Following a public hearing on Jan. 27, Rocky View County (RVC) council approved the Wintergreen Forest Estates Conceptual Scheme (WFECS) on March 10. The application was brought back after council was unable to vote on the item due to time constraints, however the public hearing was closed and amendments to the policy were approved.
The conceptual scheme was designed to provide a policy framework for future redesignation, subdivision, and development of an Infill Country Residential Community located in the North Bragg Creek Area, west of the Tsuu T’ina Nation Reserve No. 145 and on the south side of Township Road 234.
At the public hearing, questions arose from council regarding a trail system to be included as Municipal Reserve, the slope stability of the proposed parcels of land, water and wastewater servicing, and lot size. The revised application included proposed amendments to address these concerns and indicated further information may be required from the applicant at subdivision stage.
Council approved amendments to the bylaw and third reading was carried unanimously.
Council also unanimously approved a redesignation on the land to facilitate a proposed subdivision. The 20-acres of land was previously zoned as Agricultural Holding District, and was redesignated to Residential Two District – allowing for the future creation of five four-acre lots assuming the applicant addresses the concerns included in the amended WFECS.
Area resident Judie Norman spoke at the public hearing, although she admitted having no concerns regarding the redesignation. According to Norman, the proposed future subdivision is not compatible with the land or with the land surrounding the quarter section, and the adopted conceptual scheme is not consistent with the Greater Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan.
“I am opposed to your lack of following the ASP as far as stormwater drainage,” said Norman. “There’s seepage coming down 24/7 and flows under the road and sometimes over the road. It’s there year-round, because of (the property’s) steep portions and boggy spots.”
RVC General Manager of Infrastructure and Operations Byron Riemann said the area does have consistent drainage, which he attributed to a combination of terrain and the springs that migrate through the hill. According to Riemann, administration was satisfied with the stormwater document provided with the redesignation application.
Reeve Margaret Bahcheli added that any concerns relating to future development on the land can still be raised at the public hearing for the proposed subdivision on the section of land.
“(The concerns are) either for the conceptual scheme or for subdivision, but not actually for the redesignation part,” Bahcheli said. “We understand what the concern is and it is something that could come up in subdivision, so we will deal with it at that point.”
