWA -- Councillors have said no to a group of landlords asking to rezone three streets near Durham College and UOIT -- but the debate's not over yet.
On Feb. 7 council's development services committee unanimously shot down a proposal from Homeowners of North Oshawa that would see 133 houses on Dalhousie Crescent, Concordia Court and Niagara Drive rezoned to allow either five or six bedrooms.
"Letting us have five or six (bedrooms) makes things cheaper for the students, and it lets the landlords get the money we need to maintain the houses properly," said landlord Julie Liard.
A City bylaw limits rental homes near campus to four bedrooms, but a sunset clause allows houses on Dalhousie and Concordia to have five or six until April 30 of this year.
With time running out, landlords are trying to make the situation permanent. Council is expected to follow the committee's lead and vote down the rezoning request.
But Councillor Amy England says there is still a chance for the extra bedrooms to be allowed.
She wants to see a model that uses the square footage of a home to determine how many bedrooms are allowed and plans to raise the issue at council's finance and administration committee meeting on Feb. 10.
"It's not an arbitrary cap, it's based on the living space, which makes sense," she said. "I think that's the final piece of the puzzle, it's a compromise that can work for everyone."
Student Association president Anthony Boland told the committee his group is also in favour of using square footage.
A City report recommends denying the landlord's rezoning request, saying it contradicts plans to encourage new student housing along the Simcoe Street corridor.
"It could set an undesirable precedent, which could lead to the destabilization of other existing low density residential neighbourhoods," reads an excerpt.
Landlords say City officials are balking at the request because they're trying to "force" students out of single-family homes and into "purpose built" developments, such as the Dundurn student apartment complex.
"The City should not be promoting big business at the expense of students," said landlord Mareen Sooriyakumar, saying it's up to developers to make their prices competitive with that the landlords offer.
Tim Bird, president of the Cedar Valley Homeowners Association, told politicians this latest request represents a "crossroads" in the protracted debate over student housing in Oshawa.
He implored councillors to turn down the rezoning, saying more bedrooms available in single-family homes means less incentive for developers to build student housing projects along Simcoe Street.
"We believe it is finally time to say no to these landlords," Mr. Bird said. "For every year the status quo continues the City loses...because there's an incredible amount of tax revenue available if and when a student village is built."
Paul Vrana, president of the landlord group, said their proposal doesn't prevent development along the corridor.
He pointed out that in 2009 council opted not to impose a four-bedroom limit on rental homes across the city, because it could potentially disadvantage some families.
"Why then, is it OK to limit choice for students?" he asked.
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