Editor: Council’s decision to delay second reading on the Peaks of Grassi development until March 19 was exactly right.
Administration’s request for recision was an eight-page (plus countless attachments) report that recommended approval of the rezoning.
It was authorized by four different Town officials on Jan. 31, just two days after the over three-hour public hearing.
Over 100 people attended, two, other than the developer spoke in favour and 32 spoke against, including two former councillors, one mayor and a former Town planner.
There were 120 written submissions in opposition, from neighbourhoods throughout the Town. There were only 12 in favour. The public record for 1,050 pages was only made available on Jan. 30.
How carefully did administration review all of the public input in generating its positive recommendation for this development? Citizens of Canmore deserve to have their council listen to them when they take the time and trouble to write submissions about critical council decisions affecting their community.
This is the third application. The first one (2015) was unanimously declined, when two perpetually affordable housing (PAH) units were offered by the developers. Then in January 2016, council approved the rezoning by five to two when the developers upped the ante to seven PAH. In 2018, that bylaw was struck down in court when the Town was found to have violated its own rules.
How much PAH, especially to be built closer to Quarry Lake than the official Quarry Lake parking lot, is enough to justify council approving this inappropriate and unnecessary development?
I am not a resident in the Peaks of Grassi area, but as a citizen of the Town of Canmore, I must speak up on any inappropriate development.
Bill Bartley,
Canmore
