Recommendations include increasing density and transit-friendly living
Released in February, the analysis recommends increasing density around the Fish Creek-Lacombe C-Train station, and suggests that planners better manage parking at the station and work with communities to plan better designs for the future.
“We really try to concentrate jobs and housing [near] LRT stations,” said Kevin Barton, senior planner for Land Use Planning and Policy at the City of Calgary.
The Fish Creek-Lacombe station was identified as a possible “major activity centre” in the municipal development plan set by the city. The plan’s focus is to predict the growth of Calgary over the next 50 to 60 years.The analysis recommended the area be more pedestrian friendly.
Photo by: Aryn Guthrie
Barton noted that one major concept of the analysis for the Fish Creek–Lacombe station is to make the area surrounding the station a “pedestrian priority area.”
“The goal is to have more people working near the LRT, but also a well-designed, pedestrian-focused community,” Barton said.
“We hear from more and more people that do not want to have a car, where they can have the option to get to work or the local store either by walking or by transit.”
Barton said at this stage, the analysis is only a recommendation. He added that the city is still trying to determine if the recommendations will be acted upon. So far there is no set time for the recommendations to be put into action, if they are at all.
For Jenn Osiowy, a Shawnee Slopes resident of 10 years, a decision to move with her family wouldn’t be based on having accessible transit.
“We wouldn’t move based on the C-Train or something like that,” said Osiowy. “We might move into Evergreen which is actually a little bit further.”
Similar analyses were also conducted for Anderson station, Banff Trail station, Brentwood station and Chinook station — all with similar recommendations.
Gloria Dingwall, president of the Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association, said the report is going to be filed and “not acted upon based on financial sustainability of the city.”
“It could take up to 60 years before anything is done,” Dingwall said. “Until the demand is there, there’s nothing that can be done.”
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aguthrie@cjournal.ca