The City of Estevan discussed the findings from the Our Estevan community survey and the next phase of the project, during an open house at the Estevan Leisure Centre鈥檚 multipurpose room March 20 and 23.
Members of the public could ask questions to land development services manager Richard Neufeld and other city representatives who were in attendance. They could also see the findings and recommendations of the Our Initiative, as they were placed on signs throughout the multipurpose room.
Those signs covered such topics as zoning bylaw changes, residential developments and neighbourhood plans.
Neufeld said he wanted to give people an opportunity to attend, so he held two sessions. The first one was held in the afternoon of March 20, which was a weekday when many people were at work, so he also held an open house on the late afternoon of a weekend.
He wanted to have more people present, but he wasn鈥檛 disappointed with the attendance.
鈥淥verall for public engagement, from the day we started about a year ago until now it鈥檚 been really, really good,鈥� said Neufeld.
Neufeld said they had some really interesting questions during the events that reflected the concerns of the community. He finds that people are generally supportive of the initiatives the city is trying to implement.
鈥淣o complaints were raised at all,鈥� said Neufeld.
A couple of concepts in particular stand out. One is for in-fill developments, while the other is for the neighbourhood plans.
鈥淚 think everybody in the city would know that there are a number of places in the city where there are houses that are reaching the end of their useful life span,鈥� said Neufeld. 鈥淭his is an old community in some respects.
鈥淲hat happens when that house is removed? Do you put another house in there? Do you put a duplex in there? Do you put a four-plex in there?鈥�
But as in-fill takes place, some lots could be converted from single-family to multi-family developments. Neufeld wondered how long it would take before going to the people of the neighbourhood to ask of their vision for the area.
Two approaches have been taken in other communities. One is to allow anything that can fit on a lot, up to a six-plex.
The other is to allow a certain amount of changeover from single-family to multi-family, but once they reach a certain stage, say, three multi-family proposals, the city would seek the public鈥檚 input and possibly even host an open house.
鈥淥ne of the things I鈥檝e done is to separate the city into different neighbourhoods. Everyone would be able to identify with the neighbourhood they live in. That came out quite strongly in the surveys.鈥�
People in Westview might want to pursue a different identity than those in Trojan or Hillside, he said.
The open house also showed the city鈥檚 recommendations for the future of the Glen Peterson Industrial Park. It will be brought together with the Prairie Meadows commercial subdivision in an effort to revitalize the area.
鈥淕len Peterson isn鈥檛 really working out right now in terms of sales for industrial lots, and there鈥檚 lots of industrial land that鈥檚 already serviced, and has buildings on it, that鈥檚 for sale, both in the city and in the RM.鈥�
It could mean a brewery or a distillery could be built in the industrial park.
The city has also received inquires about hotels in northeast Estevan to see if there could be an alternate use for them.
If the city were to convert a hotel to a residential development, then other services would be needed to accommodate it, since people have not lived east of Kensington in the past.
鈥淢aybe we need a trail or a pathway going through, and that鈥檚 all privately owned land right now,鈥� said Neufeld.
When they look at the Glen Peterson side, they see there might be a market for a dormitory for the college. And if a distillery or a brewery were to be added to Glen Peterson, then safe access needs to be created with sidewalks and walking paths.
The Our Estevan initiative and the open house were part of the process to create a new official community plan. Neufeld wants to bring these ideas to council, get their feedback and then work on the policy directions accordingly.
A full document will hopefully be brought before the public this year.
鈥淎 lot of it depends on the feedback I get, and the time allotments I have to go through council to discuss some of these things,鈥� said Neufeld.
