Statutory Public Meeting announced for Ace Hotel development

10/29/2015

According to October edition of The Cressy Courier:

49-51 Camden Street (re-zoning application)
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Time: 7pm
Location: Metro Hall (Room 308)

This is an application to build a new hotel on the corner of Camden and Brant. Now that an official application has been submitted, City Planning staff will make a presentation about the proposal, followed by another presentation from the applicant.

1 Comment

Dieter Riedel

11/4/2015 12:23:30 am

One thing I find troubling - at least based on the site plan that I’ve seen - is the facing distance between the hotel and the Brant Park building still under construction. The distances look no more than the width of the lane, which makes for a very uncomfortable situation between the Brant Park condominium, the hotel, and building immediately east. Among other things, such limited facing distances will set a poor precedent for the area, and the concern is that we may see more new buildings pushed ever closer together. The result would be perpetual shadows mid-block, and a gloomy environment between structures.

Much attention has been on the facing distances between high rise buildings, but the city has been slipping on the same guidelines for mid and low-rise structures that we see in our area. Fifteen metres used to be the suggested number, but that has been dropping - with little resulting attention to the effects. Given the number of potential building sites possible in the neighbourhood, I think raising these mid-block situations is absolutely essential. Adherence to some form of minimum distancing is necessary if we really want to see decent interior living environments and lane access that is to be of actual use.

In a related matter, one must assume that all services will be using the lane situated between Brant Park and the Ace Hotel. If that is to be the case, the lane looks like it is going to be choke point and source of considerable noise for all nearby residents. For example, how is garbage and recycling going to be handled? Parking access? Moves and deliveries? Does Brant Park have interior facilities for such services? Will the Ace Hotel? If not, this will all likely occur in the lane, and no doubt that lane would be an access route for any new future development that could occur just east of the proposed hotel.

We’ve seen other oversubscribed lanes allowed to evolve in the general area. The one lying between King and Stewart Streets off Portland is one such case. However, the most egregious example is over in the Entertainment District, with the lane off John Street between King and Mercer. These lanes are oversubscribed, and get worse with every building that goes up. The problems persists, in part, when new applications cite prior allowances to use the lane.

There has to be some clear assurances about how this lane will work and about the facing distances between the buildings, because right now it looks like a recipe for future problems - problems that will not resolve themselves. Neighbouring residents will be the people bearing the brunt of the subsequent problems.

Statutory Public Meeting announced for Ace Hotel development

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