A WELCOME BALANCE ON PASKAPOO

There was just no way any plan for the Paskapoo Slopes could please everyone, but the rezoning application that passed first reading at council Wednesday represents a good mix for a solution that carefully balances all interests and factions.

The bottom line is that Trinity Hills owns the land, and it is obviously unrealistic to expect that it would simply be allowed to lie financially fallow. That said, Trinity Hills has shown itself to be sensitive to the concerns of those who want to see the land, which is south of 16th Avenue and close to Canada Olympic Park, left untouched. The size of the land is 105 hectares, and only one- third of that would be developed. The area would include a Whistler- type of village, a town hall featuring a retail area and a residential section. That’s on the lower slope. Higher up, the 67 remaining hectares, would be maintained by the city as a park.

Those who complain, a la Joni Mitchell, that council is poised to approve the paving of paradise, are simply wrong. Gone are the days when “paradise” was paved over with no thought for environmental concerns. The plan for a public regional park on the rest of the land attests to that, especially given the city’s pledge to invest $ 3 million in improvements to the future park with a guarantee of maintenance.

Equally balanced are the amendments council has proposed out of concern for designing the buildings so as to be sensitive to the area’s history and the Blackfoot culture, as well as to the development’s effect on wildlife. We agree with Coun. Richard Pootmans that this is the best option for the Paskapoo Slopes because the status quo — leaving it alone — just can’t happen. That ship sailed long ago, given that the city’s area structure plan for the Paskapoo Slopes dates back a decade. Striking a balance between development and environmental preservation is the optimal alternative. If city planners and the developer agree to council’s amendments, then the goal of being sensitive to diverse and many needs will be well on the way to being met.

Plus, a most welcome interchange will be built at 16th Avenue N. W. and Sarcee Trail at the developer’s, not the taxpayers’, expense. The plan for Paskapoo is commendable in its attempts to address all concerns, with its balance between growth and a nod to Calgary’s need to preserve its green spaces.

The issue goes back to council for a second and third reading Monday. With the amendments tacked on, council would do well to approve it.