Greg Blanchett is a fool. You cannot have a tree and a building in the same place.
Duncan McMaster is part of the same problem as Blanchette. We need housing, not obstruction to development, especially due only to McMaster's desires.
It's January of 2018...... You think anyone will be moving into any of these apartments before January of 2023? Not likely, not with the current staff and council. 5 years from proposal to occupancy is optimistic in this bureaucratic climate.
A 4th observation: We need a different council. If you're struggling to find a place to live, or living in a tent, or a trailer, remember, next election, who is currently sitting in council chambers. Those people are the main reason you cannot find a home.
You would "buy" your apartment, not rent it? You'd have no control over who your neighbours would be or how they would behave? There would be no building superintendant with the power to evict or otherwise control outrageous behavior, only a strata council? This, apparently, would be a strata property. Are you aware of the complicated maze of strata law? This is gonna be a zoo. Before you buy a unit in a property like this, do research. Be sure you fully understand what you're getting into.
I’m not a fan of stratas but some are run well. Kingfisher is not a zoo. Even Sin City is a shadow of its former self and it is all rental. Parallel 49 is ok
So, two affordable rentals, and seven reserved for local residents. The other twenty three will be ????? Dare I make a guess? God help the other residents on Yew Wood.
I have to agree with 10:02pm. Those two councillors make some terrible arguments. This council drove up the prices of Sea Otter Place. The mayor is proud to have negotiated a unit for the district and yet seems oblivious to the fact that all the other buyers paid for it. This council drove away the developer for the property behind the gas bar. The housing commission led by a consultant is a joke. Tofino has a reputation for being awful to deal with for any developers and will continue until these are major changes at the helm.
Councillor McMaster, tell us what the project will pay in Development Cost Charges. $300,000. $400,000. $500,000. Fill in the blanks, Please.
Now tell us what the Development Cost Charges are going to be spent on. The last version I saw was 50% on getting water from Kennedy Lake. There are no plans to get water from Kennedy lake. What are the plans? The bylaw requires that there be a plan executable in five years for the charge to be legal. What are the plans that justify your DCC?
Councillor McMaster wants "more Sir. Please can I have some more"....We didn't know Oliver Twist has half a million stashed in his back pocket with no intended use.
The town has seen no additional water supply in over ten years....Keep your end of the bargain if you expect people to bargain.
For the district DOT to get it self involved in being part of another strata corporation is ludicrous, stupid, an incredible waste of time and absolute folly. blaming the costs of site servicing and off-site servicing of Sea otter Place is ludicrous. the costs were foreseeable. doing something anyway then blaming the high cost on the district sounds like a good Republican thing to do... even though were not Republicans here. siting an apartment building on the highway next to a sewer pump lift station makes us look like Surrey. and no you cannot build on top of trees and bushes. the alleged housing consultant is another waste of time and money both of which could have been better spent servicing D.L. 114 and actually getting something done. creating another expensive topographical survey and engineering the road from the community centre through acres of solid rock makes it so expensive it won't get done. therefore let's welcome anything at all that calls itself affordable housing.
Didn't McMaster just say a few weeks ago when council crapped all over the other developer, saysomething to the effect he is not in support of anymore construction unless the water situation is solved???
8:41 I believe you are correct.There are so many questions about Tofino's approval process it boggles the mind...like some corn maze that no one can find their way out of.
Has the town ever considered drilling water wells? It isn't as though we are not covered in year round springs and that any water removed would be replenished with our winter rains. The hotels (8??) a few years back drilled to save on their laundry bills. Water problem sold for a lot less than any other method.
The property is zoned and good to go. The proponent does not need anything more than a building permit, which is nothing more than a matter of course, if they choose to stick to the 24 units that the property is zoned for.
If Councillor Blanchete wants it to be parkland then he should have considered purchasing the property when it was on the market. Then, he could have applied to have it rezoned as parkland. Maybe he can take the time to review his "info package" and see that the highway side and "gas station" side have covenants that protect the vegetation. I am starting to feel that Councillor Blanchette is in opposition to projects because without opposition he would struggle to comment in an additive or productive way. It is always easiest to oppose an idea on a strongly held belief than to see past your own bias and ask if the project is going to be a successful addition to the community.
Everyone wants to keep the trees AROUND their house....after they have cleared the trees for THEIR house.
McMaster needs to wake up. This developer can simply build 24 units, offer nothing in return, and not have to deal with the strangeness that exists within council chambers.
Past councils have explored drilling, aquifers etc. without any encouraging results. That was twenty plus years ago. Maybe current technology would produce different results. Plus there is a lot more water could be squeezed out of the old Ginnard Creek water reservoir and dam. Could easily be doubled. Seems to me water is where we should be spending our money. How many development proposals have been hit with the old "we don,t have the water" catchall. How many housing units could have been created. Plus the additional tax revenues could have been enormous and spread out the cost of sewer systems to more payers, etc. ...Maybe they don't want the water.
Yesterday Councillor Thorogood said he was against Tiny Houses... how can one councillor go onto facebook and say he is against a type of housing that clearly some people want to live in? His job isn't to put his simple opinions out there it is to represent what the community needs, therefore his is supposed to listen. More specifically, If someone told me they wanted to live in a "Woods" canvas back country tent... I would say go fill your boots, this is allowed is over there. Furthermore, We have land near the community Centre... clear it so people can drive up the lot. Let them pick a spot and start the process.... charge for use, rent.... When Tofino gets bigger and has more money it can increase the density, build and put in larger accommodation structures....
This seems so simple and at such a low cost... but then again so is coordinating/encouraging Hackett about building more suites
Cultures grow great when diversity is at its maximum
Councillor Thorogood is allowed to express his opinion, same as anyone else. Surprised you think he should be restricted, particularly when you seem to champion diversity. Most of the time we don,t know what our politicians really think, so good on him for being honest. All that said, you can agree or disagree.
I agree with 10:28, Councillor Thorogood should be allowed to express his opinion. However, Blanchette, Baert, McMaster and Thicke should all be confined to a soundproof room in the basement.
8:39 I am not sure about Thorogood opinion. If he states this is his personal opinion is one thing (he did not) If he is clouded and stating the opinion of his voters who he represents... this is another problem...
Maybe Thorogood can come online and state was his opinion is and how that might differ from his voters who he represents
Councillor Thorogood, like all those elected, has a responsibility to do what he thinks is good for the community. Hopefully, like all our elected officials, he will listen to the many diverse views expressed and then decide. His responsibility is not to side with one view or another based on numbers or position otherwise we wouldn't need councillors as the technology exists to poll us on every issue. His job is also to use his wisdom, sometimes perhaps, even against the majority view where he believes it to be wrong or dangerous or ill advised for any number of reasons.
I am with him on this issue. As most Tofitians would be. The council sets standards for health, safety, decency and even the protection of property values. It has done this legally through it's bylaws. It sets building code requirements and minimum sq footage requirements to the greater benefit of our community. Done. Move along. Silly discussion really
But....the tiny homes look so cool, and I saw in an article, somewhere on the internet, where someone said they were a good idea. Just think: We could have Poolesland all over town! How chill would that be?
What is wrong with everyone? Are you limited in your scope to not realize the problem is in the fact there are simply too many people? More and more of them are coming just like you all did at one time. The highway is being upgraded, flights are going to be added and the list goes on. So what is available? Either to buy or rent? It's clear that tiny homes are appropriate, they can be very attractive, affordable and environmentally responsible. There is a reason why they are popping up all over the globe and are the perfect 'answer' if done properly. Wake up people!
I was born and grew up in a 24x24 story and a half box. it was Ok but kinda cramped for the whole family. I like what I got now a lot better. Now this guy who wants people to start setting up huts and tents and staking a claim in the forest is not talking about economical housing. He must be on some of that wacky tobaccy. There's plenty of room out near Kennedy lake,or up the coast. Grow a set and go for it.
6:13 you are probably right. The problem is way too many people. Now let's get at the "root causes". The solution is obvious. Remove the carbon taxes and other consumption taxes and put the tax on the creation of people. Remove the child tax deductions and charge triple the amount per head on all babies. Children are a luxury we just cannot afford anymore. We would all be better off, eliminate the national debt, and save the environment at the same time. Forget the tiny homes. Think big
start taxing dogs and pets before kids... No wonder they want to live in a glorified tiny dog house!
So amazing that environmentalists, Vegans, anti-Trump are so against everything but yet billions of domesticated pet entertain them as slaves, like a Giant wall of hypocrisy in front of the ultimate conflict of interest.
As the rain continues to come down and everyone gets wetter, comments diverge even further from the original question... Apartments
I say 10 storey apartments near the gas/go... no view high density, 500 sq-ft, 5,000 new rooms....
Out come you ask:, House prices in Tofino go down, a community emerges, artists can live here again... we don't hear about tofino housing shortage for 10 years!
2:08 is right. I've heard it said lots of times that Tofino's big problem is a lack of "pet-friendly" rental housing. Apparently, it's not the fault or responsibility of the pet owner who failed to think about where the pet would live, once they decided to "get a dog". That, instead, is the fault of the taxpayers and council of the District of Tofino. Take a peek at that rental place on Facebook. Mostly those still looking for a rental home are people with a dog. Sorry. No sympathy here. I don't know of anyone willing to spend a half million dollars to build a house for your dog to live in. You've made a poor life choice, now you're homeless because of it.
Let's all remember that there is a municipal election this November. If you feel that the present council members are not representing you or our community, support those running for council that share your views and kick the current dinosaurs out.
31 comments:
Three observations:
Greg Blanchett is a fool. You cannot have a tree and a building in the same place.
Duncan McMaster is part of the same problem as Blanchette. We need housing, not obstruction to development, especially due only to McMaster's desires.
It's January of 2018...... You think anyone will be moving into any of these apartments before January of 2023? Not likely, not with the current staff and council. 5 years from proposal to occupancy is optimistic in this bureaucratic climate.
A 4th observation: We need a different council. If you're struggling to find a place to live, or living in a tent, or a trailer, remember, next election, who is currently sitting in council chambers. Those people are the main reason you cannot find a home.
You would "buy" your apartment, not rent it? You'd have no control over who your neighbours would be or how they would behave? There would be no building superintendant with the power to evict or otherwise control outrageous behavior, only a strata council?
This, apparently, would be a strata property. Are you aware of the complicated maze of strata law?
This is gonna be a zoo.
Before you buy a unit in a property like this, do research. Be sure you fully understand what you're getting into.
Blanchette is against housing but for the Multiplex.
I think the apartment is a good idea. There are many trees at Tonquin Park
I’m not a fan of stratas but some are run well. Kingfisher is not a zoo. Even Sin City is a shadow of its former self and it is all rental. Parallel 49 is ok
So, two affordable rentals, and seven reserved for local residents. The other twenty three will be ????? Dare I make a guess?
God help the other residents on Yew Wood.
I have to agree with 10:02pm. Those two councillors make some terrible arguments. This council drove up the prices of Sea Otter Place. The mayor is proud to have negotiated a unit for the district and yet seems oblivious to the fact that all the other buyers paid for it. This council drove away the developer for the property behind the gas bar. The housing commission led by a consultant is a joke. Tofino has a reputation for being awful to deal with for any developers and will continue until these are major changes at the helm.
Councillor McMaster, tell us what the project will pay in Development Cost Charges. $300,000. $400,000. $500,000. Fill in the blanks, Please.
Now tell us what the Development Cost Charges are going to be spent on. The last version I saw was 50% on getting water from Kennedy Lake. There are no plans to get water from Kennedy lake. What are the plans? The bylaw requires that there be a plan executable in five years for the charge to be legal. What are the plans that justify your DCC?
Councillor McMaster wants "more Sir. Please can I have some more"....We didn't know Oliver Twist has half a million stashed in his back pocket with no intended use.
The town has seen no additional water supply in over ten years....Keep your end of the bargain if you expect people to bargain.
For the district DOT to get it self involved in being part of another strata corporation is ludicrous, stupid, an incredible waste of time and absolute folly.
blaming the costs of site servicing and off-site servicing of Sea otter Place is ludicrous.
the costs were foreseeable. doing something anyway then blaming the high cost on the district sounds like a good Republican thing to do... even though were not Republicans here.
siting an apartment building on the highway next to a sewer pump lift station makes us look like Surrey.
and no you cannot build on top of trees and bushes.
the alleged housing consultant is another waste of time and money both of which could have been better spent servicing D.L. 114 and actually getting something done.
creating another expensive topographical survey and engineering the road from the community centre through acres of solid rock makes it so expensive it won't get done.
therefore let's welcome anything at all that calls itself affordable housing.
Didn't McMaster just say a few weeks ago when council crapped all over the other developer, saysomething to the effect he is not in support of anymore construction unless the water situation is solved???
Anyone care to remind me
8:41 I believe you are correct.There are so many questions about Tofino's approval process it boggles the mind...like some corn maze that no one can find their way out of.
Has the town ever considered drilling water wells? It isn't as though we are not covered in year round springs and that any water removed would be replenished with our winter rains. The hotels (8??) a few years back drilled to save on their laundry bills. Water problem sold for a lot less than any other method.
The property is zoned and good to go. The proponent does not need anything more than a building permit, which is nothing more than a matter of course, if they choose to stick to the 24 units that the property is zoned for.
If Councillor Blanchete wants it to be parkland then he should have considered purchasing the property when it was on the market. Then, he could have applied to have it rezoned as parkland. Maybe he can take the time to review his "info package" and see that the highway side and "gas station" side have covenants that protect the vegetation. I am starting to feel that Councillor Blanchette is in opposition to projects because without opposition he would struggle to comment in an additive or productive way. It is always easiest to oppose an idea on a strongly held belief than to see past your own bias and ask if the project is going to be a successful addition to the community.
Everyone wants to keep the trees AROUND their house....after they have cleared the trees for THEIR house.
McMaster needs to wake up. This developer can simply build 24 units, offer nothing in return, and not have to deal with the strangeness that exists within council chambers.
Past councils have explored drilling, aquifers etc. without any encouraging results. That was twenty plus years ago. Maybe current technology would produce different results. Plus there is a lot more water could be squeezed out of the old Ginnard Creek water reservoir and dam. Could easily be doubled. Seems to me water is where we should be spending our money. How many development proposals have been hit with the old "we don,t have the water" catchall. How many housing units could have been created. Plus the additional tax revenues could have been enormous and spread out the cost of sewer systems to more payers, etc. ...Maybe they don't want the water.
It was a few years ago, it was proposed to name a street after Councillor Blanchette. A few dead ends where put forward as suitable.
Yesterday Councillor Thorogood said he was against Tiny Houses... how can one councillor go onto facebook and say he is against a type of housing that clearly some people want to live in? His job isn't to put his simple opinions out there it is to represent what the community needs, therefore his is supposed to listen. More specifically, If someone told me they wanted to live in a "Woods" canvas back country tent... I would say go fill your boots, this is allowed is over there. Furthermore, We have land near the community Centre... clear it so people can drive up the lot. Let them pick a spot and start the process.... charge for use, rent.... When Tofino gets bigger and has more money it can increase the density, build and put in larger accommodation structures....
This seems so simple and at such a low cost... but then again so is coordinating/encouraging Hackett about building more suites
Cultures grow great when diversity is at its maximum
Councillor Thorogood is allowed to express his opinion, same as anyone else. Surprised you think he should be restricted, particularly when you seem to champion diversity. Most of the time we don,t know what our politicians really think, so good on him for being honest. All that said, you can agree or disagree.
I agree with 10:28, Councillor Thorogood should be allowed to express his opinion. However, Blanchette, Baert, McMaster and Thicke should all be confined to a soundproof room in the basement.
8:39 I am not sure about Thorogood opinion. If he states this is his personal opinion is one thing (he did not) If he is clouded and stating the opinion of his voters who he represents... this is another problem...
Maybe Thorogood can come online and state was his opinion is and how that might differ from his voters who he represents
There was an article on Facebook asking about and promoting tiny houses in Tofino. My reply to this on Facebook, was 'not in my backyard'
Ray Thorogood,
I am against tiny homes.They are glorified trailers. A few years ago yurts were trendy.
Councillor Thorogood, like all those elected, has a responsibility to do what he thinks is good for the community. Hopefully, like all our elected officials, he will listen to the many diverse views expressed and then decide. His responsibility is not to side with one view or another based on numbers or position otherwise we wouldn't need councillors as the technology exists to poll us on every issue. His job is also to use his wisdom, sometimes perhaps, even against the majority view where he believes it to be wrong or dangerous or ill advised for any number of reasons.
I am with him on this issue. As most Tofitians would be. The council sets standards for health, safety, decency and even the protection of property values. It has done this legally through it's bylaws. It sets building code requirements and minimum sq footage requirements to the greater benefit of our community. Done. Move along. Silly discussion really
But....the tiny homes look so cool, and I saw in an article, somewhere on the internet, where someone said they were a good idea. Just think: We could have Poolesland all over town! How chill would that be?
What is wrong with everyone? Are you limited in your scope to not realize the problem is in the fact there are simply too many people? More and more of them are coming just like you all did at one time. The highway is being upgraded, flights are going to be added and the list goes on. So what is available? Either to buy or rent?
It's clear that tiny homes are appropriate, they can be very attractive, affordable and environmentally responsible.
There is a reason why they are popping up all over the globe and are the perfect 'answer' if done properly.
Wake up people!
I was born and grew up in a 24x24 story and a half box. it was Ok but kinda cramped for the whole family. I like what I got now a lot better. Now this guy who wants people to start setting up huts and tents and staking a claim in the forest is not talking about economical housing. He must be on some of that wacky tobaccy. There's plenty of room out near Kennedy lake,or up the coast. Grow a set and go for it.
6:13 you are probably right. The problem is way too many people. Now let's get at the "root causes". The solution is obvious. Remove the carbon taxes and other consumption taxes and put the tax on the creation of people. Remove the child tax deductions and charge triple the amount per head on all babies. Children are a luxury we just cannot afford anymore. We would all be better off, eliminate the national debt, and save the environment at the same time. Forget the tiny homes. Think big
start taxing dogs and pets before kids...
No wonder they want to live in a glorified tiny dog house!
So amazing that environmentalists, Vegans, anti-Trump are so against everything but yet billions of domesticated pet entertain them as slaves, like a Giant wall of hypocrisy in front of the ultimate conflict of interest.
Hopeless.
As the rain continues to come down and everyone gets wetter, comments diverge even further from the original question... Apartments
I say 10 storey apartments near the gas/go... no view high density, 500 sq-ft, 5,000 new rooms....
Out come you ask:, House prices in Tofino go down, a community emerges, artists can live here again... we don't hear about tofino housing shortage for 10 years!
2:08 is right. I've heard it said lots of times that Tofino's big problem is a lack of "pet-friendly" rental housing. Apparently, it's not the fault or responsibility of the pet owner who failed to think about where the pet would live, once they decided to "get a dog". That, instead, is the fault of the taxpayers and council of the District of Tofino.
Take a peek at that rental place on Facebook. Mostly those still looking for a rental home are people with a dog.
Sorry. No sympathy here. I don't know of anyone willing to spend a half million dollars to build a house for your dog to live in. You've made a poor life choice, now you're homeless because of it.
Old news. The definition of someone with a dog has been for a long time, Homeless.
Let's all remember that there is a municipal election this November. If you feel that the present council members are not representing you or our community, support those running for council that share your views and kick the current dinosaurs out.
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