highrises are ugly!

[John Zeger]

"[Thomas] Aquinas insisted that goodness, truth and integrity belonged essentially to beauty. In light of this we can see that much of the current cultural breakdown can be understood as failure of vision with regard to beauty. Imagine: if the mind of the politician and developer could awaken to the ancient integrity of landscape, it would become more and more difficult to damage the beauty of nature. If architechts and planners could recognize how ugly surroundings damage and diminish the mind, then building might recover a sense of beauty."

John O'Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace

[bo916]

did you even look at the plans for the buildings?

if you saw the renderings, then you would see that these are not ugly, and that they are designed bring more beauty to the area.

unless you find the willow inn and kerry park more attractive?

here, these are the renderings of the original design for lawson landing www.movekelownaforward.com/Projects/LawsonLanding/index.cfm

[John Zeger]

As I suggested, ugly! This is architecture appropriate for Vancouver and is in no way in harmony with Kelowna's unique setting. Anyone who finds this style attractive must likewise have a heart made out of concrete, steel and glass.

[bo916]

if that is your perception, than i am fair to say that you must have a heart of crime, drugs, concrete and dilapidation.

if you believe that a public access walkway, that is friendly for pedestrians, vendors, cyclists, skaters, rollarbladers, a marina for public boats and jet skis, and parasailors, a park being overlooked by public citizens therefor being freed of crime, an outdoor ice rink and other things are unattractive, then i really think you should find a city that is stuck in the 1800's

Tourists do not come to Kelowna because of the village of it, Kelowna is a CITY with a population over ONE-HUNDRED THOUSAND.

My Stepdad is a manager for 2 hotels in Kelowna, he knows why tourists come here, and the Kelowna Hotels are in favour of this project, because it will increase business for them.

i am sure that their statisistics are far more accurate than yours.

i know this is off topic, but as you were talking about before about depressed cities, well the main reason why cities become depressed is because they do not have a strong enough downtown population, crime takes over, and the residents there abandon the place leaving it to crime. this is happening in Kelowna, this has been happening in kelowna for the past 10 years, but has been getting worse and worse every year.

it is people like you who are going to allow the downtown area to become a ghetto.

note, that i am not trying to be offensive personally, but i am quoting indivuals who are much higher up in the city than you are.

The city has not begun the construction because they are trying to negotiate with the Simpson family, but they are so conceded that they think they can have their own way.

please be aware of this, The simpson covenant is not a formal agreement, the city does not have to abide by it, and the decision to postpone development has been an attempt to satisfy the simpson family.

if the city wishes to, it may at any point go straight ahead with the lawson landing plan.

If Sharron Simpson goes to court against the city, she will lose.

you and Sharron Simpson are fighting a losing battle.

How long have you lived in Kelowna Mr Zeger? is this your hometown? no, it is my Hometown. and although i may only be a 17 year old high school student, i know enough about this city to understand that if the city continues to listen to the protests such as you, the RACK, the KNOW and other pro-keep-kelowna-in-the-70's organizations, that we will fail as a city, and become little more than a small undiserable sprawled out, bombed out trap.

Kelowna is growing up, you can't control other people Mr Zeger, nor can you ruin a city

[John Zeger]

I appreciate that you are passionate about the subject, Matt, but I honestly believe that Lawson Landing will be very detrimental to Kelowna. Tourists come here to see the lake and mountains and not highrises, which they can see enough of back home. I was in Toronto recently and told people of the plans for Lawson Landing and the reaction of nearly everyone was "Kelowna is such a beautiful city. How could your city council allow it to proceed?" You are young and have little experience with large, ugly cities. I envy the fact that you grew up here. I wish I could say the same. I've lived in mediocre cities for most of my life and I don't want Kelowna to join their ranks. A city like ours with an abundance of natural beauty is so rare in this world. They're not making any more of them. They are, however, making lots more with highrises and crowded downtowns. These places are a dime a dozen. I hope you reflect on what you have here and become committed to preserving it instead of fighting to destroy it in the interests of economic gain. If you have any more comments specifically about Lawson Landing, I would ask that you put them under that category on our forum.

[bo916]

Mr. Zeger, please do not think that i am commited to destroying my hometown.

i know we have different oppinions of this City, and the action that must be taken to guide this city into the future, but i do not see the entire logic of your oppinion.

i disagree with you about highrise developement, but i agree with you in terms of placement.

i think that developement should be more towards the center of the city along harvey, rather than along the waterfront.

[prodevlp]

Mr. Zeger you shouldn't judge people on how they define beauty, for "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

[Rick Shea]

As soon as the word "should" appears, that in itself is a judgement. Do you have anything to contribute other than trite cliches? I think I'm seeing a pattern already, and that's too bad.

[prodevlp]

Why is it that you are personally attacking me?

[Rick Shea]

Actually, that was a comment on what you said and what you haven't said, not a personal attack. Why do you think it was a personal attack?

[John Zeger]

Yesterday, Sept. 6, 2005, Mayor Walter Gray, Kelowna city council and developer Michael Lobsinger were on hand for the ceremonial ground breaking ceremony to start construction for the Centuria highrise. With shovels in hand the symbolic meaning was inescapable --- the burial of Kelowna's beauty and quality of life.

[Rick Shea]

I note that the article in Wednesday's capital news paraphrases Centuria's Michael Lobsinger as stating that they "will design it in such a way as to blend in with the older home designs along Bernard from Richter to Gordon."

It's nice to see that all the features of the older 16 story highrise single family homes currently along those blocks will be mirrored in this new development.