Neighbourhood Renewal update – summer 2018

The last few months have been one of the busiest times for the renewal project so far. We are expecting a finalized concept plan to be unveiled on September 26 at an open house. Following this, more detailed designs and aesthetic choices will be made, along with engineering plans, ahead of another open house in early 2019 before the first phase of construction (likely in the western portion of the neighbourhood).

Since early June, the City, and our community’s working group, has been busy. The City rolled out the draft concept plan at an open house with nearly 300 attendees on June 20. That included a survey which could be complete on-site and online, with more than 300 people offering their feedback, which will be used to make changes for the final concept plan.

Throughout the summer, the City’s Strathcona Neighbourhood Renewal Project Team, lead by Becky Redford, has continued to go above and beyond the usual engagement process for a neighbourhood renewal. This is in no small part thanks to early involvement from the community league and interested neighbours. Strathconans set the tone for the conversation to be about street safety and neighbourhood enjoyment, not just new concrete and pavement.

Following (lots of) feedback on bike lanes and parking, an invite-only event was held in July at our hall for property owners along the proposed routes to solicit their thoughts and localized experiences. (The routes are now also those being proposed as part of the Southside bike Grid; 98 Street, 100 Street and 87/86 Avenue.) There were also pop-up engagement events held at three neighbourhood park and green spaces, in Skunk Hollow and another alongside a Saskatchewan Drive project event at McIntyre Park. Becky has also met a number of people one-on-one and in small groups for a variety of localized engagement discussions and follow-ups, including information gathering related to parklets on 98 Street (which requires local buy-in).

After the open house and survey this fall, we will pass more than 2,000 points of contact in the engagement process, including open house, workshop and pop-up attendees and survey responses. Along with unprecedented community involvement and direction, this will be a record-setting engagement for Edmonton’s neighbourhood renewals. (And that doesn’t even include the feedback that will be related to street lights and sidewalks.)

The community league has done a good job of amplifying the City’s need for involvement and feedback. We have promoted each open house and survey and all the public events and engagement opportunities. The City has been mailing out notices of the same, and has provided periodic project updates to all mailboxes in Strathcona. This will continue through the fall.

What’s next?

A FAQ, project update and timeline should be mailed to every home by mid-September. The City team has continually refined their process for mailouts based on community feedback, meaning we should indeed hit 100% of mailboxes again.

The final concept plan will be available for viewing and feedback on September 26, again at St. Basil’s Cultural Centre. The location is chosen for its size, as there may also be an update the same night from the Saskatchewan Drive project (hopefully to be funded in the City of Edmonton’s fall budget). There should be a shuttle option available to transport anyone interested or requiring, from our hall.

The concept plan will offer a chance for some more feedback and refinement, likely to conclude in early October.

Following the community feedback on the concept plan, the City’s project team will seek further input from related departments, including emergency services and ETS, to get together a working construction plan based on community input. We may see a preliminary design before the end of 2018.

There will also be surveying related to street light and sidewalk upgrades this fall. Support is needed to choose a decorative light option that reflects neighbourhood heritage (upgrades are cost-shared between the City and property owners). We will be getting new lights either way, but they would be the standard silver pole. All sidewalks will be upgraded in a cost-share, unless neighbours in certain areas want to opt-out. Any areas getting sidewalks for the first time will have costs covered by the City. (These two items are standard parts of the neighbourhood renewal program.)

What we should encourage

We should be asking as many neighbours as possible to offer their feedback on the concept plan in September. This is particularly important if a 30 km/h design speed remains an option people are open to. That came into the conversation in the middle of the process, so the more people that can offer their thoughts on this the better.

The community league will share details of the open house through our website, email newsletter and social media. We will do the same for the survey. Anyone who can’t attend the open house nor fill out an online survey can contact the City and paper copies can be provided, perhaps at our hall (we’ve done this at other stages of consultation).

I would also encourage the league to try to focus community energy on convincing City Council to fund the Saskatchewan Drive renewal in this fall’s budget. Not only is the road in need of upgrading and updating, much input gathered through renewal could lead to better, and safer, crossings and multi-modal use of Saskatchewan Drive. Funding of the project would also be a way to maximize the engagement we’ve seen over the last eight months.

We also need to encourage neighbours to respond to the street light survey. The City will be asking all property owners if they want an upgraded, decorative option and for that to move ahead the City will need to hear positive support from a majority of respondents.

– Submitted by Jeff Samsonow, acting co-chair of the Strathcona renewal working group