Dream of school appears finished

Developers of the Arbor Creek subdivision are now closer to filling land formerly designated for schools with single-family homes.

Saskatoon’s public and Catholic school boards have taken plans for a new elementary school in Arbor Creek off their agendas.

"We’ve been chasing a school in Arbor Creek for a long time and it’s become evident in the last couple years that it’s not likely to happen," said Ray Morrison, chair of the Saskatoon public school board, said at a board meeting Tuesday.

The public board placed a request for an elementary school in the neighbourhood on its five-year capital plan in 1996. Construction was hoped for in 2000. In 2003, a school was designated for Arbor Creek as part of the Catholic school board’s five-year capital plan.

In 2007, both public and Catholic boards decided to focus on Willowgrove instead, which will become a more densely populated area, and moved the project up in priority. An announcement of provincial funding for a new shared public-Catholic school in Willowgrove came in March.

Dundee Realty has since formally requested the Arbor Creek site be re-evaluated to develop both school division sites as new residential housing. The company has begun the process to rezone the sites.

A letter to the Catholic school board says Dundee’s plan is to develop 45 single-family lots. The two sites under redevelopment are separated by Arbor Creek Park off Horlick Crescent and Wright Crescent.

On Monday, the Catholic board passed a resolution to remove Arbor Creek from the 2010 five-year capital plan for the division.

The public board on Tuesday approved a recommendation to delete construction of a new school in the neighbourhood from its 2011-15 five-year capital plan.

"I’d hope that whoever has the authority to decide what to do with the land does recognize that people bought in those communities with possibly mistaken information there would, in fact, be a school," said trustee Dan Danielson. "I think there needs to be some consideration that some of the land be used for some of the aesthetic benefits you would get when a school is in your area.

"In my humble opinion, I think power of the pocketbook or the power of the profits seems to override the power of good common sense when it comes to city development."

Morrison said residents of the area are still seeking further consultation on plans for the land.