With the Sept. 15 deadline looming, Rocky View County, Cochrane and surrounding community members are encouraged to express their approvals or concerns about the draft Glenbow Ranch Area Structure Plan (GRASP).
The potential development lands run south of Highway 1A, encompassing the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park (which would be preserved), in between Calgary and Cochrane.
“Why is it such a burden on the public to prove what they don’t want and so easy for developers to prove what they do want?” posed Bearspaw resident and former Div. 8 candidate, Samanntha Wright.
“Does Cochrane even know of the impact that this will have on their roads, on their infrastructure?”
According to Drew Hyndman, senior manager of development services for the Town of Cochrane, the town has been meeting with the county and is fully aware of the “potential impact this could have on Cochrane infrastructure.”
“We have our own challenges with development in Cochrane and we’re also faced with Harmony, development north of (Highway) 22 (Cochrane Lake area) and now the Glenbow Ranch.”
Hyndman said the town will “work with the county” moving forward and encourages Cochranites to voice their questions and concerns to the town and the county.
“I’m not against growth – it’s inevitable … but don’t create policy and rules if all you’re going to do is break them,” said Wright, with reference to the county’s decision to identify these agricultural lands as developable for more than 14,000 people – depending on how the county’s Transfer of Development Credit (TDC) program plays out.
According to the draft, “Conservation areas are assigned development credits that can be sold and transferred to TDC build area landowners. (These owners) have the ability to develop at a higher density than would normally be allowed through the purchase of development credits.”
Those areas where credit is transferred would have conservation easements placed on those parcels of land. The (voluntary) TDC program must meet provincial legislation requirements.
According to Richard Barss, acting manager for intergovernmental affairs with the county, “if the developer cannot acquire sufficient development credits (TDC) or chooses not to build at higher densities, the plan would allow for county residential acreages with a minimum lot size of four acres.”
As per the draft, “the GRASP accommodates approximately 14,300 residents in 4,744 dwellings through full participation of the (TDC) program”.
The total area included in the draft GRASP is 7,200 acres – 3,215 acres as provincial park; 1,794 acres as conservation area; 413 acres of undevelopable lands (slopes, wetlands, riparian areas, road right of ways and major drainages); and 1,787 acres of build area.
“This is just the start of development all along that corridor between Cochrane and (northwest) Calgary,” added Janet Ballantyne, a concerned county resident who lives south of Highway 8, east of Highway 22.
“What about those (yet undeveloped) lands north of the Highway 1A? ... Development needs to move in a more logical manner.”
While the entire density works out to 1.32 upa (units per acre), both Ballantyne and Wright are concerned these optics distract from the fact that the plan’s higher density urban development area (reaches 5.71 upa (roughly 10,000 people). That area will also require fully centralized services, including water and wastewater solutions.
Both were also critical over the county’s timing to request feedback coinciding with the summer holidays, which Barss asserts was extended from the standard 30 to 52 days to compensate.
The county identified the need for the GRASP by the age of the Bearspaw ASP, the establishment of the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park and overall development pressures in the area.
The county is looking to have a final plan before council by end of this year or early 2017.
All comments regarding the draft GRASP should be directed to Stefan Kunz, municipal planner for the county, [email protected].
Those residing outside county boundaries should direct concerns to the county, as well as their own municipalities.
The plan can be found by going to www.rockyview.ca and then clicking the building and planning tab where a link to plans under review can be found.
