[Smevo]

Now it's called Spanish Gates!

These are all from the Cape Breton Post archives. (I had to pay for these, but it's worth it to get up to date on the city's newest highrise(s)).

Cape Breton Post
Cape Breton, Friday, March 10, 2006, p. A3

Councillors have difficulty dealing with waterfront views

CHRIS SHANNON

SYDNEY - The view from the waterfront is so valuable and controversial that councillors at Thursday's planning advisory committee meeting had to table discussion on a proposed $46 million condominium and hotel development - still in its preliminary stages - for at least a month.

At the heart of the debate is the view of the harbour from six different vantage points in the north end Sydney neighbourhood.

Coun. Tom Wilson put forward a motion to strike down two of those view planes closest to the development, which would be located across the street from Commerce Tower.

It would allow businessman Marty Chernin to proceed with the Spanish Gates Mixed-Use complex that could reach 10 storeys and include retail and commercial space along an extended boardwalk.

But after nearly an hour of discussion the Cape Breton Regional Municipality councillors started backing away from the motion.

Municipal planner Rick McCready said that those six view planes, if adopted, would prevent any commercial development from blocking the harbour view no matter how beneficial to the economy.

"The view planes would be permanent," McCready said.

Economic development officer John Whalley spoke out against any obstruction to the view of the harbour.

"It (Chernin's development) obliterates about one-third of the view planes on the Esplanade," he said, adding it was awkward for him to say so considering the economic benefit the development could bring to the downtown.

Mayor John Morgan suggested more information was needed on the proposed complex, which is only a conceptual drawing at this point, before the committee could vote on how many view planes should be protected.

It was tabled in a 5-4 vote in order to give staff at least a month to further review the proposal with developers.

Cape Breton Post
News, Tuesday, March 21, 2006, p. A1

Proposed $46M condo/hotel project clears municipality's planning committee

Chris Shannon

Sydney - A proposed $46 million condo and hotel complex cleared another municipal hurdle as businessman Marty Chernin looks to develop the north end of the city's waterfront.

The development received unanimous approval at a special planning advisory committee meeting Monday, and it will now be subjected to debate by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality council at its monthly meeting tonight.

At the heart of the debate is the view of the harbour from six different vantage points in the north end neighbourhood.

The planning advisory committee submitted a plan to council that eliminates two of the view planes closest to the downtown in order to accommodate the Spanish Gates Mixed-Use complex.

Residents in the historic north end neighbourhood have said a project of this scale would negatively impact the ambiance of the area.

Chernin was delighted, however, that his project could move beyond conceptual drawings and now secure financial backing for the complex that could include as many as 43 condominium units and 124 hotel rooms.

"I have some interest already from outside investors, but as many businessmen do, they don't pursue anything until the green lights are flashing," Chernin said after the meeting.

"But right now we're on the right path of city council (and) in their wisdom (if they) decide to accept the planning commission's recommendation, then we'll move forward on that."

He said the complex isn't expected to rise above seven storeys in height.

There were about 50 tradespeople packed into the council chamber gallery Monday to watch the committee with great interest.

Cliff Murphy, president of the 3,600-member Cape Breton Island Building and Construction Trades Council, said his members have a lot to gain if the project is approved by the municipality.

It's expected it'll mean 200 construction jobs to the local economy, and as many as 150 permanent jobs at the facility, once built.

"Sometimes people have to take a little stand for progress," Murphy said.

Chernin said a project of this magnitude can be used as the catalyst for future development.

"It will probably create lots of confidence in other people to go ahead with their projects and the redevelopment of the downtown core and this is another step in making this happen."

Tom Wilson, councillor for downtown Sydney, said it has been a balancing act all the way through the numerous public meetings held on the issue.

He said he has weighed the economic benefits the project may bring versus complaints from some constituents who say the complex will intrude on the neighbourhood's historical integrity as well as ruin views of Sydney harbour.

"To turn our backs on (this project) because of a view plane from the Esplanade, when we're going to open a whole vista of view planes from the boardwalk, it shouldn't even be a consideration in my eyes," Wilson said.

If councillors vote to advertise the development proposal tonight, a public hearing will be held at council's April 18 meeting.

Cape Breton Post
Cape Breton, Wednesday, March 22, 2006, p. A5

In brief

Sydney
CBRM votes to advertise northend planning strategy

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality voted to advertise the northend Sydney secondary planning strategy at council's monthly meeting, Tuesday.

A public hearing will be heard likely in the first week of May on the planning strategy and land use bylaw, which has drawn much attention because of a $46-million waterfront development attached to it.

A condo and hotel complex is proposed by businessman Marty Chernin for a site between the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club and the Sydney Marine Terminal.

Preliminary plans for the project include 43 condominium units and 124 hotel rooms, with space for retail and restaurants.

Many residents in the northend neighbourhood don't like the development because they say it will intrude on the area's historical integrity.

Cape Breton Post
Comment, Saturday, March 25, 2006, p. A8

Good project deserves OK
Proposed condos and hotel fit in with the surroundings
the issue: View planes would be scaled back

Regional council moved this week to throw open to the public the question of how restrictive commercial development rules should be in a key area along the upper end of the Esplanade in Sydney. This is how the issue should be resolved, in a forum inviting the views of all interested citizens of Sydney and the region.

True, there has been extensive public consultation opportunities on this already in the development of what's now a final draft of the North End Sydney Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw. Anyone could have attended, but this was done in the context of neighbourhood planning with a heritage twist and the target audience was the people living north of Dorchester Street.

The strategy is called "secondary" not because it's unimportant but because it's an adjunct to the Municipal Planning Strategy for the whole of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, adopted in September 2004. The strategy for the North End goes into almost block-by-block detail about what may be done in this unique district that includes everything from a militia base and heavy industrial sites to stately old homes and historically significant buildings dating from early colonial days.

The North End strategy and accompanying land use bylaw might have been adopted by now with little fuss but for one outstanding issue: view planes. It's an idea that got added during development of the strategy - the idea that views of Sydney Harbour from key points in the North End should not be obstructed in future by the construction of high buildings near the water. The original proposal was for six view planes, but two of these in particular became contentious because, if adopted, they would prevent construction of a high-rise proposed more than two years ago by Sydney's leading commercial property developer, Marty Chernin.

Chernin's project, which would be built between the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club and Sydney Marine Terminal, has undergone several conceptual adjustments. He first unveiled plans in February 2004 for a 52-unit, $13 million luxury condominium tower 10 stories high. Now the project is described as a $46 million complex of 43 condos and a 124-room hotel, with retail spaces and restaurants, and probably no higher than seven stories.

Seven is too high, of course, for a view plane, but council's Planning Advisory Committee has accepted what it regards as a compromise - dropping the two view planes that would kill the Chernin project, while proceeding to adopt a regime that would retain council's close control over design. This is the solution that council has agreed to put to a public hearing in May.

It is a sensible approach. While the Chernin project does fall within the North End planning area as defined, it is right on the border. This is really part of Sydney's downtown commercial waterfront where there are several high buildings on the harbour side of the Esplanade, including the administrative headquarters for the regional municipality itself. In fact, the exclusion of the Chernin property from the North End planning district was one of the options staff presented to council's advisory committee.

The view plane objection alone is not nearly enough in this case to stop a project that would be a key contributor to revitalizing Sydney's downtown. Take away the view plane argument and there isn't much left to object to because this isn't really part of the North End neighbourhood, and high buildings are already the norm on the lower side of the Esplanade from the Dorchester Street area south towards Wentworth Park.

Citizens of Sydney should cheer on the solution now on the table and applaud the business faith of Chernin and his partners in an old steel city that is still struggling to find its new identity.

What the hell is with these viewplanes? They were never in the planning strategy before. This is in the DWZ (Downtown Waterfront Zone) where there's supposed to be no height restrictions, there was no need to redraw the zones to include this into the Northend Secondary Planning Strategy. This project goes no further into the Northend than the Commerce Tower and Harbour Place, is on an empty lot and is not in the immediate neighbourhood of historic properties, but instead, in the neighbourhood of 7, 10, and 13 storey buildings. Grrr.....first it was 13, then it was 10, now it's 7? Way to kill development in an already struggling area. The downtown area between the Esplanade and the waterfront is the unofficial "highrise district", it's not encroaching on anyone. If you want to protect your view of the harbour, live on a hill outside downtown, you'll even get some views of the highlands too. Even better, buy one of the condo units, you'll get much better views from 10 storeys up than you will from your living room on the Esplanade! Stupid NIMBYs.

I'm glad the project expanded, but I can't stand that the height had to be cut down in this area of town, which should be promoted as the highrise district instead of trying to protect non-existant views which are destroyed as soon as a building passes 3 storeys in height. Seriously, there's not that much elevation difference between anywhere in downtown and the harbour shore. I think the maximum difference in that area between Wentworth Park and Battery Point is maybe 30ft, max 40ft.

In all reality, the only views from that area are in the NW direction to the mouth of the harbour, in the W direction over to Westmount, and to the SW which is the view down towards Sydney River which is the view of the skyline, which would be enhanced with this project. I drive down there all the time and I'll get a picture next time I'm home. Sorry, I'm just emotional about my city, and having this being constantly changed is not a good message to send to prospective developers in this zone. The worst part about it aside from the introduction of the viewplanes which didn't previously exist (and are not justified compared to almost every other view in the city) is the introduction of a height limit in this area which was formerly in the DWZ but now in the NSPS of 8 stories for this site and another site (the old government wharf) waiting for a developer to come up with a redevelopment proposal. This type of NIMBYism is more harmful to Sydney's downtown than the NIMBYism Halifax faces, which is saying a lot.