CollingwoodAreaRealEstate: post

Hi everyone,
Collingwood mayor Sandra Cooper, and most of Collingwood's council, are backing the Admiral Collingwood development 'as proposed' at Hume and Hurontario St. The project is calling for a massive 6 story building with a 7th floor containing public spaces, gym and mechanical rooms. It is to run around 230 feet along Hume and another 310 feet down Hurontario. That's 540 feet of building, 7 stories tall, running the equivalent distance as Loblaw on First St. to town hall.
To give you a real sense of scale look at our library building which stands only 3 stories tall, or the terminal towers which stand only 30 feet or so taller and run only around 260 feet long. Before you pass judgment stand beside either of these buildings and the reality of scale will hit you.
Sandra Cooper's stance on this building is that your vote for her was your vote for this monster and as such public opinion has already been heard. I don't know about you but I definitely have not been heard and I definitely did NOT vote for this thing.
My primary concern with allowing this high rise into our downtown is that it will irreparably damage our tourist appeal which allows our town to flourish. The look and feel of a town is very delicate and a sense of place in one's mind easily destroyed.
Like it or not we are now in direct competition for tourist dollars with the 'planned' Village at Blue Mountain. No building of this height is allowed in their village for exact, informed reasons. Their experts are extremely careful in planning the look and feel of their village to attract and keep tourists dollars on site and coming back year after year. Building height and sense of place are critical in their expert's decision making.
I want to know where Sandra's experts are? Would she even follow their recommendations? What arrogance motivates approval without planning? Where and when do we stand up and demand intelligent consideration of our downtown's future?
Please help stop this negligent lack of foresight. Your support is crucial and greatly needed. Make it count at the hard won public meeting Monday Dec 5th.
Please forward this message and imagery to anyone you feel could add their voice against this lack of foresight.
The attached professionally generated images of the building (accuracy estimated +-3 feet) overlaid on our town are copyright free and in the public domain. Feel free to publish them in support, as you see fit. I apologize that my anonymity is required but feel free to contact me regardless.