The approval and implementation of an affordable homes project in Okotoks has been cast in doubt following the submission of a petition to town council.
Garnering 3,200 signatures, or over 10 per cent of the population, the petition was filed by the Okotoks Ratepayers Community Group. It calls for council to eliminate the taxpayer-funded portion of the project and retract the agreement to build on public land.
In order to be considered valid, the petition required 2,900 signatures.
The conceptual design for the tiny homes project was initially approved by town council in February of this year, highlighted by houses no larger than 550 square feet. The development was to be equipped with solar panels, personal gardens, and built with energy-efficient materials.
“People are not against affordable housing and not against tiny homes” said Ryan Nix, co-founder of the ratepayers group. “What this says is that this particular project and the way it was presented is not what many people are in favour of.”
“People are really focused on how their tax dollars are being spent, and there needs to be a direct benefit for the spending of those dollars.”
Speaking to the level of community engagement revolving around the petition, Nix expressed surprise.
“I wasn’t sure which way this would go when we got our group together and decided to run the petition.
"To have over 50 volunteers come forward to collect signatures, and have the support of local businesses that hosted petitions for us is really impressive,” he added.
Comparing the petition to other forms of municipal engagement, Nix said the community is making a strong statement.
“Budget and master plan surveys get a couple hundred people to fill those out, and we had over 3,000. It’s great the community worked with us and rallied behind us.”
“It shows there’s a significant message there that councillors should listen to: stop using taxpayer dollars on this project.”
Okotoks Councillor Ed Sands interpreted the petition as a lack of understanding by a portion of the community.
“I doubt that a third of the people who signed the petition understand it.”
Sands believes there is a misperception regarding the financial burden of the project on taxpayers,specifically citing the fact that the municipal government already has funds set aside for infrastructure spending.
“The reality is that there is no incremental costs to current residents. There is no incremental costs. The money’s in the bank, and it’s frustrating to see the opposition.”
If the project is ultimately defeated, Sands stated there could be a long-term impact on the future of affordable developments in the community.
“We’re going to find ourselves in that unenviable position of asking “why do other places get all these grants?”
"That’s because they don’t have these petitions against them," he added. "When we have innovation we’re chasing it away, and that disturbs me.”
“It may be an opportunity lost.”
Pending approval by the Okotoks CAO as valid, the petition will be ready for council’s consideration at their next scheduled meeting on August 19.
Any Okotoks residents who wish to have their names removed from the petition can call legislative services at 403-995-2774 or by completing the online form.https://www.okotoks.ca/town-services/contact-info/online?ref=Legislative%20&%20Policy%20Services%20Legislative%20&%20Policy%20Services
Residents opposed to the petition have until August 24 to file a counter-petition.
