With Cochrane experiencing record growth during the past few years, preparing for that growth continues to be priority number one for the Town of Cochrane’s planning department.
Kathy Dietrich, senior manager of planning and engineering for the town, provided council with a planning update during its Jan. 13 meeting, offering a multitude of information, including the ongoing South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) initiative (currently in the draft stage), what Cochrane has done to harmonize itself with the SSRP, development statistics for the past year and plans for 2014.
Dietrich said the town has aligned itself with the SSRP since 2008 by implementing several key policy documents, like the Municipal Development Plan (2008), the Cochrane Sustainability Plan (2009) and the Growth Management Strategy (2013).
“We want to be a municipal leader in sustainable urban design,” said Dietrich, adding that there are several benefits to ‘smart growth,’ such as keeping the younger generation in the community and providing more diverse housing options.
One of the reasons Dietrich said there is a dip in Cochrane’s younger population (specifically ages 25-29) is because there is not enough housing options for that age group, a sentiment councillor Ross Watson echoed. Watson said he believes the reason many young Cochranites leave the community is because there are not enough rental opportunities on the market in Cochrane and those that are available come at a high cost.
Dietrich pointed to an ever-increasing number of building permits being approved by the town as an effort to provide several different types of housing to those in Cochrane. In 2013, the town issued 781 building permits (new housing units), up from 544 the previous year. There were also 29 subdivision approvals in 2013, 16 more than in 2012.
The total amount of permits issued by the town in 2013 was 3,986.
Dietrich also highlighted the ‘hierarchy of planning documents,’ required before a permit can be approved (more than 10 in total, ranging from a building permit to provincial plans like the SSRP at the top of the pyramid), a process Dietrich said can take years to achieve.
Priorities for the planning department in 2014 are to continue fostering economic development in Cochrane, establish a renewable energy framework, implement a land use bylaw with a three-year phased approach and take the next steps in the Downtown Action Plan.
Council gave first reading to a land-use redesignation for The Willows in River Heights, which would allow for the development of a residential access road, an entrance park with adjacent street-oriented townhomes, open space and a preserved wetland with a surrounding natural park.
The land in question totals 7.88 hectares (19.47 acres) and the request would change the land use from urban reserve to residential single, two-dwelling and multi-unit dwellings. There would also be a public service district dedicated as municipal and environmental reserve totalling 2.75 hectares.
The town is also prepared to address any possible parking issues in the area, which was a concern raised by council and the Cochrane Planning Commission during earlier phases of The Willows development.
Lisa Nail, a development planner for the town, said that several solutions are available, including considering allowing parking in the rear lane, which would require a change to the traffic bylaw if moved forward.
A public hearing to address the land-use bylaw redesignation was also set by council for Jan. 27, 6 p.m.
