Further to this post.
When we went skiing at Westboro Beach the other day I grabbed my camera and walked up the street from where we parked in order to snap a few photos of some new houses that were being built in that neighborhood. Here’s the kind of thing you encounter when you’re in the neighborhood (you need to click to enlarge – sorry for the poor quality panorama, but you get the idea):
Edited to add: Here’s a snap from Google street view. This is what used to be on the site pictured above.
I understand why people clamour for height in Westboro Beach. They want views of the river, but isn’t that a little much? What exactly does this say about the people who build these huge homes?
Here’s a suggestion for a residential zoning amendment! How about developers not be allowed to build a house that is twice the height of the neighbouring house if they are within a certain distance from each other?
These ones are just high, but many of these new houses look down with condescention upon the rest of us in other ways. Like the homes in my previous post, there is something off-putting about the placement of the garage (street level) and front door (high above street level). The trend nowadays is to add two monster homes (often purchased by childless double-income couples) where one stood before. This does not exactly do much for the stated goals of intensification.
The whole process favours the developer, not the people who actually live here. I’ve said it before but it needs to be said again… the whole process is fueled by greed; greedy developers, greedy buyers, greedy sellers, and a greedy administration who (a) doesn’t really care and (b) benefits with an increase to City coffers. Great neighborhoods are not built upon a foundation of greed.
I understand that some people want to live in really big houses, I understand that some changes are here to stay, but we need to take a serious look at what’s happening here and ask ourselves (and our new Councillor!):
- Do we, as a community, want to live in a neighbourhood that looks like this?
- Do we, as a community, value trees and green space?If so, how can we protect it?
- Why can’t new houses be designed to fit into the community, within existing zoning bylaw?
A few more shots from this stroll were uploaded to my Flickr page.
