Residents incensed by ‘stupid’ decision
By Letter to the Editor on August 22, 2018.
Re: “Major screwup on Southlands Drive,” July 23 Loretta Pollard has this right. The City of Medicine Hat in all its wisdom has made the most inane decision I have ever seen in letting a developer erect a 24-unit apartment on the edge of this beautiful park. The building is taking away from the design of the entire Somerside section of the city. They are allowing this to be built with only 1.5 parking stalls for each apartment. Now let’s figure this out, how many couples only have 1.5 cars. This disaster plan does not account for the fact that there will be more parking required and the result will be vehicles parked all over the street. The vehicles will also be parked there longer than the bylaw allows so I am hoping bylaw gets calls every day from the residents of Somerside. The city should force the developer to buy an additional lot to accommodate more parking. There is also the safety issue of having vehicles parked on the street. Check in Southland where the condos are. Numerous times I have had children run out between parked vehicles on to the street. Again another stupid decision by the City of Medicine Hat. Oh, and I am sure the city will solve this by erecting a 30 km/h zone so they can feel some sense of civic duty and of course generate some revenue from photo radar. Absolutely absurd! There are three lots next to this apartment complex which will not be sold for single family dwellings or townhouse, who would want to live beside this eyesore. So probably the result will be another apartment complex as the city needs to get its revenue from this land at any cost! I really feel sorry for the people who have built near this apartment as their property values have dropped immensely and who should pick up these costs. I think that the owners should seek legal advice. As far as the builder is concerned I don’t have much comment other than “it’s who you know.” Way to go, City of Medicine Hat. You have made another great decision that really encourages people to invest in our city when the city is absolutely clueless on what the people want. I know for a fact that the residents of Somerside that I have talked to are incensed with the stupidity of whoever made this stupid, stupid decision! I would like to add a few more words that indicate stupid but I will refrain. Tino Sprecher Medicine Hat 11-10
You are so right Tino, about who you know, the developer stated himself that this was pushed through for him. Also, that is a very good idea to have those lots made into a parking lot because no one will be stupid enough to buy them unless the cost goes way down. Making that parking lot would allow the residents to actually have two cars, staying off the street, and also allow for visitor parking. I found a few more words for Stupid that also work: brainless, half-baked, imbecilic, and moronic.
So, come on City Counsel, try to fix your big mistake and come on board with this parking lot.