Residents of Mission Hill Grande condominium have a battle plan ready to try to stop the opening of a new lounge called Old Wasted Space in Mission Ridge Shopping Centre.
"We have two ladies out knocking on doors with a petition against the opening of Old Wasted Space, in the former Taphouse Pub. So far we have 400 signatures," said Derek Stuart, who was elected by Mission Hill Grande board members as the representative to deal with the re-opening of a bar directly across the street from their complex.
On behalf of the condo association, Stuart invited the mayor of St. Albert along with mall owner Jack Agrios and lounge owner Jimmy Shewchuk to attend a condominium meeting on Oct. 3, to discuss noise and vandalism concerns.
But while Mayor Nolan Crouse agreed to a meeting, according to Stuart, all discussions with both Agrios ceased Thursday, Sept. 22 and he has not heard whether Shewchuk will attend.
"In an e-mail letter to the mayor, Stuart wrote that he made several attempts to phone or contact Old Wasted Space owners, but had no response.
"I would like to know how he (Jimmy Shewchuk) proposes to mitigate the noise by individuals smoking and drinking in the patio at the rear of the premises that emanates across the neighbourhood at all hours," Stuart wrote.
Since the former Taphouse Pub closed in December, Stuart says, he and other Mission Hill Grande residents, most of whom are seniors, have enjoyed the peace.
"I've lived here for four years and my balcony faces the parking lot and mall. Between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. there would be cars racing, screeching tires, foul language, drug taking and illegal drunkenness as well as break-ins in our parkade," he said.
Initially Stuart says mall-owner Agrios agreed to a meeting, but discussions between the two parties broke down earlier this month.
Through e-mail correspondence dated Sept. 8, which was also copied and sent to Mayor Crouse, Agrios acknowledged Stuart's invitation.
"I am always willing to be available for reasonable, meaningful dialogue and would be prepared to meet with responsible representatives from your Board. However, because of the combative tenure of your statements i.e. suggesting I am not aware of what has occurred in the area for the last twenty years; i.e. we will use every legal means to fight these developments; this I do not consider conducive to be meaningful discussion," Agrios wrote.
"I (ticked) him off, and he wrote back that all further discussion would have to be with someone else," Stuart said.
According to Stuart there was some early discussion about security provisions at the mall, but those negotiations also ended.
"Security is a great idea, but then Mission Hill Grande residents were told they should pay for part of the security," he said.
Bar owner Shewchuk also wrote Stuart, to say he is open to a meeting. He apologized for being hard to contact, but stressed he has been busy trying to renovate the location.
"We have an action plan and best practice guideline that will help subdue some of these concerns, but by no means will we be able to eliminate them. At the end of the day, everyone involved here is part of this vibrant community and we need to work together to find a common ground," Shewchuk wrote in his letter sent Thursday.
Shewchuk also wrote that he hoped that a relationship of growth and social responsibility could be developed rather than an adversarial one.
In an interview Shewchuk said, "The bar has been there since 1983. The condo has been there since about 1998 or 2000. At the end of the day the bar was there first and it's a permitted use by the city. We're continuing to operate an establishment that's been part of the community for almost 30 years."
Stuart is adamant that he will continue to fight the development. He says he and fellow Mission Ridge Grande residents will be listening and if the noise becomes too raucous, the RCMP will be bombarded with complaints.
"This is not finished just because they have a development permit," he said.
