Dear Editor,
The headline “Some still oppose Aldersyde Development” on page 5 of the Sept. 20 Western Wheel is very misleading.
Let’s face it, a lot of people give short attention to the news except for the headlines.
The word “some” in that headline is the key here.
It implies to me that a minority of area residents oppose the Aldersyde East Area Structure Plan (AEASP) .
I assure you that the exact opposite is true. Sure the developers are supportive and a few area residents that are not affected by its proposed density and would go along with almost anything are okay with it.
However, the large majority of residents of Ravencrest Village, Silver Tip Ranch and Gladys Ridge are strongly opposed to it. They do not want the equivalent of a good sized town with density up to 10 times the density of their properties planted directly adjacent to their country residential properties and way of life. They do not want the increased traffic, extended years of construction disruption and the lack of services envisioned in the AEASP. They clearly do not want to see their property values devalued as a result of having the proposed density right next door to their properties.
For the most part they would welcome a development that adheres to the rules in place under the former Municipal Development Plan. They also are realistic enough to recognize the MD’s desire to move toward higher density developments in the region as provided for in the new MDP 2010. However, not on their doorstep.
There must be a reasonable buffer zone between developments done under the old and the new MDP. A fence line does not constitute a suitable buffer zone.
The Wheel’s reporter who wrote this article did a poor job of sampling the opinions to report on.
Harvey Trimble,
Ravencrest Village
