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Neighbourhood losing its lustre

We are saddened by abrupt changes in our neighborhood that have been evolving over the past couple of years

I felt I had to respond to Jill Singel’s letter in the Aug. 25 Leader.

As a resident of St. Helen’s Park for the past 20 years, we are saddened by abrupt changes in our neighborhood that have been evolving over the past couple of years relating to increased house sizes, suites, traffic, police presence, etc.

As a result, we decided to sell our home by owner, and that in itself was a complete education.

I discovered very early that the interest in my million-dollar view home was firstly, how many bedrooms, and secondly what age?

Fortunately or unfortunately, our home has little more than lot value because it is neither a tear-down or a multiple suite home. The other nail in our coffin is curb appeal – on one side of us is a house in disrepair with two mobile homes operating as a work yard of a construction business.

On the other side is a house that is tarped and dismantled resulting from a work stoppage order due to expansions by the new owner and the previous owner.

As a result of all the letters to the city regarding the St. Helen’s Park issue, it is not difficult to find continued misinterpretations or non-compliance of city bylaws – ie. new homes for sale boasting nine to 11 bedrooms, all with two and three suites each complete with kitchen and bathroom.

Also, corner lot homes with paved markers providing 9-11 a.m. parking spots on city boulevards.  (I wonder if I could park there without risk of ticketing and/or towing).

Once-beautiful grassy boulevards have become dirt parking lots, and it raises ire towards neighbours who are above the law as well as a backlash to those of us who would like to see our neighbourhoods remain as single family homes.

I agree with previous articles that suggest homes with four residences should be rezoned as four-plexes and taxes levied on each unit so the city does not need to take loans out for expansion of city centre and services shared by all.

 

V. Soren