Westlock town council rejected a rezoning application after a public hearing Nov. 28 that saw close to 30 residents attend and voice opposition to it.
Local developer Roger Tinant had applied to have a park area in the Southview neighbourhood rezoned to allow for the development of 10 houses and a four-unit condominium.
He declined to comment on council’s decisions, but during the hearing referred to the potential economic impact of this development, which he said could be up to $10 million in the first two years, with long-term tax benefits as well.
“The long-term impact of this development would be $100,000 to $150,000 yearly, which I think council should not consider passing up,” he said.
Residents of the neighbourhood, including a representative from St. Mary School, a local doctor, and residents of the Smithfield Lodge, sent a clear message to council: hands off our park.
“I and many people are not in favour of amending the land-use bylaw … which in effect is taking away the only park and green space in the community of Southview,” said Guy Gokiert, president of the Southview Community Association.
Rose Burgett, a resident of Smithfield Lodge, said the loss of the park area would have an adverse effect on seniors at the lodge and the hospital’s continuing care centre.
Walking options in that neighbourhood are limited because of the proximity to the highway, she said, and residents enjoy walking over to the park to see the blackbirds and frogs that make their home in a small pond in the area.
“We have to think about the seniors,” she said.
Dr. Vicki Fourie noted that looking into the future, there is a good chance the Westlock hospital could expand, and those efforts could be stymied by a housing development so close to it.
“I think it’s really important that town look at that space for possible future development,” he said, noting that a park would be relatively easy to move to accommodate that expansion, but with a housing development it would be virtually impossible.
Darcy Romanuik, the athletic director at St. Mary School, said he was opposed to the change because he sees the value that park area has for students at the school, who use it for about five months out of the year for track and field, soccer, football and cross-country running.
“I think I’m very fortunate to have a field like that to use at my school,” he said.
While he said he would be able to adapt to having that park area shrink to accommodate the development, his main concern was that student safety would be compromised by the increased traffic flow — with construction traffic in the short term and residential traffic in the long term.
Many residents of Southview also addressed council, referring to the fact they had bought their homes in the area partly because they liked the idea of being so near a park or an open field.
While the area in question is technically zoned as a park it has been undeveloped and used for various crops for many years, prompting mayor Bruce Lennon to suggest residents work toward developing a vision for the park.
“Really it’s just a field of weeds half the time, and there’s canola in there sometimes,” he said.
