A virtual Open House was held via Zoom on July 15, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. The Communities of Malmo, Lendrum, and Lansdowne; and other properties within a 100-metre buffer of the site were notified of the meeting. Approximately 38 community members attended the Phase Two meeting.
Consultation is an important part of any planning process. Consultation ensures that a wide and diverse number of viewpoints are considered when deciding how and when change will occur. Simply, stakeholder participation produces better outcomes and, in turn, a better future for the Michener Park Redevelopment.
PRESENTATION (PDF includes screen shots of the slides)
Questions & Answers
Q. What will the long-term role of the University or any other agency in the management and maintenance of these properties?
Q: Who's going to maintain the park area? There is currently no maintenance happening.
Q: What was the number of total units and density per HA in Michener Park?
Q: The regional drainage and sewage systems have be overtaxed in the past. What improvements to the system will compensate for these regional problems?
A. Yes, there have been some challenges in terms of drainage capacity within Malmo Plains and the surrounding communities and the City of Edmonton has completed several infrastructure projects (dry ponds and drainage upgrades) to help alleviate some of these challenges. As part of the Michener Park project, we will be completing a Servicing Study to examine the servicing requirements for the eventual development concept.
Q: How many units are dedicated for rental and how many for ownership?
A. The ultimate ratio of rental units and units that are owned will be determined by the site’s pro forma as it is developed as result of a finalized development concept. Furthermore, as the development of the site unfolds, market conditions will largely drive the site’s tenure in terms of rental and/or ownership options. It is also important to note that the Master Plan and associated rezoning applications that are prepared for Michener Park, the ownership model will not be a component of these applications as decisions regarding land use do not consider these aspects.
Q: Will residents fall into the Malmo catchment for community league membership, or will it be its own community?
A. Michener Park will not be its own formal community league. While it is currently undetermined as to which community league Michener Park would be a part of, the community of Malmo Plains makes the most sense from a proximity and contiguous development perspective. As the plan is finalized and development unfolds, more details will be provided to the community leagues and community of Malmo Plains.
Q: Will buildings be concrete or timber?
A. This is largely dependent on the heights of the building as buildings over 6 storeys must be made of non-combustible materials.
Q: Do we have an estimate of the size of the units? Are they targeting families? Or Couples?
A. The site has been laid out from a development concept perspective, but the individual size of units has not been determined at this point and will largely be driven by market conditions. The concept options have been prepared to allow for a variety of housing typologies to attract a diverse resident base for Michener Park.
Q: Will there be sufficient parking on the MP (Michener Park) site, so nearby neighbourhoods will not be inundated with tenants’ vehicles?
A. The City of Edmonton has removed parking minimums within the Zoning Bylaw, with the amount of parking now being driven largely by market conditions and eventual demand for on-site parking. This will be modelled and included as part of the Transportation Impact Assessment that is being prepared in support of this project.
Q: Nice to see the green spaces too. I may have missed this – can you speak about the types of facilities available for this community (i.e., the children’s’ place spaces).
A. The green spaces within the community will be further programmed as zoning and development occurs but there are ample opportunities for a variety of passive and active recreation opportunities given the site’s layout and availability of open space.
Q: How do you decide between these scenarios in the end? Is it based on this feedback? The metrics? The overall profits?
A. The eventual concept that will be developed will not be one of the four options but will rather be a combination of various scenarios by incorporating various aspects of each scenario. Feedback received from the community, as well as the site’s performance from a financial, social, and environmental standpoint, will be utilized to determine the final concept that moves forward.
Comments Received About the Project
The following were other comments recorded during the Open House and in follow-up emails.
- There is a large diversity in our current community, and it will be good to see that continue Conclusion and Next Steps.
- Although it would not affect me, I am very much in favour of the on-site grocery store. The disappearance of the IGA/Sobeys in the shopping mall NW of MP was a great inconvenience to MP residents.
- As we are getting older it would be really nice to have the commercial space including grocery store and pharmacy within walking distance.
- I too appreciate the commercial space.
- I agree! The commercial space will support the neighbourhood.
- The number/percentage of rentals make a qualitative difference to the community.
- Looks like the tennis courts will be gone, in the long term
- Nice to see the green spaces!
- I’d think that townhouses would rent for higher amounts – I imagine that’s part of your study. From a property value perspective that would be good for the neighbourhood.
- That’s a huge impact (number of potential housing units) on the Malmo Plains Community League facilities.
- I do appreciate the step down of density in scenarios 2 through 4. This will help with the culture shock as compared to scenario 1.
- The higher density envisioned across the scenarios – higher than what was originally in the Michener Park site – wonderful!
- Happy about the possibility of flex commercial spaces – excited to see what could take hold.
- Really glad that the park was maintained.
- Love, love, love the ped and bike access into the adjacent parts of Malmo – this community will be part of Malmo and so there should be a feeling of seamless connectivity, particularly as 49 Ave offers access to the school, community league and skating rink. It will be great for our new neighbours!
- Like that part of the retention pond can be used for recreational activities – as mentioned as a pocket park – would love to see this naturally landscaped in some way.
- I’m hopeful that many of the mature elms will remain in the community
- I’m very excited about the prospect of townhomes for families (so little of this built form in Edmonton currently) and apartments.
- I heard from some of my neighbours in the session that there is a concern about rental units and the “qualitative impact”. Although this is not something that is a consideration in the project right now I want to state unequivocally that I think that having rental stock in our neighbourhood is absolutely fine. I welcome a diversity of ownership types in our mature neighbourhoods.
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA PROPERTIES TRUST
University of Alberta Properties Trust (UAPT) was formed by the University of Alberta (UA) to develop or re-develop lands deemed by UA as not central to its academic mission of teaching and research. UAPT is an arm’s length, independent incorporated trust with the UA as its’ sole shareholder. Governed by a Board of Directors and managed by a staff, UAPT works with various stakeholders such as the City of Edmonton, neighborhoods impacted from the land development, Land and Urban Planners, Engineers and Architects, as well as the UA to develop the lands entrusted to it, with the profits from such activities being returned to UA to further its’ core mission.