Calgary flood-damaged homes will be destroyed, province wants input on what to do with land
17 houses will be torn down and now the government is meeting with residents to plan next steps
People living near homes abandoned after the 2013 flood will soon have their say on what should be done with the land once the houses are torn down.
The province announced in December that it plans to tear down 17 properties in Elbow Park, Rideau and Roxboro and is holding a community meeting this week to help develop plans for the properties until flood mitigation projects are complete.
"I just want 'em to do something fast and get the houses down," said Hugh McMillan, who lives across the street from one of the abandoned properties along the Elbow River.
"It's been way too long. They should have had these houses torn down years ago. It could be infested with mould and who knows what else."
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Brenda Leeds Binder is co-president of the Calgary River Communities Action Group and says there are currently safety concerns with the abandoned homes.
"There has been criminal activity around those homes, so it certainly is a concern for some of those neighbours," she said.
The meeting will include Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee and is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday at River Park Church.
Leeds Binder is happy the process includes public input.
"In my view I think at a minimum they need to be landscaped and well maintained," she said.
