As a resident of Botanica, definitely very appropriately named, and a prior ‘homeowner’ resident of St. Albert for over 40 years, I take exception to Julie Kucher’s letter to the editor (Sept. 25, 2019) placing the blame for traffic congestion, sale of the Hole’s Greenhouse and other Hole family property on folks who have chosen to move into accommodations that are ‘adult living’ friendly. Kucher should realize that the future of environmentally conscious cities is more walkable communities, densification and the eradication of large single-family homes built on good agricultural land. Today, from Botanica, I walk to the supermarket, the bank, the mall, Chapters, Canadian Tire, a couple of coffee shops, liquor stores, several restaurants, an Italian market, the botanic park, Red Willow trails, the police station, the library and several other amenities. I almost never did that when I lived in Lacombe Park. Then, I practically lived in my car.
Residents of Botanica also suffer from traffic congestion on both Boudreau and Bellerose roads simply because those streets are major arteries into several subdivisions. One other interesting matter of note is that many couples in Botanica own one vehicle instead of the two they owned when living in a house. So, Botanica residents are showing a lower carbon footprint than many others living in subdivisions away from the city’s core. Perhaps Kucher would be wise to think about her own style of living before she blames residents of Botanica for St. Albert’s planned growth, poor traffic signaling and other hypothetical injustices.
Valerie Spink, St. Albert
