A few years ago my Mother was a resident at the Big Hill Lodge. The people who worked there were so caring and helpful it made her hard decision so much easier to swallow. I can not say enough good about them. Parking was an issue as it was a bit tight at times. The Recreation Room was too small and it was hard to get a loved one into this facility as it was too small overall.
With the growing demographic of "Baby Boomers" reaching that time in their lives, the need will go far beyond what most communities currently have. It is especially hard to find ones that rent at a reasonable cost. I ask is Cochrane different from those other communities? Do we care for our seniors enough to take a second look and re-consider the locations for this Lodge?
This issue was apparent a decade or two ago but limited action was ever taken. Next spring we will have resided in Cochrane for 40 years. I hate the thought that if the time comes for us to leave our home that we would have to leave Cochrane or live along the 1A Highway with so few amenities nearby.
Will we have to leave Cochrane after all this time and leave our family and friends just to find a good facility like Big Hill Lodge used to be?
The new Big Hill Lodge should incorporate improvements over the current lodge and location. Placing it on the old Town Office site will achieve very little in the way of improvement other than a newer building. For those that can get out and walk there are very few amenities nearby. Add to that the location is too small. They need a much larger building. Parking will become an issue unless there is an underground parkade.
Residing next to the constant traffic and noise of the 1A Highway is not where any of us would want to live and finish our lives in peace. That location was too small for the town office, and it's certainly too small for a Senior's Lodge!
We were all excited by the location along 5th Avenue when it was designated by the town. That location offered a lot of services nearby and a roomy lot for the Lodge, its residents, guests and staff. It borders both residential and retail. It has paths, parks and movies nearby with enough room for future expansion too. Simply put, it is Heads & Tails a better location and will be more enjoyable for our loved ones.
I am hearing that the location was changed to the old Town Office site because it is already serviced with utilities. The 5th Ave location used to have a swimming pool and still has two other buildings on the site. Have the services/utilities been removed from the property? If the services were removed when the pool was torn down then I wonder how hard it can be to hook up to current services and lines? I seriously hope the decision to change locations was not due to the value of the 5th Avenue land.
We need to properly consider the location, the building design and size plus options for future expansion. Surely the utility connections can not be insurmountable. The new building will be of considerable expense no matter which location is called home. Should we not ensure we do it right the first time so we are not faced with another move in 40 years? Should we have Public input and perhaps talk to and note what the staff and Residents have to say? I think we should be doing all of that!
If you want to add affordable housing to the location (I personally do not feel that is a good mix) then the 5th Avenue location has much more room for that too.
This decision will affect many people, maybe even you! Let's get it right and let's consider the needs and wants of the Residents.
Why not stick to the original plan? The town already owns the 5th Avenue land and the location is almost perfect! Most importantly ask yourself; which location would you want for your loved ones?
Sincerely,
Jim Messner,
Cochrane, AB
