Dear Editor:
I understand that Eric van Grootheest is hoping to erect a five-storey apartment block on St. Andrew Street West, just west of the United Church.
While I am all in favour of replacing the existing eyesore, a five-storey block? Please, no.
Heritage planners will tell you that when inserting a new building into an established older neighbourhood, the main consideration should be height. Three storeys would be fine, but five would dominate the streetscape, towering over all the other buildings near it, and completely overshadow the very attractive United Church (and no, I am not a member of that congregation). It would be completely alien to the character of our downtown.
Secondly, Mr. van Grootheest should clarify his target market. While saying, truly, that there is a need for seniors’ accommodation, and that this site is convenient to downtown, he seems to think that the legal minimum for parking spaces should be adequate, since “bicycles will be provided.”
Sounds very nice, but since many, if not most, seniors have health and/or mobility problems, how many prospective tenants would make use of his bikes? They, and their visitors, will still need vehicles to get around, and space to park them. Or does he envision a building full of athletically-inclined seniors cheerfully puffing uphill to Freshco or Zehrs to get their groceries? In winter? Really? I should think such a market would be vanishingly small.
Younger people would probably be delighted to rent his units, but they too would need cars, possibly even two per unit. They would have to get to work, as well as run errands, and how many employers provide a shower and change room for their cycling employees in the sweltering summer months? They would no doubt appreciate the bicycles in their leisure time, but not enough to justify the minimalist parking facilities envisioned by Mr. van Grootheest.
A sensitively-designed three-storey building with adequate parking for the tenants, and their visitors, would be an excellent addition to Fergus. Mr. van Grootheest just needs to re-think his plans and ambitions.
Jane Schickerowsky,
Fergus