An upcoming review will help determine the potential development of lands within Rocky View County's (RVC) Conrich Area Structure Plan (ASP) designated “future policy area,” after a Terms of Reference (TOR) to guide the process was approved by council at a regular meeting Nov. 27. The future policy area comprises 2,717 acres, according to planner Sean MacLean – including the hamlet. The area has seen increased development interest since the ASP’s creation in 2015, but development has been frozen until an amendment providing land-use policies is made. “The current policy does not support local planning applications, such as conceptual schemes, land use redesignation applications and new subdivision applications,” he said. The Conrich ASP Future Policy Area Review will establish an expanded hamlet boundary and the land-use policy for the area, MacLean added. According to administration’s report, the much-needed review would “provide policy direction for the community, creating certainty for the public, landowners and investors on how the lands will be developed over time.” MacLean said the review process will comprise four phases – initiation and background analysis until February 2019, followed by community engagement and the writing of the plan until July 2019. Draft ASP amendments would be released between July and September, with opportunities for feedback from the public and stakeholders. The final phase, a public hearing, would take place sometime in October or November of next year. Area Coun. Jerry Gautreau said the review was an important next step in the development of the area. “Conrich has been frozen for many years now, and we need to move things forward,” he said. “The biggest push I’m hearing from my people is, ‘What can I do in my area, with no direction from this County?’” Deputy Reeve Al Schule advocated for the formation of steering committees to guide not only the review of the Conrich ASP, but also the Bearspaw ASP review and the Bragg Creek Hamlet Expansion Strategy. According to Schule, past steering committees have provided the ability to craft planning documents that reflect the desires of the public and offer an opportunity for input from neighbouring municipalities. While Reeve Greg Boehlke agreed steering committees have previously led to a wholesome, streamlined process for establishing ASPs that reflect the wishes of the community, Coun. Kevin Hanson questioned whether a steering committee would actually work in the case of the ASP review process. “When you have 700 landowners…how do you put a representative steering committee out of that, of actual citizens?” he said. Gautreau said in this case, he did not see the need for a steering committee, so long as the public had plenty of opportunity to provide feedback throughout the review process, and moved the TOR be approved. Schule maintained his objection. “I still believe a steering committee should be number one – should be deciding the phasing, should be listening to the public,” he said. “We are deciding something already without even hearing from the public.” “Deputy Reeve Schule, I hear your concerns; however, this is a very small area,” Gautreau said. “I can tell you, administration and myself have been out to this public a number of times.” Council ultimately voted 5-2 to approve the TOR, with Boehlke and Schule opposed. Couns. Crystal Kissel and Samanntha Wright were absent from the meeting. By a council vote of 6-1, TORs for the Bearspaw ASP review and the Bragg Creek Hamlet Expansion Strategy were removed from the meeting’s agenda – Hanson stood opposed. Council also unanimously directed administration to schedule a County Manager workshop to discuss the ASP review and preparation process. Coun. Kim McKylor was absent from the meeting’s afternoon session and did not vote on that motion.
