Things got ugly at a recent city hall meeting while discussing a proposed 23-story high-rise building. Many city residents are fiercely opposed to its construction.
Angry residents booed city council and shouted “Shame” like they were in an episode of Game of Thrones.
We certainly understand where they’re coming from. Part of what makes Burlington, Burlington is the small town charm with access to big town amenities. And an understated skyline is an important part of that, in a lot of local people’s minds.
Is a 23-story condominium building too much? Maybe. However, there are elements of this development that echo The City of Burlington’s strategic plan.
And some of these elements can be potentially good for the city, and actually, help to protect our beloved city’s charm.
Protecting Against Urban Sprawl
A major priority in the City’s plan is to protect our beautiful rural areas from the dreaded urban sprawl.
How do you do this? You build up instead of out, and choose intensification instead of sprawl.
We all love the lush green areas around the city and want to do our best to protect their natural beauty, and the environment.
More Affordable Housing
With the astronomical rise in property values over the last decade or so, many people are worried that they or their children will never be able to afford to own a home in Burlington. Constructing more condos provides options for Buyers in a lower price bracket. Granted, this particular downtown building may not be the best example of the creation of more affordable living spaces.
That said, council has seen proposals from other condo buildings that are priced more reasonably, located close to major Go Stations and are often less intrusive to the skyline. These mid and lowrise condo buildings should provide living spaces that more people can afford, while still avoiding the urban sprawl we mentioned earlier.
Walkability and Sustainability
The condo buildings we are seeing proposed are usually planned for areas with established business and public transit options around them. Making Burlington more walkable does more than keep us active. It helps take some cars off the roads and cuts down on our carbon footprint.
It also adds character and a sense of community to an area, with more people walking to their destination instead of beeping at each other or fighting each other for parking spaces.
We’ve said before that improving walkability does more than just help the environment. It creates an environment and turns an area into a neighborhood.
A Boost for Downtown and other Small Businesses We Love
More people living downtown means more people spending their money downtown.
This helps us ensure that the charming little coffee shops, pubs and art houses that make up the heart and soul of our downtown have a sustainable customer base for years to come.
Ultimately, is this one building the answer to making sure downtown business survives? Of course not. But more people living and working in the downtown area is a good thing, and that’s part of Burlington’s strategic plan.
We Live Here. We Love it Here. Let us Show You Why.
We’re not biased, Burlington is amazing; Fact! Want to see why? Peruse our website to find photos and tons of useful information about each neighbourhood, our 5 favourite things, the best schools, average property values and homes for sale. You can click here to view our current listings.
Or, you can click here to contact us to set up a personal meeting. We specialize in helping people like you find the right home in the perfect neighbourhood. And we can help you!
