Trees Gone What Next?: Dialgue on Grove Heritage Park


Message Sent to Mayor and Council:
Residents in our area are really concerned with the trees that were
knocked down in Grove Heritage Park.  When we went to the open house

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2019 ARP Archive


The City of Spruce Grove, the Downtown Business association and their consultants have proposed a ARP for the City Centre.  This plan will perhaps go to City Council on April 23.  An open house has been held but there has not been any discussion with the residents of Spruce Grove on Alternatives to:
  1. Where we put the density needed to meet the Capital Region's target.
  2. Preservation and reconstruction of heritage buildings.
  3. Consideration for the City Centre lifestyle and Social Sustainability. 
  4. The cost and potential use of a 2 city blocks to create a Big City image.
  5. Holding a town hall meeting like we did for Hamburger Hill (the hill behind the Agrena which the city wanted to turn into a parking lot) to discuss the alternatives.  
  6. What do we want Spruce Grove to look like when we are 150 years old. 
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City Centre ARP (Area Redevelopment Plan) Alternatives

The City of Spruce Grove, the DownTown Business Association and their consultants have proposed an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) for our City Centre.  This plan will perhaps go to City Council on April 23 for the 1st of three readings required to incorporate the proposed plan into the City’s overall Land Use Planning.  A couple of Open Houses have been held by the consultants with the wider community, but there has not been any significant dialogue with the residents or individual business owners on the impacts of this plan becoming a reality. The City’s current plan is to have the required Public Hearing at Council in May, with all three readings passed.  With this plan approved, a number of construction projects throughout the downtown will be started next spring and continue for a number of years. Roads, sidewalks, and underground pipes will be upgraded to handle the increased population and commercial requirements. In the meantime, developers will be looking for opportunities to increase their profits by purchasing properties for redevelopment at the lowest cost and building them up throughout the entire downtown core.  Once this new plan is approved, it gives them permission to do just that. This is our best and last opportunity to influence what this plan allows developers to do, how and when. It is important we act now to ensure we minimize the negative impacts this redevelopment will have on our current way of life. Things to consider include:
1. Transforming an entire neighbourhood from predominantly Single Family Homes to
medium and high density, a proposed population increase from 1000 - 4000 residents.
2. Anticipated Impact on Property Values.
3. Anticipated Impact on Quality of Life.
4. Other anticipated impacts during transition due to construction, noise, dust, etc.. in an
already established, quiet neighbourhood.
5. If such a plan is to go ahead for the betterment of the greater community, should those
impacted in a negative way be compensated?  Example: Offer to purchase properties at
previous market value before devaluation as a result of this plan.
Alternatives to the proposed plan that have not been discussed by the residents of the impacted
area include:
  1. A strategic plan as to how the desired increased density needed to meet the Capital Region's target can be achieved without negatively impacting the existing neighbourhood.
  2. Preservation and reconstruction of heritage buildings/sites.
  3. Consideration for the existing City Centre lifestyle and Social Sustainability.
  4. The cost and potential use of 2 city blocks to create a Big City image.
  5. Holding a town hall meeting like we did for Hamburger Hill (the hill behind the agrena which the city wanted to turn into a parking lot) to discuss the alternatives.
  6. What do we want Spruce Grove to look like when it is 150 years old?
  7. If you are interested in being included in future emails/communication on these topics, please email sgrovec@gmail.com.

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Annual Monolog on Dialogue

 From Dialogue to Monologue: (Consultant Based Engagement)

  1. Community Caucus
  2. Strategic Plan
  3. Bright New Futures
  4. Telephone and Internet Surveys Task Forces.
  5. MDP
  6. City Centre ARP
  7. Columbus Park (High Street, and parking problems) 

From Monologue to Dialogue: (Community Based Engagement)
  1. Set up a standing committee (Task Force - Caucus) for Community Engagement (Meets monthly, one or two councilors present, participants are engaged by topic and interest)
  2. Direct administration to participate in our dialogue network development.  See  
    1. Spruce Grove Heritage Network
    2. Spruce Grove - City Center Parking Plan
    3. Spruce Grove City Centre Public Hearing #2 (January 2020n update).
    4. Tri-Smart One (Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County)
    5. Towards Generative Community Dialogue 
    6. DIALOGUE LINKS 
    7. Transforming Public Dialogue at Reduced Rates 
    8. Japanese School Dialogue (Edited Email)
  3. Support Tri-Community Dialogue Development
    1. U-Pass Funding for Tri-Community Students
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Bright New Futures Comments

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Archive August 2, 2018

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Japanese School Dialogue (Edited Email)

Futher to your advertisement in the newspaper on leasing the former school building. Our society would not be able to lease the building but would like to network with others and facilitate a public dialogue on the use of the facility as follows:
  1. Council consider the option of not leasing the building but restoring it to be used for school heritage programs and heritage book reading room during the day and hostle in the evening and summer.  FACTS would be willing to host a public dialogue and network with school and community organizations to set up the program and to lend on a long-term loan their heritage book collection.   Artifacts from the Japanese use of the school could be on display as well. 
  2. If this option is not considered, then we would like to facilitate a public dialogue on considering all the options for use of the facility.  This is especially important for those living in the neighborhood of the school. 
Look forward to council's response to our suggestions.

Sincerely,

David Ibsen
Executive Director
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