HOLT NEWS
OCTOBER 22, 2012 EDITION

Enjoy!

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It looks like there may be a leak in the HD Regional Offices...





What could this be? What could it mean? And most importantly... what does it mean for the future of Holt District?

WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER 2012 REFERENDUM!

I have been meaning to have more participation in this MD, and have more votes on key developments. So, to hit 2 birds with one stone I created the HD November 2012 Referendum. In this referendum, you will be taking the place of the citizens of HD. You will be voting on 4 proposals - 2 infrastructure proposals, 1 development proposal and a municipality re-organization.

This is how the referendum will work:

1. Voting opens as of this post on each site HD is published. You will be able to vote in the ST CJ Section, ST CJ Forums, SC4Devotion, Simmania and Simopsis.
2. You may vote as many times as you wish, on as many sites as you wish. maximum This is for the maximum number of votes.
3. Do not double post/double comment.This will result in not only those 2 ballots becoming null and void - but ALL your votes in that section of Holt District.
4. You MUST vote for all 4 proposals. If you do not respond to one, your entire ballot will not count.

What are you voting on?
As mentioned, you are voting on 4 proposals. Proposal 1I, Proposal 2D, Proposal 3ID, Proposal 4M.
Pictures and full descriptions will appear on the "ballot" below.

Proposal 1I: Proposal to extend an avenue in the City of Sherkston.
Proposal 2D: A mixed-use, medium density, development in Manatee.
Proposal 3ID: The creation of the "Manatee-Norecount" connection. The redevelopment of the right of way with road constructed.
Proposal 4M: The re-organization of the Township of Northwest Holt and Township of Saltfield into towns. The creation of town councils for each municipality.

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THE BALLOT:

Proposal 1I: Proposal to extend an avenue in the City of Sherkston.

The below diagram displays the proposed extension of Callahan Avenue in the City of Sherkston. This avenue is in the western portion of the city. The development is no part of the proposal, but rather there to illustrate future considerations.



Q: Are you in favour of Proposal 1I, the proposal to extend Callahan Avenue in the City of Sherkston?

[ ] YES
[ ] NO




Proposal 2D: A mixed-use, medium density, development in Manatee.

The below diagram illustrates the proposed development which would see the development of land between Highway 40 and existing residential development. The proposed development is 100% medium-density, allowing for medium sized residential condominums (up to 7 levels) - and medium-density commercial development. Commercial development includes medium density retail and office space. Prohibited uses for commercial portion would include low-density retail (i.e. big-box stores).



Q: Are you in favour of Proposal 2D - the proposal of medium-density development in the area bounded by Highway 40 in the City of Manatee?

[ ] YES
[ ] NO




Proposal 3ID: The creation of the "Manatee-Norecount" connection. The redevelopment of the right of way with road constructed.

The images below outline the proposal to create the "Manatee-Norecount" connector. This would be a north-south route connecting the 2 municipalities. In Manatee the project starts at a current t-intersection. In Norecount it ends at Regional Road 43. In the below diagrams, yellow indicates the primary route of the new 4-lane avenue. The avenue would transition to 5 lanes within Norecount. White dashed lines indicate residential/side-streets that would be extended and intersect with the connector.

In Norecount, the outlined redevelopment of the remaining ROW have been proposed. There is currently no proposal for ROW development in Manatee.





Q: Are you in favour of Proposal 3ID - The construction of the "Manatee-Norecount Connector" in City of Manatee and Town of Norecount and redevelopment of the remaining ROW in the Town of Norecount?

[ ] YES
[ ] NO




Proposal 4M: The re-organization of the Township of Northwest Holt and Township of Saltfield into towns. The creation of town councils for each municipality.

This proposal is proposing the re-organization of 2 existing townships in Holt District - the Township of Northwest Holt and Township of Saltfield. These townships have seen significant growth beyond their original rural municpality standing. Management of these townships directly has lead to a strain on regional resources, and under-representation of these municipality's residents. This proposal would re-incorporated the after mentioned municipalities into Towns. Each municipality would then elect a municipal council, which would report to the region.

Under this proposal, residents of the effected municipalities would be able to enter a contest to name their re-organized municipality. Entries selected by regional council would then be put to a general vote. The winning names in each municipality would be used as their new name, and used in all incorporation documents, etc. There will also be an option for the municipalities to keep their current name (i.e. Town of Northwest Holt, Town of Saltfield)



Q: Are you in favour of Proposal 4M - the proposal to re-organize the Region's Townships into Town status, with the option of a naming contest?

[ ] YES
[ ] NO

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And that is the ballot! Please note you must answer yes/no for ALL questions, or your ballot will be deemed void. Also note: answered to proposals should be Yes/No only. Comments about the proposals are welcome either before or after your "ballot."

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How should I respond with my "ballot"?

Any form is fine, as long as you answer yes no. The preferred method, however, is as followed:

Proposal 1I: Yes/No
Proposal 2D: Yes/No

Proposal 3DI: Yes/No
Proposal 4M: Yes/No


Do I have to answer all "yes" or all "no"?
No, not at all! Feel free to vote yes/no on any, with different combinations. You are voting on a per proposal basis.

When does voting stop?
Voting closes on Monday, November 12th at 6:00 PM EST.

Where can I vote, again?

-Simopsis
-Simmania
-Simtropolis CJ Forum
-Simtropolis CJ Section
-SC4Devotion

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That does it for the proposals and how to vote!
This is, I think, a fun way to get everyone active and participate in this CJ!

So, with the opportunity to affect where the region goes next - VOTE! Without your participation, this isn't all that fun. Remember, you can vote as many times as you wish, in as many editions of HD as you wish, so long as you don't double posting. Voting will remain open until the indicated time above. At that point, voting will close and results will likely be published the next day.

Periodic updates will be given as well.


THANKS FOR READING- NOW MAKE YOUR VOICE COUNT!




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WELCOME TO ANOTHER HD UPDATE!


In today's update, we will be taking a tour through the Town of Dofino, which has been experiencing massive growth since the last HD Census. With lower housing prices and land costs, people, businesses and developer's have all been flocking to the town. This "flocking" has greatly changed the look of this once small-town. With the growth in Dofino this transformation means the death of the "small-town" in Holt District. With Old Port, Dofino and Norecount all beginning to sprawl, the former small town's just simply aren't anymore.



Some argue growth is destroying the region and should be more controlled. Others say the new lax controls are appropriate. Whichever side you lay on, the census bureau has changed its estimates for this census period. Previously, at the last census the census bureau has pegged the upper expected-population at the next census (in December) to be at 700 000. They realistically estimate an increase to 625 000, saying this was the most likely population. However, today, the census released its mid-period report. [/size]It is now estimating population at the next census will top 1 000 000.
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]rally fairly accurate with predictions. If this estimate is reached, it would mean a population increase of approximately 600 000 in the past 2 census periods.



Fuelling the boom is the ongoing condominum boom. With new planning regulations in place, smaller scale buildings are cropping up in massive condo communities. Today, we will look at some of those in Dofino. So on we go.

ALSO! Results from the HD November 2012 Referendum will be released as part of this update.






THE END OF THE SMALL TOWN: SPRAWL STRANGLES HD


11.1 | Cranes are appearing everywhere in Dofino, it would seem. Since the last census, the growth of Dofino has exploded. The pace of growth is worrisome, others just call it progress. Here we see a new office park that is partially completed.






11.2 | Many long-time Dofino residents complain that development is ruining the charming reputation of the town, turning it into just another sprawl-ridden municipality off a highway. The masses would disagree, though. The "charming" branding is what actually is drawing people to Dofino. Large companies also seek-out the municipality. SimCo Food Processors, Ltd. recently made Dofino the site of its new global HQ. The company operates out of 2 of the 3 identitcal buildings, leasing 1 out to professionals. It built the third building in anticipation of requiring more space in the future.






11.3 | Residents in some cases don't even notice cranes like these, anymore. For some, it is a painful reminder of the "march forward." These cranes are constructing medium-density condominiums. A 2BD, 1BA can be yours starting at only $278,800!






11.4 | Some residents are critical of recent condominum complexes. As you will see shortly, some of jam-packed with buildings. Others, like this one, take a multi-building style to their developments, and leave large expanses of park space. Residents lament the new developments, often stating "that they should all have parkspace." Sadly, this is currently not a requirement under Dofino planning regulations. This may, however, soon change.






11.5 | Developments seem to be increasing in their scale. This one, for example, when completed will be amongst the largest in Dofino. In fact, another segment of this development is under construction in neighbouring Sherkston. Phase 1 here was recently completed, with the developer waiting for tree-removal permits for phase 2 of the development. The new Dofino mega-hospital was also recently constructed.






11.6| And here is what residents of Dofino lament: the repetitive, jam-packed, condominium buildings being constructed in the north-easterly portion of town. Although the colours vary, the buildings all follow the same basic floorplan. Some call for the blocking of this style of development, mostly long-time residents. The region, however, would likely overrule. They fall within regional planning regulations...







11.7 | Not making matters better is this development. Although the building style is different, the same problem persists. Repetition. Sadly, in the "post-small town era" of HD, these developments are increasingly common. Residents are left to feel helpless as they watch their small town get swallowed up into the new Holt District Metro Area...




11.8 | To finish off is a mosaic. This mosaic shows what residents see everyday, the sprawl of their formerly small-town. The mosaic starts in the Dofino Downtown area, and heads east towards the massive condomium-sprawl developments. It is striking the differences the top and the bottom of the picture show...







Sprawl has taken its grip on the region, with the small-towns blending into one giant metro-area with Manatee and Sherkston...

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HD REFERENDUM RESULTS!

You voted and made your voices heard! The HD Referendum had members voting on 4 proposals. Below are the results of the 4 proposals. But first, the vote count.


Ballots Cast: 18
Rejected Ballots: 1
Valid Votes: 17



Here are the results:



PROPOSAL 1I: PASSED





PROPOSAL 2D: PASSED





PROPOSAL 3ID: PASSED





PROPOSAL 4M: PASSED




All motions passed. You have spoken. You will begin to see some of these projects in action in upcoming updates.

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Better reply coming soon, but thanks everyone for voting!







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Thanks for coming to today's update! I hope you enjoyed the sprawl, and the passing of the small-town era in HD. Sprawl is here to stay, and boy oh boy, does it have a stronghold on the region.

Thanks also to all those who voted in the HD Referendum.

WELCOME TO ANOTHER HD UPDATE!

In Holt District, residents look up at the ever-changing skyline in awe almost daily. It seems like every day a new crane has popped up, soon to be followed by a building. Nowhere is this more evident than the area surrounding Downtown Sherkston. As demand for residential space and commercial space has boomed, so has the skyline in Sherkston. Downtown Sherkston is getting bigger, both in terms of buildings in size and the physical area it covers. Demand for space in the area is red hot, and developers continue to try to keep pace with demand.

The population of Sherkston is booming, something we will look at in the December census. Things are dramatically different. There is so much to see that our tour of the drastically different Sherkston will be split into 2 updates... though part of that is also SC4 continuing to cause me problems.

So onward to part 1 of 2.
Also, hope you like the new banners!



The Bright City Lights Get Brighter - Part 1


12.1 | The morning sun is rising and so another day begins in the region. Within minutes the sound of jackhammers, cement trucks and other construction will fill the air. We are looking at one of the few pieces near Downtown Sherkston along Highway 40 to remain undeveloped. But don't get used to it - a condominium development was recently approved for the site.






12.2 | As the day continues we find ourselved just north of that empty piece of land. This what the future holds for that land. This former greenfield site has been developed as high-priced condominiums. Looking over the highway, you'd think prices would take a hit. On the contrary, these condos are expensive due to the proximity to downtown, the Toyota Centre and the elevated rail system.






12.3 | As mentioned, development has gotten red-hot in Sherkston. Areas surrounding the downtown core are some of the most desirably, as evident by the amount of new buildings under construction... and the sheer number of cranes littering the skyline.






12.4 | The elevated rail system, which for a long time went unused, has seen increased importance as development increases. As the roads become increasingly clogged, residents are finally turning to public transit. The region is actually evaluating expanding the system. There is, of course, construction in this photo as well. These future condominiums will contributed to the already double-digit percentage growth the city has seen since the last census.






12.5 | Not all projects are high-class, however. These condominiums which are in the mid-price range for Sherkston may not be the fanciest condos ever, or in the nicest-looking complexe ever, however they were filled within 2 weeks of going on the market. Signs show that the market will not soon slow down, which has some worried. However, as analysts point out, household debt to income ratio is at an all time low in the region, as is household debt in general.

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12.6 | Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of development is thinking about what an area looked like before construction. This photo showcasing a new mega-complex of condos, a hotel complex and office buildings was not too long ago just a grass field with a "FOR SALE" sign. Look at it now... this scene is playing out across the city and the region.




Growth has exploded in the region, and demand shows no signs of weakening. Is this a bubble? Some say yes, but most say no. Debt is at record-lows and interest rates are not rock-bottom, either. The growth, although massive and extremely fast, is organic.

...and as it continues the Region may release a BOLD NEW plan. Afterall, where would those stadium plans have leaked from?
...and where on Earth did that rumour of a new CBD come from?
...and what does #BOLDNEWHD mean?

Stay tuned... things are just starting.

#BOLDNEWHD





Republicmaster
Glad you like them.

K50
I know I am.

forthwall
Thanks a bunch!

mayorm
It's growing like a weed, and shows no signs of stopping, either.

111222333444
Better late than never. Thanks for stopping by!

Republicmaster
Those buildings and the ones surrounding them turned out better than I had hoped.

K50
LOL, it does. But this isn't 2008... and it's Holt District.

111222333444
Magic, obviously. Love how you changed the quote to say Steamroller. Made me LOL.




Hope you enjoyed part 1! Stay tuned for update 13, we will continue to look at changes in Sherkston.
...and continue to be teased about #BOLDNEWHD...









#BOLDNEWHD --- IT'S COMING