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LETTERS: Charlottetown asleep on vision for waterfront and other letters

Asleep on vision for waterfront

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Charlottetown stands at a crossroads, but looking at our current waterfront development, one might wonder if those at the helm have been asleep for the last 20 years. The recent trajectory of our shoreline (steered by the city, the port authority and the development corporation) suggests a profound lack of imagination that will haunt our historic landscape forever.

To understand our predicament, we need only look to the tale of Rip Van Winkle. Like Irving’s protagonist, city planners seem to have wandered into the woods, fallen into a deep slumber, and woken up in a world they don’t understand. While Rip Van Winkle simply missed the passage of time, Charlottetown is missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. By the time our leadership “wakes up” to the value of a world-class waterfront, the concrete will be dry, the views will be blocked, and the soul of the city will be walled off behind glass and steel.

The push for large-scale apartment complexes on coastal land, like the eight-storey apartment building going up next to Founders Hall, is a classic example of short-term gain over long-term vision.

We are told these “developments” are necessary, yet we know the reality of modern high-density builds: they often transition into cramped,........

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