I write regarding the article in The Telegram on Thursday, Aug. 20, “Proposed buildings would border heritage house.”
This is the first error. Bryn Mawr had not been designated heritage but, under public pressure, St. John’s city council applied the designation. What should be preserved as heritage are the magnificent 100-year-old trees. The original proposal for this area of 28 lots for quality homes, surrounded by wonderful trees and shrubs, was lost to that pressure.
Tiffany Lane already has a larger concentration of senior citizens than anywhere else in St. John’s, as we are constantly reminded by the sirens of the ambulance.
City council is now considering an enormous development of 237 units, two buildings, 10 storeys high — eight times the original proposal. In the middle is the “saved heritage building.” This home is in a state of decay that it is not worth saving from any point of view, but the trees are living, breathing heritage.
We already have Tiffany Village personal care and permits to build two more on that property, so 11 Tiffany would total four units. We also have two condos and a large block of apartments all using Tiffany Lane as their only entrance. The only entrance to Tiffany Lane is Mount Cashel Road. Both are narrow and have difficulty with the current traffic flow although it has slacked off a bit since the school, which also uses the lane, has been closed.
Tiffany Lane already has a larger concentration of senior citizens than anywhere else in St. John’s, as we are constantly reminded by the sirens of the ambulance. If a major fire occurred the lane would be immediately jammed.
Please do not compound the errors of the past. Think trees. They are elderly, too.
Elizabeth Winter
St. John’s
