By James Phieffer - an edited version appears in the August 6, 2011 Intelligencer
Okay. It's time now for me to offend the numerous, or at least noisy (suggesting they may be more numerous than they are) sans-culottes who fill the local media with their screams of fury at the idea of (cover the ears of your children) DEVELOPMENT.
Yes, I've said the word, because it is a good idea. Indeed, it is a necessary idea, if the city is to progress while providing the services and quality of life which are key to what makes Belleville the great place to live it is. We have in this city a beautiful waterfront, which should be a drawing card for people who have money, and are willing to spread it about in exchange for a room with a view.
An example of how this works can be seen in Kingston, where a drive along the waterfront near their downtown reveals many new high-rise condominiums. These are, one would expect, populated by people who spend a large amount of money in Kingston's downtown, the result of which is a downtown which is alive and vibrant – a downtown which is a model of what Belleville's could, and should, be.
Now, I'm sure the local Luddites are strongly inhaling in order to begin screaming at the top of their lungs about this sacrilege I've proposed. They will possibly start with a sensible concern (protection of park space) and then move on to the progressively more insane concerns, most of which will involve the fact we haven't done this before, or that it would be “inappropriate” development for the city. And, of course, the online critics who usually hang their hats on conspiracies flowing from assorted neo-Conservative entities will be at it as always.
Now, I cannot deal with the concerns of the local enrages, as they generally relate to zoning issues within their minds, but I can deal with the one very legitimate concern – that our waterfront would cease to be an area available to be enjoyed by the entirety of our citizenry as well as those who choose to visit.
First, the trails that run along the bay and up the Moira need to be, and can be, preserved. Development along the Keegan Parkway, for example, could be restricted to the areas north of the road, between there and the Canadian Pacific tracks. The road may need to be realigned, but this need not infringe on the overall size of park area along the waterfront.
Another benefit is the added impetus to work on cleaning up the less visually appealing areas of the river as it goes through the city. Parts of downtown along both the Coleman and Front St sides of the river are still eyesores. While attempts continue to be made to cajole the owners to make their buildings to be proud of, one tool that works well in accomplishing this is increasing property values. Most sane business people won't hold onto a dump, refusing to fix it, if they can get an appreciable return from selling it.
As to those who see such development as utterly alien, and thus to be obstructed at all costs, consider this: The influx of new tax revenues from such development will help to keep taxes from rising while at the same time ensuring city services such as transit and the library are properly funded. As well, a large influx of new residents in areas adjacent to downtown will help that area's rebirth continue to move forward. And all of this will create quality jobs in construction and maintenance, along with helping expand the retail, tourist and entertainment sections of the local economy.
It's time to move the City of Belleville forward, because the only other option may be a slow, lingering death.
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