Residents tell city council development doesn’t belong
Highman Avenue residents believe their evenings of watching the sunset through the trees are over.
With a three-tower development proposed at the rear of their properties, officially at 201 Water St. S. and 66 Highman Ave., neighbours told Cambridge city council at Tuesday’s public meeting that isn’t the view they envisioned on their secluded street.
The development consists of 330 residential units in three towers — a nine-storey middle tower bookended by two 13-story towers — on top of a three-story podium. The project will also have 416 parking spaces and 117 bicycle spaces.
A farmhouse currently on the land will be incorporated into the development.
After the developer agreed to Coun. Adam Cooper’s suggestion of a meeting for residents to voice their concerns, council voted unanimously to send the project to staff for a report and recommendation.
The timing of a meeting, however, became a concern. Deputy City Manager Hardy Bromberg stressed the meeting would have to be expedited as the whole process — including the staff report and recommendation — has to be completed for the May 28 council meeting.
Some of the neighbours’ concerns were shared with councillors Tuesday, however.
Highman Avenue resident Majorie Siertema said the towers, visible from her backyard beginning at the sixth storey due to the grading of the area, would be the only thing she and her neighbours would see when they look behind their homes.
“I will have a 13-storey building impacting my view right behind me. Most of the property line will be affected,” she said.
In an earlier letter to council, Siertema stated, “The reason I bought my property was ultimately because of the view. This view feeds my soul, giving me much-needed peace and tranquility, while fostering my mental and emotional wellbeing.”
Highman Avenue resident Gary Kirkham, who calculated the size of the towers, said original drawings of what the towers would look like in relation to the homes was minimalized. Not only that, Siertema said, the towers would cast shadows over her home late in the day; her privacy would be gone with tower residents overlooking her backyard and into the windows at night; and the building does not match the surrounding streetscape.
A huge concern for Siertema was the noise and shaking from construction. She said there was new home built on a property to the south of 201 Water St. S. this past year and her home vibrated, while items on her shelves shook.
The current renter at 66 Highman Ave. claimed there was bedrock where the development is to be built and getting through that would cause a lot of noise and disruption to neighbouring homes.
Mayor Jan Liggett asked if staff could recommend the developer look at the homes before construction starts and if any damages occur, they would have to foot the bill when construction ended.
Cooper said he had significant concerns with the project, as it seemed to be following the current trend of high-density towers being built in residential areas.
“I don’t believe we should be doing it. It’s not part of the provincial policy statement,” Cooper said.
“With this development, I believe, for the residents we’re getting a reduction in the enjoyment of their homes, and they are getting, what I believe, is a significant reduction of value in homes.”
Coun. Scott Hamilton said he was eager to see the staff report on the development, as it mirrors other large building projects where a substantial change is made to an area of the city that hasn’t seen change in decades.
The development is also in an urban area and walking distance from the downtown and the planned ION station, he said.
“The nature of Cambridge is changing,” Hamilton said.
“We are no longer a small town; we’re becoming a large urban centre. So, the question I always have with any development, is not what it looks like today, or 10 years ago, but 30 years from now, will this fit? This is what gateways to cities do look like.”
Cooper countered Hamilton, saying when delegates talk about their concerns, it doesn’t mean they are afraid of change.
“We as stewards of this city, we have an obligation to promote development. We want development,” he said.
“If someone came in there with three towers at seven storeys, we’d probably all be happy. This is not about stopping development, this is about ensuring and continuing to do our duty, which is for responsible developments and to look at the concerns brought to us.”