Wednesday, 28 December 2011 16:44

Residents and interested community participants in the Liberty Village Residents Association (LVRA) are taking a hard look at what Liberty Village needs to flourish and attract new potential businesses to the community.

There are four committees involved with LVRA; the committee which is involved with the design and business development of the area has the arduous task of contemplating and presenting what businesses could be an asset in Liberty Village. The group is still fairly new; back in October the first meeting was held and attracted about 20 people. When held again in December, a couple dozen people attended thanks to a flyer campaign. All of the people involved are passionate and concerned about their community of Liberty Village, and want to be engaged with their neighbourhood.

One of the big projects that the committee is looking into is the redesign of the existing condos in the area. One of the largest concerns is the scale of the buildings that are going in.

 

Popular opinion asserts that condo buildings in Liberty village should not exceed 10 to 12 storeys. It’s a design feature that would fit with and accentuate the feel that Liberty Village already carries as being a close knit and small rural community. New condo designs are approved for buildings that are about 30 storeys high. This new committee has hopes that current residents in Liberty Village may be able to impress their opinion upon developers, with the hopes that the new developers will be open to hear the suggestions that they might have to keep the community feel with smaller, more interesting condos that stand out in a way as being unique. Quality, over quantity, to improve and maintain the vibe Liberty Village currently has.

The association will also look at street furniture, a new east-west road, painted lines for sidewalks, stop signs at East Liberty and Lynn Williams, benches, bus shelters, garbage cans for the east side, and greenery. More trees and green space is always a desired feature in any community – and the association wants to make sure that it’s a priority.

In keeping with the village atmosphere, Liberty Village residents should be a part of the neighbourhood by getting to know their neighbours. This association is promoting a committee of people who care about their neighbourhood and who want to see as many great things happen in Liberty Village as possible. There’s nothing better than being a part of something where fellow residents feel the same way. If enough people can come together on this, Liberty Village will be able to keep its community.

Emily Karpazis