Future of West Hill neighbourhood unveiled

Sep 25, 2018 | 1:00 PM

What will the West Hill area of Prince Albert look like in the coming decades? The public is about to find out.

Two public open houses are set for this week that will show what is planned for the 614 hectares of undeveloped land around and south of the Alfred Jenkins Fieldhouse and the hospital.

A proposed master plan that will encompass the future growth of the neighborhood, parks and open spaces, transportation routes and the mixture of land use and densities will be on view Wednesday and Thursday evening.

“We’ve been working on a master plan in some form or another for about 10 years but it was never formally approved by council,” Director of Planning and Development Services Craig Guidinger told paNOW. “Since then, public works has also been doing a lot of work on infrastructure design so we’ll include that in the draft document.”

That proposed and flexible plan will include a phased approach to dealing with how the land will be used in the coming 75 years, Guidinger said. The large area essentially includes everything south of the fieldhouse to the southern city limits and the open houses will show maps so the public can see proposed layouts for residential or commercial development, parks and trail networks for example.

“It’s very important to include the public in this process,” Guidinger said. “We don’t like to make ad hoc decisions and these documents are important for planners as well as the public for deciding on where to buy a new home or relocate a business for example.”

The open houses run from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday this week in the foyer of the Alfred Jenkins fieldhouse.

The public can view the plans and ask city staff questions.

 

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 1:01 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 based on information from the City of Prince Albert that clarified the amount of land in the master plan as 614 hectares, not acres. 

 

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca