Proposed Development Said To Be OK In Flood Fringe Area

It is a major development which could see some upscale homes, duplexes and condos added to the City. The only problem is there are a lot of hurdles yet to cross including a change to the Official Community Plan to make it a reality.

At Monday evening’s regular meeting of Council a local developer, Charles Vanden Broek, told Council he wants to develop 25.68 acres of land located at 1155 7th Avenue SW. The property is in the Wakamow Valley adjacent the Moose Jaw River where a nursery use to exist (just north of the now closed 7th Ave SW bridge).

The development if it were to proceed would see the construction of 29 single family units and 81 multi-family units.

A concept drawing of the proposed development showing its location adjacent the Moose Jaw River - source report to City of Moose Jaw Council

Despite the developer being prepared to shoulder all of the development’s servicing and related costs by being in what is considered to be a flood fringe area the 2009 Official Community Plan (OCP) needs to be amended from its’ present zoning of long term Community Service/Parks/River Valley Conservation to long term future residential.

Speaking on behalf of the developer, architect Alvin Fritz touted the project as not just a place for people to live but it will also be an attractive area to live.

There will be two water features, a swimming pool with gazebos as well as additional hiking trails expanding the Wakamow system for all as well as an archaelogical reserve and small interpretive centre where artifacts have been discovered.

“I just think this will be a very welcoming facility within the community. Underground parking of course is desirable to have your car in a warm environment in a cold Canadian climate is always a wonderful thing. It also makes it snowbirding to give keys to a neighbour and be able to check on their apartment,” Fritz said.

The newest engineering devices and techniques would be utilized to help alleviate any potential flooding damage if it was to occur.

In order for the project to build in the flood fringe an equivalent of 55 Olympic sized swimming pools of fill will be required.

As part of the package presented to Council there was an entire series of reports and studies including environmental screening and site assessment, a geo-technical evaluation, hydrological analysis, transportation impact assessment and a heritage resources impact assessment.

A variety of questions was asked about the development by Council including one by Councillor Chris Warren who asked if having only one road into the development would have a major impact on residents.

“We find that residents who buy into these suites typically come and go at a time that is simple for them. They don’t make their doctor’s appointments and so forth for peak periods. So they are entering the traffic stream at off-peak periods and so we really feel it will be a really diminished impact as far as the traffic will be concerned,” Fritz said.

As part of the development there will be public pathways created to add to the Wakamow Valley Authority’s present trail system. The entire property will not be homes with 63 percent of the property left in a natural or an enhaced state of natural features and upgrades.

Councillor Crystal Froese asked about the height of the condo structure and its’ effect upon resident’s views from Keith Crescent and Valleyview Drive.

“My feeling is that the building is so far into your view corridor you will look past it and around it…I am sure in the development process we are going to have some public debate and forums where people can step forward and have some interest on the job,” Fritz replied, adding he was confident people would agree to what they were looking at and they could still see past and over it.”

Councillor Heather Eby said building the large apartment block was a bit of worry for her.

“The apartment building is a bit of a stumbling block for me. Because I see that big building of Caleb Village and I can’t…that is just the hard part for me. So I can still work through that. It is the part that makes me a little bit worried,” Councillor Eby said.

Councillor Dawn Luhning thanked the delegation for the thoroughness of the presentation but wondered why Council had not been updated about the project earlier.

“You say you have been involved with Administration for 18 months. This is the first I have ever heard about it…I appreciate the very comprehensive plan for our river valley,” Councillor Luhning said. Despite this Councillor Luhning supported the development.

Despite the support for the project there were parties concerned about the impact of the development.

“Wakamow Valley cannot tell from the current assessment what the impact may be. Wakamow Valley has not received from the Saskatchewan Water Agency what the up and downstream impacts might be. Wakamow Valley Authority does see the project as a significant change in the use (of land in the valley),” Todd Johnson general manager of the Wakamow Valley Authority said.

Councillor Brian Swanson spoke about the major flood in 1974 and how the City had spent millions buying out property owners in the flood zone area. While now the City was being asked to open the door to development a direct opposite of the present policy in the OCP which is to not allow new development in the river valley, he said.

He expressed concerns about the City being held responsible for any flooding and subsequent damage to the development and that allowing the change to the zoning would lead to financial pressures to the City.

“More than once I have seen with my own eyes the proposed area underwater, completely underwater. So this idea will be subject to flooding every 500 years is not true, I am not that old,” Councillor Swanson said. “I want to point out not allowing residential development in flood prone areas is sound community planning. It is the norm just about everywhere.”

Depite the concerns raised Council decided in a 5 - 2 vote, with Councillors Swanson and Eby opposed to proceed to allow the project to proceed to the public consultation phase and then if approved to draft a bylaw change to the Official Community Plan.

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