When many St. Albert residents read the article "Growth Plan 2.0 spurs debate" (Gazette, Aug. 31) they may not have understood how this could possibly affect them or their lives.
But in these meetings, over subjects as nebulous as neighborhood densities, City Council is deciding how St. Albert will permanently change into something completely different. Something unrecognizable.
This buildup only used to happen in new developments. But now the mayor and his voting partners are accepting requests it seems to build up inside old neighbourhoods in order to reach the magic targets.
The targets are set by the Capital Region Board, which has usurped the power of the City Council of St. Albert, or so it seems. The councillors say nothing can be done, the order has come down from on high. Our mayor has fought on our behalf to lower this year's proposed target of 45 that "they" wanted, to 40. Next year, if the board decides that 55 should be the target, we can only hope that Mayor Crouse talks them down to 50.
A developer with two residential lots along the Sturgeon will soon come to this city council to ask for 3A rezoning to allow up to four storeys of apartment buildings or condos and as many as 64 units, and is asking for part of our Berrymore Park in trade for a corner of his low lying land.
This is really unconscionable for a large number of residents. A neighbourhood association, The Friends of the St. Albert River Valley was formed to fight this application, and will continue this fight as long as it takes. There will be other organizations like ours springing up as developers survey other neighborhoods and look to council to help them flip the lots for a very tidy profit. Because any council that cares more for developers than the residents must be stopped, or replaced.
If we all value our parkland and trails, the beauty of the river valley and our well-designed and safe neighborhoods, we have to stand together and help each other in these fights. Otherwise it is divide and conquer for the council development gang. Once the council walks into your neighborhood it may already be too late to stop them. So come to the council meetings and speak out on behalf of all residents who object to ugly towers sprouting up along the valley and the breaking up of our valuable parks and neighborhoods.
W.G. Whitney, president, Friends of the St. Albert River Valley
