Continuing Crescent Acres expansion is the City’s focus

Crescent Acres sits on the northeastern corner of Coun. Martin Ring’s Ward 7. He is happy with the progress the City is making in the area.

“When I was first elected, I came in at a time when we had very limited residential lots available and we really kind of put a push onto ensure that we are kind of ahead of the curve and ready for new development as it comes on,” Ring said.

But if there is a concern that arises for him out of this, it’s the need for a plan to be put into place for a Marquis Road extension or something that would get the population out of the area.

“Right now, it’s starting to get a little bit congested for getting people out of the area,” Ring said.

In terms of recreational facilities in the community, there’s an outdoor rink and ball diamonds, but Ring said a splash park would be the next thing the City would need to start looking at over the next year to two years.

With the growing community, he also sees there being added pressure on the education system, affecting both school systems. This could mean a look at either expansions to existing schools or there may be a need for another school to be built.

As for what is behind the demand for homes in Crescent Acres, Ring attributes some of that to the fact it’s the newest area in the city.

“I think we’re getting ourselves very close to the outmost eastern boundary of our city that we’ve got described so far. And then, you know, probably our next phase of residential development will probably be pushing more to the west,” he said.

There are about three more phases left to complete in the Crescent Acres area before the City moves its focus elsewhere for future developments in Prince Albert, according to Mayor Greg Dionne.

“Once we finish off at the Acres, our plan is to move to the West Hill.”

When the western expansion resumes, it will be guided by the West Hill Master Plan. The plan was first put together in 1999, and updated in 2012.

Dionne said the next housing developments there will be around the Alfred Jenkins Field House.

When the City does turn its attention to development in the West Hill, it won’t be developing plots exclusively for houses. Instead it will be developing for a mixture of units, including condominiums.

“We’ve learned our lesson in the past, so when we do new subdivisions, we’re going to show new plots of land that will be for condos, plots of land that will be for townhouses, plots of land that will be for apartments, so that we get more density in those areas.”

But Dionne said the City is likely three years away from making more concrete plans for lot development in the West Hill area.

“We have 65 lots for sale now in the Acres, so we won’t move to the next street until we pretty well sell more of those. We don’t want to have any more inventory, I think than 60.”

But, as Dionne said, the City’s focus is on finishing development in Crescent Acres.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

Continuing Crescent Acres expansion is the City’s focus

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