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Your turn: Devon library, Parkland County, and Edmonton's downtown


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This week's batch of calls for public engagement includes a discussion about potentially expanding the Devon Public Library, as well as surveys on Parkland County's strategic plan and Edmonton's downtown policy.

The Town of Devon has launched a survey about community life, services, and future priorities, with a particular focus on a proposed expansion or relocation of the library. There will be a community conversation specifically about the library on May 27; the town is asking residents to sign up by May 25.

The municipality has proposed either expanding its current town hall downtown or relocating to the former Esso Imperial Oil Building on the eastern edge of Devon. The town acquired the building in 2016, and there have been many proposals for what could be housed there. A task force with local volunteers experienced in construction, infrastructure, and safety advised that the building could be turned into a mixed-use town hall and municipal building.

The survey describes the library as a key hub for downtown. However, a potential expansion is constrained because the town rents the space. Meanwhile, the Esso building requires extensive renovations and upgrades and is not located centrally, but it would allow for a much larger library space. The survey asks residents if they would still visit downtown as much if the library was moved, as downtown revitalization is one of council's strategic priorities. It also asks what method of transportation residents use to get there, and how their use would change if the library were expanded or relocated.

The library's board said the existing library is 8,000 square feet, about 3,000 square feet smaller than it needs. It has been upgraded for accessibility, but those changes have reduced how much shelving can fit in the space, the board said. More space is needed to deliver a modern library experience with study rooms, children's programming space, more computers, and a larger program room, the board added. "As the population grows, investing in a new library facility would protect access to an essential public service and ensure the community has flexible, accessible space that can meet changing needs over the long term," board chair Joan M. Becker wrote.

Expanding the current location at a one-time cost of $400,000 would involve a 4% property tax increase in 2027 and additional rent for the added space in future years. Relocating would come with a 6% increase due to a much larger one‑time construction and purchase cost — about $7.5 million, to be repaid over 30 years — and ongoing costs of owning and maintaining the entire building.

For several years now, the library has put on a Fun Run with a partial goal of providing "financial assistance to the Town for the expansion, improvement, or replacement of the current library." This year's edition will take place on May 24.

A grey library building in a strip mall.

The Devon Public Library says its current downtown location is too small. It can either expand there or move to another building outside of downtown. (Devon Public Library)

Here are some other opportunities to provide input in the Edmonton metro region:

"Your turn" is Taproot's weekly collection of public engagement opportunities in the Edmonton region. Watch this space every week for opportunities to make your views known. If you know of a request for public input, send it to hello@taprootedmonton.ca.