As a resident of Akinsdale, I wish to thank the approximately 200 people who converged on city hall to weigh the pros and cons of the Habitat for Humanity development. Although we could not make the meeting ourselves, we did follow the great blog offered by the Gazette to keep up to date on comments and the general atmosphere of the meeting.
Although not immediately affected by this proposal, we completely support the residents directly surrounding the proposed development and hope that council will walk away from these forums to gain some focus on what has been shared with them by some extremely passionate citizens. It appears that every concern that could be brought forward has been presented and argued, but the most damaging in my mind is the lack of communication from the city and the developer to the citizens of Akinsdale. This appears to have come as a complete surprise to many, including my wife and me.
Last year we moved from Deer Ridge to Akinsdale to enjoy an area that reminded us of less hectic days and younger years, a mature area with full trees and young families and homes that weren't churned out by a cookie cutter.
But the comment quoted by Alfred Nickolai of Habitat for Humanity indicating he didn't think consulting a neighbourhood beforehand was productive sent us over the edge. What specifically introduced this brain cramp to his thought process? I'm sure many in Akinsdale and other areas are now hoping that council is trying to think of a way to gracefully distance themselves from this progressive thinker.
Let's all hope that council has listened to what they've heard. This proposal needs to be rejected.
Michael Hunsche, St. Albert
