The yeas had it on Nov. 8 at a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of lands to be used for the new University College of the North (UCN) campus.
Of 14 delegations heard by city council, nine spoke unquestionably in favour of the rezoning, while the other five officially registered as objectors - though none of the five were completely against the proposal, and three of the five specifically stated that they would even allow student housing on the proposed site under different circumstances.
Housing has been the focal point for opponents of the plan, with reasons for objection ranging from its status as family housing to its proximity to the Wildlife Association shooting range to its impact on the proposed wolf park.
The first delegation council heard was speaking on behalf of UCN, and consisted of UCN vice-presidents Kathryn McNaughton and Chris Reddy.
"A number of our learners have children, supporting the need for family housing," explained McNaughton. "Affordable housing for students' families is UCN's priority." The idea that UCN does not fit the traditional demographic makeup of other universities was a common refrain throughout the night, with several delegations noting that UCN has a comparatively high proportion of students who have already started families before deciding to return to school, which is why family housing is the priority for UCN at this point.
McNaughton also told council that anybody living in the proposed housing - whether students or family of students - would have to abide by a strict set of rules set out by UCN, including no smoking, no alcohol permitted, 24 hours' notice and registration required for overnight guests, and a zero-tolerance policy for anybody found breaking any of the rules.
Of those objecting to the rezoning - primarily representatives of or people otherwise involved with the Wildlife Association or Spirit Way Inc. - one of the most prevalent suggestions was that the housing could remain on the proposed site, but rather than exist as 24 single units, take the form of a multi-storey building that could remain family housing.
"We all recognized that we need housing, we all recognize that we need the campus," said Spirit Way Inc. president Marion Morberg. "The housing is totally inappropriate for the space," she continued. "We are building the most expensive kind of housing there." Morberg added that a multi-storey building would take up less space on the site, allowing more room for future expansion of either the housing or the overall campus.
As this was a public hearing, councillors were not able to offer their own opinions or feedback on the issue, not even as a direct response to the delegations. The next step for the development is second reading of the rezoning bylaw, which is scheduled for Nov. 15. Had there not been any objectors, third reading could have also taken place on that date.
Coun. Brad Evenson voluntarily removed himself from council chambers at the beginning of the hearing, citing a "possible perceived conflict of interest by some." Aside from Coun. Judy Kolada, who was not in attendance, all other councillors were present and remained for the duration of the hearing.
