Intensification will change the character of the Glebe

Editor, Glebe Report

With respect to Chris Jermyn’s letter in the December Glebe Report (“Vacant unit tax taxes privacy”), I could not agree more. The city is definitely invading privacy, and I do not recall anyone running on this policy of oversight.

In the same issue, Shawn Menard, our ward councillor, has even greater plans for altering the nature of the Glebe. Using the concepts of intensification, inclusion and equity, he intends to ultimately destroy the nature of our community.

With respect to spreading density throughout our urban village, the plan is that as houses become available, vacant or for sale, they can be replaced with multi-unit dwellings. He lets his imagination run a little wild, as if they could be replaced by the same walk-up buildings as in Montreal. He is a romantic and can be forgiven for his excess.

Of course, this would not happen, but if it did, there would be a mismatch of single-unit dwellings adjacent to multiunit rental properties. If your elderly neighbours sold their house, you could expect it to be bought by a developer who would build what Menard calls multi-home dwellings at the expense of single detached homes.

The character of the Glebe is resplendent with wonderful and unique single homes. Creating multi-use homes would create increased traffic, and rentals would create a loss of a sense of ownership of the community.

This is not surprising – it is precisely what he ran on and was elected on in a low-turnout election by a plurality of voters.

John Burke