The population of Crossfield may grow by as much as 50 per cent as council recently approved a rezoning application to allow for an additional 600 homes.
Iron Landing, which will take up about 100 acres of newly annexed land, will be located on the north side of Veteran’s Park and at full build out will be home to about 1,500 new residents.
“This is a really exciting new development for Crossfield,” said Mayor Nathan Anderson. “(Development) has been stalled out here for some time now. It is now moving forward and that is exciting.”
The subdivision, being developed by La Terra Ventures, will also include a number of parks and pathways and will double the size of Veteran’s Park.
Crossfield’s last major development was the Sunset Ridge area, which included 150 lots, and is nearing completion. The last phase began in 2006.
Although market conditions will determine the speed of development, Anderson said the plan is that developers will start phase one, which will include 25 houses, this fall.
The entire project is expected to take five years, depending on market conditions.
Anderson said the development will put the town at a healthier size.
“Our goal is sustainable growth,” said Anderson. “Without growth, it seems like you are stagnant and towns start to decay.”
The new development will include detached and multi-family housing on 40 to 50 foot lots and will fall within the Town’s density limits of six units per acre, far below the Calgary Regional Partnership’s (CRP) standard of eight to 10 units per acre.
Anderson said he is not in support of tighter densities, as he would like to see Crossfield maintain its small-town nature.
The lower densities will also attract buyers interested in larger lots, he added.
“I will never personally support a developer having to build denser than they like because of pressure from the CRP,” said Anderson. “I think it is the part of the draw of Crossfield.”
Anderson said the neighbourhood will likely be built by small, reputable builders to maintain the unique nature of Crossfield.
He hopes the new development will help revitalize the main street and bring more business to the town. Anderson touted the town’s proximity to the larger centres of Airdrie and Calgary as the reason it has attracted the large-scale development.
“Crossfield is the best of both worlds,” he said. “Proximity is a massive advantage we have.”
According to Anderson, most residents are positive about the development, although several shared concerns about traffic, density, and the lot size, which is smaller than what the town currently has. He added the developer will try to mitigate those concerns and has committed to building a separate entrance for construction traffic.
“The overall feeling is very positive,” he said. “I think people are very happy to see there is life being breathed back into the community.”
Bill Maher, spokesman for phase one developer Skyscape Management, said he has fielded several calls from locals looking to purchase in the new development. He expects phase one, which will have 48 to 50 foot lots, to proceed quickly.
“There are some pretty nice views, and it is going to have good access,” said Maher. “I haven’t heard anything negative about it.”
