Letter: Disgruntled Harlow resident sends email to city employees asking for meeting

By Letter to the Editor on June 12, 2024.

Dear editor,

The following is an email I sent to as many people as I could at city hall:

My name is Brock Hale and I was the appellant in the appeal before the SDAB a few weeks ago. By now you probably know of our concerns. As a Harlow neighbourhood we have largely felt ignored, kept in the dark and dismissed at every possible chance. And yet, we are still here.

We care about Medicine Hat and we care about our lovely corner of this community and we want action. So far there has been a ton of communication and help and red carpet laying for an out of province developer, but to the local residents it has been ignored emails, unreturned phone calls, rejected meetings and dismissed concerns.

This is not right.

I realize a city needs to make money but surely the taxpayers who pay the salaries of the city hall employees should be more important than making a few extra thousand dollars a year. So far this is not how it has felt.

I have talked with hundreds of people about the proposed development at 1064 First Street SW, and the only people (I know) who think this is a good idea either work for the City of Medicine Hat, or are set to make a lot of money off of this development.

No unbiased person can reasonably justify this size and density of building, and especially right next door to a low-density, single-family neighbourhood.

What is going on?

Going into all this I truly believed there were unbiased processes to situations like this and that things were set up so the average citizen did have a say and did matter. Maybe I was naive but I thought public servants would care.

I recently watched the video that was put out by the city council and was struck by some of the quotes.

“Constructive dialogue can be a powerful tool when we come together to discuss.”

So can we please come together and discuss?

“By engaging in informed, respectful and constructive dialogue we not only address our immediate challenges but also lay the groundwork for our harmonious and thriving Medicine Hat.”

Can we please have one of these constructive dialogues?

“Together we can create a community where everyone feels valued.”

Can we meet so you can show us we are valued?

“Let’s commit to understanding the full story and considering all aspects of an issue.”

Can our side be considered and understood through a meeting please?

“Let’s continue to engage in discussions that uplift and improve our city.”

Can we please begin engaging in discussion?

Again, our ask is that we can meet. There are plenty of boxes that have been left unchecked. Our hope would be that as city employees that represent the citizens of this lovely city, that you would have the time and respect enough to meet with concerned neighbours.

We hope we can work together to check even more boxes and create a development that is great for all parties.

While I understood we were going into a bureaucratic battle, I thought we would be fairly treated participants and that the rules would be clearly outlined and followed. Instead we have felt to be pawns in a larger game where we are up against those who created the rules only to find they can change the rules throughout. What a disheartening process.

Our plan is to take this appeal to the next step and to go to the Provincial Court of Appeals. Nonetheless I feel it would be very beneficial to both sides (or maybe all three with the developer) to sit down and have mature, open, honest adult conversations. So, again, we ask to meet and to discuss the problems and our concerns with this development.

Please let me know when you can meet and I will talk with other neighbours to join in the conversation.

Thank you,

Brock Hale

Medicine Hat

30
-29