City council will get a report back on Oct. 3 on two possible measures to protect Ginter’s Meadow.
Council directed city staff to prepare a report on what the process would be to remove a possible extension of Massey Drive to Tyner Boulevard from the city’s official community plan (OCP). In addition, council asked for information about the process to officially designate Ginter’s Meadow area as a park.
The moves came after the Ginter’s Green Forever community group made a presentation to city council and packed council chambers with supporters.
“That whole area is not zoned park… But everybody thinks it’s a park,” Ginter’s Green Forever member James Steidle said. “It’s the most popularly-reviewed park in the city’s Google reviews. It’s the primary off-leash dog park in the city.”
But the area is more than a dog park, he said, it is critical moose habitat and home to many other species, and a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.
“It is a phenomenal asset - the whole hillside, not just the dog park,” Steidle said. “We don’t like there’s a plan on the books to build two four-lane roads through our favourite park. It’s just ridiculous.”
In addition to the extension of Massey Drive, the OCP also calls for the extension of Foothills Boulevard to Ferry Avenue.
Ginter’s Green Forever member Susanne Weber said there are many reasons to cancel the proposed road extensions. The construction of University Way went considerably over budget, thanks to the unstable nature of the slopes along Cranbrook Hill.
“The proposed Massey extension would cross seven streams and some of the steepest slopes in the area,” she said.
The slopes of Cranbrook Hill are “the most unstable slopes in the city” and the best way to prevent landslides, erosion and other problems is to maintain the forest cover over the area, she said.
‘AN ABSOLUTE GEM’
City director of planning and development Deanna Wasnik said a full review of the city’s 11-year-old OCP is planned for 2023. That process would involve significant public consultation, she added.
The process of reviewing the OCP is dictated by provincial legislation, city manager Walter Babicz said. The process is lengthy and involved a minimum of three meetings of city council, as well as substantial public engagement.
“Why can’t council take the Massey extension out of that, which doesn’t affect the rest of the OCP?” Coun. Brian Skakun asked. “It’s an amazing park, and amazing area.”
Skakun proposed the motion for the report on the Massey extension and park dedication, which will be brought back to the current city council at their last meeting before the Oct. 15 election. Council supported it unanimously.
Coun. Murry Krause said there is no funding or project approved to actually do the Massey Drive or Foothills Boulevard extensions, “so people can rest assured” the roads won’t be built soon and wouldn’t be built without significant public input.
Coun. Cori Ramsay said she’s looking forward to the report coming back to council because, “this area has been a question mark in our community for a long time.”
Coun. Susan Scott thanked the presenter and the standing-room-only crowd in the gallery for showing their commitment to their community and to keeping the conversation happening.
“If one thing is clear, the ‘give-a-damn’ button here is not broken, it’s working well,” Coun. Garth Frizzell said.
Any changes to the OCP or approving a road extension would be done in a public way, with plenty of community engagement, he added.
“It’s not going to be done in the dark,” Frizzell said.
It’s unknown what the report will say at this point, Coun. Kyle Sampson said, but he was strongly in support of getting the information. Sampson also said he is confident the road extensions through Ginter's Meadow won't happen.
“This is an absolute gem in our community.”
