City planners and zoning.

Can someone let me know why the city would allow a small residential development right in the middle of a industrial area?

Are the city planners HIGH? did someone get a nice kickback?

Which one are you talking about?

The new development on Dugald Rd. is on the edge of the St Boniface Industrial Park. There was a significant open space and they decided to build Apartments and multi-family dwellings there. I don't know how I feel about this development, on one hand, it seems out of place considering the surroundings, however the industrial park is generally low level industry and manufacturing. I can see people who work in that area considering purchasing/renting housing near there. Though there isn't really any commercial property there, the closest grocery stores are Safeway in the heart of Transcona, IGA on Plessis, Extra Foods on Regent, and the SuperStore on Regent and Lag none are even close to being walking distance.

A friend of mine will be leasing one of the apartments come this summer. The apartments are apparently really nice! The multi-family development on the Plessis side of the zone appears to be pretty full as well. So the demand is there.

Yup, a lot of those "gaps" will be filling up.

Let's hope there is a plan though to ensure industrial and commercial space is available within the city proper....

Stonekiller wrote:The new development on Dugald Rd. is on the edge of the St Boniface Industrial Park. There was a significant open space and they decided to build Apartments and multi-family dwellings there. I don't know how I feel about this development, on one hand, it seems out of place considering the surroundings, however the industrial park is generally low level industry and manufacturing. I can see people who work in that area considering purchasing/renting housing near there. Though there isn't really any commercial property there, the closest grocery stores are Safeway in the heart of Transcona, IGA on Plessis, Extra Foods on Regent, and the SuperStore on Regent and Lag none are even close to being walking distance.

A friend of mine will be leasing one of the apartments come this summer. The apartments are apparently really nice! The multi-family development on the Plessis side of the zone appears to be pretty full as well. So the demand is there.

Do you consider an Aluminum Foundry and a Steel Foundry Low level? Imagine the look on the faces of those people when they move in and smell that burning sand smell, every day, day after day. How about the west end tire retread facility. Smells like burning rubber all the time. Those apartments, next to the new Police station are advertised as 55+. There is a huge natural gas pipeline running right under some of those brand new houses.

Nothing like ruining a perfectly good industrial area.

Those two places aren't high production foundries by any measure. I've been by them so many times, many times during the day and never smelled anything other than the Malting mill down the road. How is it any different than the houses directly behind those two locations? There is a high traffic rail line separating them but I don't hear anyone in there complaining about any smells, or noise. Though I am sure those trains might be annoying sometimes.

At some point areas in this city are going to fill up. Industry wasn't filling the space so residential it is. The apartments and housing there doesn't seem to be having any issues finding tenants.

As for industrial and commercial space. Winnipeg certainly isn't lacking in that area.

Stonekiller wrote:Those two places aren't high production foundries by any measure. I've been by them so many times, many times during the day and never smelled anything other than the Malting mill down the road. How is it any different than the houses directly behind those two locations? There is a high traffic rail line separating them but I don't hear anyone in there complaining about any smells, or noise. Though I am sure those trains might be annoying sometimes.

At some point areas in this city are going to fill up. Industry wasn't filling the space so residential it is. The apartments and housing there doesn't seem to be having any issues finding tenants.

As for industrial and commercial space. Winnipeg certainly isn't lacking in that area.

I have it from a very reliable source that both foundries had applied for building permits to expand their foundry activities an both foundries were told they can not expand in their current location. The larger of the two even tried to purchase the property that is now residential and during the purchasing process was informed that Foundry activities were not allowed due to the land being rezoned from industrial to residential. Both foundrys are growing and employing more people and yet if they want to continue to grow they must pick up and move. Not very business friendly of the city.

And yes there are many complaints from the residents on the north side of the CNR mainline. #1 complaint "The smell". and yet all these businesses were in place long before they built the houses.

Never noticed a smell in the area. This is the first I've heard of anyone complaining about the smell. As I mentioned before there is a demand for housing. These apartments are renting fast. Though they could of been built elsewhere, Lots of space in North Transcona, though that too is Industrial as well.

Can't please everyone.

LivingDead wrote:Can someone let me know why the city would allow a small residential development right in the middle of a industrial area?

Are the city planners HIGH? did someone get a nice kickback?

Does someone have a google earth/map showing the exact location of this area? I think I know it, but I just would like a visual to make sure. Thanks.

It just seems like last year that the city spent a bunch of money to re-build the Pembina Jubilee Overpass.
And now they are talking about expanding the underpass.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/05/08/pembina-underpass-to-get-overhaul

Wouldn't that involve re-working some of the overpass that they just re-built.
It seems to me they should have expanded the underpass first.

Maybe a developer felt that he could build an apartment complex on that land and make some money?

Outsider wrote:It just seems like last year that the city spent a bunch of money to re-build the Pembina Jubilee Overpass.
And now they are talking about expanding the underpass.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/05/08/pembina-underpass-to-get-overhaul

Wouldn't that involve re-working some of the overpass that they just re-built.
It seems to me they should have expanded the underpass first.

Agreed. City planning has been a joke now for decades.

its insane how many times we do stuff like this

we literally throw money awayand then wonder why we cant have nice things

That St Boniface Industrial Park was where the Olywest plant was supposed to go. Industrial parks exist for a reason. If you're going to build a residential property on the downwind edge of one, you should be prepared for some negative externalities.

The underpass they are talking about is the train bridge next to the jubilee overpass. They want to try and add an additional northbound lane. Which will mean the removal of the pedestrian walkway through there. Traffic through that area was already messed up when the overpass was being worked on had they done the other portion at the same time that section of Pembina would have been nearly impassible. In reading several articles about what the city is proposing, they are trying to avoid doing anything to the Jubilee overpass.

Is it the nature of some people on these forums to b1tch consistently with how the city operates? Don't see anyone here working in the zoning and planning department... And if someone here does, speak up and tell us why the city makes these decisions.

As for the houses being built there, considering there were houses right there anyways I don't think it will be an issue for people. Its not like the Industrial park is running out of space.

Stonekiller wrote:The underpass they are talking about is the train bridge next to the jubilee overpass. They want to try and add an additional northbound lane. Which will mean the removal of the pedestrian walkway through there. Traffic through that area was already messed up when the overpass was being worked on had they done the other portion at the same time that section of Pembina would have been nearly impassible. In reading several articles about what the city is proposing, they are trying to avoid doing anything to the Jubilee overpass.

Is it the nature of some people on these forums to b1tch consistently with how the city operates? Don't see anyone here working in the zoning and planning department... And if someone here does, speak up and tell us why the city makes these decisions.

As for the houses being built there, considering there were houses right there anyways I don't think it will be an issue for people. Its not like the Industrial park is running out of space.

I'm just asking why they would make the decision to build where they are. Manitoba's Environmental People are now involved and some businesses now have to decide whether to install a million dollars worth of stacks and scrubbers to try to reduce the smell, or does that business move to North Dakota or Saskatchewan. Its an issue for me and it may affect my future.

Stonekiller wrote:Is it the nature of some people on these forums to b1tch consistently with how the city operates? Don't see anyone here working in the zoning and planning department... And if someone here does, speak up and tell us why the city makes these decisions.

Yes. The city consistently does a horrible job planning.

No, I don't work there. I chose a different career path. Why? Does that make us ineligible to judge and criticise the planning effort put forward by the pointy heads in the planning department?

I imagine most decisions are driven by cost. I also believe that the low cost decisions end up costing us considerable more because we either do it again much sooner or rebuild later to expand. Like this Jubilee/Pembina lane expansion appears to be.

There has been housing in that area as long as I can remember, I guess with more people the complaining is actually being heard. I guess the people that bought houses directly behind those facilities have louder voices than those that live in the Manitoba Housing next door to the housing development.

However if the company is causing air pollution then I would hope that they would do what they can to minimize their impact regardless if people are complaining about the smell or not.

Stonekiller wrote:There has been housing in that area as long as I can remember, I guess with more people the complaining is actually being heard. I guess the people that bought houses directly behind those facilities have louder voices than those that live in the Manitoba Housing next door to the housing development.

Is this like city folk moving out to the country next to a pig farm and then bitching about the smell?