If City Council approves the latest Riverbank Landing proposal by Boudreau Communities, maybe they should first consider rebranding the city.
St. Albert’s Sturgeon River valley is a treasure slowly being decimated by large apartments dominating the riverbanks. Our vistas, urban nature areas and trails scored highly in the reason I chose St. Albert to call home 21 years ago.
The Riverbank Landing proposal is a wall that would block one of the remaining views of our river valley east of St. Albert Trail. This 11-storey structure will visually overlap with Botanica ll and is proposed to be more than half as tall again. Drive down Bellerose toward Boudreau and imagine the effect this wall will have. (The picture provided to the Gazette actually depicts this wall as 14 stories at one end and 15 at the other.) This seemingly continuous barrier, no matter how structurally pleasing to the builder, will eliminate our natural scenic view of the river valley. Public green space in the 10 acres is stated at 36 per cent, but how much is really usable and not just lawn in front of buildings?
This proposal does not address that the present infrastructure does not support the increased traffic from Erin Ridge, Oakmont and the acreages outside of the city limits. At multiple times a day, the intersection of Bellerose and Boudreau is already backing up in all directions. Additional residential and commercial vehicles from 360 to 390 units, 13 condos, office and retail space will add to the excessive congestion experienced every day on Bellerose Drive.
The proposed second access for the 13 townhomes and residents will require extensive grading to eliminate the steep hill on the property and only allows right-hand exits up a sloped road. Due to limited visibility, this will be a safety issue for pedestrians and cyclists and an increased hazard in the winter due to the slopes. Residents of Riverbank wanting to depart St. Albert or to go shopping may choose to avoid the traffic of the only controlled exit by doing U-turns at the top of the hill on Bellerose or driving through Erin Ridge to avoid the congestion.
I hope City Hall considers more than just tax generation and looks to better honour and respect the legacy of Lois and Ted Hole in St. Albert and the province. There are parks and green space dedicated to the memory of the Hole family but development should not include paving the land over and constructing this wall. Is this the fate of the last remaining lands of the Holes property?
Peter Woolridge, St. Albert
