Hay River (Sep 27/04) - Residents of a Hay River neighbourhood appear overwhelmingly opposed to a rezoning application for property in their midst.

About 35 residents made their feelings perfectly clear at a Sept. 21 public hearing in front of town council.

Speaker after speaker blasted the rezoning idea.

Jeff Griffiths, the owner of the quarter-hectare lot at Cameron Crescent/Woodland Drive, has applied to have it rezoned from institutional to multi-family residential.

Area residents are worried rezoning would lead to a 12 unit complex on the lot. They argue that would increase traffic and parking problems, create unsafe conditions for children and devalue nearby properties in the single-family neighbourhood.

"I'm opposed to this development wholeheartedly," said Brian Dawson, a Woodland Drive resident.

Glen Wallington of Cameron Crescent said he has invested over $200,000 in his home "only to find I may have trouble selling if this rezoning goes through."

Ronald Karp, a resident of Woodland Drive, expressed concern that council has already made up its mind. "I know it's just a formality," he said.

That concern was echoed by Kevin Wallington: "I feel in standing here the decision has already been made." A number of residents told council to do its duty and represent the interests of residents.

Mayor Diana Ehman responded that council held the hearing to gather information.

"We haven't decided what we're going to do," she said.

No comment

Griffiths, who did not attend the hearing, says he has no comment on the residents' concerns.

"I'd like to build some kind of multi-family units," he says, adding a 12-plex is one of the considerations.

However, he notes the application currently before council is for rezoning, not a development application.

A report from town planner David Klippenstein of the UMA Group has recommended town council approve the rezoning application.

The potential impact of a zoning change from institutional to multi-family would be neutral, he said.

A report he prepared for the town states that 10 additional residences would result in a doubling of traffic on the crescent, but would be "well within" its capacity.

Ehman said a special meeting of council will be held Oct. 4 for second reading of the rezoning application.

Deputy Mayor Dean McMeekin told residents he respected the loyalty they show to their neighbourhood.

"I can guarantee that council will make a decision on this sooner than later," McMeekin said.