In a split vote, Rocky View County council defeated an application to amend the Delacour Community Area Structure Plan (ASP), Oct. 5.
If it had been approved, the amendment would have expanded the ASP to allow development of the Delacour Country Village on a full section of land northwest of the Hamlet.
“I haven’t been a fan of this project,” said Division 1 Councillor Harvey Buckley. “I don’t know if Rocky View County can afford this. I think it is too big of a footprint.”
Council approved the Delacour Country Village Conceptual Scheme in September 2009, which allowed for development on about two quarter sections of land.
Since then, the developer, Genesis Land Development, has created a new plan that would see the proposed 1,200 to 1,500 residences in the original scheme spread across the entire section. This modified version would have allowed for more open spaces and larger lots.
The new proposal would still include a variety of housing types as well as commercial and institutional uses.
The developer has a consumptive water license that is enough to supply 400 to 500 homes using conventional systems. In order to extend the water license to supply the desired number of homes, the developer proposed conservation measures and water reuse including using recycling storm water for irrigation and filtration within the home.
In addition, the developer proposed a stand-alone wastewater system that would allow local reuse of treated wastewater. However, provincial legislation does not currently allow reuse for any domestic purposes.
County staff recommended the development hook into the regional wastewater system, which is three miles away and has capacity for about 80,000 people.
Delacour resident Steph Brundige asked that council allow Genesis to use its proposed wastewater systems.
“All I am asking…is that we don’t say that the Rocky View wastewater pipe will have to be used,” said Brundige. “Because that will limit the concepts and innovative solutions being put in place.”
Former Rocky View County councillor Norman Kent was also in favour of the amendment, saying the plan could be used as an example of a unique, innovative development in Alberta.
“The thing works as a whole,” said Kent. “You can’t take and cut out one piece and expect the whole thing to work. You can’t use this as an excuse to pay down your debt. The opportunity you will get is so much greater than the money you will receive to help pay down your debt.”
Several residents voiced their opposition to expansion of the project, citing loss of agricultural lands, lack of water and the potential for becoming a bedroom community as reasons.
John McMurray, county resident and Rocky View council candidate, was against the proposal, saying council shouldn’t approve any more developments until the Reeve’s Task Force on Growth is completed.
“We don’t need this,” said McMurray. “Leave it as it is, as open space land that is growing perfectly good crops.”
Resident Patrick Gillespie was also opposed to the expansion of the project.
“We are amending the ASP to suit the needs of one developer and one project,” said Gillespie.
Division 5 Councillor Earl Solberg was in favour of the proposed amendment and said he wanted to give the developer the chance to prove its techniques at the redesignation stage.
“It is only fair to allow these people to go ahead with these innovations,” said Solberg, adding that he is a proponent of storm water capture and wastewater reuse. “Here is the first opportunity to enable a developer…to put this sort of thing into place. Why would we stand in their way?”
Division 6 Councillor Greg Boehlke agreed.
“Council fully supports innovative new technologies,” he said. “I believe this could be a great foundation to take to the Provincial government to say we should adopt some of these new ideas.”
Division 4 Councillor Jim Rheubottom, Boehlke and Solberg voted in favour of the amendments, which was defeated by a vote of six to three.
