Residents make final stand against massive Bearspaw development

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Important group opposition to an enormous improvement straddling Calgary’s northwest boundary was on show Wednesday throughout a contentious public listening to in Rocky View County.

Dozens of Bearspaw-area residents confirmed as much as make their final stand towards Highfield Funding Group’s plans to develop a sprawling 275-acre plot of sloping farmland right into a neighbourhood with 883 housing items and a 50-acre retail house anchored by a serious grocer. The proposed challenge is positioned instantly adjoining to Calgary’s Tuscany group between Freeway 1A (Crowchild Path) and 12 Mile Coulee Highway.

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The proposal, known as Ascension, obtained conceptual approval from the county — in addition to Calgary officers and the Calgary Regional Metropolitan Board — in 2021. The land redesignation would mark the ultimate approval of the challenge from the county authorities earlier than the developer begins grading the location.

Many space residents have been vocal in opposition to the challenge because it was first proposed, fearing the affect the large-scale improvement would have on their “country-residential” life-style.

Rocky View has obtained 532 letters opposing and 18 supporting the challenge in consultations relationship again to late 2022. Opponents have criticized the challenge’s deliberate scale and claimed it doesn’t adhere to the area-structure plan. They’ve argued it will disrupt native wildlife, enhance noise, air and light-weight air pollution, worsen site visitors and college pressures and in the end destroy the realm’s rural-residential character.

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“The event proposal itself seems to be a giant chunk of city Calgary slammed into the Rocky View County group,” Pat Ryan, who lives in a neighbouring group, advised council.

Mentioned space resident Brendan Kooy: “It’s going to supply a shock to the system for key items of infrastructure: faculties … roads and water programs.”

Developer particulars challenge’s advantages

Highfield outlined plans for some highway enhancements, together with a “steady movement interchange” at Freeway 1A and 12 Mile Coulee Highway, in addition to a brand new roundabout on 12 Mile Coulee Highway and upgrades to close by Blue Ridge Rise.

“The CFI is a long-term answer that would accommodate 20 years of projected site visitors,” stated Kathy Oberg, presenting on behalf of the developer. “Alberta Transportation has confirmed that they don’t have any plans to fund this interchange within the foreseeable future, so a CFI would enable for an instantaneous and long-lasting enchancment.”

Whereas some residents have been involved concerning the challenge’s density, Oberg stated it gives a superb transition between the city and rural communities that it will neighbour. She additionally assured residents that “{the marketplace} is not going to be a mall” and could be designed to honour the pure setting and the realm’s agricultural heritage.

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The retail space is deliberate to incorporate a small-scale “Fundamental Avenue,” with out of doors gathering house and well-connected sidewalks, in addition to a bigger pod-style retail house.

“There was some misinformation shared by members of the group that the event would assist 1.3 million sq. ft of retail when, in actuality, the location is proposed within the vary of 350,000 to 450,000 sq. ft,” she stated.

Assembly concludes with video testimonials towards improvement

The assembly noticed just one public presentation in favour of the challenge, coming from Bearspaw Glendale Neighborhood Affiliation president Bruce Hanson. He recommended the challenge’s recreation alternatives, together with bike paths that will support locally affiliation’s bid to implement a regional pathway community.

“Their pathway system will get us a lot nearer right down to the river the place you’ll be able to interconnect with the pathway system working from Cochrane to Calgary,” he stated. “Because the operators of the Bearspaw Life-style Centre, we expect this can be a superb improvement for the realm.”

Council was set to adjourn the general public listening to late Wednesday afternoon, ending the full-day assembly with a showcase of pre-filmed testimonials compiled by way of a marketing campaign by Defending Bearspaw, a resident group that opposed the challenge. It’s scheduled to renew on Feb. 1, when council is anticipated to make its choice.

County administration has really useful that council approve the land redesignation.

mrodriguez@postmedia.com

X: @MichaelRdrguez

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