Community
Attention City of Red Deer; “It is best to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it”
Now that it has been acknowledged, at least by one, that the Molly Bannister Extension is not about the wildlife corridor, as 19 Street and 32 Street have grown to the point of being a barrier to animals. The emphasis is on hikers, cyclists and skateboarders not having to cross a road and 24 families backing onto Molly Bannister.
32 Street is a much broader issue than ever given credit for. It splits neighbourhoods; it creates hardships for seniors and children in Mountview and Sunnybrook for example.
32 Street will run from Highway 2 to the proposed ring road (20 Ave). The church just south of 32 Street decided to expand but the city declined any expansion on the north side due to future expansion of 32 Street. So the city has plans to widen 32 St.
There are, as previously mentioned, 24 families backing onto Molly Bannister. My last count showed 292 families backing onto 32 Street. This is a larger number of families, than discussed, backing on to Molly Bannister.
The issue about the road east of Piper Creek is a smoke and mirrors game. That road will be built, anyways, with or without the Molly Bannister connection. Without the connection the road will be built with 50 houses on the west side backing onto Piper Creek.
With the connection, a busier road will be built, but with only about one lot being used for entrance onto a bridge. The bridge will actually be less intrusive on the park, than the road without the connection.
The trail will remain in the field on the other side, west side, of the creek, and I am sure the city can put in a crosswalk with flashing lights for hikers, cyclists and skateboarders to cross the road.
Air quality has to come into this equation. The developer wants to build 600 to 1,000 homes on the east side of the creek. Their only entrance/exit will be 40 Ave. So instead of going 500 metres to Gaetz Ave they will now have to drive over 2 kilometres each way, as they have to drive on 19 Street or 32 Street. The extra distances also apply to all current and future neighbourhoods along 22 Street.
The $10 million estimated to build the bridge is nothing compared to cost of compensating for not building a bridge. The proposed traffic circle on 19 St will be twice that. The widening of 32 Street will be many times that. Widening of 19 Street will cost more. The toll on 40 Ave from 19 Street to 32 Street will be costly, to maintain and expand.
This bridge will not be built for decades. It is meant for the time of the city having a population of 188,000. The city has grown by 195 residents since 2015, so it is a long way off.
I believe that the right of way should be kept, and left as green space until the bridge needs to be built. That gives everybody decades to adapt.
The Mayor and city council knows this extension is needed or will be needed. If not this issue would have quietly disappeared, long ago. The city should keep the option open and not handicap further development.
The environment has been tossed to the curb after being abused. Habitats will be inundated with fences, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, lawns, foreign non-native weeds, trees, shrubs and plants, if 50 houses are allowed to be built along Piper Creek.
It has now become about numbers. It has become about profits for a few, pain for the many. The 1,000 out of 1800 submissions supporting the extension cannot be discounted because the question was troubling, the city staff compensated for that and studied the responses to ensure of intent.
I think that allocating a lot for a bridge is less intrusive on our parks than 50 lots for houses. Would you not agree?
I think it is better to have it (right of way) and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Festival of Trees tickets are on sale now! Get ’em while they’re hot!
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From the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre
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