Rocky View County (RVC) council approved a complex land swap in Langdon on Feb. 21 that saw land formerly controlled by Rocky View Schools (RVS) come under County title, lands controlled by the County turned over to RVS, and lands owned by developer Bri-Mor Developments given over to RVS for a nicer piece of County-owned property just across the way.
The reason for all this plot-swapping is based on mutual interest, explained County staff at the Feb. 21 public hearing on the subject.
The County intends to build a new $32 million recreation centre on the east side of Mowat Street, which cuts through the middle of the lands in question.
At the same time, RVS intends to build a new junior/senior high school on the west side of Mowat Street.
And developer Bri-Mor, whose narrow 12-hectare lot stretched along the north side of where the new school is set to be built, agreed to take a plot of slightly larger size and better dimensions directly across on the east side of Mowat Street before giving its blessing on the deal. The new Bri-Mor lands are located just north of where the future Langdon Rec Centre will be built.
Prior to the land swap, the County and RVS jointly shared titles on both sides of Mowat Street. The land swap, explained staff on Feb. 21, allows the County to have sole title on the east side of the road and RVS to have sole title on the west side. Bri-Mor acquires sole title on its new east side parcel in exchange for giving up title on its west-side holding.
The mutually beneficial solution resolves ongoing confusion about control of the sites, which stems back to at least 2009 in one form or another.
Division 4 Coun. Samanntha Wright asked administrative staff on Feb. 21 if both RVC and RVS got equal financial value out of the land swap agreement.
“Given the school (division) and the County have come to this agreement, there is no consideration of the value of the lands,” answered RVC planning manager Dominic Kazmierczak. “It’s simply (that) we are doing this in joint interest for management purposes between the two parcels.”
Council then approved the land swap deal unanimously.
