Site Report 1
Home styled house next to modern apartments.
Northgate link rail construction on 55th.
House 5230, also known as project #3023572, is being prepared to be separated into 5 unit lots.
Hand drawn map of block 72.
THE DEEP READ
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Comprised of apartments, townhouses, and rooming houses, this block is a compound of various architecture. Along 12th Ave. you will see and Brooklyn Ave. Along 12th, you will see a small and residential neighborhood, decorated with thick trees and shrubbery, however these houses are all apartments, townhouses, or rooming houses. This can be deduced from the fact that there are multiple mailboxes at each house, and there were even the occasional split house where there were two doors on one porch. The street has room for one car to go down, if one leaves room for temporary parking (which is not allowed at any time). Coloring the street are bike lane signs and littering speed bumps.
Opposite 12th, along Brooklyn the lots have a far more modern feel, with navy blue, square, multi-floor apartments creating a towering wall stretching down the block. Here, street parking is allowed and the concrete is split with a solid yellow road line, marking its two directional function. Trees are sparse, as is the shrubbery, as landowners seems to try to maximize their lot usage while trying to maintain a semblance of peaceful suburban living. The sidewalk here is far better maintained, missing the jutting crack of a tree root.
Though the two sides of my block offer an interesting disparity, the areas I found the most interest in were the two construction zones in my block. One of these zones is where the house 5230 currently stands, also known as project #3023572 (there was a notice of proposed land use action sign), is fenced off and the land surrounding the house has been dug away. This single lot is currently planned to be separated into 5 unit lots that will be allowed the sale of lease of individually. This reconstruction and separation of unit lots seems to be a trend in this area of the neighborhood, as along Brooklyn there are many apartments separated into various units and you can see this even more near the intersection of 12th and 55th. This leads me to question: Is 5230 going to be a model house for what will happen to other house lots in the neighborhood?
The construction around 5230 leads me to wonder about what kind of architecture the owners will chose to have and how much yard space will be left available. One of the things that I was curious about when walking through my block was the amount large amount of yard space. In an area filled with apartments, townhouses, and rooming houses I would expect owners to try and maximize housing space as is shown on Brooklyn and S. of 52nd.
There is also a construction zone involving a lightrail station on my block and I wonder, what will the link station look like in a location in the middle of a residential area/area dense with houses? What will change with the houses around it because of this added transportation option?
The alley in between 12th and Booklyn, I noticed, was missing a lot of signs as to what it's purpose was. It seems to serve as a mini street but im not sure and there are no labels for it. These missing pieces led me to question: why is there an alley? How does the alley change the way property owners present their land?