I was shocked to learn that St. Albert developers can renege on their obligation of providing 30 per cent of the development land to be set aside for parks and recreation green space. This abdication of their 30-per-cent green space land obligation can occur by paying off the City of St. Albert. They then only have to provide 13 per cent of land for green space.
The St. Albert developers rationalize this payoff to the City of St. Albert by saying that their developments are near existing parks, Lois Hole provincial park, Grenadier dog park, Grey Nuns white spruce forest.
The City of St. Albert by allowing developers to renege on this responsibility, only contributes to the "Urban Villages" myth, Grandin Park, Bellevue Village. “Urban Villages” are mixed-use land (commercial and residential) which are little more than concrete jungles, inhabited by parked cars.
In days of yore, villages had a central park/common/green with trees, shrubs and flowers, where villagers could meet, walk, sit and children could play, and fetes took place. I urge St. Albert city council to take a second or third look at this allowance for developers to pay off their responsibilities of providing the residents of St. Albert with people- and family-friendly green spaces.
Please review carefully the Bylaw 27/2015 Amendment 2 to South Riel Area Structure Plan.
Liz Samson, St. Albert
