Westwood Court residents finally had their say at town hall and council was forced to hear an important provincial technical guidance manual for setting up waste transfer sites was overlooked during the town's planning process.
“Administration was remiss in not telling us that or bringing that to the table,” said Mayor Brian Spiller following a pair of emotional presentations by Westwood trailer park residents at council's regular meeting on July 14. “Administration can't know about every bylaw and every recommendation from the Alberta government (but) this is one we would have probably liked to have seen.”
An overflowing audience of almost 40 residents from the mobile home park crammed into the council chamber in a united stance against the town's plan to move the current waste transfer site to town-owned green space beside the trailer court, which is home to at least 230 citizens. When it was over, council did not cancel the plan but Spiller did promise there would be an open house in September to hear all citizens' concerns.
Westwood resident Dan Giesbrecht, one of two speakers representing trailer park residents, made several references from Alberta Environment's 127-page transfer station technical guidance manual, including those that deal with community consultation and setbacks from residential areas.
While the document recommends a setback of 300 metres away from residential areas the town is proposing the new waste transfer site be 4.5 metres from Westwood trailer court.
“That opens up some red flags for me,” said Spiller.
The provincial manual also devotes more than an entire page with recommendations on community consultation, an issue that has expecially angered mobile park citizens, who say they were left in the dark during the entire planning process for the town's new waste transfer site.
“In general, the community should be regularly infromed throughout the transfer station planning and development process,” said the report.
When the motion to relocate the waste transfer site was approved on April 28 there was only one reference to the trailer court in the document presented to council.
“The location in the north of the Town yard will require consideration for the nearby residential areas,” said the report to council. “This means providing a buffer along the south side of the West Park [sic] Mobile Home Park and keeping the smellier and louder activities as far away from the residential area as possible.”
The presentations to council on July 14 by Giesbrecht and his neighbour Don Corcoran were backed up by the attenance of mobile park owner Don Petersen, as well as the delivery of an in-park Letter of Opposition and an outside community-at-large petition with more than 250 total signatures against the town plan.
“It was like think about it. Do you want this dump in your backyard, whatever you want to call it?,” said Corcoran after his presentation in referring to the town's claim the new site will be more of a recycling and solid waste depot than a waste transfer site. “You can change the name but really when you talk to people a dump is a dump and we really don't want this, not when there are other alternatives.”
Corcoran and Giesbrecht both said they were both pleased with the trailer court turnout at the council meeting and the reception they received, despite no questions or comments from council members - other than Spiller - following their presentations.
“Council (Spiller) did suggest that at the open house in the fall they might have another location on the table of discussion, and for us that is a real success that it would be willing to look at other locations for the waste transfer site,” said Giesbrecht. “That tells us that council is ready to hear the citizens.”
Meanwhile, at least two councilors, Danny Rieberger and Heather Taylor, said after the Westwood court presentations that while they were impressed with the research and passion from the trailer park residents they were not swayed to change their decision about moving the waste transfer site next to the mobile home park.
“Nothing I heard tonight will sway me but I am interested in talking to them at the open house and show our side,” said Rieberger, adding he believed there was misinformation presented about rodents and burning of waste. “I am looking forward to putting out the true information out to the citizens.”
A date and location for the September open house has not yet been set.
