^ ^^ On that we agree - I’ve said for a very long time that taxes should remain at the “pre demolition level” until such time as a replacement structure is completed and fully assessed. The issue is that the MGA doesn’t allow multiple mil rates on the same class of property (ie land without...

^ For perspective, there are roughly 160 community league buildings in Edmonton. The city could have given each of them something in the range of $3 million - say $2 million for capital costs and $1 million for an operating endowment fund for less money than it will cost to open the Lewis Farms...

I see our 1/3 of a billion dollar value engineered new rec centre is now only 47% over budget... :( You have to love the new procurement processes and capital project reporting that allows them to still say "90% of our projects are on time and on budget" because a new concrete slab outside of...

That was Kasian's concept for a new RAM. I'll still take it - and the direct access to the river from it - over the Costco Box we got instead. :(

When you can’t make money developing a site even if you got it for free, then an undeveloped land tax won’t make a damn bit of difference. Except perhaps to see the city taking title to more sites by way of tax foreclosures and losing even more of their property tax base in the process, not...

^^ While you are correct in saying that the market will usually settle these debates, I’m not sure the market will - or even should - perform the way you predict. Firstly, I’m not convinced that RC’s necessarily result in lower property values and if they did I would think anyone supporting...

Do you have any historical numbers that show this is falling further behind the pack and not in fact catching up with the pack? In either case, you also need to balance this with increasing room rates and increasing REVPAR which are both continuing to increase quite nicely thank you and have...

If the leave is for an approved WCB work related claim, then the salary (at 90%?) is paid by WCB, not the city. The city’s premiums may be affected but I’m not sure by how much not knowing whether EPS staff premiums are calculated separately or included with all city staff.

There is much less difference between zoning restrictions and a RC than you are prepared to accept. As just one example, on “my lot” I cannot construct a warehouse, I cannot construct a 12 story residential building, I cannot construct a school, a car dealership or a welding shop etc. etc. etc...

^ I think you have it backwards. A restrictive covenant is not a neighbour dictating to other neighbours what they can do with their property. A restrictive covenant is not arbitrarily imposed on others but are entered into by neighbours who concur on what it is they want to achieve with their...

I’m not sure it really is a policy of exclusivity as much as it is a policy of elitism. In that vein, I’m also not sure that elitism is necessarily a bad thing. I’m always reminded of the fact that most things can be reduced to their mathematical equivalents and the only common denominator is...

On the other hand, the Carothers RC is in place in what can be described as Edmonton most - or at least one of Edmonton’s most - desirable neighbourhoods and it could be argued that the existence of that RC is one of the underlying reasons for that. I “get” the desire and the rationale for...

They’re not always a pain in the ass. I was involved in the restrictive covenants that were placed on Daon’s Norwester light/medium industrial subdivisions in the ’70’s and ‘80’s that are still in place and are still successful in enforcing landscape and architectural controls and standards...

It might depend on how it’s originally written and registered but the removal of a restrictive covenant typically requires the consent of all of the benefiting parties, not just a majority.

Well I can only comment on what I've seen first hand noting that some time has passed since that tour. I would also note that the Princess Theatre has a full basement that extends under the sidewalk, a main floor that includes the theatre (which extends across the full floor and includes an...