Cambridge Times

City core resident Ken Hoyle says height restrictions are overdue.
The City of Cambridge is ready to go to new heights to protect its heritage buildings, river views and the natural beauty of the Galt core area, but not everyone is in agreement.
Monday night, the city rolled out its proposal to formalize its height restriction guidelines for the Galt core and got mixed reviews.

In a nutshell, heritage groups and some residents loved it while business people and developers opposed any restriction that could compromise their future plans.
In presenting the proposal to members of council, city core areas project manager Laurel Davies-Snyder explained that until now height restrictions in the Galt core have been just guidelines that couldn't be enforced until the recent passage of Bill 30 at Queen's Park.
The suggested height restrictions are based on historical analysis and previously approved council studies.

The proposal breaks the Galt core into four zones where the height restrictions would range between five storeys or 50 feet and 11 storeys or 110 feet. Should council approve the implementation of the Galt core height restrictions, planning staff are seeking council permission to conduct a height, density and massing study for all three city cores. It would help determine how future development in the cores should take place.

Among those supporting the proposal was Heritage Cambridge.
"Despite what some might think, Heritage Cambridge is not opposed to development or intensification in our downtown core or historic areas," said board member Pauline Todkill. "We understand that to balance what are often conflicting objectives - the preservation of our truly important natural and built heritage resources, designated or not, with new development and infill - is not an easy task.

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Todkill noted that new computer technology can provide 3-D images so people can see specifically how a new project could impact Galt's downtown core.
She noted that Ottawa is going through a similar exercise and is using a University of Toronto computer model to ensure new development does not conflict with important viewscapes of the city. Todkill suggested Cambridge might do the same thing with the University of Waterloo School of Architecture.

Todkill also said that whatever the city decides to do should dovetail with the city's new heritage master plan and emphasize the need for public consultation.
"We strongly encourage planning (staff) to articulate the elements of the new study in this way and that this be shared with the community in more informal public meetings prior to finalizing your study," she said.
City core resident Ken Hoyle called the proposed height restrictions "long overdue".

He too recommended the city look at using computer modeling.
"The technology does exist and we should be using it," he said. "The university (school of architecture) has a model of the city that could be.

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Hoyle also said the city should hold workshops to involve the public in the planning of the Galt core and consider the impact of the region's rapid transit plans and the parking requirements that will go along with intensification projects.
Brant Place resident Margaret Taggart took aim at plans for the Waterscape on the Grand condominiums.
Taggart said the proposed height restrictions are "too little, too late", and hoped a cap could be put on the height of the Waterscape project, which would see two 12-storey condominium towers built on the Water Street riverfront.

She also wanted the city to have its height restrictions in place within a year.
Among those opposed to the implementation of height restrictions is Haastown Holdings, Waterscape's developer and a number of their potential buyers.
Haastown's lawyer Alan Patton, reminded council that no height restrictions were in place when they submitted their plans to the city.

The developer and city staff have been working on the project's approvals for months and they are now in the final phase of development before construction begins.
Patton said Haastown's project should be allowed to continue with the zoning that was in place at the time of their application.
North Dumfries resident Andrew Poynter also supported Waterscape.

He said the core has been in a state of decline and the Waterscape project will help "revitalize the spirit" of the core.
West side resident Barbara Donaldson, speaking on behalf of several potential buyers, said she is a supporter of heritage and is looking forward to seeing the Haastown development. She praised the high-rise apartment development on the Speed River in Preston and the new civic administration building.

"The city can benefit in many ways. We can preserve what we have and carry forward with the new," she said. "Council has the opportunity to show that the city isn't afraid to grow.