Dear editor,
Crossfield residents are being asked to vote on a location for the new civic centre and one of the choices is Banta Park.
During a public hearing last summer, I had an opportunity to voice my concerns about this location and would like to remind Crossfield residents of the issues I raised.
The cost to build the civic centre will run into the millions of dollars. In the future, the building will require costly additions and renovations to keep up with Crossfield’s growth. It will not be economically viable to move the facility again in the foreseeable future.
Every expansion to the building or its parking lot will further reduce the size of Banta Park. At what point will the residents of Crossfield be forced to tell the Town “no more” in order to save what will be left of the park? Or will the residents accept the fact that the park could completely disappear?
On any given day, at the present Town office location, delivery trucks, graders, gravel trucks, street sweepers, garbage trucks, fire fighting apparatus, daily customers, contractors, developers, staff as well as bylaw vehicles all require parking. Evening meetings are held frequently and they also generate a host of traffic.
Then, add children using the same park during the same hours. Do we really want this type of vehicular traffic in the park where the children play? Multi-zoning in a park, especially of this nature, should not be considered.
While my intent is not to tell you which location to choose, I am asking you not to choose the Banta Park location. Let’s keep our park a park and keep our children safer.
Jo Tennant, Crossfield
