Economy - Downtown Okotoks
making a comeback
By Darlene Casten
Staff reporter
Business in Okotoks’ downtown core is not only surviving —
it is thriving.
Despite competition from two major shopping centers in the town’s
south end, businesses have returned to the downtown.
Theresa Jennings and Bev Prescott opened an antique business on the west
end of the downtown business sector this summer.
“The building suits us,” said Prescott of the century old
brick house they are now occupying.
“Okotoks to me is a charming town with unique stores and we want
to be a part of that,” she continued. “We can’t go to
Cornerstone, we don’t fit in there.”
Jennings agreed that putting their antique store in a shiny new strip
mall would be like fitting a square peg into a round hole.
“Other stores suit the larger box stores, but we don’t,”
she said.
Over the past three years several downtown businesses have relocated to
Cornerstone and others have been abandoned for a variety of reasons.
In recent months the situation has turned around as merchants are once
again interested in doing business downtown.
“Right now there is very little vacancy,” said Okotoks realtor
John Fraser. “There are lots of good things happening downtown.”
A national music store franchise has moved into a portion of the former
King’s Pharmacy building and the space vacated by SAAN has also
been filled.
According to Fraser, atmosphere, rent and location are all playing into
the decision to move into the downtown.
“The traffic counts are huge,” Fraser said. “Also, rents
are half what they would be in the new areas.”
Okotoks business centre leader, Rob Miller, said the revival of the downtown
business sector came as no surprise.
“I never had a question in my mind if downtown would survive or
in fact prosper,” Miller said.
The population explosion in southern Alberta has brought an unprecedented
number of new shoppers into the foothills.
“The analysts I have been speaking to say our trade area has grown
from 35,000 to 70,000 and could reach as far as Fort McLeod,” he
said.
The south-end commercial developments are not the only new buildings,
Miller pointed out. New buildings are also popping up downtown. However
the new developments have incorporated a distinct heritage flavour and
mixed-use appeal, such as boutique style stores with condos above, to
keep with the downtown’s bohemian feel.
Developer Bill Unrau is working on his second building, a boutique/commercial
space with a third floor penthouse, in the McRea Crossing area.
He said filling the 45,000 square foot building has been difficult, but
is confidant once construction begins, businesses will flock to the site.
“There is so much emphasis on the new areas that it is difficult
to rent out — it has to be unique stores,” Unrau said.
So far 50 per cent of the future building has been spoken for.
“My experience is that the rest of the building will not fill up
until people see something,” he said.
Despite political support for the revitalization of downtown, parking
and lot size restrictions are also an issue facing prospective downtown
builders, he continued.
“My opinion is you are not going to see a lot of developers in the
future,” Unrau said. “The parking situation is hard and the
land is getting very expensive.”
The Town of Okotoks is hosting a series of open houses on the downtown
revitalization project. The open houses are scheduled for Oct. 12 and
Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. an Okotoks Town Council Chambers.
MD council elects to sell nine reserve lots
By Darlene Casten
Staff Reporter
In response to the planned sale of up to 25 reserve lots the Foothills
MD council was as divided as the residents who packed council chambers
two weeks ago to oppose the proposal.
After an hour of discussion council agreed to sell off nine acreages that
were not the subject of public outcry during the heated public debate.
The municipal district wants to sell $2 million worth of land to purchase
the land needed for the Heritage Heights and Red Deer Lake schools.
Councillors reserved their decision on 17 other lots under consideration
for sale.
“I’m relieved,” said MD resident Val Ambrose, who spoke
against developing the municipal reserve lot in her rural subdivision
located northeast of Okotoks.
“I don’t want to look outside and see just rows of houses”
she said. “I want to see some countryside.”
Ambrose expected that the lot would be developed into a playground for
the neighbourhood children and has made inquiries with the MD to that
end.
MD staff told her the reserve lot was set aside for recreational uses,
she said.
“The MD does not give out a lot of information,” Ambrose said,
adding that during the public meeting she had been given the impression
that selling the reserve land was not urgent and was not going to happen
right away.
“They look like they are underhandedly going ahead with it without
giving out all the information,” she said.
Councillor Ron Laycraft said communication was a problem, but said he
did not sympathize with the majority of concerns raised at the public
hearing.
“The only thing we have not done well is advertise the uses of municipal
reserves,” said Laycraft, noting that there are at least four uses,
including future residential development. “I think we have a lot
of people whining, frankly.”
Several councillors requested more time to consider what other lots should
be put on the block.
Councillor Ron Chase said that he had told several residents that the
land sale was not urgent and that it would be some time before a decision
was made.
“I haven’t had time to speak with, and properly represent
this, to residents,” Chase said, calling the decision on what lots
to sell ‘politically difficult’.
Following Thursday’s decision almost 50 acres of reserve land will
soon be on the market, but MD municipal manager Harry Riva Cambrin said
up to seven more lots will have to be sold in order to reach the $2 million
mark.
Council requested that administration come back with a list of all 60
reserve lots owned by the MD. They also asked that the list indicate which
lots are subject to concerns raised by residents.
A decision on the remaining lots to be sold is expected at the Oct. 22
council meeting. |
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Shopper Kim Born looks at clothing
at Off The Hook in downtown Okotoks. Downtown Okotoks appears to be
enjoying a renaissance as downtown vacancies are extremely low and
new buildings are being developed. photo by Rae Holtsbaum
Red Deer Lake - New school site finally approved
Some residents still not satisfied with location
By Laurel Nadon
Staff Reporter
While the announcement that the site for the new Red
Deer Lake School has been approved was met with cheers and applause
at the Foothills School Division meeting last week, landowners across
from the site say the decision is destroying their community.
Resident Myanna Klassen, who has lived in the area for eight years
and used to have children attend the existing school, said she’s
watched the community decline over the decisions surrounding the new
school.
“It was never about the building they went to, it was the teachers
and the people in the environment. We’ve watched the steady
decline in education over a new school,” Klassen said.
“This is destroying a community because people don’t sit
down and say, ‘hey, how can we make this a great project for
everyone.’”
Division secretary treasurer Drew Chipman said the division always
tries to take everyone’s concerns into account when deciding
on a school site.
“It’s always a delicate balancing act,” Chipman
said. “We’ve gone through a lengthy process and exhausted
all the avenues to find a school site. I don’t believe everybody’s
happy, but we’ve made the best decision we could with the sites
available.”
At its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 5 the board unanimously app-roved
the site located on the east side of 53rd Street off Highway 22X directly
south of the existing school
Board chairman Jerry Muelaner said, “We’re convinced that
some of our issues have been addressed. We’re moving forward
and not just stuck here.”
He noted that they’re running into some time constraints because
they’ve sold the old school and the new owners take possession
in September 2007.
The school board will now notify the MD of Foothills that based on
a positive report from MPE Engineering, they wish to proceed with
the site.
“They told us the water on that site can be managed effectively,”
Chipman said.
The school will be located on the higher part of the land toward the
north side. Chipman said this makes the most sense as far as terracing
and storm water management.
Barry and Myanna Klassen would like to see the new school located
further up the hill to minimize the impact on residents, instead of
directly west of their home.
“That plants the school directly in front of my home and the
mountain view I paid dearly for,” said Barry Klassen.
The MD of Foothills has purchased the 20 acres for $800,000 and is
currently selling municipal reserve parcels to raise funds for three
schools, including Red Deer Lake School.
The cost to renovate the old school would have been $1.2 million.
(WHAT IS THE COST TO CONSTRUCT A NEW ONE? $5 MILLION?)
Klassen said the building of the new school affects him personally,
but there are also many residents who will lose their municipal reserve
land for the sake of the school.
“As a taxpayer, I look at this land and wonder why on earth
they’d choose this piece of land,” Klassen said, adding
that a third of the land is a natural watercourse, which could be
a safety concern for the children.
He said he’s upset the MD didn’t publicly canvas the area
or ask residents to find out where they would like to have the school.
He said a number of people indicated they would like to see the school
closer to the Priddis area.
“They’re so frustrated that this project has gone on for
this long and they just want to get it done. I can’t believe
that’s the way government works,” Klassen said. “To
me, a rural school should be inside the MD so kids don’t have
to ride the bus as long. Because it’s funded by taxpayers in
the MD, it should be further inside the limits so it serves all the
members of that community.”
Klassen said Chipman told him the school needed to be moved because
of safety concerns due to the nearby highway. Klassen said this doesn’t
make sense as a new Davisburg school (Heritage Heights) is being built
right beside a busy highway.
Chipman said their target completion of the school is Christmas 2006,
but that’s probably optimistic. They expect it will be finished
by the spring or summer of 2007. The project was originally to be
completed by this December.
The division will now finalize design drawings, survey and plot the
land and have geotechnical and soil testing performed. A site check
list and final cost estimate must then be presented to Alberta Infrastructure.
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In this issue...
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Millarville education -
Students dig into
community’s history
• See Entertainment
Fun in the sun -
Foothills Falcons football team
travels to Arizona
See Sports
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