LDA21-0377 Klarvatten Rezoning

My family and neighbors are against the rezoning. Here are a few reasons why.

Crystalina - The people that live here use Klarvatten as a shortcut to go in and out of their neighborhood. Constant stream of speeding cars is always happening. We also need to think about all the folks speeding through Crystalina from 66th Street as a shortcut.

167th Ave - We have only one lane in each direction almost all the way to Manning from 82nd Street. The City of Edmonton has made no move to widen this to 4 lanes. Adding hundreds of more people will just make the problem worse!

Green Space and Parks - The amount of space we have is continuously eroded to allow for more development. We also love all the ducks, geese, and other birds that come every summer. There are also many deer and moose that are north of here by the military base. These animals are already having difficulty crossing 82nd street due to the traffic.

Crime - Speeding cars, drunk driving, vandalism, graffiti, break ins, verbal threats, and assaults are increasing with the population being added. Where are the additional police to help keep our streets safe? Can we expect the City of Edmonton to put a detachment in the new area if it goes through?

Crosswalks and Lights - The streets are dark and curved, with low visibility. There are not enough lights and crosswalks for pedestrians. Adding more cars and trucks to our roads is going to lead to more accidents, much like the one I heard about a couple of weeks ago, where a pedestrian was mowed down by a truck. What about the parking problems too? So many people have work vehicles that block visibility. This will just get worse and worse.

Maintenance - The City of Edmonton is already doing a poor job of cutting the grass in our parks. Snow removal is non-existent in the winter months. Will more plows be added? More City Staff as well to maintain the wear and tear from additional people added?

Bus Routes - Will there be additional routes added to support the population that moves in?

Noise - Why can't the City of Edmonton add some trees and park space in between our neighborhood and the Anthony Henday instead?

Shopping - Can we at least have something that the community requires added? I don't know about the rest of the people here, but we all know a new Vape Shop is just a front, and we don't need more of those.

Adding an apartment building is only going to do one thing...and that is force my family and I to move out of Edmonton.

Karen Principe, please stick to the platform that we elected you for. Block this development from happening.

I am against this proposed rezoning.

The current zoning already allows for a fair number of housing units with a mix of 4 story and small lot housing.

Because of the lack of access or exit to the north, all traffic has to continue to funnel through already existing neighborhood's.

We moved into this neighborhood years ago fully understanding the existing lot zoning, and to change them now is completely unfair.

We have seen a large increase in traffic, excessive traffic noise, speeding and crime in the area.

I see no commitment from the city to widen 167ave to 4 lanes, and all this traffic from the north now has to funnel south down 82st, and there is a huge increase of delays heading east or west now as more and more houses are built in Crystallina.

My family and I are against this proposed rezoning.

I have lived on 87 street and 180 ave for 11 years now and have seen how the neighborhood has developed throughout the years. 82 st and 180 ave to 167 ave and 91 st is seemingly a double wide residential street with no stop signs, no speed bumps, really nothing to deter drivers looking for a shortcut. The Bishop Greschuk school speed limit is barely followed even during school hours. The amount of current traffic in Klarvatten is getting out of hand as we have a parade of 8-12 cars driving by with very few breaks in between at all hours of the day and night. I invite anyone wanting to build more apartments in our overcrowded neighborhood to pull up a chair and watch the road for a few minutes. Residential streets are supposed to be at least semi-calm, this is why I built my home in the neighborhood. We have speeding at all hours of the day at this point with drivers revving up their engines past my street at 2am. There is not a quiet space left in my home, not even the basement. And no, "traffic enforcement" vehicles do not deter anyone as ours is always parked in the same spot and same time of the morning. Do these vehicles clock the number of cars actually driving through a residential street?

Developers have built the huge new neighborhood of Crystallina Nera while offering no new roads that lead anywhere but into Klarvatten as a shortcut. In fact, no new roads have been built for any of the expansion that has been going on in recent years. All roads lead back to one, that doesn't make sense.

Now you are inviting more heavy machinery onto the street? With construction equipment, contractors and everything else involved in building apartments I cannot imagine just how much our homes will be shaking as everything drives through this one street that carries all traffic through Klarvatten.

As other have said, this proposed rezoning is happening in an area we all understood as being made into neighborhood green space. But now homes are being built right up to the fence separating Anthony Henday without any thought put into what roads these new residents will use to get onto a main street. We have lost so much green space recently. Again, all roads lead back to one causing dangerous situations for anyone needing to cross the street. We have one crosswalk sign on this entire street outside of the school zone. How does a neighborhood get expanded and rezoned without any thought put into stop signs or any other pedestrian safety?

I hope more residents decide to make their thoughts known before it is too late. I want my quiet street back, the one I had just three years ago.

Loss of privacy, increased noise, additional construction, parking problems, pollution,wild life loss. more crimes and garbage; these are all things that are headed our way if the City of Edmonton approves this. this city management is entrapping us no doubt

The community of Klarvatten does not want or need the development of a Medium Rise Apartment in our area, let alone a Low Rise Apartment.

It is important that the following points are considered before the proposed Public Hearing.

Traffic
There are not enough crosswalks or lights to protect our community from the people speeding through. My wife was a pedestrian and hit by a truck on October 5th at the intersection of 91st Street and 179th Avenue, and will have a long road to recovery. This is directly a result of the City of Edmonton not following proper planning when they are increasing population in suburban areas. This intersection should have a full light setup now.

Too many people are using 91st Street and 180th Avenue as a shortcut into and from Crystallina Nera. This road is a residential street and not setup to handle the additional traffic.

We have a limited amount of access points into Klarvatten. The intersection at 168th Ave/Klarvatten Road and 91st Street is very dangerous and extremely busy, with drivers using the clearly marked right hand turning lane as a through lane while travelling north.

167th Avenue from 76th Street to 55th Street is one lane in each direction. Before the City of Edmonton even considers adding more population, this needs to be widened to two lanes each way.

Crime
Increasing the population is going to increase the foot traffic from the criminal element. We are noticing that people are scoping out our houses, as seen on doorbell cameras, and there have been more thefts from vehicles.

There has also been a rise in vandalism, with schools and sidewalks spray painted and bus shelters smashed.

Anyone that uses the walking trails north of the Anthony Henday on 82nd Street will attest to women and children being followed.

Property Values
Low rental units and increased population density reduce the property values in a neighborhood.

Loss of privacy, increased noise, additional construction, parking problems, pollution, and garbage; these are all things that are headed our way if the City of Edmonton approves this.

There has also been a reduction in the quality of the road maintenance and snow removal.

Businesses
The last thing our area needs is more Nail Salons, Liquor Stores, Cannabis Shops, Hair Studios, Gas Stations, and Pizza and Donair Shops. Maybe if the businesses that moved in were Bakeries, Delis, Cafes, etc. the community would be more welcoming to additional development.

Green Spaces and Parks
Klarvatten residents enjoy some of the best green space in the city, with trails, parks, and ponds. We would like to keep it that way and continue to enjoy the wildlife, peace and quiet, and quality of life.

The City of Edmonton and the Developers need to stop with the bait and switch tactics when it comes to development and rezoning. Please leave this great area and the residents alone.

Thank you for your time.

We are against this rezoning, specifically the change from RA7 to RA8 because:

- increased traffic on roads that weren’t designed to accommodate it. It’s busy as is on 180 Ave, not to mention the restricted access points to this new area.
- an RA7 is bad enough for privacy and property values, so adding an even taller building affects these two things even more negatively.
- the area is tapped out regarding amenities. Schools and parks for example are limited. This rezoning would significantly increase the area’s population. Therefore we disagree with the statement in the letter about how this conforms with the Medium Density Residential designation and request an assessment be completed to validate this statement.

In conclusion, a change like this negatively impacts the community and it should not be like that. The developer’s profits shouldn’t be more important than the current residents of the area who have lived here for 10 plus years and bought their properties knowing the current zoning.

At a high level, it makes zero sense to increase the number of residents while simultaneously removing the number of access points. An increase from a 4 to 6 story building is a 50% increase in the number of residents in this building, densely put into one small area.

The City has recently mandated a 40km/h speed limit in residential areas in an attempt to make it safer for children and to allow folks to enjoy walks, front yards, etc. The one access point on 89 Street will make it absolute hell for those already living along that route. There is limited access points in this area as it is bounded by the Henday. It will effectively be a collector route. It is a safety concern should anything happen that requires evacuation of this area. The area is bounded by 97 St, 82 St and the Henday. All traffic has to exit south, through 89 Street.

The City says that it wants to limit urban sprawl and to densify the core. This plan goes against this strategy.

The current zoning provides a good balance of mixed use and there does not seem to be any reason for densifying except to increase profits for a developer.

I live in the area, obviously, and there are few options for shopping nearby. Certainly this plan to densify will attract folks that do not take transit. They will absolutely need vehicles to get groceries, and that only clogs up the already limited access points.

On a general note, why does the City approve zoning, enticing folks to move to the area, and then change the plans? I find it incredibly unfair to buy a home where I want to raise my kids for the next 15 years, only to have the rules changed. I feel absolutely helpless. You will see all these comments from people who have INVESTED in this community and likely they will be dubbed as NIMBY's or uneducated. Those comments will likely be ignored and a decision will be made to add to the developer's profits at the expense of the people actually paying taxes right now.

One last comment. The City prides itself on a high quality of life with many parks, trees, etc. I feel there are serious issues with the bait and switch mentality of zoning and rezoning to densify. My quality of life does not include tripping over each other, watching cars speed by, breathing exhaust, and resenting each other. Let us have our the neighbourhood that we were sold.

I am totally against the proposed rezoning for the following reasons:
1-The rezoning will increase significantly the traffic in the area, hence will increase pollution just to name this one.
2-negative impact on wildlife as already stated by others residents.
3-decrease in park/green spot availability in the neighbourhood hence decline in quality of life for residents.
4- We chose to live in Klarvatten because it is far from downtown and there is more space for outdoor activities . This project destroy the appealing side of Klarvatten.
5- Think about future residents of the proposed area. With the military helicopters training once/twice(at nighttime) a week all year long, do you really think people would have a decent quality of life i.e level of noise/proximity of Anthony Henday highway etc?
6- I suspect that this amendment is a question of copying what Crystalina Nera did with building high rise buildings/apartments right next to the Anthony Henday. Who is benefitting from that? Builders? City Taxes?
7- Is this proposed amendment process really transparent? Will the City really listen to the concerned citizens? Can comments of residents really have an impact on the proposed rezoning? The upper hand is clearly on the Builder side here.

I run a business and so does my wife. And we deserve our home and what we work for. We were drawn to this area and disagree with the city planning and how our neighborhood could look. We want our community to continue looking beautiful with landscaping and how we keep our homes. I plan to retire in my home without a high rise building in my community. The city should think about the people in their home community instead of money (taxes). My family has privacy in our backyard and don’t want this to change. I think about it like a homeowner entrapment. Like we are lured into the neighborhood and have the house to be built, then they build a condo in our back yard. I feel like as a homeowner its entrapment. Think about families and people’s lives, not money.
I am Vietnamese and my wife is Aboriginal. We are trying to stand up for our rights as homeowners into the home we had personally made for my family. We do everything we can to care for our 4 kids and give them a safe place to live. I don’t want our property value to decrease because we have so much invested in our home. The City of Edmonton should do what they can to care for all citizens and not just the majority.
We are the minority people. We chose this area because it’s away from city life on the edge of the city. We are against certain developments and don’t welcome certain developments in our community. The city should think of the people and the minority population. We work hard for our lives and children and what we have. The government also needs to remember and keep in mind that we have a right to vote for who will stand for us who are the minorities.
We moved to the suburban to live a quiet and peaceful lifestyle. I call that a bad, ugly and poor planning and development of the city. Please make the city look beautiful and nice to enjoy with planning and development. Make it a beautiful place to live and enjoyable to look at. Not just cut and pasted designed planning and development.

Good evening,


I live on 8706 180A Ave for the last 7 years and this rezoning directly affects me, my property and my community .

I understand the need to for devolvement to increase density and create a bigger tax base but the developer is amending the layout, and it looks like increasing housing and decreasing green space.



I am not sure if you realize but there are two storm water ponds behind my house that does not show on the map File # LDA21-0377

There is a lot of wildlife particular birds that reside and/or use these bodies of water, there are a several duck families that are nesting in the ponds yearly, the Canadian geese can be seen in these ponds daily. We have noticed an increase in many species that are nesting in the area such as, Northern Flicker Woodpecker, Chickees, Tricolor Black Bird (this specie is rare),Hairy Woodpecker, American Gold Finches , and House Finches. These creatures as well as many other species have developed a thriving ecosystem over the last 8 years. I think it is horrible that the you will be destroying this established ecosystem by eliminating or moving the current ponds and the construction.



I am quite concerned with the increased density, hence more traffic congestion, higher noise levels from increased density and vehicular traffic. The exposure to dust (silica) from the many years of construction that lay ahead is also very concerning.

The loss or reduction of green space in the neighbourhood, which is more desirable than ever,with the pandemic is not acceptable.



In addition when the properties were purchased in this area, we were led to believe that the area would remain green space with the storm water ponds. There were survey stakes marked “ponds”, it is unacceptable that this can all change without consideration for the tax paying citizens that have lived and developed this neighbourhood. The value of our properties will be reduced due to the loss of the green space and increase of residential housing., this is not fair and we have no way of recouping that lose.



Also we have had crime issues in the area and now with additional homes being built close by I am apprehensive that the crime rated will increase. Can you respond to how this will be managed.



The community is asking for some adjustments to the developer's proposal.

The city should take the position of not destroying an already develop ecosystem, which has been left to develop over the last 8 years, by relocating the ponds, you will be killing all the plants and displacing ( possible eliminating) the wildlife.

Instead of relocating the current ponds, we suggest that the ponds remain ( at least the one closest to the fence line) and have the developer amend the proposal and build around the ponds



Please keep me abreast of this ongoing issue

I live on 8706 180A Ave for the last 7 years and this rezoning directly affects me, my property and my community .

I understand the need to for devolvement to increase density and create a bigger tax base but the developer is amending the layout, and it looks like increasing housing and decreasing green space.

I am not sure if you realize but there are two storm water ponds behind my house that does not show on the map File # LDA21-0377

There is a lot of wildlife particular birds that reside and/or use these bodies of water, there are a several duck families that are nesting in the ponds yearly, the Canadian geese can be seen in these ponds daily. We have noticed an increase in many species that are nesting in the area such as, Northern Flicker Woodpecker, Chickees, Tricolor Black Bird (this specie is rare),Hairy Woodpecker, American Gold Finches , and House Finches. These creatures as well as many other species have developed a thriving ecosystem over the last 8 years. I think it is horrible that the you will be destroying this established ecosystem by eliminating or moving the current ponds and the construction.

I am quite concerned with the increased density, hence more traffic congestion, higher noise levels from increased density and vehicular traffic. The exposure to dust (silica) from the many years of construction that lay ahead is also very concerning.

The loss or reduction of green space in the neighbourhood, which is more desirable than ever,with the pandemic is not acceptable.

In addition when the properties were purchased in this area, we were led to believe that the area would remain green space with the storm water ponds. There were survey stakes marked “ponds”, it is unacceptable that this can all change without consideration for the tax paying citizens that have lived and developed this neighbourhood. The value of our properties will be reduced due to the loss of the green space and increase of residential housing., this is not fair and we have no way of recouping that lose.

Also we have had crime issues in the area and now with additional homes being built close by I am apprehensive that the crime rated will increase. Can you respond to how this will be managed.

The community is asking for some adjustments to the developer's proposal.

The city should take the position of not destroying an already develop ecosystem, which has been left to develop over the last 8 -10 years, by relocating the ponds, you will be killing all the plants and displacing ( possible eliminating) the wildlife.

Instead of relocating the current ponds, we suggest that the ponds remain ( at least the one closest to the fence line) and have the developer amend the proposal and build around the ponds

I am currently in the progress of getting a petition signed by the residents directly affected by these proposed changes.
Please keep me abreast of this ongoing issue



Joanne Morrison

902-565-3532

joannns@hotmail.com

I am extremely opposed to this rezoning proposal. Over the last several years Klarvatten and surrounding neighbourhood has been filled with higher density housing. [To note: I have paraphrased the arguments of Karen Principe as I strongly agree. ]There are three surplus school sites in Edmonton planned for higher density housing rezoning. This is not happening anywhere else in the city, so why is it happening here? If this were to be suggested in the south side in a “rich” neighbourhood it’d never get to the proposal stage.


All of this has only created havoc on the infrastructure - have you seen our roads? Have you been scared to cross 82 street because it’s where speeders just fly through, because even though there’s traffic lights, there is zero infrastructure invested in speed cameras, speed radar signs, or even police presence? Klarvatten is in in the second smallest ward in the city but why are we being forced to take this desensification?


The absolute last thing this neighbour needs is more dense housing and people - Klarvatten and area needs to stop being seen as a free for all for whatever company oils their way in and proposes things like this.

We are totally opposed to having the RA7 to RA8 rezoning. We had Mr. Jon Dziazyk, Ward Councillor come for a meeting with concerned community members and he saw problems with that immediately - loss of privacy for homeowners, alot of traffic which the area was not zoned for and is unsafe for children playing in the area, he indicated that 85 Street at 180th Avenue would not accommodate traffic lights and there are problems with traffic already. CFB Namao also does training in the area and the City of Edmonton does not have jurisdiction over Department of National Defence. Also, we don't want to hear about this area being zoned in 1982. It is 2021 and things change. We already have a petition going on in the neighbourhood against this rezoning.

I’m a concerned home owner at 18107 94st, this area is a pocket of beautiful detached homes featuring premium features such as walk out basements, large lots backing on to green spaces, and three car garages. I’m do not support these proposed zoning changes in anyway. I have had similar changes passed in a previous neighborhood near where I previously lived. Which led to me having to move, these changes will mean high rise low income apartments and duplex lots crammed together in the tightest areas possible. These proposed changes lead to parking issues and a high rental dense area. From my experience lot and property alike do not matter to rental tenants. It may seem unfair to bunch everyone in this negative light when talking in generalized statements about a type of property owner. however I have both experienced these issues and will point out it is the problematic owners who stand out the most. I previously lived in a quite neighborhood in brintnell, similar zoning changes passed and I did not pay any attention to them. I thought at the time the city wouldn’t make any changes to hurt the area. I was wrong within a few years lots across the street from me where duplexes with renters and parking issues. Examples of some issues, non-running vehicles parked on the street beside my house requiring bylaw to get involved, multiple tenants in short time frames 3 in 3 years, grass was never cut at one side of the duplex and snow was never shoveled at the other again bylaw had to be involved. I am not the only one in that area to feel the same way,shortly after the apartments appeared shopping carts began appearing in alleyways and green spaces. My wife and I decided it was time to move and we needed to look for a higher end neighborhood where these issues would not be a problem. I originally thought we should just leave the city like a lot of people have look at the rise in population of the major communities surrounding the city. However we decided to give this new area a chance. We purchased a home 2 years ago in klarvatten a quite area one way in no house built beside it yet an area which seemed to be zoned for similar properties. Now it is proposed to try and cram the highest population density possible in this newer development neighborhood on the edge of the city where transit is poor and most will need vehicles to live here. Check the waking score on any realty website. There is no public engagement at this time due to covid but I do not support these proposals and would like to make that clear.