Coaldale Council receives Downtown ARP Phase 2 survey results

Posted on August 20, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Town of Coaldale council received the Downtown ARP Phase 2 survey results as part of an update on Phase 2 of the project’s Engagement Strategy during the July 20, Town of Coaldale regular council meeting.       

Councillors unanimously accepted the report and Downtown ARP Phase 2 Engagement Update for information.          

Crystal Scheit, Senior Planner with the Town of Coaldale provided the update to Town Council, that included feedback and outcomes collected during the survey on the Downtown ARP project, as part of Phase 2 of the Engagement Strategy. 

The survey ran from early May to mid-June. 

“The update that we’re going to be focusing on with this report, is the results of the survey that was done for the Dowtown ARP,” said Scheit, noting the last Phase 2 engagement update included only the results of in-person activities, and with the survey now closed, detailed highlights and findings of the survey were available. 

She noted the survey was advertised for several weeks via the Town’s social media channels, in the Sunny South News and on postcards that were delivered to Coaldale residences and was dropped off at downtown businesses as well.   

“The soft goal for survey responses was 300 completed submissions. Once the survey closed, 267 surveys had been received, and there are likely a handful of paper copies that will trickle in over the next several weeks,” she said. “And with those added ultimately, we are within that 10 per cent of the response target.  Considering that another 100 to 120 points of feedback were recorded through the in-person events and activities, through the first part of Phase 2 (engagement) so we can consider that a success.”  

Scheit noted one of the main objectives of the recent survey was to validate the ideas, concepts and proposals that came out of the in-person activities carried out earlier in Phase 2 engagement.    

“Thirty-nine of the survey’s 59 questions were designed to be directly comparable to the ideas, concepts and proposals from the in-person engagement activities held earlier this year,” explained Scheit. “Thirty-five of the 39 survey questions showed either strong alignment with the outcomes from in-person feedback, or an increase in positive sentiment as compared to in-person feedback.” 

Finishing up her presentation to council, Scheit noted the next steps in the Downtown ARP project, which includes drafting the plan. 

“As we conclude Phase 2 of the engagement for the Downtown ARP, we are beginning to draft the downtown plan, and the first iteration of the plan should be ready for Council, community and project partner review, by the end of Q3 (third quarter 2026),” Scheit concluded.