GREATER EDMONTON ALLIANCE

9613-111th Avenue, Edmonton AB T5G 0A9 PH: 780-485-1089 FAX: 780-485-2702 office@greateredmontonalliance.com

www.greateredmontonalliance.com
July 14, 2011 Dear Mayor and Councilors, I am writing to ask you to ensure that planning for Northeast Edmonton occurs in a fair, open, considerate and equitable manner, as mandated by the Land Use policies relating to section 622 of the Municipal Government Act. Greater Edmonton Alliance recently received an invitation to participate in a Stakeholder Advisory Group for Northeast Edmonton from Yolanda Yew of Stantec Consulting presumably acting on behalf of Walton International Group. The invitation stated: The Stakeholder Advisory Group will work together in providing advice on a vision for the area as well as participate in a design charrette. The design charrette is tentatively scheduled for August 24 to 27. An area vision created with area landowners and other city stakeholder groups, is required by policy 3.2.1.8 of the Municipal Development Plan. Therefore, we had assumed the City would take leadership in its development. Furthermore, Councilors Sloan, Krushell, Loken, Leibovici, Caterina, and Iveson said they would support a City-led ASP for Northeast Edmonton during the October 2010 election campaign. No Councilors said they were opposed to a City-led ASP for the Northeast, although Councilor Anderson expressed opposition to the City paying for the development of the ASP. City leadership would also be in keeping with the results of Focus Edmonton - City Plan Working Principles for Land Use Planning. This document states that Edmonton Provides accountability to citizens through on-going strategic monitoring of City Plan, and through fiscal responsibility, open and participatory processes, and public education to raise awareness and understanding of key land and development issues facing Edmontonians (emphasis added). The Alberta Land Use Policies also make it incumbent upon municipalities to take steps to inform both interested and potentially affected parties of municipal planning activities and provide appropriate opportunities and sufficient information to allow meaningful participation in the planning process by residents, landowners, community groups, interest groups, municipal service providers and other stakeholders". In response to our request that we be provided with a list of invitees, Stantec responded that the final composition of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee could not yet be provided. We are interested not only in who is, in the end, at the table, but also who has been invited, and who has not been invited. We view this information as crucial to an 1

open and participatory process. Also, having input into terms of reference, and an overall timeline and process outline is important for citizens to be able to organize their lives to participate meaningfully. We have not been provided with such an overview. Apart from issues of transparency and enough information to allow meaningful participation, we also have some serious concerns about Walton International Group leading the entire planning process from Visioning to completed ASP. Northeast Edmonton is a community deeply divided about its hopes for the future. Over the course of the MDP Public Hearings, citizens of Edmonton made it clear that they view this land as having great importance to the City as a whole. Not only is it difficult to achieve a fair process when powerful representatives of one set of interests lead the process, but it will also be difficult to achieve a perception of fairness. We are concerned that one set of interests will prevail over others if those highly invested in one particular future are given the mantle of leadership in the entire planning process. We are asking the City to take its rightful place as stewards and leaders regarding our collective lives, and, at a minimum, lead the creation of an area vision that gives meaningful upfront parameters on an ASP, as mandated by the MDP. Furthermore, we have concerns about timing. We understand that Visioning for the Citywide Food and Agriculture Strategy is to take place this fall. As policy 3.2.1.7 requires that an Area Structure Plan for Northeast Edmonton shall only be approved by council following completion of and adherence with the Citywide Food and Agriculture Strategy, we believe it best to undertake visioning for the Northeast once the parameters are set by the overarching strategy to prevent wasted time and resources. This would also be in keeping with Focus Edmontons assertion that Edmonton Employs citywide growth strategies and land use and development that support a more compact urban form, increased densities, a mix of land uses and a widely-used public transit system and Conserves the agricultural land best suited for local food production or market gardening for future generations and encourages neighbourhood level approaches to local food production (emphasis added). Thank you for your attention to this important and urgent matter. We look forward to receiving your response, and are eager to participate meaningfully in a fair, open and equitable process of planning for Northeast Edmonton. Sincerely,

Monique Nutter Chair, Local Foods Team, Greater Edmonton Alliance C: C: C: Debbie Hubbard. Representative to the Northeast Edmonton Stakeholder Advisor Committee Greater Edmonton Alliance Laura Jeffreys, Organizer, Greater Edmonton Alliance Elise Stolte, Reporter, Edmonton Journal 2