A proposed subdivision within the Watermark area was unanimously tabled by Rocky View County (RVC) council at a June 9 meeting.
The land, located west of 12 Mile Coulee Road, received redesignation approval at a public hearing in June 2014. This application proposes a 10.91-acre parcel west of 12 Mile Coulee Road for the future construction of a church, with a 1.25-acre internal public road and public utility lot forming phase one of the subdivision. Phase two will subdivide the 10 residential parcels with a combined area of 3.5 acres and a 13.33-acre remainder lot.
According to RVC administration, Watermark is working with the City of Calgary on design work to upgrade and widen 12 Mile Coulee Road, which is anticipated to be converted into a four-lane primary collector road with construction beginning in 2016; however, the “ultimate timing” will be decided by the city.
“Let’s say Calgary doesn’t commence work in 2016,” said area councillor Al Sacuta. “Let’s say it’s 2020. Let’s say it’s 2025. So this facility gets built on subdivided land – a large church with a lot of parking and a lot of people. What happens to all the traffic entering and leaving from that church on 12 Mile Coulee Road?”
Administrators said they are “quite confident” that the upgrades would be completed, but that the City of Calgary’s engineering staff feel that even if the upgrades don’t go ahead as planned, the road is “more than sufficient” to accommodate an increase in traffic.
Sacuta moved to table the item until a market assessment has been completed on the land.
An application to create a 4.01-acre parcel with a six-acre remainder in the Springbank area was tabled by a vote of 8-1, with councillor Earl Solberg voting in opposition. The land is located on the east side of Range Road 32, south of Springbank Road.
“(Stormwater) has been a big problem for people living in this area for a long time, and most of the lots to the north are flooded,” said area councillor Jerry Arshinoff.
“I will feel a lot better about it if we would just wait until the current problem is resolved. I’m asking if approval of this item has the potential to make a bad problem worse.”
Although a site-specific stormwater management plan would be required as a condition of approval to ensure the subdivision would not impact adjacent lands, Arshinoff’s motion to table the item until Alberta Environment completes a flood mitigation project in the area was carried.
