Congratulations on your beautiful city! If you are not considering changing your by-laws to allow high rise condos in Guelph, then there is no need to read this letter. If there is any doubt in your mind, please read on.
My husband and I are probably your newest residents. We’ve never voted for you and maybe never will … but we voted for your city. We are three years away from retirement and had only just started researching possible retirement spots when we discovered Guelph. We fell in love with your city, bought a house on our first visit, definitely not our intention going in. You met a lot of our criteria, we knew that: Proximity to bigger centres – Toronto, Kitchener/Waterloo, London, Hamilton; interesting surrounding towns, Elmira, Elora, St. Jacobs; walking trails and parks; a university; a hospital; etc
But you know what sold us? Your downtown. It exceeded anything we had expected. Charming, vibrant, accessible on foot. Surrounded by beautifully maintained century homes. It’s pretty unique.
Sometimes when you’ve lived somewhere for a long time, it’s easy to take things for granted. I’m hoping that by giving you the perspective of an outsider, I can help you remember how great your city is, and how effective past planning has been in fostering its many attributes. Even one high-rise condo will drastically alter the ambiance of your downtown core. If all three proposed units proceed, they will change the flavour of Guelph forever. It’s possible that, as outsiders (we only took possession of our house on Thursday), we’re getting all excited for nothing. Perhaps, you are not seriously considering these proposals, or perhaps they are intended to be charming low rises or renovated old warehouses. If that’s the case, I’m sorry to have wasted your time.
Sincerely, LL Brand new Guelph resident!