A playground/spray park to be built in Aurora subdivision on Lloydminster’s east side has gotten the go-ahead from council, but not before questions were raised over the safety of the location.
Community member Paul Richer was at council on Monday to bring his concerns, which include the park being on a roundabout and that the city was also, giving up a residential lot by converting it into a recreation space. He submitted a study that was done in Vancouver to support his safety concerns.
“I showed that most people recognized that traffic circles seemed to be safe. However, when there were accidents, it was pedestrians and cyclists. And now we are attracting this type of incident at that corner.”
Richer felt that there was another green space nearby which was safer to use, but council in its debate nixed that idea, as it would be another delay for residents who have been waiting for 10-years to get a playground in their neighbourhood.
Richer says he is not against a park for kids to play, since he has a park in his neighbourhood as well and says he can hear the kids chat. But his concerns remain safety and the loss of revenue from a residential lot.
Councilor Jason Whiting was the lone vote against the playground. He expressed his excitement for the development in the area, but echoed the future safety concerns about the park’s location.
“It’s a great investment for that area, and I’m all for that. I was just worried that – potentially, we may not be in the right spot. It may be good for today, but I don’t know about 20-years from now.”
Council also received five submissions from residents in the area in support of rezoning the residential lot to a recreation space.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers says the concerns raised were valid, but it would cost more money “down the road”, if they had to move the services that had already been put in place for the park. He adds that more parks will be built in that subdivision, but administration will now await the developer to bring the park plans forward for approval, so that construction can proceed.