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An open house on Wednesday marks one of the final stops on the road to approval of the planWhyte Land Use Study, a vision for the future of the Strathcona neighbourhood that has been in the works since 2015. The draft study has been built on public input collected from three past engagements that began in 2016, with the previous one held in June 2017.
According to a City release, participants attending the open house will be asked to confirm design concepts and policy directions for the draft land use study ahead of its completion and final presentation to the Urban Planning Committee in spring 2018.
Administration examined the effectiveness of the existing Strathcona Area Redevelopment Plan in 2015 through a series of meetings, focus groups, case study reviews, and an online survey. They uncovered potential faults in the plan, which provided for strong heritage protections, but hindered opportunities for "desirable intensification." The move to launch a focused land use study in the wake of recent development pressure was supported by administration and council's executive committee. The planWhyte project was initiated in 2016 and is now entering its final stages.
It is expected to lead to a number of recommendations and formal amendments to the Strathcona ARP that strengthen preservation of heritage assets in the core commercial area, identify opportunities for additional development outside the core area, and enhance the quality of urban design within the Whyte Avenue corridor area.
The open house will be held on Wednesday, December 13 from 6 to 9 PM at the Old Timers Cabin (9430 Scona Road).
More information about Plan Whyte can be found on the City's website or at our Forum thread.
