This city council’s arrogance and disrespect for the average voter has reached an all-time high.
Three short months ago council went to great lengths to explain how there was no interest by any church to build at the 70 Arlington Dr. site and that it needs to be rezoned. Then on the same day that council scheduled the September public hearing to complete the rezoning of 70 Arlington Dr., they also stated that we must allow churches to build in industrial zoned land because churches are having problems finding land to build on.
No wonder when the current possible church land sites are all being re-zoned. To top it off city council’s anemic ability to attract business now requires us to fill our business parks with churches, daycares and adult entertainment shops. Sounds like a great land use planning mix, kind of like oil and water.
Does city council believe that St. Albert voters are so stupid that we can’t remember what they said three months ago? It’s quite clear now that the average voter receives little if any respect from city hall and they have chosen to operate their dictatorship in backrooms cooking up deals against the common good. Which brings us back to the obvious question of why are they rezoning land that is in high demand at the current zoning? Council recently confirmed that there is an obvious and desperate need for churches to find land in St. Albert. The reason for rezoning of 70 Arlington Drive is because the Protestant school board and council do not want to sell this land to a church —they would rather relegate the churches next to an industrial site.
I think that any church would rather be located in a residential area than a business park if given a choice. Perhaps they just they don’t like churches in residential areas because they don’t pay taxes into the city coffers? Maybe it is just that they respect churches’ needs for their own buildings as little as the concerns of the Akinsdale residents? If your church is looking to build in St. Albert, are you happy to donate a land zoned for a church to high-density housing and instead build in the industrial area? If your church already has a building, will you support low-income housing to the point where you let them buy your current property and you will willingly relocate in the industrial base? If not, let council know that rezoning land away from churches is unacceptable. Let council know that if low-income housing cannot be built with consideration of the surrounding community and without stealing land away from other community organizations, that council has achieved nothing towards the goal of successfully integrating low-income housing into St. Albert.
St. Albert has one last chance to prevent city hall from stealing land away from its churches. Saying nothing to council tells council that you agree with their judgment of where churches should be located in our community.
Suzanne Gamble, St. Albert
