And yet we are going ahead with this ???????????????

New southeast Regina areas could be home to 17,500.

Regina City Council to give new neighbourhoods the green light?  Why?

The ever-expanding City of Regina is looking to the southeast as an area in which another 17,500 people could live.

The new proposed development will be south of Victoria Avenue and northeast of the Greens on Gardiner neighbourhood.

On Monday, city council will vote on a plan to add a 690-hectare (1706-acre) expansion to its official plan.

The southeast neighbourhood plan says the area could someday be home to six new residential neighbourhoods, part of the Regina bypass, a new high school, a commercial centre, an industrial park and the relocated Pacer ball park.

Right now, it's mostly agricultural land south of Victoria Avenue and northeast of the Greens on Gardiner neighbourhood.

There are 18 landowners on the site, with Dream Development, Long Lake Investment Inc. and the City of Regina the biggest.

The city has already given its seal of approval to two residential neighbourhoods in the new area: The Towns and Eastbrook.

Long-term concerns

Expanding the city to new neighbourhoods on the edge of the current boundary is part of a long-term plan designed to accommodate a population of 300,000. The full buildup to a population of about 17,500 is expected to take 20 years.  As the southeast population expands, the water supply is emerging as a potential trouble spot. 

A city administration report says further development in the southeast will mean "diminishing water system service levels".

It won't be possible to meet water needs "without city-wide improvements," the report adds.