Dear Winnipeggers,

You are invited to a meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 9^th at the University Women's Club, 54 Westgate, to discuss the huge Plan Winnipeg amendment to permit redevelopment of land at Sterling Lyon Parkway and Kenaston Boulevard that was announced Thursday, March 5^th.

This application is being rushed prior to an open house being held on Wednesday, March 11^th at the J.B Mitchell School Gymnasium (4:00 to 8:00 p.m.) and a hearing by the Executive Policy Committee at 510 Main Street on Wednesday, March 18^th beginning at 9:00 a.m.  The application and recent media reports can be found at these links:

http://www.winnipeg.ca/ppd/planning/SterlingLyon/

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/ikea_project_to_add_6m_to_city_taxes-40835312.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/03/05/mb-city-ikea.html

MMM is proposing, on behalf of Winnipeg Intermodal and 5083851 Manitoba Ltd., to redesignate 196.3 acres of land at the south west and north west corners of Kenaston and Sterling Lyon Parkway from industrial to neighbourhood policy area to create a "super regional" commercial "destination centre" larger than Polo Park. 

IKEA is to be the 350,000-square-foot anchor tenant. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg for a much larger development that will also include a separate 200,000-square-foot big-box store, two stores in the 140,000 to 200,000 square-foot range, numerous smaller stores, a 500-unit condo development, a 100-room hotel, a 16-screen movie theatre and a 150,000-square-foot office park.

The citizens of the bordering River Heights-Fort Garry ward will feel the traffic affects.  They have been without a representative at city hall for almost a year and will have cast their votes for a new, rookie councillor the day before the EPC hearing. 

We were hoodwinked on one Plan Winnipeg amendment -

"Hoodwinked? Winnipeggers were promised a utopian suburban Waverley West, but scaled-back plans have dashed expectations and created a very different reality."  Winnipeg Free Press, February 15, 2009. 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/hood-winked-39632472.html

Are we prepared to stand by to be hoodwinked on another Plan Winnipeg amendment?

The priority in Plan Winnipeg - approved by City Council and the province - is Downtown First.  Who is standing up for downtown and planning in Winnipeg? City Council has also made a commitment to facilitate a reduction in community-wide greenhouse gas emissions. Although transportation is the largest source of GHG emissions in Winnipeg, they appear poised to approve what will likely be the most auto-dependant large retail development in Winnipeg’s history.
 

Hope to see you Monday evening.

Elizabeth Fleming