Rainbow Park
I am very impressed with the Rainbow Park concept plan. The park plan includes a small skate park, fitness station, dog run, playground equipment, sitting areas, basket ball and tennis courts, a splash pad and skating rink and public art. The two elements I'm most drawn to are the inclusion of garden plots and a sheltered stage area with a grassy seating area. I am excited by the prospect of being able to walk less than two blocks from my home to see performances in the summer sun.
8 comments:
Eh A one .But how will you be able to let your kids go there being that close to the brand new 51 unit building that will only bring drug use and needles being left around this new place for them to hang out at night
I understand that one might be concerned with a proposal that will house 50 low income non-elderly singles in a complex without a diverse community or social programs.
However, I think it is hyperbole to imply that this development will introduce drug use to this part - my part - of the South End.
Low income and not-so-low income people with various social vices live here already, and it is our community's job to ensure that this park and our streets are safe for the community to enjoy.
One must remember that low-income singles are not all ne'erdowells and drug fiends. People can have low incomes for a variety of reasons - disability, lack of education or lack of opportunity.
We can't pretend that housing the poor in our area is the problem when poverty and the issues that come with it are our challenge as a community.
What world are you from.Look up the steet at the rooming house that is already there.Look at the real people in this area.Yes we do need to do something but this is not it.As the sun goes there is another world.This building will only bring more of what we do not need.We need to break this cycle up by having the poor with other people .NOT poor with poor>when a person is sad it makes more people sad the good thing is it works the other way.
I'm from a world where I'm home on a Friday night blogging (ick).
Seriously though, I am not an apologist for this development. I think there are better ways to provide housing and hope to those with low incomes: co-ops where ownership is a possibility for residents; mixed-income developments where rich, poor and middle income people live with and learn from each other; and social housing where social workers and training are available to at risk residents.
However, I think that the comment left at 6:35 communicates ideas that are inflammatory. The comment implies that drug problems will be caused by Tannery Court. While some residents of the development might live on the fringe of society and use drugs, Tannery Court will not be the cause of this.
There are plenty of "poor" people living in this area.
The more recent anonymous comment suggests that sad people breed more sad people, and by extension more people will be using drugs.
While NOT ideal, this development could offer a less “sad” environment for people to live and grow in. People living in poverty deserve to have a decent home that is clean, warm and when appropriate private. This is something that Tannery Court could provide - giving people who live in boarding houses and run down apartments a better way of life. Again, this development won't provide the best platform for social change, but it will create a less "sad" environment for some people.
I think the parks in the neighbourhood (Rainbow, Queen Square and Three Sisters), the Condo development on Water and Princess Street, and the development proposed by the Church of St. Andrew St. David are assets that can be leveraged in an effort to improve our community.
I hope a great project ends up on the site at 185 Carmarthen. I hope all these projects can be developed in a way to compliment each other and improve the community. While I understand that Rainbow Park won’t be developed in isolation, I think it will be an asset to our community if Tannery Court is developed as proposed or not.
If you think this is the right place for the area you are not thinking out side of the box.Put your self in there shoes.What happens when the need to go for food and other items to live.You in there shoes will have to spend more money for cabs and city transit, Money they do not have why not put this project closer to things they really need.Not closer to Rainbow park.Where I know for a fact and you will too soon if this project is allowed will only spell trouble.
I do agree that the South End location does leave these residents pretty far from a full grocery store. I thought it was odd that the developer suggested on the CBC that this location was ideal due to proximity to services including groceries.
I recall reading before that one of the things that keeps people who are living in poverty from advancing is an inability to be as frugal as they could be. If I didn't have a car, I would likely have to spend a lot more for food (though I do have the financial means to spend more and try to keep my money in the community by shopping at the market for fresh foods).
I would love a grocery store in the south end, but until that happens I definately agree with your point that this location is far from that sort of service.
If there are not financial literacy courses that teach people to shop well, it would be great if a community group got something like that going.
I agree we as a group need to to do more. As a city we need to do more.As a person we need to do more.It needs to start with this project.We cannot leave this project to an out side source from another city it has to come from the City of Saint john.What we can do for the people in our city.What we can do is teach them and make it easy for the poor.We have all kinds of land in this great city that is better suited for this project.How good would the disabled feel going into the mall from their home or someone walking to the mall to get food or anything else they might need.I would think it would be great to save that little extra money and get out with the other people that would see them as normal and not as a project.We as the people of Saint John need to do this to make us the top of all other city`s to show we really know how to take care of our people.We don`t need to stick them in a hole.
I've been thinking about how to mix this development withour fundamentally changing the design (which would be costly to the developer).
I bet if this project included small one-bedroom apartments at market rents this could attract young men and women who are ijn town to work. This would create a mix of units. This sort of accomodation would likely lead to high turnover, if the market units are rented to temporary workers though.
Also, there are likely elderly singles who have enough money for market rent that would be interested in small, easy to maintain units. This would lead to less turnover, assuming this type of tenant could be attracted.
I think a project with similar density that is more responsive to community concenrs would be a positive.
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