A group of Sunset Ridge and neighbouring residents are concerned that area developer Melcor is proposing an inadequate solution for secondary access into the community in order to continue developing.
“Trying to get out of that place is a zoo in mornings … we just want to make sure the proper infrastructure is put in place before any more development is approved,” said Bruce Rasmussen, a Sunset Ridge resident since 2011.
The group, Sunset Ridge Facts, maintains that Melcor’s proposed secondary access interim solution is insufficient for the Cochrane and surrounding county development coming online.
John Groenvald, who spearheaded the group, owns the 40-acre parcel of county land bordering Sunset Ridge.
Purchased in 2001, Groenvald said even though the county flagged his property as probable for future annexation by Cochrane in the 2004 Area Structure Plan, he has yet to receive what he deems an offer based on fair market value.
He is of the mindset that prior to town council’s consideration of approving Stage 3 of Sunset Ridge, annexation is a must in order for proper access to be built and that Cochrane should not allow a developer to provide an insufficient solution that would become the town’s future problem in the face of regional growth.
Groenvald, who is joined by Rasmussen, as well as View Ridge Place acreage resident, Brett Ribaric, said they are looking to drum up public awareness ahead of Melcor’s Nov. 23 open house on the secondary access, which will run at the RancheHouse from 6 to 7 p.m.
Alan Boucher of Melcor maintains that his team has been working with the Town of Cochrane, Rocky View County and Alberta Transportation since 2011 to plan a secondary access into the community.
“The interim access is being built to a permanent collector road standard and will be designed to handle the capacity of a fully built-out Sunset Ridge community for the long-term,” said Boucher, adding that the ultimate access is required to accommodate future growth outside of town boundaries.
“The reason our proposal is considered an interim access is because it will need to be closed when the areas north of Sunset Ridge develop in order to align with long-term transportation network plans in Rocky View County.
The proposed interim access would travel through Sunset Ridge and out onto Highway 22, including the re-routing of the existing access from View Ridge Place to the south to allow for the two roadways to align at a new intersection.
Ribaric said the existing road access into View Ridge Place is “already dangerous enough” and that the proposed interim access by the developer, which includes 90-degree turns, poses additional concerns.
Cochrane Lakes Coun. Crystal Kissel said the “interim intersection will not address the long-term growth (around) Cochrane and that if annexation would solve the problem of a long-term or ultimate solution, she would err in favour of this.
Mayor Jeff Genung said he is “eager to work with all the affected parties – Cochrane, Rocky View County, Melcor, Groenvald (and other area residents) – to work on an agreement that works for everybody.”
Genung said it is “very early on in the process” and that council will be presented with more details on Melcor’s plans at the Nov. 27 council meeting, where Melcor will present to council as part of the Community Enhancement Evaluation – a precursor to Neighbourhood Plan approvals for Stage 3, which would allow for around 650 homes.
Genung added that Stage 3 contains some critical infrastructure that would help make Sunset Ridge a complete community – including an off-leash dog park, a community hall building and green spaces.
The interim access would be constructed as part of the first phase of Stage 3.
To learn more about Melcor’s plan visit liveinsunsetridge.ca.
To learn more about Sunset Ridge Facts visit sunsetridgefacts.com.
