Proposed London Road Park rezoning rejected by Lethbridge city council

LETHBRIDGE -

A potential redevelopment of part of London Road Park won't be going ahead.

The proposed rezoning needed for the plan took centre stage at a city council public hearing Tuesday evening.

About 10 residents spoke with most being against the plan.

After some debate, council rejected the proposal.

"I was thrilled. It was very stressful, going across, listening to the council cast their votes and opposed. It was very stressful," said Chandra Deaust, president of the London Road Neighbourhood Association.

The plan would have seen about a quarter of the park and a next-door property redeveloped into medium-density housing.

While this would provide some housing, there was also another reason.

It would have improved sightlines into the park in an attempt to reduce illegal activities like drug use.

"This can't go away. Some of the comments out of this said maybe there's a better opportunity for more police presence to make their way through those areas. So there's other ways we can deal with this," said Mayor Blaine Hyggen.

The rejected rezoning is a big win for the London Road Neighbourhood Association.

Their biggest concern would have been the loss of green space.

Parks and green spaces take up about 2.4 per cent of the neighbourhood, which is the second-lowest in the city.

"Our opposition was always exclusively the loss of green space, which once it's gone is almost impossible to regain. That park also houses quite a few very mature trees and those trees have value," Deaust said.

Changes could still be coming to London Road Park.

Council and members of the neighbourhood association agree something has to be done to address illegal activities in the park.