PRESENT: RESIDENTS ANTICIPATE SERIOUS PROBLEMS DUE TO …

FUTURE: ABRUPT AND MASSIVE CHANGE IN SOUTH OSBORNE

CAUSE:  SUPER-SIZED FORT ROUGE RAIL YARDS  CONDO DEVELOPMENT

FACT: This is the biggest infill development in Winnipeg’s history, potentially doubling the population of Lord Roberts.   Most local residents are not opposed to transit-oriented development or rapid transit.   However, neighbours express serious concerns about the effects of this one.

CONCERNS:

Impaired Quality of Life: Decimation of greenspace, lack of privacy due to looming towers, pollution of air and water, noise pollution, traffic congestion, soil toxicity, high traffic around school and playgrounds, over-population, sewage back-ups, destruction of urban forest by heavy traffic.

Residents are also worried about social impacts as well as physical ones.   This project could add many more rentals to this area that is already half rentals.

Governance Gap: Residents feel this project was created without proper planning required by Plan Winnipeg and Complete Communities.  It does not comply with Winnipeg’s  Infill Development Guidelines or with the Transit-Oriented Development Guidelines.

Residents are worried the City is binding residents to the inconsistent FRRY Area Master Plan, but not the developers.  (See the Problems pages for details.)  We have heard that the City may approve significant expansions/amendments to the developers’ plans without public consultations.

Although a South Osborne Neighbourhood Plan has been on the books for a decade (see History page), it will not happen until 2012.  A Plan involves residents in guiding neighbourhood changes well before they receive City approval.  This development has had no such obligation.

Residents are concerned about the absense of meaningful public consultation (see History section).

HOPES: We look forward to the City showing that it can respect community voices and can comply with all laws and by-laws.

Our message to the City: Do it right.

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  Margaret Mead
“Politics is the art of preventing people from sticking their noses in things that are properly their business.”  Paul Valéry