Saskatoon needs to get planning right in Elk Point

Elk Point, a future neighbourhood on Saskatoon’s western edge, is shaped like a thumbs down. While city councillors did not exactly deliver a verdict to match the neighbourhood’s shape at a recent committee meeting, they asked a lot of questions about the official plan.

The gist of the questioning was aimed at making sure Saskatoon’s newest neighbourhood is not plagued by the problems that have afflicted other newer neighbourhoods like Stonebridge and Evergreen. Like them, Elk Point is supposed to one day be home to 10,000 residents.

The introduction of the official plan happened earlier this month at city council’s planning, development and community services committee meeting.

The meeting attracted councillors who do not sit on the committee, notably Coun. Mairin Loewen, whose ward includes Stonebridge, and Coun. Sarina Gersher, whose ward includes the developing community of Brighton.

Stonebridge is a little more than 10 years past its first lot sales. By 2014, it already topped the city’s list of neighbourhoods with the most traffic concerns.

A new neighbourhood with the most traffic issues seems like a circumstance you probably want to avoid. That explains why councillors showed up in full force to ask questions about the latest planned neighbourhood.

Coun. Zach Jeffries, whose ward includes Evergreen, led much of the questioning. He even apologized at one point for the tenacity of his inquiries. But he comes by his skepticism honestly.

Jeffries said residents in newer neighbourhoods realize the city cannot redesign a neighbourhood once it’s built. At the same time, they have sent him a clear message: “Make sure you never do this again.”

The concerns raised by councillors ranged from transit to active transportation to whether people who bought homes on the edge of the city were aware that a community of 10,000 people would be built next to them one day.

In the end, the committee sent the official Elk Point plan to the environmental advisory committee to determine whether the neighbourhood concept, which includes four constructed drainage ponds, conforms to wetlands policy.

When the plan returns to city council, more information on transit, active transportation and traffic calming measures is expected.

That sounds great as far as efforts to avoid the mistakes of the past go. But as encouraging as it is to see councillors trying to stop another dysfunctional neighbourhood from being built, it was equally discouraging to hear at the same meeting that servicing work in the area has already begun — before official plan approval.

Jeffries complained about the possibility that official plans are just sent to politicians for a “rubber stamp.” That’s certainly what it looks like, despite the councillors’ questions. If you look at the area on Google Earth, just west of Dundonald and Hampton Village, you can see excavation has already been done in the ‘thumb’ part of the neighbourhood.

The developer of the new neighbourhood is none other than Saskatoon Land, the city’s land development branch.

The city’s involvement in the land development business is already the focus of scrutiny at city hall, courtesy of Mayor Charlie Clark, who raised the issue prior to the fall election. He questioned whether the city’s involvement was driving up the overall cost of land.

Clark also wondered whether a new model is appropriate for Saskatoon Land, perhaps distancing the agency from city council.

Clark also expressed concern about the costs of carrying land. A recent city report showed that, for the past five years, the average carrying cost for land was less than the revenue generated from future land holdings.

Still, the Elk Point example shows the need for more scrutiny of the city’s involvement in the land business. A closer look at new neighbourhoods and at Saskatoon Land has earned a pretty definitive thumbs up.

Servicing work in the area has already begun — before official plan approval.