Residents opposed to a Habitat for Humanity development on 70 Arlington Dr. scored a moral victory Wednesday when city council put the proposal on hold so a compromise could be found that’s palatable to the neighbourhood. By extending the olive branch Mayor Nolan Crouse and council showed a willingness to listen. The onus now rests on residents to show a similar willingness to co-operate and prove opposition to 70 Arlington was in fact about density and not a NIMBY smokescreen.
Council’s decision to go back to residents and stakeholders for a series of round table meetings means the writing is likely on the wall for the 58-unit affordable townhouse complex, at least as it’s been proposed by Habitat and Apollo Developments. Through three days of emotional public hearings council repeatedly heard that Akinsdale residents are not opposed to Habitat or affordable housing, but that the project is too dense and not the right fit for the 1.2-hecatre site next to Attwood Park.
Opening up the discussion was a political no-brainer and something that should have happened months ago given the acrimonious history of 70 Arlington Dr., where two previous developments met fierce opposition from neighbours. That history and the scale of infill proposed warrant a more co-operative dialogue with residents that is not possible with the standard open house format. Recommendations from the round table meetings will go to council by May 15.
Although councillors have opened the door for a broader exchange of ideas, they’ve also sent a message that doing nothing is not an option at 70 Arlington Dr. Council was specific about stressing the end goal is still a Habitat for Humanity/affordable housing development. Councillors took it a step further by unanimously approving a separate motion to work with Habitat and the Protestant school district, the current landowner, on a deal that would see the city use affordable housing grants to purchase the parcel at the previously agreed upon price of $840,000.
It’s an encouraging move since there are few readily developable pieces of land in the city that are more suited to affordable housing, with easy access to schools, shopping and transit.
Council also signalled that 58 units are not in the cards. None of the motions approved Wednesday include references to Apollo Developments, which the mayor has since clarified was a deliberate omission. Shutting out the private developer and its 43 units would drastically scale back the density, leaving Habitat to pursue its traditional model of fundraising and volunteer labour, a prospect that council and the community might find more comforting. The project would still help families, but without criticisms about profiteering, whether founded or not.
Finding an acceptable compromise will require all parties to work together. The process forces Habitat to make good on its earlier commitment to work with the community on a plan that has public support. It gives residents the voice at the table they desired. But it’s also a chance to prove the ferocity of opposition wasn’t about affordable housing as so many claimed. It’s an opportunity to do what’s right for St. Albert, in a way that respects the neighbourhood. That’s an opportunity everyone should embrace.
