Courtesy: CHAT Newsroom

By Angela Kazmierczak

Irvine residents discuss next steps to delay construction of the new resource centre

Mar 17, 2023 | 12:46 PM

IRVINE, AB – Last month Cypress County approved building the new Irvine Community Resource Centre in Woodward Memorial Park.

The new resource centre is a $1.5-million project, funded by the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, a provincial grant. Set to be built by the end of 2023, the 3,600-square-foot facility includes a library, board room, outdoor playground and park space.

Irvine residents, and other county residents opposed to the chosen location of the new library, met Thursday at the Irvine Sports Centre to discuss their next steps.

As Cypress County approved the project on Feb. 22, this is one of the Citizens Advocacy Association’s last attempts at delaying the construction of the resource center.

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During the meeting, Amber Coderre, secretary of the Citizens Advocacy Association, said the residents felt excluded from the planning of the centre’s location.

The residents are also concerned that building in Woodward Memorial Park would erase Irvine’s history, eliminate its only forested area and endanger kids due to its placement near the rail tracks. They suggest renovating the old library or building it near the Irvine Sports Centre instead.

Cypress County has previously countered some of the claims, saying the center’s been in planning for five years and surveys, among other communications, asked for their feedback on the proposed location. No feedback was given, and the library board gave the go-ahead to build.

The association claims that Cypress County’s library board voted on the location, not Irvine’s library board.

The county says the current location was selected after assessing other sites and found it to be ideal for revitalizing the downtown area. The association claims the park being zoned as “public use” means the council doesn’t require consultation from the community to build. Legal counsel told the group that the handling of the center wasn’t illegal but unethical.

Woodward Memorial Park was previously donated to Cypress County by members of the community.

Residents also say the construction of the building is being done in haste, as the county needs to complete construction by Dec. 31, 2023. Otherwise, the county will lose funding and have to cover any remaining costs. They fear that a failed inspection or a potential chain supply issue could too easily happen, making it an irresponsible handling of funds.

Despite the county’s plans to go ahead with the centre, Coderre says the association isn’t giving up just yet. In the coming weeks, the group plans to put pressure on the councillors and county by asking further questions about the project.