"City in the Country" or Big City Downtown

This is a submission for consideration by the land use bylaw consultant.  It will also be submitted to the local paper.

Here is a summary of our concerns:

The following quote from the Municipal development Plan indicates that Culture and Heritage preservation is important. 

Culture and heritage

Foster the development, enhancement, and preservation of cultural resources and opportunities and integrate these into the fabric of the community.

• Integrate cultural resources into gathering places
• Develop a cultural strategy
• Foster a range of opportunities through city-led initiatives and partnerships
• Identify and preserve heritage resources
• Explore options for procuring and displaying public art

In this submission I would like to present a case for the Central Area of Spruce Grove to be considered a cultural and heritage resource, which could be develop in partnership with community and land owners. 
To illustrate how this could happen and the need to consider this concept I would like to use the discussion over the current developments at 200 and 201 Jespersen Avenue and potential developments on First Avenue.

Current Developments at 200 and 201 Jespersen Avenue
The following quotes from the Grove Examiner (See page 24 in this link http://www.sprucegroveexaminer.com/media/eedition/sprucegroveexaminer.pdf) illustrate the different views of land use in the Central Area:

“I’m in favour of this proposal,” Turton
said. “Having this development in place will
prevent the ‘doughnut’ that many other cities
have. I believe that this will ensure that
people moving to our community will not
neglect the inner core of our city and I think
that will make it a great asset in our community.
Ald. Wayne Rothe recognizes both the pros
and cons of a development like this but ultimately
believes that it will have a positive
effect for Spruce Grove.
“I know there are residents who feels
that this development may be out of character
with the area,” Rothe said. “On the
other hand, we need these types of affordable
housing to accommodate all economic
classes. I support this development and I
think that residents will be pleasantly surprised
with the quality of this development.”


If we look at these comments in relationship to the municipal development plan quote above, then we would see that the "character" of the area is important.  If we had a land use bylaw or some other bylaw, that preserve the cultural and heritage value of our central area, then the development could have been different.  First of all the trees and houses would not have been demolished without a permit.  The trees and other plants of this area add cultural and environmental value to the area.  Secondly, before demolition a plan would have been in place to develop something that would enhance the cultural and heritage value of the community not detract from it.  For example, a look alike replica of the Old Brox Farm house plus another single family historical dwelling from the area could have been considered instead of townhouses.


In response to the argument of the "doughnut" effect, the cultural and heritage development concept would create a "City in the Country" which would be visited by local residents and tourists alike.  The houses and buildings in this area are relatively new or have been recently renovated so that there are very few houses like the ones that were demolished on 200 and 201 Jespersen.  A "doughnut" effect will take place in years to come as speculators buy up houses in the area and rent them out, waiting for their value to increase so developers can develop high density housing. 


In response to the need for economical housing, there are plenty of other areas in Spruce Grove where this kind of development can take place.  For example, there are houses on Mcleod Avenue that could be turned into economical housing.   If we are to preserve our heritage and culture, we don't need a big city downtown but rather a historical downtown that reflects our heritage and how the city developed from a hamlet to a "City in the Country".
 
Potential Developments on First Avenue

The character of First Avenue is basically the same as it was in the 1920s.  The Old Brick Block is the still there underneath all the upgrades.  The Carmichael house is still there representing the old school and teacherage.   And from a more modern era "Jack's Drive-In" has been renovated keeping its original character.  Instead of developing large office buildings to replace existing structures.  Existing structures could be enhanced with photo graphs and stories showing their history and/or the history of the lot they are on. 

Preserving the character of Spruce Grove's downtown is not only important for the residents of this area but also for the future identity of Spruce Grove.  Are we going to continue to develop towards a big city look alike or suburb of Edmonton with a elevator and water tower to show our history and character or do we want to develop as a "City of Choice" and one of those choices is to live in the old downtown that has character and a way of life (like planting a garden) that reflects our small town country roots.