Down on LeBreton Flats things are quieter right now. The music concert season is drawing to a close (did you notice, the HoDown patrons were much better dressed than the Bluesfest patrons? Cowboy boots, hot pants, checkered shirts, and straw cowboy hats….hee hah!).
Claridge is finishing up his current building, but not yet started its next bunch. You can actually hear the birds chirp, and see them flitting from stunted popular tree to stunted shrub amongst the bomb-crater landscape that typifies much of the Flats.
Claridge builds the condos, and landscapes their grounds. He then landscapes the “public parkland” space along the new bike path. He builds the path too. This all part of the subdivision agreement he has with the City.
I have railed before on the lack of utility in constructing a bike path 100m at a time. As each building is landscaped, its bit of path is built. At this rate, there will be a complete path to Booth Street by 2018, and further west well after I am dead.
But I notice Claridge landscapes only between the path and his building. He does not complete the last few feet on the far side of the path:
If we depend on Claridge we might wait a wee while before these verges, edges, and leftover spaces are properly landscaped. If we wait for the City to act, we will all be dead first. Does the city really have inspectors to ensure that subdivision agreements are fulfilled?
There is a curious little building on the site; it houses switching equipment, with a midget-sized door. The landscape plans show it surmounted by a large trellis with plant growth. Alas, all I see here is grafitti-style artwork on its side:
Sigh. Shoddy shoddy shoddy. Perhaps if the Flats had been parceled out to a number of competing developers, these little details would be covered by some healthy competition to have one’s building look better than the rival across the way? I can always dream. For now we get Ottawa’s crappiest architecture coupled with an absolute disdain for community-building and craftsmanship.
Funny, I always assumed the NCC was out there with trucks and inspectors doing quality control. I guess they’re just too busy….you know, with so many projects on the go.
“For now we get Ottawa’s crappiest architecture coupled with an absolute disdain for community-building and craftmanship.” Hey, isn’t that Claridge’s mission statement?
Or the NCC’s?