City curbs enthusiasm for heritage elements on Princess Street
The city announced that it plans to use concrete curbs instead of granite as it finishes remodeling Princess Street. According to CHSJ 94 News at least one business owner sees this as hypocritical from a city that forces uptown businesses and building owners to follow rules about maintaining and creating a sense of heritage (or faux-heritage).
As CHSJ has a tendency to take their stories down rather quickly, here is the text:
“A business owner in Uptown Saint John says the citys decision to use concrete curb rather than granite curbing is hypocritical.Feel Good Store owner Anne McShane tells CHSJ News, shops need to adhere to Heritage rules when doing construction, and so should the city.
McShane says the cost saving argument doesn't really make sense, because granite lasts much longer than concrete.She says she would like to see uptown businesses revolt against the decision by adding neon signs, and vinyl windows to their shops, even though it's against the rules of Heritage buildings.”
7 comments:
What a moronic comment from the owner of the Feel Good store. I think the City was ill advised to not reuse the granite. They are not following their own rules and it doesn't make sense. The heritage board has worked very hard preserving the streetscape, working with various business owners to maintain some form of consistency and preserved look and feel. The last thing the City needs is to have people destroy the work that has been done and encourage them not to follow the bylaws. I would be interested in hearing how the City is dealing with the Heritage Board and explaining their position. Regardless, McShane's position is childish and shortsighted.
Obviously I don't really want people to have to resort to neon signs. The message was that its hypocritical to have one set of standards for building owners and another for the city.
If the city sets a precedent that heritage work need not be done if costs are higher (which I don't believe they are in this case), then building owners may start using the same argument and point to the concrete curbs for an argument.
Anne, I completely agree with the statement you made in the comments. I think unfortunately that so many shop owners are so shortsighted they will jump all over this, and use your words as an example for why they don't need to listen to the heritage development bylaw.
The Heritage Development crew and the rest of City Hall often don't see eye to eye and this is a great example. It is completely hypocritical for the City to have one set of standards for itself and preach another to the public. The problem is the division between the City departments and the various agendas they are driving.
I am hoping the off the cuff comment you made will not be taken seriously, but I am afriad that it will be held up by people looking to cut corners and not follow the bylaw.
I understand what you're trying to say, but as with many other things, this will be blown out of proportion and hopefully you won't be made out as the poster child against heritage preservation. Clearly that isn't your intent.
Fair enough. I don't want to be a poster girl for heritage (for or against). Its consistency I'm looking for.
I was standing on Princess Street noticing traffic wasn't too snarled with it being closed down. Perhaps the city could consider closing a block of Princess off at night/weekends/Summer so that people could sit outside and mingle and enjoy the view, instead of crowding on sidewalks and avoid cars. Halifax has done this in some sections of the downtown and it works very well
I thought Anne's statement was sort of funny. Uptown needs more businesses like The Feel Good Store - eclectic shops that are great to shop in. I imagine it's quite frustrating for shops to work within the rules and then feel as though the city isn't holding up their end of the bargain.
That all being said, at this point I don't much care what curbs are put in place as long as they're put there quickly.
I think every store on Germain should adopt a neon pink look. Come on, we'd all match!
Good on you Anne to draw attention to this issue. Uptown SJ's latest Streetscope edition has an article in support of granite curbs as well.
Post a Comment