Email BryanI’m here to listen! Share your questions and concerns. | Invite Bryan!Invite me to your event! As Mayor, I welcome invitations of all kinds including grand openings, ribbon cuttings, and greetings on behalf of the City. Find out more! |
Email BryanI’m here to listen! Share your questions and concerns. | Invite Bryan!Invite me to your event! As Mayor, I welcome invitations of all kinds including grand openings, ribbon cuttings, and greetings on behalf of the City. Find out more! |
18 Responses
I thought there was a by-law that buildings could not be higher than 6 or 8 stories. I recall that Empire Life was refused a permit to build and office near this height many years ago. How could this proposed monstrosity be approved. It is completely out of sync with the rest of Princess St.
Lana Dale
You seem to be all for the new condo developments however what is being done about affordable housing for the lower working class. Rental units are extremely expensive for the single working person in Kingston. How do you justify approving condo units, when there are people out there making around the $30,000 a year and paying $11,000 a year for housing. That’s over 36% of their income going for rent alone, factor in the cost for food, insurance (car/home or both), and taxes and there is little if anything left for savings.
High rises and high priced condo units are fine when people can afford them, as Kingston is seeing more condo units being built, how are all of these units going to be sold/rented when a lot of Kingston can not afford the $800-900 a month rent of a rental unit. Yes there are some units cheaper than that and some of those you would not want your daughter or loved one living in, being that for the condition of the building or the neighbourhood. What if anything is being done for the seniors on fixed income who still live in their own homes or for the single working person who chooses to make their home in Kingston. We make too much for subsidies or grants but do not make enough to qualify for a mortgage or to even think about paying $1000+ a month for somewhere to live.
I think the 18 story proposal is a TOTAL DISASTER for the downtown area. Anyone who thinks this eyesore would be appropriate for the downtown only has $$$ signs in their head not eyes.
Who owns the land upon which M centre is built. I believe not the City. If so, Be up front with survey…
Really??? You want to re-open the high school on Memorial Centre grounds question again? That you choose to pick at the scab tells me that you are not concerned with healing the community wounds. Shame on you.
Name:christopher roth
Email:chrisyjr@hotmail.com
Address:375 patrick st unti L5
City:kingston
Province:ontario
Phone:613 876 4934
Postal Code:k7k 6z9
Message:hello my name is christopher roth, im a resident of kingston ON, In my late 30, law binding and have lived in this area for over 20 years (almost my whole life),I love the kingston area and all its beauty. MY son and I utilize the lands and it resources.I hold a hunting and fishing liences to be able make great use of it. It has come to my attention that this week five local individual were arrested by Kingston police at gun point for using firearms (practice shooting) at THE GANANOQUE PROVINCIAL WILDLIFE AREA TRAIL PROJECT this week. They were not charged, just harassed, one was hangcuffs, a car was searched without permission and there firearms and PAL were taken away (unlawfully). I personally Spoke to the MNR Officer in charge of the area Rob Ciraco (613-258-8432) two weeks ago about being able to hunt and lite shooting to site in a scope, Rob Ciraco told me that hunting and target shooting is legal on that land. The land is under NMR district which just like crown land. I know you`and your office dont have control over land zoning but it was my intent to take my son (12 year old) rabbit hunting this fall on the land and teach him life skills, which is totally legal and is are right as ontario residents.I have been told by other hunters that area has some rabbit and deer, and there has been hunting there for years. My concern are the local police(kingston police forces) going to pull firearms at my son and i for using land that is by law free to use and hunt on. This is a great safety issue and miss use of power, I dont care if this is an accident, or a miscommunication on the polices part, or just a case of uneducated police officers,.. I would like my child and I to feel safe when using and enjoying this beautiful and fulfilling land we call Ontario .
yours truly christopher roth
PS Im greatly awaiting your response and position on the matter of police officers pulling firearms on law binding citizens when the citizen are using land in a lawful way. This land is ours and our children’s and should not be taking away by bulling and police brutality. Thank you for your time.
I am appalled that anyone is even considering destroying the Memorial Centre’s purpose by covering it with a highschool! That land was designated as a MEMORIAL, and the format of the lands, with very minor changes and additions congruent with the purpose and original usages, have taken place, but THIS plan, to overrun the site with a highschool, is just unseemly and disrespectful of the very purpose of the land grant for the site. Rebuild a school at the KCVI site, if you feel it necessary to replace the existing historic, wonderful and quirky school that already exists there, but LEAVE THE MEMORIAL CENTRE LANDS ALONE!
Dear Mayor,
Thank you for opening the Memorial centre discussion again. I live downtown, and have 2 KCVI aged kids. I am not a doctor or a lawyer.
I believe in the city plan for downtown densification…its a good plan. Downtown is a vibrant place to live and work. To me, the real benefit is a place to live where I do not need to own a car. Work, school, shopping and entertainment are all within walking/biking/busing distance. The benefits are many…less pollution, less wasted fossil fuels, less traffic, less cost, less time wasted in cars, less car storage, better tax base, and increased health to name a few, 12 years ago I bought a house in the Queen’s area for my family, and chose to NOT have a car. Its a drastic lifestyle change which has proven to be great. We practice active transportation every single day.
However, when KCVI closes, my son (my daughter will have graduated KCVI by then), will have a long way to go to get to the QECVI property. In good weather he could bike. However, as you may be aware, much of the school year is winter. Although winter biking is possible, it has increased risks and demands…its just not that common when its 20 below…its not the temperature, its the road conditions…2 wheels need friction to remain upright. There are no direct buses.
The choice of the QECVI property makes our current lifestyle impossible. It would be forcing my son, and most of the other students, into cars. Densification will only succeed when most of the downtown residents do not own a car (like the Queen’s students now). Closing KCVI has jeopardized that plan. Its not just about getting my son to school each day, but picking him up when he is sick, has an appointment, going to and from school events, clubs and sports teams. The school is a centre for the community.
A downtown with no high school is inconsistent with densification. It also sends a negative message to families…that children are not welcome downtown.
Although I would prefer to see KCVI renovated and stay open, the M centre is a far better location for the new school than the QE property.
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. Contact me anytime.
Dave Hamburger
hamburgerking@sympatico.ca
318 Collingwood Street
Kingston
Re-opening the question re the location of the new large school on the grounds of the Memorial Centre is an incomprehensible idea. The use of the Memorial Centre grounds has been definitely defeated by the last Council as well as this one.
The whole fiasco reminds me of ye olde casino question in which a public meeting delivered a strong “No.” However, then Mayor Mark Gerretsen did not like that response so he started his own poll as you are now doing. I have often wondered how much staff time (and time is money) was spent on dealing with the casino question that was eventually overwhelmingly defeated in a referendum.
It seems to me that you are following then Mayor Gerretsen’s poor example. Surely, we can learn from the costly errors of the past.
Pat Hodge 613-549-1738
95 Dundas St., Kingston, On K7L 1N5
I have lived downtown for twenty years and what you are doing is a travesty in the name of “development”. I have no doubt that many of the 47% who strongly agree with your poll live in the township and rarely come downtown in any case. When you champion this kind of development in a waterfront city, the benefits accrue to the developers, and the citizens are cut off, physically, sociologically and emotionally. Once the damage is done it is not repairable, and you only have to look at the Kingston waterfront to see the results. Shame on you!
As a Williamsville resident I am thrilled about the infrastructure work completed last year. It has really spruced up upper Princess St. However I am disappointed about the lack of side walk waste disposal vessels. Yes there is a recycle bin outside of Giant Tiger but nowhere is there a general garbage disposal bin. We have been graced by the presence of our MP’s office in Williamsville. Yet the area has the potential to becoming over run by trash as we do not have containers to dispose of trash. I work downtown and there are trash bins on at least every second block. I am pretty sure there were trash bin before the infrastructure work was done but now they are gone. Please treat upper Princess Street with the same amenities as the downtown core.
Thank you for the Ranked Voting survey — but I had a difficult time finding it via the City of Kingston website, where there was no link. I had to do a Google search before finding it under the Mayor’s page. “Ah, there it is!” If others have to struggle to find the survey page as I did, then I think the number of votes cast will be adversely affected.
Hi Mayor Paterson,
If the CBC agree to televise The Tragically Hip concert to be held in Kingston August 20th is it possible to consider having it shown on the big screen in Market Square? Our own “Jurassic Park”!
Hopefully we can make this happen.
Thank you
My daughter has been applying for jobs with the City for YEARS. My daughter has college education in Marketing – Communication- Advertising. She had NEVER EVER received an opportunity for an interview. We have heard that unless you know somebody the chances are slim to get a job. I hope this is not the case but she finds it very frustrating that she never receives this opportunity. She does not know I’m writing this .
Hello Mayor Paterson:
On a separate issue, I would appreciate knowing the status of the still ‘undeveloped’ PRK properties at the corner of Princess/University that are quickly becoming a blight on the Williamsville landscape.
I understand the initial offering of 195 suites in the North Tower sold out within a month (2014?) and there were (in 2015) 204 units avail in the South Tower. I’m not certain as to how much more insight will be gained by it, but In order to gain further info, one is required to register online with PRK. Moreover, it seems highly unlikely that PRK will have x2-10 story towers constructed and move-in ready on those sites by 2017. I trust that the PRK project will not result in a similar situation as that experienced by the City with Kim Donovan and Associates and the Anna Lane Apartments on Queen Street.
Notwithstanding how the once beautiful and historical university area has substantially degraded over the years, and having grown up in that area, I am very disappointed and angered when a Globe and Mail article refers to the Williamsville area as a ‘dump’. Unfortunately, the ongoing non-development of these PRK properties only reinforces this image.
Sincerely,
Anella S. Stewart.
I will be going my city’s downtown even less now with an increase to parking fees. I tend to go to other centers, like Napanee or Belleville or most areas of Gananoque, that have free parking.
The vote to approve that monstrosity in the centre of our historic city was a fraudulent one. I hope it gets overturned.
Noise – as long as the event is over by 10 pm on weekends and 8 pm on weeknights, I see no problem with sports fields noise. The more people are outside doing healthy things – not partying – the better.
Dear Mr. Paterson,
First of all, allow me to say that if someone in your office were to acknowledge the receipt of emails addressed to you; it would enhance your credibility and courtesy factors at the same time.
I’ve heard a great deal about the concept of”sustainability”, I still have no idea what that looks like in real life.
I would love to know why the new Dawn House isn’t finished yet.
Also, as far as I know, the former mayor got on board with the excellent” Housing First ” Initiative. I still see lots of homeless and near-homeless people in this city who would benefit more with the mayor expending the same amount of fervor and energy on ameliorating this situation as you do on the holy Third Crossing.
Hi Brain I am very happy with the work you are doing in Kingston. I live at 66 Greenview Dr. Unit 505 it is a condo building with over a hundred units. We have a lot of garbage from this building and others in Kingston I think we need to do more with recycling all of our cardboard and food items go right to the land fill with all of the apartments in this city we need to do more to keep garbage out of land fills. We all so need to do more about garbage a long Greenview Dr. I have picked up 6 very large bags of garbage along Greenview drive. With a lot of dog waste up to and a long the trail and people using private property for a dog park with dogs off the leash bags all over the place. When I called the bylaw office they told me they can not do any thing about it. If I do something about it the police will be after me. So why do we have bylaws that can not be inforced. We need more sighs up there are none any where that may help. We all so need street lights a long Greenview Dr. Thank you.