Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP staff

By Shaun Penner

Sale yet to be ratified

Rezoning of Stonebridge Hotel land approved for proposed Coordinated Care Campus

Jun 29, 2021 | 12:27 AM

Grande Prairie City Council has voted in favour of re-zoning the property of the Stonebridge Hotel, which moves the proposed Coordinated Care Campus project one step closer to being approved.

The proposed project would create a social services hub at the current hotel and conference centre at 100 Street and 121 Avenue, which would co-locate 120 community supportive housing units on the city’s north end with 24/7 wraparound supports, such as onsite medical care, mental health and addictions supports, food, recreation, and other needed programming.

While the rezoning was approved, council opted to postpone discussion surrounding a development permit for the site, pending council getting a detailed landscaping plan from administration for the property.

“Council’s decided that this could be a good fit for the neighbourhood, but it needs more detail to figure out exactly what it might look like,” said Councillor Dylan Bressey. “Council wants more details on the landscaping plan, before we’ll consider whether or not to approve a development permit.”

Some of those landscaping details council would like to be presented with prior to making a decision on the development permit include what outdoor amenities would be provided at the site for residents, as well as what fencing and security would be installed at the site.

The decisions came following over four hours of debate on the topic during Monday’s meeting, including hearing public delegations speak on the matter.

While the conversation from public delegates remained split on whether the site of the current hotel was the best place for such a project, Bressey says it is fair to say most people can agree that this type of facility is needed to provide a better path to recovery-oriented care.

“I think anyone in our community would recognize that our approach to homelessness isn’t working,” said Bressey. “We all might have different opinions on how to address it, but we all recognize that the status quo isn’t working.”

He adds he feels the community wants more supportive housing units to help address the city’s goal of ending chronic homelessness in Grande Prairie.

“So that we are giving people a realistic path to healing, but also so that we’re eliminating nuisance behaviour in the community. And also, frankly, so we are saving taxpayer dollars, since we spend so much on RCMP and fire and other emergency response.”

Some property owners surrounding the Stonebridge site did speak out as delegates in opposition of turning the hotel into a supportive housing project.

Bressey says despite administration and many in the community wanting this project to go ahead, council does need to take in the concerns of those in the surrounding area of the site to try and address those issues before any decision can be made.

“I think those (concerns) always do deserve consideration, and always should be part of council’s decision making process,” he added. “I think it is very valid for people in the neighbourhood to bring up their very site specific concerns, and council should consider them.

“Whether or not that’s enough to stop the project will be up to council, but they certainly should be considered.”

The proposed project is a key pillar in the city’s three-year strategy of improving the homelessness situation in Grande Prairie, which heavily emphasizes the need for more supportive housing units with wraparound services for those caught in the cycle of homelessness.

“When you look at the history of homelessness, and you look at causes and some of the factors that contribute to homelessness, we know that is not just about providing a home,” said Housing and Homeless Initiatives Supervisor for the city Katherine Schmidt, back in May.

“Individuals come from a place of trauma, they come from abuse, they come from a place of struggling with addictions and violence on the streets. We have the opportunity here, because of the size of the space to really have that recovery-oriented system of care.”

She added this type of facility, especially its size, would be quite unique and could be a potential leader in recovery-oriented care.

“I think the opportunities that are going to be opened up, in regards to this Coordinated Care Campus, is going to be something very innovative and I feel it is going to be something that other parts of Alberta, and even nationally, are going to be saying ‘look at the great stuff that is happening in that City of Grande Prairie’.”

The discussion around the development permit will now move forward to a future council meeting.

Council must approve the development permit and ratify the sale of the property prior to the city officially purchasing the hotel for $12.5 million.

All discussions on this topic since May, including Monday’s council meeting, have been without Interim Mayor Jackie Clayton, who has recused herself from all discussions and voting due to the fact she was previously employed by the seller of the hotel.

“Not that there is any pecuniary benefit or gain for me in this project, the biggest piece is that there is a perceived bias,” said Clayton.

“I did work for the seller of this project over three years ago. I’m no longer involved with this organization. I can’t undo the fact that I worked for this organization in the past, but I just wanted to be very clear and transparent that with a perceived bias and conflict, I’ve just removed myself from all discussions in regards to this project.”