Student housing to parents.

I use the term “we” very loosely as not 12 months ago, I was one of these “students” (read: messy, loud, rude vermin). And even though the debate raged in the media throughout my 4-year tenure at the University of Guelph, nobody seemed to put forward any concrete suggestions as to how to appease the student population or the long-term residents of various neighbourhoods.

Student housing to neighbours.

Living in the Westminster Woods neighbourhood at the south-end, I was lucky enough that my neighbours had no ill-will towards myself or my roommates, at least that we were aware of. We were clean, respectful and -save for special occasions- dead quiet. Take a survey though, and you’d get the impression that we were in the heavy minority.

University towns like Guelph, Kingston and Waterloo are inevitably going to have a large rental population in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Given that most students operate on tight budgets and thus don’t rely on a car, this student distribution is heavily centred within the immediate vicinity of the school or along bus corridors. So, if you live close to a school, chances are, you’ll have students living on your street: it’s Urban Economics 101.

Rather than turn the Mayfield Park area, or the Gordon St. Corridor into the second coming of Queen’s student ghetto, we have to look at some progressive alternatives to the currently dysfunctional student-resident relationship. Personally, my experiences with the student-resident dynamic have been quite positive. But that doesn’t mean other students and owners haven’t gotten into it over things like taunting a goose with a ball. It seems like there can’t be pleasing everyone until they’re separated like toddlers on a timeout.

So how do we separate them? Where do the students go?

The ever-popular student destination in Guelph is Edinburgh Village. A world all its own, Edinburgh Village is home to only students and is isolated by a major road, forest, farmland and a plaza in each direction. They do really well at filling their sizeable development with students year-after-year. And not only do they fill it, they charge above-market rents to the tune of $550 per room, per month. Plus utilities. How? Location, location… you’ve heard it a million times. A short jaunt along a weather beaten “cow path” and you’d find yourself at the University in a matter of minutes.

So, if students will pay this much to live in an apartment, with a residence atmosphere and paper walls; is it so shocking that they’d flock to Mayfield Park and Old University which are both equally proximate, quieter, more spacious and the same price or cheaper?

No. At least not to me. I don’t think it would be to you either. It’s not exactly rocket scientist (-Deena, Jersey Shore). Sorry.

A rendering of Abode’s proposal

Well then, along comes Abode Varsity Living to a chorus of boos from residents. Wait, what? They’re going to build a place to put the students that live among you and it’s not welcome? NIMBYism at its finest.

“We don’t want students living on our street, can’t you put them somewhere like a residence?”

“NO! Don’t build that residence THERE!”

And this is why real estate development is a pain-staking, drawn out process. It’s been 2 and half years since Abode submitted their proposal to the City of Guelph to re-zone and re-develop the lands currently housing a Best Western hotel and conference centre spot on the corner of Gordon St. & Stone Road, the gateway to Mayfield Park. Save for the scale of the project, I don’t understand why this isn’t a great location for a ton of students. Guelph has a floundering tourism industry, which, for all this city has, isn’t one of its finest efforts. So why not make better use of the property which has already served as a satellite residence for first-year students at peak times?

Well, suffice to say that the OMB (Ontario Municipal Board) ruled very much in favour in Abode’s proposal, despite the objections of both the City of Guelph and the Mayfield Park Residents’ Association, who was also party to the decision and fully armed with counsel and precendent. It just makes sense. If you want the students to “go away”, you need somewhere to put them. And since they are paying for it themselves, you’re going to have to make it somewhere they want to go.

So, we end up with a high-density, student-centric development closer to moving ahead; and at the cost of only a few years’ time, thousands and thousands of dollars & boatloads of grief for everyone. All to save a couple units and maybe a floor or two.  Was it worth it? For Abode, certainly. For the city, and Mayfield Park? It’ll depend on what the final design looks like, but I’m leaning towards a solid no on this one.