by D. Jeanne Kimber
By the time this newsletter is published, the Highland Park Community Association will have had its Annual General Meeting, and I will no longer be President, although still a Board member.
More changes coming to the Community Centre! Work will be starting this summer on a Rain Garden on the south side of the building. Rainwater coming off the building roof will be diverted into a new garden bed filled with various plants and trees. The water from the roof will then be used by those plants. The result? A healthy and vibrant ecosystem and less stormwater draining into the city’s storm sewers. While work is underway, and for a period of time afterwards, there will be protective fencing installed around the site. This fencing will eventually be removed. Another component of the rain garden is a university water monitoring research project which will be ongoing for three years. At the same time as the Rain Garden is being developed, we will also be starting in on exterior work at the hall, including a swale along the south wall, new sill plates there, a new garbage enclosure, and an enlarged ground level deck on the east side.
As mentioned in last month’s report, The Guide for Local Area Planning was adopted by the city as an administrative planning tool. This, in turn, necessitated amendments to the draft North Hill Communities Local Area Plan. The draft Plan now incorporates policies derived from the Guide. The draft Plan is to go to Council on June 21. If it passes 1st Reading at Council, it will then go to the Calgary Metropolitan Regional Board for review and approval. After that, it returns to Council for final readings and approval. We are hoping that the Plan is approved by Council on June 21 in order to move the process along for the adoption of a long-awaited Local Area Plan for our community. You can read more about the Plan at https://engage.calgary.ca/NorthHill/realize.
The Wing Kei Society has now filed their DP (development permit) application for Phase 1 of their proposed development on the NE corner of Centre Street at 40th/41st Avenue. Phase 1 will consist of a six-storey long-term care facility providing space for 188 residents. When the building is completed, the Wing Kei daycare will be moved to the ground floor of the new building. The daycare will have capacity for 158 children. If you go to the City’s new planning and development map at https://developmentmap.calgary.ca/ you will be able to check on the status of the application, and get city contact information. The planning reference # is DP2021-3320.
We are hoping with the easing of COVID restrictions that we will be able to offer at least one summertime social event at the community centre. So, watch out for any communications that we send out by email or check our Facebook and/or webpages for information about upcoming activities and events.
Our Community Clean-up will be held on September 18, 2021, and a metals recycler and e-waste recycler have already been booked for the event. City garbage trucks do not pick up large, bulky items like sofas or mattresses on their regular runs. If these items cannot be donated because of their condition (dirty, worn out), then they can be taken to a neighbourhood Community Clean-up event or taken to the City landfill. You should note that certain items cannot be accepted at the Community Cleanups such as propane tanks, car batteries, microwaves, refrigerators. See https://www.calgary.ca/csps/abs/partnership-programs/community-cleanups-items-we-accept.html for more information. Also check out the City’s “What Goes Where A-Z” webpage at https://www.calgary.ca/uep/wrs/what-goes-where/a-to-z-listing.html.
The Highland Park Community Association offers an excellent part-time Preschool program for three- and four-year-olds. You can find information about our preschool program on our website at www.highlandparkcommunity.ca. To register your child for September 2021, please contact [email protected].
