Joint message from Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart and Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association (SECA) President Gloria Dingwall
We want to take this opportunity before the summer break, to bring you up-to-date on the latest information regarding the re-zoning application for the Shaw-Nee Slopes Golf Course. The news is encouraging.

‪As you know, the City of Calgary planning department received Geo-Energy’s application to rezone Shaw-Nee Slopes Golf Course for residential and commercial redevelopment in November 2009.  The Applicant had to do further work on the application before it was complete and the City in turn undertook a mail out in May 2010 to seek community feedback. Alderman Diane co-hosted an Open House in mid-June with over 450 people attending. This strong ongoing community support is appreciated and important.
 
‪In late June, City Administration provided AECOM (Geo-Energy’s planning/engineering firm) with the first round of formal feedback on their application. We have reviewed this extensive and comprehensive document and are very pleased with its level of detail. The 23 page Detailed Team Response (DTR) from City Administration, lists 156 items that must be addressed to the City’s satisfaction in written form before the application can move forward. This does not include comments/requirements about traffic both within, and outside, of the proposed development which are yet to come. It is clear from Administration’s response that all of the community concerns are justified and have been heard.

The plans we have seen to date have left many unanswered questions, and raises even more.

‪The City’s feedback essentially sends the Applicant “back to the drawing board.”  There are major concerns such as, but not limited to: open space, placement of homes, roads that cut through wetlands, density, and proximity to Fish Creek Park. The applicant is also required to do additional studies.
 
The bottom line is that this list will require the developer to invest a great deal of additional time and money to address all 156 items. The DTR will certainly influence Geo-Energy’s next steps.

‪City Administration must give every applicant the opportunity to respond and comply with all applicable standards, only then do they look at the proposal in terms of its impact on the community and how it fits within the larger Area Structure Plan. After that, City Administration makes a recommendation to the City Planning Commission, who makes a technical recommendation to Council. A Public Hearing of Council is then held whereby any resident can come forward to speak in favour or against the application.

‪The ball is in Geo-Energy’s court for now, and the work to be done is considerable. In the meantime, the Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association is continuing to fight the application on all fronts.

In conclusion, we’d like to thank the 400+ residents who took the time to email or write the City with their feedback and the 385 residents who attended the City’s Open House. The comments and concerns raised by the community were reflected in the City’s Detailed Team Response. Your input makes a difference. 
‪Sincerely,

Diane Colley-Urquhart
Alderman, Ward 13

‪Gloria Dingwall
President, Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association

Your complete Shawnee-Evergreen Community Newsletter on line.

July 2010 News Letter.pdf (2.69 mb)

Congratulations to all those that volunteered hours to bring the 2010 Shawnee-Evergreen Stampede breakfast together. Special thanks to Tim Robert for taking on the main work load getting the breakfast organized and fixing the weather. Great work Gail Snell for stepping up and taking care of the "coffee" among many other final touches. There were no complaints about the coffee this year. So many others made this event a great sucess. Thank you Peter Snell, Marion & Ron McIintyre, Divona Herzog, Lisa & Tobin Doty and all the volunteer cooks.

This well prepared document clearly states your community board's position on the rezoning application of our green space. I would like to thank all those residents that went out of their way to help prepare this document. When you have the whole community on side it sure makes these tasks a lot easier. Very well done everybody!! Please take the time to read it.

SECA response to file LOC2010-0005.pdf (1.34 mb)

1)    This Monday: City & Diane Colley Urquhart host open house regarding Geo-Energy’s rezoning application

2)    This Saturday: SECA Stampede Breakfast from 9:00 to 11:00 AM at Evergreen Park

1) This Monday: City & Diane Colley Urquhart host Open House (“Information Session”) to get your feedback on Geo-Energy’s rezoning application.

Monday evening (June 14), please take a few minutes to drop by the open house at Southview Alliance Church. The City of Calgary and Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart want to hear first-hand what you think about Geo-Energy’s rezoning application.

·         Location: Southview Alliance Church
(1436 James McKevitt Rd SW; NE corner of James McKevitt and Evergreen Street)

·         Time: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

City staff involved in reviewing Geo-Energy’s application will be there. Their recommendation will hold a great deal of weight with the committees who make the final decision. This is a rare opportunity to speak with them directly. Even if you previously sent an email or letter to the City with your feedback, please plan to attend.  The more people who come, the stronger our message will be that we oppose this development!

The open house is a drop-in format with display boards about the review process, manned by City planners. In addition to face-to-face input, you will have a chance to fill out a comment sheet.

As a quick review, here are the main points we want to make as a community:

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  • The golf course land should remain zoned for recreation because it is fundamental to the design of this community. To dramatically change the community’s design would not only decrease property values, it would break faith with the citizens of Calgary who bought into the recreational concept.
  • It is not necessary to develop the golf course to achieve the City’s plans to increase density around LRT stations. We can meet these targets by developing the City-owned land surrounding Fish Creek Lacombe LRT.
  • Traffic is already a serious issue in this community. During peak periods, Bannister Road and James McKevitt have long line-ups. Traffic is gridlocked on Macleod Trail in the morning.

Big thanks to everyone who sent an email or letter to the City last month. We had a tremendous response. Over 400 objections have been received!

2) This Saturday: SECA Stampede Breakfast

The Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association Annual Stampede Breakfast will be held on Saturday at the usual location which is at the linear park at Evergreen Drive and Evergreen Grove. This is a family event for ALL ages. Come and enjoy a breakfast of pancakes, sausages, juice and coffee with your neighbours. Entertainment will be provided by Peter & Pals who provided great musical entertainment at last year’s Breakfast. For the kids, there will be balloon twisting and face painting along with a 3 in 1 Giant Bounce Choo Choo Jump Climb & Slide.

This event is FREE for SECA members. Bring your 2010 membership card with you, if you have it. (If not, we’ll be happy to check our lists.) If you have not yet renewed your membership, you will be able to do so at the Breakfast. We hope to see you there. Keep your fingers crossed for sunny weather!

Gloria Dingwall

President, Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association