Webpage Info for: Letters to the (Standard) Editor Re: Smart Growth
Since mid 2001, I have been involved with the Region of Niagara's smart growth strategies. Many letters I've written to the St. Catharines Standard, while pertaining to smart growth, appear under other issues (Disclaimer: I apologize for any links within any of my websites which may have become inactive over time.)Published March 5, 2005
Thursday's article (Apartment above the Pen?) regarding my suggestions to the city excluded the more "doable" aspect of residential developments at the Pen Centre. The suggestion excluded from The Standard's article was that of residential development within the Pen Centre parking areas. While I was correct in citing Portland, Ore., as the location of a four-level, 65,531-square-foot condo built above an existing 100- by-200-foot parking lot, it actually happened at a supermarket and not a mall. Still, the 1998 success of the Northrup Commons has opened up whole new possibilities for St. Catharines, as it has for Portland. I hesitated to mention in my presentation the feasibility of including vegetative roofing atop these future developments. This would conserve energy and provide stormwater management to the current mall areas aside from offering useable greenspace for the residents. I guess I figured that I'd have other opportunities to present this idea -- again -- in future public meetings. Bernie Slepkov
St. Paul Street
St. Catharines
