Highland Park residents make final push against golf course redevelopment

Concerned Calgary residents are making one final push in their fight against a proposed development on a former golf course in the northwest community of Highland Park.

City council will vote on the land use changes for the site on March 20.

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Bruce Mcleod was born and raised in Highland Park. He said he's not entirely against development, but the plan needs to respect the wetland that underlies the area.

"It's taking what little green space is in this area and completely devastating it," he said.

Storm water

The development proposal includes 2,000 new residences near a planned Green Line LRT station,but some people are concerned about where the storm water runoff will go.

Marvin Quashnick, the vice-president of the Thorncliffe Greenview Community Association, said the impact of paving over land that currently absorbs a lot of storm water runoff won't be known until a study is finished next year.

"The analysis and the evidence to say that it can be developed to this scale is not there yet," he said.

Commercial development

Some of those opposed to the project insist they're not anti-development, but they don't like the proposal.

"We're in favour of something there, something should go in there," said Anne Naumann, the vice-president of the Highland Park Community Association.

"Centre Street should be developed. We want to see it developed. Highland Park would love to see more commercial development in our area but that's not what we're getting."

Naumann said this development should concern people in other communities.

"It's not just a Ward 4 issue. This is about what are we going to do in terms of these types of developments all over the city," she said.

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