Cyclists coming to the Foothills are causing a parking crunch in Priddis, but some residents say the MD’s proposed solution will just invite more bikes to the area.
The MD of Foothills hosted a public open house at the Priddis Community Hall on Jan. 26, where residents were shown drawings of a proposed gravel parking lot with about 40 spaces on existing municipal reserve land immediately west of the View and Brew on Priddis Valley Road.
Coun. Suzanne Oel said the rest of the land could be used for a playing field and community garden, amenities area residents indicated interest in on a survey issued by the Priddis Community Association.
She said the configuration of the lands is not set in stone and the MD will take into account feedback provided at the open house.
“Essentially people were parking there anyway and we have to make it legal because it’s a municipal reserve and that becomes a liability issue,” said Oel.
Meetings with larger cyclist groups have taken place since the summer ended and Oel said they’ve been making some ground to inform user groups of issues in the hamlet, including limited parking. The biggest concern with vehicles is having visitors take up the community hall parking lot, leaving no room for people having events like weddings in the hall.
The community association has also started roping off the parking lot when there are events at the hall, but the problem then is many cyclists don’t know where to go and park illegally on the road or in the municipal reserve, she said.
“We have to find a way to manage the pressure coming here,” said Oel. “We’ve got residents who don’t want the cyclists here at all and some want to welcome them for business, so we need to find solutions.”
Priddis resident Jocelyn Burrows said the parking lot makes no sense to her.
She said the only time she’s known parking to be a real issue is during big community events like the Stampede breakfast and an antique sale.
“I think it’s an awful idea,” said Burrows. “We as a community don’t need it, so the only reason to have it is because of the cyclists coming from the city. I think inviting more of them here is just a huge mistake.”
She said there will be maintenance costs for snow removal and garbage collection.
“I wonder how much it’s going to come back on the community to take care of and why would we pay for something we don’t need?” said Burrows.
She likes the idea of a playing field and community garden, but feels the MD is taking the wrong approach.
“Let’s just wait, because the parking lot will be a necessity when we have soccer fields or ball parks, of course it will,” said Burrows. “We’re putting the cart before the horse here. It makes no sense.”
Andrea Riquelme, who lives adjacent to the municipal reserve, said she’d rather see the land remain as a natural area with walking trails for community members to enjoy.
“We want that space to be used for our community and it sounds the way it’s been presented that it’s being meant for people outside our community, as far as the parking lot is concerned,” said Riquelme.
She said current parking facilities in the hamlet are sufficient. At most, the community needs to install more signage directing people to the lots at Pioneer Park, she said.
There is rarely a need for overflow parking in the municipal reserve, she said. In the nine years she’s lived in Priddis, she said she’s never seen people from the community drive to the site.
“Nine years isn’t a long time, but it’s a good enough time to get a feel for what the community’s been like,” said Riquelme. “It’s been a natural piece of land and whatever parking there has been has been informal.”
But the informal parking is precisely the issue, says Jeff Edgington, supervisor of infrastructure and public works for the MD of Foothills.
“It hasn’t been an issue, but it could be,” Edgington told residents at the open house. “[The MD is] liable for the damage to their vehicles even though they’re parking there illegally.”
He said the lot would protect the MD, serve visitors to the hamlet and alleviate some of the traffic concerns.
“They’re not going to go away,” said Edgington. “And it’s not something we can do, to force them out. But we can control them once they’re off the highway. If they’re parking on roads, we can fix that. If they’re parking in the reserve, we can fix that, or allow that.”
There is further benefit to providing a space for cyclists to park, he said. It could make the hamlet more inviting for visitors from outside the community, which he said could boost business.
A legal parking lot could also make Priddis more attractive for larger events and overnight stays, which also carries economic benefit, he said.
“I know a lot of people are upset and thinking they don’t want to do that, but if you look at the larger scale of it, it’s good for the community,” said Edgington. “This could help provide community visibility.”
Lynne Norem, owner of the View and Brew, said she welcomes the parking lot next door to her business. She said she’s working with the MD to have an access from her property to the parking lot, to allow for easier traffic flow in and out of the area.
“It’s all I hear, is that it’s for the cyclists,” said Norem. “I’m thinking it’s not for the cyclists, it’s to keep them off the road for us. There’s a need for them to have a place to park, or other people to park during big events. It’s necessary.”
