Twenty seven Glen Allan residents met this week at the Glen Allan Recreation Centre in a lively discussion redevelopment and infill. The majority of attendees had lived in Glen Allan for more than 25 years. Market affordable homes, walkability, nearby services combined with maintaining the existing character and diversity of their community - all rated high. Traffic and parking issues were seen as challenges. There was vigorous consensus for preserving all green spaces: parks and shared paths.
Chris Greidanus, local community leader, kept the group focused, basing the discussion on the Strathcona Planning Departments Mature Neighbourhood Strategy. I attended as resident and Councillor. This initiative started with a mid October panel of community leaders and developers presenting to the public at the Community Centre. The project is a collaborative effort of civic builders, managers and residents on looking at how redevelopment and infill ‘fits’ in the older neighbourhoods. A questionnaire has been produced (www.strathcona.ca/matureneighbourhoodstrategy) to help guide conversations of Citizen Circles that are forming throughout the 11 older neighbourhoods in Sherwood Park. I hope that this will expand to include the rural and more recent neighbourhoods.
Resident Wilf said “the group was pretty vocal and didn't hold back too much. The main concern was the changes that fill-in might create”. Wilf went on to say that “the table I was seated at was primarily against any dramatic zoning changes in Glen Allan and I think that message was perhaps one of the loudest and strongest that came out of the meeting. There was some discussion about the possibility of edge in-fill or fill-in example being the east side of Georgian Way behind Horizon Village. Would we baulk at that being redeveloped into more Senior type bungalows, and/or affordable first timers' lower cost housing? This idea of EDGE FILL-IN was chewed on and no specific common answer was accomplished.”
Wilf’s comments reflect many opinions around the room. Residents realize that a specific type of increased density housing is a desirable thing but only if it augments their own neighbourhood values of a safe community whose residents know each other and have a pride in ownership. This housing would have to offer a positive addition to their neighbourhood in character and visual aspect. Long time residents and newcomers alike said they valued generational diversity. They value a neighbourhood with a balance of new families, young children and seniors. Many want to down size or renovate so they can remain in place. There was also consensus on welcoming nearby local business that offered services and products – in keeping with the neighbourhood. Residents welcome appropriately sized home business.
There was considerable discussion on the need to manage increased parking and traffic in these areas where streets were designed long ago to meet different needs of the original neighbourhood. Citizens also expressed concerns over the barriers to renovation and revitalization. Why does home owner improvement trigger immediate reassessment? Renovations are costly enough without adding increased taxes. Residents suggested that the county offer incentives to improve homes and thus revitalize neighbourhoods.
Many municipalities across Canada are looking at revitalization of older neighbourhoods. Some cities have found some innovative solutions. I look forward to more resident input and research on renewing our neighbourhoods while retaining the great quality of life they have. The key to success in revitalization will be grassroots resident participation and direction. This is, after all, the place we choose to live and bring up our families.
Results of the Glen Allan Citizens Circle opinions will be posted on www.CouncillorCarr.com and my elected official’s page on www.Strathcona.ca
Where to from here?
Phase 1 from October to mid December is the ‘big listen’ County planners are looking to residents to meet in Citizen Circles to discuss what they want their neighbourhoods to look like for their grandchildren. Flyers will be sent out to all residents located in the Mature Neighbourhoods notifying them of the drop-in citizen circles. Below is a link to the County's website that provides all the information on the Mature Neighbourhood Strategy as well as dates, times and locations of input sessions.
Businesses are included in the process. Planners and managers are meeting in a cross departmental effort to brainstorm: identifying issues and innovative solutions. In January, all stakeholders will be brought together for an interchange of ideas on January 24th at 1 to 8 pm in the Community Centre.
Phase 2 Planners, having listened, will develop strategies to integrate redevelopment and infill into mature neighbourhoods.
Phase 3 Summer 2013, 2014 and beyond is targeted as the implementation phase. Once the county has an understanding of what stakeholders are thinking about their neighbourhoods they we can develop a strategy of what needs to be done and how to go about it. This will include a proposal of what research and planning activities need to occur and which of them are priorities.
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