Residents of Sharp Hill Estates have banded together to create a plan for a 22-acre Rocky View County-owned municipal reserve located in their community.
The Sharp Hills Preservation Society (SHPS) was incorporated in December 2009 and is in the process of gathering ideas for the reserve. The group held a well-attended open house on April 4 at the Balzac Community Hall to engage the community and local government and bring them up to date on the project.
“The board of director’s mandate is to look at what we should do with the 22 acres,” said Bill Ackerman, SHPS treasurer. “We are absolutely looking for input and for volunteers who are willing to help.”
Sharp Hills Estates is an acreage community, consisting of approximately 100 homes on 2.2-acre parcels, located just outside of Airdrie’s city limits to the southeast.
The municipal reserve is made up of three smaller parcels that run along Sharp Hill Drive. A portion of the land has creek access with marshy ground and the parcels include native prairie grasses and bull rushes. Birds and small animals live in the area, which is also frequented by deer. The original stagecoach tracks run through the area.
Although the SHPS’s plans are preliminary, organizers have a number of ideas for the municipal reserve such as pathways, a gathering place, low-impact recreational areas and a barbecue and picnic area.
The development will focus on preserving the natural state of the area.
“We think this thing will be a great opportunity to draw the people in the area,” said Ackerman. “It is about getting to know your neighbours; we have a great platform with the municipal reserve to do that. Communities and neighbours look out for each other, but if you don’t know your neighbours, how can you do that?”
The SHPS has negotiated a five-year licence with the County to operate and maintain the parcel until 2015 and has received a grant from the local recreation board.
The next step for the society is to create an initial concept plan, which organizers hope can be presented to the community next fall. Fundraising is in the group’s future as is applying for provincial and recreation board grants.
“We want it to be an area that we can be proud of and that we can have fun with,” said Ackerman. “It has very much been a bunch of acreage homes that didn’t have a theme to pull them together. Now we are an established community and we are recognizing the value of beautifying the area.”
