UrbanWorkbench

From the category archives:

Development

Boomer Housing Denial

by Mike Thomas on March 15, 2010

in Construction, Design, Housing, Transitions

Have you noticed the disconnect between reality and expectations for housing options in the Baby Boomer crowd?
A recent AARP study, for example, found a massive disconnect between perceptions of aging and its reality. The vast majority of people surveyed expressed optimism that they would not only be in good physical health in their later years, but [...]

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Walking from the large brick building that used to house the airport terminal operations, but now was given new life as a fruit farming centre, Janie scanned the snow line on the mountains surrounding the valley.  The flat land around what was once known as the West Kootenay Regional Airport was once a living farm. In fact, [...]

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A Focus on Food

by Mike Thomas on March 11, 2010

in Business, Castlegar, Rural, Sustainability, Urban Farming

While Castlegar City Council makes an impassioned plea for residents to understand the tough times the City is facing, it seems that all the good work, energy and momentum that was generated during the Integrated Community Sustainability Planning (ICSP) sessions seems to have fallen to the wayside.
Council still has a focus on attracting new businesses to the [...]

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Castlegar Springs

by Mike Thomas on February 25, 2010

in Castlegar, Community, Regulation

The Grade-A services we enjoy in Castlegar from the library, water, sewer, streets and sidewalks, right through to the snow clearing operation comes with a hefty price tag. There is an indication out there that we are about to find this out, either through reduced services or increased taxes, as council balances a shift of taxes away from the industrial tax base, predominantly funded by the Celgar pulp mill.

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The video on the front page of ShapeVancouver.com suggests that by increasing the City’s density there would be significant environmental benefits. However, a recent article on Planetizen from Dr. Tony Recsei suggests that these claimed facts may not have empirical support…

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We speak in very real terms about the state of infrastructure deficit we find ourselves in as a nation and as municipalities, and scratch our heads as we wonder how we are going to possibly find the money to complete all of the upgrades or renewal required. Charles Hughes Smith, the author of Survival+: Structuring Prosperity for [...]

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As of February 1, 2010, the BC Building Code has been amended to require the consideration of potential for slope instability and it’s consequences at a building site becomes an explicit requirement in the design of structures and their foundations, additionally, the seismic design criteria has been increased to a probablility level of 2%-in-50 year. [...]

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Castlegar Gaming Centre Update

by Mike Thomas on February 4, 2010

in Business, Castlegar, Community, Development

It seems that the expected progress on the Castlegar Gaming Centre has not come to fruition. City Council received a letter from the BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC) on the 7th of December 2009 stating that the they understand the City’s concerns with the fact that Terrim Properties has not been able to meet any of [...]

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