By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

Two-week public hearing recess to allow for additional London Road Redevelopment Plan feedback

Jan 8, 2018 | 8:06 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Adoption of Bylaw 6088 – the London Road Area Redevelopment Plan – will have to wait another couple of weeks, until Jan. 22.

At a Public Hearing at City Hall (Jan.8), the planning framework for the area and its supporting policies was shelved, after members of the local neighborhood association and citizens voiced concern and/or opposition to a number of points contained in the plan, along with the timeline in which City Hall allowed for feedback from the community.

Development of the plan began in Dec. 2013 and concluded in early 2017. Since then, there have been at least two open houses and consultations with the London Road Neighborhood Association, residents, business owners, developers, builders and the Historic Places Advisory Committee.

The city says the draft plan has also been on its website for the last few months for the public to read.

Diane Horvath has lived in the London Road area for the last 20 years and made a presentation to council. One of her primary concerns was the timeframe in which those who live in the area could make written submissions to the city in response to what is contained in the 140-page document. The timeframe for responses extended from Dec. 23, 2017 to Jan. 2, 2018 – when Horvath says many people were dealing with the holidays, away from home, or simply couldn’t look at the final details.

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“I’m quite happy that they’ve recessed it. I think it’s really important that the people in the neighborhood understand the consequences of what this plan is.

“I’m hoping people…have an opportunity to take a look at the plan, see where their houses are in relation to it. It’s a very difficult plan to understand. It’s 140 pages, with a lot of fancy words. But I hope they can take a look at the maps and try to figure out what’s going on where their houses are, and how it’s going to impact them.”

Vice President of the London Road Neighborhood Association, Kate Connolly, says there are good points and some concerns contained within the document as well.

“It did all come down to a bit of a last minute rush. We know, having been involved in this process for the last three years… but it was just last few weeks where everything just seemed to roll along too quickly and it happened over Christmas and people didn’t get enough notification in order to be able to respond fully to it.”

The plan in two weeks is to once again accept public presentations on any concerns residents may have with the plan, and to once again question those residents and debate before Second and Third Readings of the Bylaw by City Council.

Mayor Chris Spearman requested that written submissions be made to City Hall one week prior to the continuation of the Public Hearing Jan. 22, and that the neighborhood assocation also send a notice to members informing them of the extended timeline for feedback.

The City will also make note of it on its website, www.lethbridge.ca

A PDF of the plan can be viewed here: http://meetings.lethbridge.ca/sirepub/cache/2/eqiucqhmo1xxsnxlfqwzomw3/19797001092018114842305.PDF