Queen Alexandra is one of many communities in Edmonton undergoing a neighbourhood renewal – along with it, comes new sidewalks in areas that weren’t previously as pedestrian friendly. But some residents are upset that the new sidewalk will take away space on their driveways.
Long-term renters living on 108 Street and 76 Avenue are about to see their driveways cut back by about five-and-a-half feet as the city reclaims its right of way for a new sidewalk.
That means Jay-D McLean’s driveway will go from being 22-feet, to just 16.5-feet long; too short for his 18-foot truck.
“Adding a sidewalk to me – yeah, sure. Go ahead. If it doesn’t cost me my driveway, my neighbour’s driveway, the last remaining parking I have,” he said.
His neighbour Patrick Anderson-Serson is in the same predicament with his truck.
“Are we supposed to buy a tiny little smart car and park it back here?”
The city says it’s trying to connect existing sidewalks along 109 Street and 107 Street to help with accessibility in the area.
“We are installing a new sidewalk along the south side of 77 Avenue. That was identified as a missing link sidewalk,” said neighbourhood renewal director Jeff Ward.
Residents on the block are unable to park in the front too. A bike lane was installed there five years ago.
McLean just found out about the new sidewalk – and shrinking driveway – a few weeks ago.
“He measured my driveway here and told me after they’re done construction I won’t be able to park here because my driveway will be too short. So in five years I’ve lost the parking in front and the back of my home.”
Both residents suggested the city use the existing green space across the street to build a sidewalk.
“I don’t understand why they don’t do something on the other side. Why don’t they do a sidewalk there? It’s just grass,” Anderson-Serson said.
But Ward said that’s not feasible.
“On the north side, we have a lot of things in our way. There’s large boulevard trees.”
The city hosted two community engagement sessions on the project in 2014 and 2015, looking for feedback.
“We do rely on the residents and the property owners, when we do these projects, to inform us of their uses if our infrastructure will be creating concerns for them,” said Ward.
McLean admits he didn’t go, but said he didn’t know he needed to.
“I wouldn’t have been worried about a sidewalk going in because I never thought that it would take away my own parking in my driveway, as well as my neighbours.”
Too late now, said Ward. No complaints came forward from the community engagement session, so the project is moving ahead.
The city did send out notices, by mail, of the sidewalk addition – but the notices only went to the property owners, not long-time renters.
That means these residents will have to find new places to park.
“If we end up having to park two or three blocks away, I don’t know what we’d do.”
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