City’s Primrose plan a step in the wrong direction

By Letter to the Editor on November 16, 2018.

I have lived on Primrose Drive for 37 years. My husband and I bought this house when there was only a dirt road coming in. During these years we have had several years of trucks, noise, house shaking and lack of access to our yards and homes during the infrastructure reconstruction. We also had the year of the College Drive Dam construction followed by the reconstruction of the pump house.

Now this year we finally had underground sprinklers and sod put down for a lovely green space which has eliminated all the weeds. It was such a pleasure to see our youngsters out there playing baseball and soccer and other such games. Sadly, this is the proposed re-designation to medium density site along College Drive.

As Barb Taylor so aptly put in her Aug. 31 letter “The value of green spaces in urban areas,” this is definitely moving in the wrong direction for various reasons. Good taxpayer money put in this lovely green space and why would this land be put up for sale so quickly after it was greened?

This is not wise planning or prudent spending! Many green spaces are required to maintain liveable communities. This green space is surrounded by five apartment buildings, row housing at both ends, senior condos and a senior home to the south with duplexes east and west along College Drive.

We already have medium density and more than anything, need this area left for our children and the greening of the city if we wish to maintain our “Garden City” status and a place for seniors to walk and people to enjoy nature. Land once built on is never returned to a green belt and the mark of every beautiful city I have travelled to around the world (and I have seen many) has beautiful parks and green belts interspersed throughout. There are so so many environmental benefits as well.

The last time basements were dug for houses to be built on this spot they continually filled with water and were finally filled in and abandoned. It is just common sense to leave this as a green belt. It is a beautiful neighbourhood and one the city fathers should be proud of.

Our council needs to think of the people and not the profit. Let’s keep this green belt green and our title of “The Garden City’.

In years to come as our city continues to grow this will be one of its treasures. And with ‘tongue in cheek’ I think a couple of benches would add to its charm.

Donna Mae Goldade

Medicine Hat

11
-10