A public meeting held to set the stage for development of a new neighbourhood in the city's west led to an extensive discussion between city council and administration on the existence of two former landfills on the site.
The Elysian Fields is part of an Area Structure Plan that includes land located north of Giroux Road and west of Ray Gibbon Drive. The plan also includes the Avenir development to the west, and the land north of Villeneuve Road.
The structure plan for Avenir was adopted in Oct. 2014, though both developments are linked through services, road access, and a school site. The entire area consists of 233.5 hectares, of which the Elysian Fields is about 100 hectares.
Landfills
The two landfills, located in the Elysian Fields portion of the plan, have been inactive since the mid-1990s. One pit, located in the north portion of the site, has limited uses and will likely be turned into a golf range.
The second pit, located toward the middle of the development, must be reclaimed. On Monday, administration told council that Alberta Environment reports major deficiencies with the developer's application for remediation and reclamation.
For now, nothing can be built on the land surrounding the pits.
Pat Cassidy, CEO and founder of SAS Sports and Entertainment Group, the project's proponent, said he's been in touch with Alberta Environment and expects to have all the necessary certificates soon.
"We were hoping to have this certificate today," he said.
Upon repeated questions from councillors, administration said that the area structure plan can be approved but no development permits will be issued until the landfills are cleaned. Nonetheless, Coun. Wes Brodhead said council should reconsider approving the plan before remediation papers are available.
One resident of the city, Ken Crutchfield, also spoke against development on the site.
"The city is going to take a liability with regards to these wells and these pits once development starts," he said.
Elysian Fields
Cassidy said he envisions the Elysian Fields as a "live-work-play community" with year-round recreational opportunities, a sports city.
The development is expected to include a mix of housing options, as well as some industrial and commercial and business park development. About 1,653 people are expected to live in the Elysian Fields one day.
Further plans include a 4.73-hectare school site, as well as a park area.
The highlight of the site will be a 3,000-seat baseball stadium inside a sports centre, which may also include ice rinks, outdoor fields, and associated businesses. The neighbourhood has the potential to create 224 jobs upon completion.
"We want to create a centre of excellence in Canada," he said.
Completion of the site is expected to take 20 years with about eight development stages. Development would start at the south end of Giroux Road with residential development and the construction of a storm water management facility in the Avenir portion. It would then move north.
Council did not approve the area structure plan on Monday nor did it hold first reading. The public meeting was adjourned until Feb. 20 to allow for wording changes to the bylaw.
