Iron Bridge Estates was annexed from the RM of Moose Jaw in 2009. As part of the negotiation for the annexation of the lands Iron Bridge Estates was provided an opportunity to forego offsite levies if the development was completed within a certain time frame. The offsite levy program was not novel to Iron Bridge Estates but was provided to other development projects in the City of Moose as an incentive to develop lands for residential use at a time when the City was low on inventory. As part of the agreement, the developer agreed that the City of Moose would not incur any capital costs for required infrastructure (sewer and water) to connect Iron Bridge to City services. The only cost the City of Moose Jaw would be responsible for is upgrades required for vehicular and pedestrian traffic control for arterial routes (those routes that connect the city to the development area), in this case future traffic controls at the Thatcher Drive intersection.
Today Iron Bridge Estates properties contribute over $400,000 to Moose Jaw tax revenues annually plus the household infrastructure levy. This will continue to grow as more homes continue to be constructed in Iron Bridge.
In the article regarding the “upgrades” to the Iron Bridge Irrigation system in the January 8th edition of Moose Jaw Today there are errors in the report resulting from either misrepresentation or misinterpretation of the facts. We were compelled to write a letter to set the record straight.
The article references the developer’s investment specifically in its municipal and environmental reserve parks. The article states the developer “chose not to install irrigation in the park there 10 years ago”. This could not be further from the truth. The Iron Bridge developer invested over $1.25 million in its parks including sod, grass seed, trees, shrubs, pathways and yes … irrigation. The municipal reserves in Iron Bridge have irrigation infrastructure approved by both the Engineering and Parks and Recreation Departments, and the developer received a Construction Completion Certificate for the parks as part of the fulfilment of its obligations. Furthermore, the East West and South berms also have a 2” irrigation line with valves every 200’ to support the watering of the Colorado Spruce trees.
The parks pathway system in Iron Bridge is a continuation of the Spring Creek Park system and is used by many citizens of Moose Jaw. The pathways and municipal reserve are a key draw for potential homeowners and generally the citizens of Moose Jaw. In recognizing this, the Developer continued to spend time and money ensuring the parks were in superb shape until the Spring of 2014 when the parks were turned over to the City of Moose Jaw for maintenance and care as the parks then became municipal property. Unfortunately, the City of Moose Jaw fell short on bringing the parks into its general maintenance plan effectively. This resulted in some deterioration of the green space in Iron Bridge.
The developer and residents have made efforts to maintain the parks on their own time and at their own expense since 2014 but it has not been enough. The City has not watered the trees on the berm since 2014 despite the availability of water via the 2” line that was constructed to ensure their vitality. As a result, the developer has replaced approximately 100 of the Colorado Spruce in attempt to maintain the beautification of the berms even though they were not required to do so.
However, the past is the past. Since 2014, the City has elected new leadership in the council chamber and has new administrative leadership in many of its departments, including Parks and Recreation. I am encouraged by the most recent initiatives that the City of Moose Jaw is taking to repair and improve many of the parks and green space in Moose Jaw, including taking ownership of its own shortcomings in Iron Bridge. As for the City’s obligations for pedestrian and vehicular traffic controls, there has been no commitment made to an improvement at the Thatcher Drive intersection - the only access to Iron Bridge homes, parks, and playground. The citizens of Moose Jaw using the parks and pathways and residents of Iron Bridge patiently wait.
With new leadership and new opportunities in the City of Moose Jaw, it’s time to look forward. Let’s do that.
-- Shea Jameson; Todd Hudson; Eugene Roberge
EDITOR’S NOTE: The information that appeared in the January 8th, 2020 article ‘Iron Bridge Park to receive irrigation upgrade that corrects past design flaws’ in the Moose Jaw Express and on MooseJawToday.com came from city council’s 2020 budget meeting that was held on December 4th, 2019. A council report said, “irrigation was only installed in select areas…in the Iron Bridge development” and that there is a “lack of irrigation that has led to weeds and poor turf growth.” Unfortunately, the information presented to the Moose Jaw Express reporter was presented by city administration and our apologies if it was inaccurate.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
