UPDATE - PUBLIC CONSULTATION #2 - June 1, 2010 - Venue Change

The meeting will now be held in the Upper Hall rather than the Lower Hall of the South Calgary Community Association Building. 7PM.

See you tonight!

PUBLIC CONSULTATION #2: JUNE 1, 2010 – SOUTH CALGARY COMMUNITY HALL – 3130 16 ST SW – 7:00 PM

The next meeting to discuss the future of Fire Station No. 5 will occur on June 1, 2010 at 7:00 PM in the Lower Hall of the South Calgary Community Association building (3130 16 ST SW). Click here for a map.

The meeting will be an opportunity to raise concerns regarding the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of Fire Station No. 5. In the most recent Calgary Transportation Plan (CTP) and the Municipal Development Plan (MDP), the 33 AVE SW and 14 ST SW corridor was identified as a Neighbourhood Boulevard. This means that there is a long-term vision to make the corridor more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. The transition will be at the expense of motorized vehicle circulation (see the table below). Here are relevant sections of the CTP and MDP including the definition of a Neighbourhood Boulevard:

From the “Calgary Transportation Plan – Adopted by Council September 2009” (CTP, Appendix D, Map 7)

(click for larger image)

Neighbourhood Boulevard: (CTP, p.3-31)

These streets support retail and medium-density residential corridors. Pedestrians and cyclists have the highest priority on Neighbourhood Boulevards. These streets are destinations, but primarily for the local communities surrounding them. They are fully integrated with adjacent land uses and provide the highest level of connectivity of all street types. High-quality urban design and green infrastructure strategies are incorporated into Neighbourhood Boulevards. Snow clearing should be handled in such a way that it does not interfere with pedestrian and bicycle movement.

(Click for larger image)

From the “Municipal Development Plan – Adopted by Council September 2009”:

2.4.3 Enhancing the public realm (MDP, p. 2-32)

Objective: Enhance the public realm and promote pedestrian use through the coherent and collaborative design of streets, building interfaces and public spaces.

The public realm is made up of publicly accessible space both between and within buildings. The public realm includes streets and squares, special places, linkages, interfaces and pedestrian zones which are fundamental to the creation of a functional, visually attractive and safe environment for people. Pedestrians, bicycles and cars all contribute to lively and interesting streets. Good urban design will encourage and facilitate their co-existence, with pedestrian use given strong emphasis and careful consideration.

Policies

a. Design streets and sidewalks to encourage pedestrian comfort, safety and linkages between neighbourhoods, open spaces and adjacent land uses.

b. Safe pedestrian connections, transit shelters, bicycle parking, benches and clear wayfinding signage should be provided to facilitate all travel modes.

c. Provide sufficient and uniform sidewalk width to allow for comfortable and safe pedestrian traffic, the planting ofrees and additional landscaping and wayfinding elements. Sidewalks should enhance the visual character of strees, with landscaping and buffer planting used to reduce the impacts of vehicle traffic.

d. Promote a higher degree of attention to the architectural design and detailing of building edges in areas of interface with heavy pedestrian traffic, notably commercial streets such as Urban and Neighbourhood Boulevards

e. Consider seasonal factors when designing the public realm.

f. The design of buildings, open spaces, pathways and parking areas should adhere to the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).

g. Transit stations should be designed as vibrant, mixed-use areas incorporating public gathering areas and public art.

The measures proposed above will have a positive impact on our community, environment and well-being. However, they seem to contradict the current expansion plan for Fire Station No. 5. The current plan asks for the removal of shared open space which the MDP identifies as important in a Neighbourhood Boulevard context. Furthermore, the current Fire Station No. 5 structure is an important landmark and a part of our Neighbourhood Boulevard's visual and historical character.

Thank you for your continued interest in this issue. If you cannot attend the meeting on June 1, 2010, please be sure to contact John.Mar@calgary.ca (Alderman Ward 8), Greg.Wilkes@calgary.ca (CFD Deputy Chief, Logistics and Infrastructure), Vivian.Barr@calgary.ca (City of Calgary Senior Planning Technician) and Dave.Taylor@assembly.ab.ca (MLA Calgary Currie) with your concerns.

We look forward to seeing you Tuesday night!

NEW DATE - PUBLIC CONSULTATION #2: June 1, 2010

The meeting has been rescheduled for June 1, 2010 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the Lower Hall of the South Calgary Community Association building (3130 16 ST SW). Click here for a map.

UPDATE - PUBLIC CONSULTATION #2: POSTPONED

Tonight's meeting has been postponed. Alderman Mar is not feeling well today. We will update this site with the new meeting schedule once it becomes available.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION #2: May 11, 2010

The next meeting to discuss the future of Fire Station No. 5 will occur on May 11, 2010 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the Lower Hall of the South Calgary Community Association building (3130 16 ST SW). Click here for a map.

Alderman Mar has set up a follow-up meeting, through the South Calgary Community Association, to present the findings of the work promised from the initial Fire Station #5 meeting. Administration was to review alternate sites and layouts, in addition to weighing the pros and cons of each. That study was completed and will now be delivered back to the community.

We are all looking forward to this meeting because there are still a number of issues that must be addressed:

• Our proposed alternative location is currently for sale. This remains a possible location for a new building.

• $15,250,000 is being set aside to this project according to the City of Calgary Infrastructure Site. However, during the last meeting we heard from the Logistics and Infrastructure Services group at the Calgary Fire Department that the project cost was going to be $8,000,000. Is there not enough money in the budget to relocate the Fire Station to a better location while preserving desperately needed green space?

• With Fire Station #5 featured prominently in a recent issue of the City of Calgary Staff Newsletter (March 2010, pictured above), "Taking Pride in No. 5", why would we allow the removal of this beloved building?

• Other cities, like Montreal, have found innovative ways to incorporate historical architecture in a densely populated area while keeping modern fire safety regulations in mind. Click here to take a look at their solution. Notice how the firefighters' personal vehicles are parked so that the space needed is minimized.

• If this project were to proceed, what is the greater plan for 14 ST SW as a Neighbourhood Boulevard as outlined in the 2009 Municipal Development Plan. Could traffic easing and beautification measures be incorporated now as part of this project?

Thank you for your continued interest in this issue. We look forward to seeing you Tuesday night!

PUBLIC CONSULTATION - You are invited!

PUBLIC CONSULTATION: FEBRUARY 9, 2010

SOUTH CALGARY COMMUNITY HALL

3130 16 ST SW – 7:00 PM

Fire Station No. 5, originally built in 1952, needs to expand in order to accommodate modern firefighting equipment. An expansion will serve residents by improving the response times for emergency vehicles and personnel. The new structure will have three bays and incorporate space for an ambulance. The Calgary Fire Department performs a commendable job of serving Calgarians and a new fire hall will ensure the overall safety of South Calgary, Mount Royal, Bankview, Altadore, Elbow Park, Richmond, Scarboro and Sunalta residents alike.

As part of the development process, the City of Calgary is going to host a public consultation to discuss the plans for the new $15 million facility. Since it is early in the process, an opportunity exists to comment on fundamental aspects of the project. It is critical that all concerned citizens and taxpayers voice their concerns about this large community investment.

Should the new fire hall be located here?

Image A: 14 ST SW at 30 AVE SW – North East Corner of South Calgary Park (Click on image for larger picture)

Would you rather see the new fire hall here?

Image B: 14 ST SW at 25 AVE SW – Vacant Commercial Space (Click on image for larger picture)

Benefits of this alternate location:

1. Fire trucks will continue to have excellent access to 14 ST SW going north or south with the added advantage of being able to get onto 26 AVE SW more quickly.
2. The location is safer for firefighters because of the close proximity to traffic lights.
3. The parcel of land shown above is larger than the proposed South Calgary Park subdivision. This would enable the CFD to build an adequately sized facility.
4. This particular location is on contaminated land. Building a new fire hall here would demonstrate environmental stewardship and ensure that the current environmental damage is managed in a timely manner.
5. The large trees and shared green space of South Calgary Park would remain intact.
6. The visual impact of a new fire hall would be a great improvement to an area that is in desperate need of redevelopment.

Currently, alternative locations such as the area suggested above have not been considered for the expansion. The reason for this is that the Community Service (S-CS) zoning for South Calgary Park would allow the city to proceed with their expansion plan without needing to purchase or swap new land. However, is it not more reasonable to redevelop polluted commercial space rather than lose park space?

Under the current plan, the old fire hall structure would be destroyed upon completion of the new building. If the alternate location were used, the old fire hall could be converted into a community-oriented space or could be reclaimed as parkland.

All residents of the area have innovative ideas regarding land use in our community. Make sure your voice is heard and show your support for the betterment of our city. Come to the public consultation at 7:00 PM, Tuesday February 9, 2010 at the South Calgary Community Hall (3130 16 ST SW). Also, please contact John.Mar@calgary.ca (Alderman Ward 8), Greg.Wilkes@calgary.ca (CFD Deputy Chief, Logistics and Infrastructure) and Vivian.Barr@calgary.ca (City of Calgary Senior Planning Technician) with your concerns.

Contact at the Calgary Fire Department

In addition to the names listed previously (John Mar, Vivian Barr, and Jill Thomson), please send your concerns about the proposed subdivision of South Calgary Park to Greg Wilkes, Deputy Chief, Logistics & Infrastructure, greg.wilkes@calgary.ca (ph. 403-287-4226)

Global TV Calgary Voices Our Concerns

Click on this link to view the News Hour for January 23,2010. See citizens voice their concerns over the location of the proposed expansion. Also, they show images of a proposed alternative location for the park. The piece is about ten minutes into the broadcast.

The Calgary Herald Publishes Our Story Too!

More media attention! Check out the article in the Herald published on January 23, 2010. Click here to view the article online.

Metro Calgary Covers Our Story

Pick up a copy of today's Metro (January 22, 2010). They ran our story on page 5. Follow this link to view the online version.

New Contact at City of Calgary

I was notified via e-mail that Ms. Barr is away this week. The secondary contact is Ms. Jill Thomson (Senior Planning Technician). Please ensure you also send your concerns to Ms. Thomson Jill.Thomson@calgary.ca (ph. 403-268-5446)

Letter to Vivian Barr

Click Here for a Google Docs version of this letter. You may also want to cut and paste the following and email it to vivian.barr@calgary.ca or put it into some other word processor to add your own concerns.

______________________________
(YOUR ADDRESS HERE)

January 15, 2010

Ms. Vivian Barr

Senior Planning Technician

City of Calgary, Land Use Planning & Policy

#8117, P.O. Box 2100, Station M

Calgary, AB T2P 2M5

Dear Ms. Barr:

RE: SB2009-0266

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to comment on the Proposed Subdivision of Lots 1-6 & 35-40, Block 45, Plan 4479P and closed roads and lanes located south of 30 Avenue and west of 14 Street SW. We have a number of serious concerns and we look forward to creating a dialog with you regarding this matter.

As residents currently living near the South Calgary Park green space, we would like precise details regarding the visual impact of the new fire hall. Specifically, we would like to know:

1. The size of the proposed structure – including square footage, height and architectural design considerations

2. Duration of the construction process

3. The green space impact of the proposed structure, including which trees will be protected

4. The number of firefighters and trucks the new location will accommodate

5. Details regarding any relocation of traffic signals

Since a large percentage of South Calgary Park’s treasured green space is at risk with the subdivision, we have specific environmental concerns regarding the new fire hall, including:

1. What steps will be undertaken to reduce noise from added fire truck traffic and traffic flow reduction on 14 ST SW

2. Which old growth trees will be protected throughout the construction process

3. What evidence there is that the new fire hall location will be an improvement to the current location. The current location is ideal for allowing trucks to go either north or south on 14 ST SW due to the wide intersection at Joliet Avenue SW

4. Will a hazardous material drop-off be included in the fire hall’s design? If so, what steps will be undertaken to ensure the local residents and park-goers will be safe? How will residents be protected in the event of soil contamination?

5. What considerations have been made to minimize the footprint and vertical height of the structure, as well as the related parking lot area?

6. Will the current heritage structure be removed after the expansion? If so, what will be done to ensure that any contamination has been removed so that the residents can be sure the park is safe for their children?

Other general concerns include:

1. Why weren’t residents notified sooner of the proposed subdivision, or given adequate time to pursue legal options? Can the comment period be extended by a few months to allow more residents to voice their concerns?

2. What evidence is there that another Calgary fire hall would not benefit more from an expansion? For instance, Stations 2, 8, 11, 20 serve the same general area. Why not expand their facilities prior to Station 5?

3. What evidence is there that a larger fire hall at this location will help serve more Calgarians?

4. What evidence is there that the current fire hall is deficient? The current structure was built in 1952, which is younger than many buildings and homes in the area.

5. What alternatives are there to subdividing the park?

6. Have these viable alternative locations been explored:

a. The area of the underutilized outdoor pool and community centre.

b. Expanding the firehall backwards into the park therefore minimizing the visual impact of residents who currently enjoy a view of the green space

c. Taking over the vacant EduCentres building at 14 ST SW and 30 AVE SW

d. Purchasing the derelict building site at 14 ST SW between 25 AVE SW and 24 AVE SW

7. How will residents be compensated for the loss in property values attributed to the fire hall expansion?

8. Will bus service along 14 ST SW be relocated as a result of the subdivision/expansion?

9. The City of Calgary emphasizes the historical value of Calgary’s oldest fire station on its website: “Located in a picturesque residential area of the inner city, crew members of Station No. 5 have adopted the park that surrounds the fire hall and are responsible for its upkeep. The crews have received awards over the years for their generous effort. The station is located next door to a library and is often visited by children and their parents walking to and from the library. Residents affectionately refer to it as the "Little Firehall," and it is a treasured part of the community.Two of the oldest antique rigs in the city sit in the garden area in front of Station No. 5. The two steel-wheeled hose reels were used to carry hoses to fire calls in Calgary's earlier days.

With this in mind, why would the city want to lose this part of its heritage?

9. Will residents lose their ability to park on 14 ST SW or 30 AVE SW?

10. How will gas/power/water/sewer service change as a result of an expanded fire station?

11. Were there any zoning changes required to allow this application to occur?

Essentially, we are extremely concerned with the proposed subdivision because we are convinced that a new, larger fire hall is not needed at the expense of our precious green space and enormous trees. There are several ideal alternative locations nearby that would require no subdividing. Also, the safety of inner-city residents with respect to hazardous material disposal located next to a highly-utilized green space is of paramount concern.

Unless all of the above issues have been addressed in a satisfactory manner, we will be vocally opposed to the subdivision of the park and subsequent construction of the new fire hall.

Yours truly,

(YOUR NAMES HERE)

Concerned Ward 8 Residents

Here's the Issue:

The City of Calgary has received an application to subdivide a large section of South Calgary Park. This area is currently valuable inner-city green space and it is at risk of being paved over to make way for a larger fire hall. The proposed subdivision could accommodate a structure that has a footprint triple the size of the current structure.

I encourage all affected residents to contact vivian.barr@calgary.ca (ph: 403-268-1468) and Alderman John Mar (ph: 403-268-2430) to voice their concerns! We only have until January 22, 2010 to comment on the proposed subdivision. Do not delay!

Please click on the image to view the letter.