Save the COP Eastlands/Paskapoo Slpoes

[asp integra]

Posting this hear to get some more attention to it. There are plans to build on the COP eastlands (the parkland just to the east of COP) This would wipe out alot of land that people use for hiking/runing/biking etc.
I would hate to see another "mall" take over when so many retail spaces are now vacant in the city.

You can sign the petition here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/City_of_Calgary_Mayor_Nenshi_STOP_all_development_on_Paskapoo_slopes/?asyutjb

And get more info on it here: http://savetheslopes.org/

[ExtraSlow]

So this has been private land for a long time AFAIK, are you proposing that the city purchase the land at fair market value and turn it into a park, or just proposing that we block development and screw over the landowner by making that land worthless?

[spikerS]

Originally posted by asp integra
Posting this hear to get some more attention to it. There are plans to build on the COP eastlands (the parkland just to the east of COP) This would wipe out alot of land that people use for hiking/runing/biking etc.
I would hate to see another "mall" take over when so many retail spaces are now vacant in the city.

You can sign the petition here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/City_of_Calgary_Mayor_Nenshi_STOP_all_development_on_Paskapoo_slopes/?asyutjb

And get more info on it here: http://savetheslopes.org/

This comes up every few years.

I thought last time it was declared a preserve or some such but allowed winsport (COP) to use and maintain it.

*edit* I thought so...


Paskapoo Slopes Park is designated as Environmental Reserve (ER) which is the legal term referring to land designated as environmental reserve by a subdivision authority or a municipality under Division 8.[29][30] As such the area of the Paskapoo Slopes designated as an Environmental Reserve (ER) must be "left in its natural state or be used as a public park."[31] Jason Unger of the Environmental Law Centre of Edmonton, Alberta explains how the designation Environmental Reserves (ER) allows municipalities to use this preservation and planning tool for environment protection of dedicated lands.[32]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paskapoo_Slopes

[spikerS]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
So this has been private land for a long time AFAIK, are you proposing that the city purchase the land at fair market value and turn it into a park, or just proposing that we block development and screw over the landowner by making that land worthless?

whatever landowner "owns" it is already screwed over, but still trying to get around it.

[speedog]

Originally posted by spikerS


This comes up every few years.

I thought last time it was declared a preserve or some such but allowed winsport (COP) to use and maintain it.

*edit* I thought so...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paskapoo_Slopes

Environmental reserve - well that's odd as the CoC shows it as zoned AG-B on their land use maps, link' (http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Documents/lud_section_maps/1p2007/27W.pdf).

[speedog]

Too many people have been using this privately owned land as their personal playground for far too many years - yes, that's part of the problem that the land owner never did anything to keep people out and now these same people just expect the land owner to bow down to their wishes. I'd be pissed if I was the land owner and especially so as the current proposals do actually preserve a lot of what people are up in arms about.

What's more bullshit is people are upset that sensitive lands are to be developed when in fact the proposal is for the most part just affecting lands that don't have native vegetation and have been used to graze cattle in the past - the wooded sloped areas are being left alone. But it's the flatter open areas that people use for the most part to run their dogs or whatever - too lazy to actually go up into the wilder areas.

How convenient that the SaveTheSlopes web site calls everything a 'pristine natural environment' when in fact the lower portion is not natural by any means - if the natural bush and such were still there, no one would be out there.

[schocker]

Originally posted by speedog
Too many people have been using this privately owned land as their personal playground for far too many years - yes, that's part of the problem that the land owner never did anything to keep people out and now these same people just expect the land owner to bow down to their wishes. I'd be pissed if I was the land owner and especially so as the current proposals do actually preserve a lot of what people are up in arms about.
:werd:
Private land, their proposals seem more than reasonable on preservation

[speedog]

Originally posted by schocker

Private land, their proposals seem more than reasonable on preservation
Agreed but almost 5,000 people have signed the petition already because they walk around with their blinders on.

[01RedDX]

.

[speedog]

Developer has offered to pay for interchange as part of plan - CBC (story) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/developer-offers-to-pay-for-interchange-as-part-of-paskapoo-slopes-plan-1.3128821].

Of course, the Paskapoo Save the Slopes people and those of that ilk are still conveniently touting the loss of supposed natural spaces (which much of the lower section is not natural and was farms at one time) and also conveniently omitting the fact that these are privately owned lands, not public lands, private lands upon which many trespass to run their dogs or walk/hike on themselves.

Do I think the upper/mid-level areas which have never been farmed or developed in any way should be saved - sure and the developer's proposals are doing just that.

Problem is the Paskapoo STS people are up in arms about the lower areas which have been utilized well back into the 50's as farm lands and not as anything truly natural. Of course, these are the flatter lands that most people use which are also the most unnatural lands but all the protesters seem to conveniently omit these facts - they scream about the forests and streams but none of this is in the lower sections where the land owner wishes to develop things and where pockets of forest and stream exist in the lower sections, the proposal is not to pave that over.

So, so much bull shit from the Save the Slopes people.

[egmilano]

Good place to smoke weed and ride my mountain bike but other than that who cares, Its private property like the signs say... Only good think about the land is catching couples fucking in their cars at the top !