West St. Paul residents angry over planned school bus lot

West St. Paul residents are crying foul over a proposed school bus parking lot and maintenance facility that will bring dozens of buses into their backyards every day.  

Dorothy Kleiber, who lives less than 300 feet away, is worried it will bring noise, traffic and collisions — and says residents weren't properly consulted.

"I call it the bus depot next door to me," Kleiber said.

"Put yourself in my position. I live right next door. There's nothing but field and put 50 buses beeping at seven o'clock in the morning," said the resident of 20 years. "Increase the traffic and I'll have 140 cars in front of my home. How am I going to get out of my driveway, how's anyone going to get out?"

The 49-acre site at the intersections of Blackdale, Grassmere and Poneida Roads near McPhillips Street has been conditionally bought by Seven Oaks School Division.  

"It's far from a done deal and that's what I think people need to realize," said West St. Paul mayor Bruce Henley. "From the time I've been on council this is the absolute, most conditions that we've ever put on any application that's come forward."

The final development plan is yet to come, but the superintendent of Seven Oaks School Division expects it to address many of Kleiber's concerns. 

"We're able to resolve all of the substantive concerns of the residents," Brian O'Leary said.

He said with landscaping, burms and fencing, the buses and facility won't be visible to nearby residents.

It could be safer, too, O'Leary said, pointing to several T-bone accidents that have happened while buses were leaving the current location.

And he only expects 40 buses a day on weekdays. 

"It's nice to think the vacant field you live beside will stay the same but that's not realistic," said O'Leary.

The proposed plan also includes an agricultural learning centre with classrooms, a barn, corral and 28 acres worth of agricultural plots.

Manitoba Infrastructure rejected the initial plan for the site. In a letter dated Nov. 10, 2016, they raised concerns about "turning movements onto and off provincial roads and highways," citing "potential accident hazard."

They recommended reducing the number of entrances to the property from four to one.

The department is also concerned about the "type and amount of traffic that may be generated and the potential need for on-highway improvements".

The land is currently zoned for agricultural use, so on Friday, West St. Paul council met for an in-camera meeting to discuss conditional use zoning for the site.

Seven Oaks School Division, the RM and the Red River Planning District, are working together to address the conditional zoning, Henley said.

Meanwhile, Kleiber doesn't know where the project stands.

"We've sent letters and e-mails and asked 'What's going on here?' Have they bought the property, have they not bought the property? We get two different stories."

Over the weekend, residents mobilized a door-to-door information campaign.