Foothills hospital temporary parking lot proposal gets community feedback

Residents got to weigh in on two temporary parking lot proposals being considered for Foothills hospital staff to make way for the new cancer centre.A public meeting Thursday nightdrew a few dozen people.

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A community association spokesperson says safety of hospital staff is key in looking at the proposals.

"I know it's going to be disruptive to University Heights, probably more so than St. Andrews Heights," said Jacques Gendron of the St. Andrews Heights Community Association.

"We'll have a bit of a fallout, but my main concern is really the welfare of the Foothills [hospital] staff who obviously do tremendous duty for all of us here in Calgary."

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Staff are losing their parking lot to make way for construction of the new cancer centre and Alberta Health Services will also be revamping the main visitor lot.

AHS has offered two options for a temporary 1,200-stall lot to be built on a green space south of the children's hospital leased fromthe West Campus Development Trust.

Staff will be shuttled from the temporary lot to the hospital for about three years.

Some University Heights residents are worried about cut-through traffic in their community.

Marco Baez walks his dog in the green space every day.

"I think we were more curious to see if the entrances were going to be along 24th Avenue and they're not so we'll see how that makes an impact on traffic," Baez said.

"If there's a lot of people cutting into the community that would be a concern going forward."

The final proposal will still have to receive approval from the city before it proceeds.