The Katz Group has applied to rezone an area the size of two city blocks to accommodate a gravel parking lot north of the downtown arena.



The zoning would be temporary – expiring after 10 years – but it has at least one city councillor shaking his head.



“Opposed,” said Coun. Scott McKeen. “There are 18,000 parking spaces within walking distance of the arena. … There is no shortage.



“Surface parking, while lucrative for the land holder, is dead space for the host community and tends to sterilize the general area.”



The 3.6-hectare site is currently a series of gravel parking lots and derelict buildings between 105 and 106 avenues, directly north of Rogers Place. The lots don’t have proper development permits, a common situation downtown, the city says.



Tim Shipton, spokesman for the Oilers Entertainment Group, said the intent is only to provide parking there while the 2,500 underground stalls in the Ice District are completed: “We need some temporary parking relief.”



But local residents are worried. They don’t even trust a sunset clause in the zoning to protect them from permanent parking, because they’ve been asking the city to deal with lots for years.



The community league asked for a legal caveat. It has also asked for revenue sharing, so some of the benefits go back into the community, said Dan Eckel, vice-president of the Central McDougall Community League: “We’re the ones being affected.”



“We don’t want to be the parking lot for the arena,” said resident Scott Rollans.



The city and developer are holding an open house on the issue Monday to give residents more information (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Edmonton Chinese Baptist Church basement, 11112 109 Ave.).



The parking lot will have space for 800 cars and could go to council for a vote this fall.



At the meeting, residents can get more information about the landscaping plan proposed by the Katz Group.



The league has been torn on whether to ask for paving and nice landscaping, or a simple re-grading of the potholes, said Eckel. Make it too nice and it’s more likely to stay forever, he said.



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