Ponoka & District Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year 2008 Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012
Vol. 64, No. 37
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DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF PONOKA
Land rezoned for commercial development By Amelia Naismith Approximately seven acres, directly west of the St. Augustine school, is being rezoned from commercial expansion to highway commercial and, at a public hearing, community members made it clear they’re not happy retail may be developed on the land. Although no one who attended voiced an outright opposition to the project, many concerns were brought before
council and Robert Traylen, who attended the meeting on behalf the company buying the property from the Ponoka Stampede and Exhibition Association. The concern voiced most regularly was the safety risks that would come with developing retail units in an area with neighborhoods full of children on one side and St. Augustine School on the other. According to Jim Hamilton, owner of Hamilton’s IGA, based on the square footage of the proposed retail units
there could be 1,500 vehicles going through that retail area per day. “We have a young family and where our house is, is kind of on a corner of what is looking like a proposed access point,” said Lacey Elliott, who lives on a street neighboring the area. “The safety factor of having children moving about the residential area with the increased traffic is a concern for us.” Continued on page 10
Working behind a wall of paint. Josh McBride with Clean Harbors loads paint cans for recycling at the Toxic Round Up Sept. 14 at the fire hall. See page 27 for story. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
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