Alpha House withdraws rezoning application

By Herald on August 25, 2021.

Alpha House has withdrawn its application to rezone the Lethbridge shelter location.Herald FILE photo  Alpha House has withdrawn its application to rezone the Lethbridge shelter location. The application would have requested rezoning to allow a new potential drop-in centre, food bank location, a 27-bed shelter and stabilization facility, and additional substance use and recovery services. Herald file photo

Tim Kalinowski – Lethbridge Herald

Alpha House has withdrawn its application to rezone its existing shelter location from the Railway Relocation Lands Area Redevelopment Plan, and move it to the new category of Direct Control to enable new uses of the site.

The rezoning, which was listed under Bylaws 6275 and 6276 and scheduled for public hearing during Tuesday’s council meeting, would have asked council to approve rezoning for a new potential drop-in centre, food bank location, a 27-bed shelter and stabilization facility for drug withdrawal management, and additional substance use and recovery services on top of the current services it already provides.

Alpha House in a letter submitted to council prior to Tuesday’s hearing said it still hoped to pursue the rezoning application in the future if the funding eventually becomes available.

“We are extremely disappointed to not be able to move forward with our applications,” the letter reads in part. “However, due to a loss of funding for this project, we are unable to proceed.

“It is our hope to continue engaging in the dialogue around social service provision in the city as we believe collaboration will be key to creating safe, inclusive communities for everyone.

“We appreciate the community support we have received thus far and hope to move forward with this process, with a new application, at a later date.”

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