Craptastic...

It appears as though the view from my balcony is going to be restricted.  A developer has purchased the 4 houses to the back and just to the right (north) of my apartment building.  They are zoned for a 37 meter building which works out to about 14 stories but are asking for a bylaw variance to allow them to go as high as 90 meters or 28 stories.  28 stories!  Given that there are no buildings higher than 20 in the neighbourhood, they will by far be the tallest in the area.  Given that this city’s council has never met a developer they didn’t drop their pants for, I have no doubt that the 28 story solution is going to be adopted. 

The developer made a presentation to the surrounding apartment buildings last week that made it clear that were they forced to stick to the zoning they would build the biggest eyesore they could manage, and inconvenience the rest of the neighbourhood to boot.  But were they allowed to do what they want they would be the best neighbours ever!  Either  way it’s inevitable that something will be built there and that I’m anticipating at least a year of construction basically right outside my balcony, and 14 stories or 28, my view of the river is gone.

I’m sort of resigned to the reality that there’s little I can influence in this and I’m not gonna waste too much of my energy being upset about it.  I kinda knew it was just a matter of time anyway.  When I bought here 5 years ago and looked out the back to see the old, run-down houses and 3 story tenements lining the main drag I realized that eventually someone was going to do something there, especially given that the neighbourhood is supposedly on its way up.

For the time being the 3 story crack houses directly behind me are unaffected but I doubt it will be long before they go too and my whole view is eaten up.  I’ll be a little upset if nothing happens while the other building is going up just to be sold and developed immediately afterward.  Then, I’d be looking at probably 5 years of blasting, dust and construction.  The 5 year-old in me is thrilled to have a ringside seat to the construction of a building but I know that it will be far more pain-in-the-ass than vicarious thrill.