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Proposal has too many problems

My name is Jenna Kress and I live on Addison Crescent with my sister and my dad, Gerry. I’m currently attending Grant MacEwan University and have high hopes for my future.

My name is Jenna Kress and I live on Addison Crescent with my sister and my dad, Gerry. I’m currently attending Grant MacEwan University and have high hopes for my future.

I have had so many memories growing up with the field behind my house and in all honesty I can’t believe anyone would want to take the learning experiences, such as the ones I have had from the field away from a young child. I learned how to ride my bike; I’ve flown kites, caught grasshoppers and done all sorts of things in that field.

I would like to take the opportunity to give a little background information on my dad, because he is definitely an incredible guy. In 1983 he broke his neck playing hockey, confining him to a wheelchair. He is a C-5/6 quadriplegic and is definitely my biggest role model. My Dad has worked so hard for my house and is working even harder at trying to prevent 58 units 23 feet away from my bedroom window.

My dad, sister and I have nothing against Habitat for Humanity or low-income housing; we just don’t want 58 units squished into the smallest space possible. I understand that council was talking about putting stuff there back in 2007/08. We just found out in late 2009?

I would also like to share a few of my concerns as an 18-year-old young lady. I just got my first car a year ago and I love it. I’m not even going to lie, sometimes I just look out my window for the sake of looking at it. That’s how much I love it and with these 58 units behind my house, I am thinking that people are going to start parking in front of my house and taking my parking spot.

Also, just an observation, over on Akins Drive there is an extreme amount of townhouses and apartments squished into the smallest place possible. And with all these people living so closely together, I think it increases the chances of crime in the area. I know that last year a Mountie was killed up in Hay River and the guy that did it lived in those townhouses. To be honest this scares the pants off of me. My neighbour has a little girl probably five or six years old and how would we feel if something ever happened to her? Or my little sister, who is 15, being introduced to drugs? I am not a fan of that one bit and I can say anyone in their right mind would not be in favour of this.

Another concern I have is that these units will be looking directly into my bedroom window. I don’t think I want say, some 40-year-old pervert watching me change through my bedroom window.

The last concern I have is about my dog, Charlie. Charlie is our little Houdini — he finds ways to get through the fence like nobody’s business. I’m scared that with 58 units with probably 116 cars behind my house, he’s going to be flat as a pancake in the parking lot. I’ve had him for 10 years and would be devastated if he died.

Although I have concerns about these units behind my house, in the future I may need low income housing, who’s to tell? But I know if I was ever in need I wouldn’t want to be put into a building that looks out of place in a neighbourhood and doesn’t have any place for my kids to play. I know I would just rather blend in with everyone else with a garage and a backyard. And with a two-storey, 58-unit building in such a small space, I would feel a little out of place. I think a lot of the people in the Akinsdale community would be quite content with maybe six or seven houses back there blending in with the rest of us.

All and all, I know none of my neighbours are against low-income housing and it really bothers me that people are conceiving it that way. Get it straight — we just do not think the amount being compressed into that small space is right for Akinsdale. Putting this huge building on 70 Arlington isn’t right or fair to any of the residents.

Jenna Kress, St. Albert

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