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(3) What is your attitude toward downtown core re- development .. removal of railway tracks - business section modernization in co-operation with merchants - population expansion in the core area periphery? Beecher Our redevelopment should consist of reworking existing structures; complemented by small scale new com- mercial construction and innovative housing. Hull: Emphasis must be placed on the established character of our core area and in creating a pleasing human environ- ment. Wright: Revitalization of our downtown business area should be top priority with city council. This problem is not going to solve itself. Cooperative action between the city and the merchants is required in the immediate future. McLean: The downtown must be a priority in the life of any city. Waterloo must keep people in the area. The City is at the mercy of senior levels of governments regarding the railway tracks. Mayor Epp is to be commended for his con- tinuing representation regarding this matter. He will have my support. Boehm: I agree with all sections of this question but we must be sure to preserve the character of the existing neighbour- hoods surrounding the core. Meston: Always has been a priority in the past but must be co-operative and phased and planned. Shortreed: We must continue to develop the downtown core. It is the heart of our city. Removal of the tracks and selee tive downtown housing should be encouraged. Henry: Downtown redevelopment should have two thrusts. some higher density residential to get people living there and secondly a central focus or theme for the retail section. Zuplro: We must have a focal point for our identity so the dowmown area must be revitalized. Downtown merchants appear to be very receptive to revitalization in co-operation with the city. We are ready for core re-development. Schnarr: Downtown core redevelopment - I favor down- town core redevelopment, modernization in co-operation with merchants is essential, a vital community' cannot thrive if core is neglected. Approve of expansion in peri- phery to insure consumer interest also to accommodate residents who wish to reside in, close proximity to public transportation. Carroll: I shall continue to work for the revitalization of the downtown core including track removal - some population expansion is necessa ry. Mewhinuey: I support the concept of downtown redevelop- ment and have worked with the management board of the Downtown Improvement Committee to prepare plans for the Downtown Business District. A stable residential mtighbor- hood has been approved by city council in the secondary plan for the central residential district and I support this concept. Bauman: We need downtown core development. Removal of the tracks is a must. Cooperation with the merchants and the property owners is essential. Population expansion in the core area is needed but hould not destroy the impact of the surrounding neighbourhoods. Raidy: The central core should be the focus of future busi- ness and residential development. However, we must protect our older neighbourhoods and avoid the use of highrises in high density developments (there are excellent alternatives. ) Voellrer: This is our present program, The track removal is too costly for our present population to afford. Gellatly: I believe the downtown core should be redevelop- ed with the cooperation of the merchants and that the rail- way tracks should be removed, I think the population cr pansion in the core area periphery will come naturally over several yea rs with downtown re-development Cruise: I believe the downtown core needs revitalizing, The removal of the tracks. business modernization and residen- tial sections on the periphery will help to accomplish the goal Turnhull: Core redevelopment by private enterprise should he encouraged We should press harder for removal of rail- (Continued from page " . . social and education fields is the optimum for the city of Waterloo. . Baum: The rate of growth should not exceed about 5%. Rapid growth and development creates too many problems. Raidy: We must severely curb the present high rate of growth to preserve the character of ouccommunity. Voellter: Four to five per cent growth-rate should be the limit in any year. The best of industries only, should be en- couragedtolocate here. ' _ Gellatlyz. I believe the growth-rate in Waterloo should be kept below three per cent for the next five years anyway. Cruise: Growth must occur to provide homes and jobs for the future. The growth in Waterloo in the past 10 years has apparently fulfilled the needs and I would suggest that a 3 to 4%Urowth rate is satisfactory. _ Tumbull: Status quo - Assuming housing demands are being met and the urban growth is of good quality with adequate protection for our environment. ' " candidates give their answers" to nine questions' (4) Should the city acquire more open green or recreation areas for public use? Beecher: A small increase in green space .and recreation facilities should be investigated. and if achieved. a ratio of these amenities to population should be maintained. Hull: Additional land will be required. However, it is more important we make our present open spaces more accessible and available. Wright: We are fortunate in Waterloo to have a good mix of open space. The City should continue to acquire suitable land in the future, with special attention to the idea of park- ettes in the core area as stipulated in the Downtown Resi- dential Report presented last month. McLean: Good planning involves this, and it should be done on a neighbourhood basis. All children should have access to a neighbourhood area. Boehm: Yes. This is part of the secondary plan. Meston: Yes where needed and available at reasonable cost (long term) for example landfill sites should continue to be dedicated and bought for this purpose. Shortreed: The existing city park standards, developed while I was on the Planning Board, will require additional parks as our population grows. Henry: In certain districts we need some small parks but for the city as a whole the park areas are there and only need developing. lupin: Not any more than at our present rate of acquisition. Waterloo has a good park area/population ratios in com- parison to other cities. Schnarr: Open green or recreational areas: Yes. as land becomes available through development or redevelopment. Carroll: Develop the 428.9 acres of parkland we now have, especially Bechtel. Use the required 5 percent land dedica- tion for new neighbourhood parks. . Mewhinney: I think that open space and recreational facil- ities are a necessity in our community and l actively support acquiring these facilities as the need arises. / Bauman: We now have about 40 acres of land for evefy acre of green space or 1 acre to 100 people. We should keep up that standard. Raldy: An extensive network of parks and green belts should be established to discourage further urban sprawl. Voelker: This is an on-going policy with us now for both active and passive parks. Gellatly: I don't think the city should go looking for more open, green or recreation areas, simply for financial rea- sons but if something comes up it should be judged on its own merits. Cruise: l am of the opinion that for the present the City of Waterloo has adequate parks and recreation areas. This, however: must expand as growth occurs. Tumbull: Yes. As the city grows we will need more park- land, (5) Should the city increase the availability of industrial land through direct acquisition under a land banking scheme? Beecher. Tax incentives to encourage the private sector should be considered to keep the private land developer interested in industrial land development, Hull: The city should acquire some land to be made avail- way tracks. In favor of business section modernization in co-operation with merchants. Population expansion in core area periphery must be approached carefully with full con- sideration given to wishes of people who are already there'. (6) What is your attitude in regard. to the conversion of rental apartments to condominium status? Beecher. I agree with a continuance or a variation of the city's current policy of requiring the approval of at least 75% tenant agreement to condominium conversion. Hull: Condominiums are a sensible altemative in a changing housing market. However, tenants in rental units should not be unwillingly located. Wright: Caution must be exercised when allowing rental units to convert to condominium status. There are many citizens who either cannot afford or who do not desire to pur- chase housing and we must be careful not to cause a short- age of good rental accommodation. V McLean: The temptation is to intervene for short term gain. Unless there is an acute crisis of availability of rental ac- commodation. let the market-place respond to its own shift In supply and demand The pmblem lies in the rent control legislation. which is not fulfilling its purpose. able at market prices to assist in attracting desirable new industries. - Wright: I don't think the benefits of a land banking system would merit the costs involved. There is not sufficient evi- dence that this has been handled improperly by the private sector. McLean: I shy away from "land banking". Council is not a developer, it is a facilitator and legislator. There should be a working partnership of council with business and com- merce groups, just as there is with neighbourhood groups. Boehm: We should make available an amoumt of industrial that would ensure a proper balance between industrial. commercial and residential areas while maintaining an over-all policy of slow expansion. - Heston: If available, and there isn't much. Also should be in balance with growth plans. Shortreed: I would like to study this further. I think that per- haps municipal land banking is no longer worthwhile. Henry: Yes, but not on a large scale. . Zupko: Yes. Schnarr: Yes. We must continue to encourage the move- ment of selective and stable industries to meet the demands for employment, progress and growth. V Carroll: Yes. The city not the Region. Waterloo should en- courage low water usage. low-effluent producing industries to locate here. Mewhinney: I support the acquisition of land for industrial purposes only in conjunction with the acquisition of land for residential purposes and only when we feel the city can sup- port the additional growth. Baum“: The city should urge the developer to use the land zoned for industrial. but in some cases the City should pur- chase the necessary acreage. Raidy: In a slow growth environment. no, but in an expand- ing environment the city should establish both industrial and residential land banks. Voelker: We have always done this and are doing so at pres- ent. Gellatly: I don't believe the city should land-bank for indus- trial land or any reason. We have planning and zoning to con- trol development. Cruise: Industrial land banking has worked well for Water- loo in the past and I would like to see this continue. Tumbull: Yes. But private enterprise should also be encour- aged to develop industrial land. ttu-tooo-tuso-rd-att-m-e-s (Continued on page 6)