Infrastructure Development In New Communities

[ninjak84]

I'm especially interested in replies from those living in newly built communities themselves.
After consulting with City of Calgary Developmental Engineers for the last 6 months, I'd like to gather opinions from the public on how the newly built communities in Calgary are coping with their delegated infrastructure development. Of course, any and all opinions are valued.

My personal opinion can be summed up in 1 carefully chosen word : Insufficient.

It is the opinion of every arrogant city official that I've spoken to, that new communities such as Copperfield, Chaparal, etc ... Are being supplied with enough community resources to satisfy the residents. I'm quick to argue this point.

While I live in a FULLY developed community (grocery store, auto service, dining options, community hall), I think it's beyond laughable that a City Engineer (who lives in the downtown core) finds it "Satisfactory" that the residents of Copperfield are left with a gas station and liquor store until the year 2010. Even though some houses have been there for over 4 years. The people making these decisions haven't got a fucking clue as to what it's like to drive 12km to get groceries. Or drive your kids to school everyday.

I'm curious to see how people enjoy paying $500k for a basic home on the city limits, and then get stuck with a gas station, liquor store, and *maybe* a video store as amenities in their communities. Also consider that some of these communities haven't even had their major roads paved yet. No schools ... No healthcare facilities (hospitals are over an hour away!) ... No public recreational options ... Not even a bus route, let alone a C-Train station for 10km sometimes.

So are you happy having paid for your home to get the amenities surrounding you?
What would you add to your community?
What would you have prioritized?

My opinion, and the focus of my topic, is that infrastructure in Calgary is of an extremely poor quality. This is why we succumb to the retarded "crash & boom trends" of late. Government priorities are on building and expanding, instead of maintaining and developing (where they should be).

[modded46]

I'm not sure where you get your information from but you're WAY WAY off.. Since when is there no grocery store within 12km of Copperfield??

I live in a "new" community.. If you consider 4 years old new.. There were two grocery stores and a Wal-Mart here before a majority of the houses were..

So um.. again.. not sure where you get your information from but the city does not tell businesses where they can and can't open.. it's up to the businesses to open and put out the money to build their stores..

Perfect example of this is the Spy Hill development.. Very well done and may stores are going up there as we speak yet there are very few houses directly neighbouring the shops.

[Lex350]

roads? big deal

grocery stores?...whatever


but there isn't a pub in Rocky Ridge. Someone should hang for that!

[ninjak84]

^^ haha

Originally posted by modded46
There were two grocery stores and a Wal-Mart here before a majority of the houses were..

LOL

What more do you need?

Originally posted by modded46
So um.. again.. not sure where you get your information from but the city does not tell businesses where they can and can't open.. it's up to the businesses to open and put out the money to build their stores..

What about schools? Public transport? Rec? Maintenance facilities?

[kaput]

.

[Toma]

LOL... I don't know how that's a city problem. The developers are making untold millions on these crap new communities, and people continue to buy.... suck it up.

Why should the rest of us foot the bill for infrastructure in new developments? We dont make any money off them....

They are closing schools in our neighborhoods so they can build them out in these new "remote" areas....

As far as I am concerned, they should be paying directly for roads, sewage, water etc... They profit what... $200k each on these cheaply built houses... they can donate $100k a house to take the stress out of infrastructure.

[HaganDazs]

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

[frozenrice]

Originally posted by Toma
LOL... I don't know how that's a city problem. The developers are making untold millions on these crap new communities, and people continue to buy.... suck it up.

Why should the rest of us foot the bill for infrastructure in new developments? We dont make any money off them....

They are closing schools in our neighborhoods so they can build them out in these new "remote" areas....

As far as I am concerned, they should be paying directly for roads, sewage, water etc... They profit what... $200k each on these cheaply built houses... they can donate $100k a house to take the stress out of infrastructure.

During the election previous to the most recent one, it was one of Bronco's brilliant ideas to impose a development levy for this very reason. Anyone that has bought a new home since that election (or thereabouts) has paid that levy as it's built into the price of the lot.

[FlySi]

hahaha what a dumb fuck, you called a city engineer to ask why there aren't any grocery stores in your area?

try openin one yourself if u think its such a huge problemo.

[Antonito]

Originally posted by Toma
LOL... I don't know how that's a city problem. The developers are making untold millions on these crap new communities, and people continue to buy.... suck it up.

Why should the rest of us foot the bill for infrastructure in new developments? We dont make any money off them....

They are closing schools in our neighborhoods so they can build them out in these new "remote" areas....

As far as I am concerned, they should be paying directly for roads, sewage, water etc... They profit what... $200k each on these cheaply built houses... they can donate $100k a house to take the stress out of infrastructure.

How long does it take you to figure out the most ignorant thing you can write without simply going "I HATE ANYBODY THAT ISN'T ME THAT MAKES MONEY RARRRARRRRR!!!11!!1"?

So the city, which is mostly just set up as a way to pay for infrastructure without having to personally do it all at once by yourself when you buy a house, is no longer required to pay for new infrastructure? Oh, right, I forgot, you already have a house, so fuck everybody else, right?

Also, I don't understand why you don't understand the concept of property taxes.

[Bimmer88]

Uhh I live in Douglas Dale, and I find it a pain travelling on Deerfoot everymorning at 6:30AM.... always traffic jam... ESPECIALLY AT THE Deerfoot and 24th street northbound double merge lanes!! what smart engineer made that UP!? like he gets paid to make traffic flow smoother... well IT DOESN'T! they should put back the lights! damn even those were better than the double merge. Plus people don't even know how to merge they go 80 when Deerfoot is like 100 -_-...


Err as for school like post sec... IT'S FAR! and public schools... even further! and most schools around this community seems to be Catholic... well I ain't no freaking Catholic! It seems the CBE is on welfare like they have for the past ten decades!

Sigh... needed to vent. I just hate the deep south. It's like the mayor doesn't care.

[autosm]

When I was looking in to that area it was because of services that are close by ?????

Try the north west ,Royal oak and Spy hill are just getting a few things that have been in that area for 5 years .

[Hash_man]

That seems to be the cost of living way out in the deep south/north.

I understand people need to live somewhere, but most people should know this by now when buying a home in these new neighbourhoods. It seems like it has been this way for quite some time, especially the lack of schools/medical facilities.

Eventually the city might start to catch up, but I don't see it happening any time soon. But generally there is a reason why homes much further out are less expensive, and usually it is the fact that they are just further away from almost anything.

[ninjak84]

Originally posted by Toma
Why should the rest of us foot the bill for infrastructure in new developments? We dont make any money off them....

Disagreed! We DO make money off of them ... They contribute to the local economy everyday by living and consuming. There should be an effort to support new developments, as already existing ones don't require as much investment. We all pay property taxes under the same 'roof'.

Hash_man & Bimmer88 understood my point. I'm not sure why others focused on my comments about grocery stores, when the core complaint regards more important facilities such as schools and hospitals. Social, recreational, and business platforms are secondary.

I've witnessed the response to a critical health emergency in the far South East first hand. Definitely not as fast as I'd have wanted it were I the one that needed service!! I would never point the finger at doctors, nurses, or any medical staff ... But I do question the people managing our health facilities.

[max_boost]

Originally posted by ninjak84
I think it's beyond laughable that a City Engineer (who lives in the downtown core) finds it "Satisfactory" that the residents of Copperfield are left with a gas station and liquor store until the year 2010. Even though some houses have been there for over 4 years.

LOL

Are you serious? Is it that difficult to drive up the street to 130th AVE where everything is?

[ninjak84]

Yeesh!

Originally posted by ninjak84
Hash_man & Bimmer88 understood my point. I'm not sure why others focused on my comments about grocery stores, when the core complaint regards more important facilities such as schools and hospitals. Social, recreational, and business platforms are secondary.

Drive up to 130th? Where "everything" is?
I didn't realize they had surgical facilities on 130th Ave ...
What about a center for physical rehabilitation?

[max_boost]

New hospital being built South of 22X, when it will be ready I am not sure.

Center for physical rehab? Now I'm not sure if the govt has a hand in that or if it operates on a private business level.

Schools? Isn't there a new one on the corner of 52nd ST and Prestwick Ave? I saw another on Mt. Mckenzie Drive which isn't too far away.

The City is booming, infrastructure can't keep up, everyone knows that. It takes time and $$$ to get shit done. You want a bus route, LRT, recreational facilities, hospitals all within a distance of what? 5kms? LOL

Who's going to pay for it? You? Me?

Really, at the end of the day who's fault is it? The builders? The City? The people who decided to move all the way out there knowing there is going to be shit all?

[Supa Dexta]

how many residents of this country have surgical facilities outside their front door..? haha

[Mangina]

Originally posted by ninjak84




What about a center for physical rehabilitation?

Are you on crack? How do you figure that the average Calgarian needs a rehab centre? FUCK ME!!!

[modded46]

Originally posted by ninjak84
^^ haha



LOL

What more do you need?



What about schools? Public transport? Rec? Maintenance facilities?

Schools - check (I don't know I don't have kids and don't really care, but I see a lot of schools)

Public Transport - Check (I don't take the bus so I have no idea but I see buses all the time) Grant you the C-train doesn't go far enough but they are working on that now..

Maintenance Facilities - No idea what you're talking about.. Do you mean the road cleaner guys.. well they suck anyway whether they have facilities or not so I don't think that's important

No offense but this thread sucks and you are either pissed off that you missed out on a opportunity you thought you had or you're just a crack head.. Since when do we need a rehab centre within walking distance of everyone's house???

For fuck's sake.. Have you been to crowfoot crossing or spy hill lately?? If you can't find what you're looking for in those two "strip malls", you might as well never leave the house..