There are concerns and a confusion on neighborhood renewal projects in Edmonton who left frustrated residents.
People living in the Dunluce district of Edmonton say they lose confidence in the city, after hearing conversations during a recent meeting of the municipal council.
On Wednesday, the municipal council discussed guidelines on the development of projects, after a city councilor heard reports on the issues addressed in other renewal projects.
“It is necessary to disentangle some of the things that are tangled,” said advisor Tim Cartmell during the meeting.
“It’s a bit, there is not enough room to get everything required in some of these streets,” said Cartmell, referring to what he heard from stakeholders on other projects. “It has been suggested that some or all residential streets should have an active transport route on the other side, but we have a policy that the aisles cannot cross the active tracks.”
Janina Syrnyk directs a group of neighbors in the Dunluce community which fights against some of the changes offered. The changes include expanding the sidewalks, the construction of multi-purpose trails, the reduction in street parking and the narrowing roads.
Syrnyk says that she is frustrated because she complains about some of the upgrades addressed to the meeting of the municipal council for months.
“My concern is all this time and the energy spent in the past year and a half to develop this plan,” said Syrnyk. “We were not heard. Each controversial problem that was raised on February 5 (in) the meeting of the council, we have said from the start. »»
Residents of the north side area call for their neighborhood renewal to rebroadcast.
THE Plan of several million dollars for the Dunluce region, published in November 2023Includes upgrades such as improved benches and lighting in fleet spaces, traffic writing measures such as sidewalk extensions and raised pedestrian crossings, as well as more multi-purpose paths, narrowing some Roads and widening the sidewalks.
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Syrnyk said it didn’t make sense for their region because she says few people use sidewalks. She also said that changes would cause conductors’ congestion that would maneuver in the neighborhood.
According to the group, Stop The Destruction of Dunluce, a petition they circulated to reject the city’s proposal received around 700 signatures.
“We just wanted” like like “. So, anything sitting here, we just want a new sidewalk. Same size, same roads, ”said Syrnyk.
Erin Rutherford, Municipal Councilor of Ward Arnirniq, who includes Dunluce, said that the neighborhood project will continue with certain changes, despite the examination and concerns of the city of residents.
“When you just want” like “, I was very clear with the community, which we cannot do,” said Rutherford. “This does not mean that I do not hear the concerns of residents.”
Rutherford says that it is recommended for its residents and has reduced some of the initial design plans, which include maintaining parking and green space.
But certain changes are necessary and out of control, because it meets the standards of the city.
However, Rutherford claims that the conversations addressed to the meeting of the Municipal Council on Wednesday cannot be taken into account, because the conversations came from the directives of the city and not from the policies.
“It currently does not influence any of the conceptions that have already been implemented, such as the one that has been published in the Dunluce community,” said Rutherford.
“I don’t think that changes anything with what has already been the practice has been continuous since 2018. It would be more concern in the future.”
In a press release, the city claims that the final conceptions of neighborhood renewals use an appropriate balance of all the directives and comments of the residents.
“Although there are many city policies that influence the design of neighborhood renewal projects such as Dunluce, there are no policies in place that prevent the city from building active transport infrastructures such as.
“The decisions on which the construction of shared ways are made in the context described in the full standards for the design and construction of the streets and are intended to promote the connectivity and accessibility of all the modes of transport in a district aligned with the city plan. Dunluce’s design is not unique, similar conceptions can be found throughout the city, “added the press release.
A report will return in a next meeting of the Urban Planning Committee with an analysis on how the city improves neighborhoods.
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