According to a report from Rocky View County (RVC) administration, the land leased by the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society (CDAS) is not up for sale. The information was presented at a regular council meeting July 10, in response to a June 12 notice of motion made by Couns. Crystal Kissel and Kevin Hanson that the lands be removed from the land disposal list until council had a clearer understating of the best use for the land. Corwin McCullagh, manager of Recreation and Community Services, advised council the lands leased by CDAS do not exist on the disposal list, and will not be sold unless a council resolution is passed. According to McCullagh, the land in question – a 146-acre parcel – was acquired by RVC in 1999, in an exchange with the provincial government. The following year, RVC signed a 25-year lease agreement with CDAS, which is set to expire in February 2025. “RVC did pass a motion on Jan. 27, 2016, to allow interested buyers to submit proposals to purchase the land currently occupied by the society,” McCullagh said. “This motion precluded administration from accepting the society’s request for lease extension.” On March 20, CDAS said publicly it would support the sale of the land, so long as a replacement property of 120 acres or more – in relative proximity to the current site – was secured for the ag society. They also required sufficient funds be made available to replace the society’s existing facilities. “No proposals met the County’s needs, hence the matter was closed in December 2016,” McCullagh said. McCullagh also said further intermunicipal discussion regarding recreational provision and long-term planning involving CDAS was needed. Due to annexation, the lands are now located within the boundaries of the Town of Cochrane, and the Town has ultimate authority over land use. A lengthy discussion of the issue followed McCullagh’s report. Hanson expressed some confusion over the appearance of the land in question on the 2017 County Land Disposal Review list. Hanson also worried the original intention of the motion was missed – that even the potential of selling the land be put on hold until council had a clearer understanding of the situation. “Somehow our request to have it removed from our thinking that it’s really surplus seemed to get sidetracked,” he said. “That was the main purpose of the motion, was to slow down, get educated and be able to make good decisions on this.” Reeve Greg Boehlke pointed out the previous council directed and assisted administration with a review of all County-owned properties. “The disposal review was, how many properties do you want to hang on to and which ones don’t we need,” he said. Kissel moved that administration be directed to prepare a thorough background report on the land and the County’s lease with CDAS – to be brought back Sept. 11 – and to strike a committee to look at long-term options for the land. “In order to move this forward, I think we need to have more information,” she said. “We have to make a decision that’s good for everyone. That includes the Ag Society, all the user groups, our residents, the Town of Cochrane.” The motion was carried 7-1, with Reeve Boehlke opposed. Coun. Mark Kamachi was absent from the meeting. Council then voted unanimously to receive McCullagh’s report as information.
