Residents press council on County Line sound wall, bus bench delays and Streets of Southglen development

Several residents used the public‑comment period at the Dec. 2 Centennial council meeting to press the city on neighborhood infrastructure and a nearby development proposal.

Barbara Swankhouse and neighbor Randy Reid told council that a planned County Line Road sound wall will not achieve noise mitigation for homes along South Franklin Court because parts of the wall will sit at or below yard grade. "I feel like this was... if we spend money on a project the project should actually achieve the goals of reducing sound," Swankhouse said. Reid added that elevation changes and a 6‑foot fence comparison left him concerned the wall will not provide adequate mitigation.

Dee Torres, speaking about transit, urged council to expedite replacement of bus benches that were removed in April. Torres said there are "about 40 locations across the city" and cautioned that winter conditions should not be an excuse to delay installation after funding is approved.

Andrew Spalding, representing neighbors concerned about the Streets of Southglen amendment by Alberta Development, criticized the project's traffic study for relying on national average trip credits, which he said inflated vehicle counts for Macy's and Sears properties and could lead to tens of thousands of new daily trips. He urged council to respect neighborhood opposition voiced at earlier meetings.

Councilors acknowledged the comments and asked staff to follow up on enforcement and placement for bus benches, and to track correspondence and coordination with Douglas County on the sound‑wall project; the Streets of Southglen matter was raised as public comment and will continue through its own review process.