Thanks to feedback contributed at a workshop on Dec. 15, 2015, planners will have new information to share with Bearspaw residents about the Glenbow Ranch Area Structure Plan (GBRASP).
“It’s a continuation of the work we’ve been doing – working with local residents to figure out a plan for this area,” said Rocky View County (RVC) Senior Planner Richard Barss. “We’ve taken a bit of a different approach on this project, called conservation design.”
The area included in the GBRASP encompasses some of the Bearspaw area as well as the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park – an area which, according to Barss, has been identified as a future development area in the County Plan. He said the “conservation design” approach will help balance these two “competing things.”
“Using this approach will help us conserve the lands that are important for a variety of reasons while allowing the areas with less conservation potential to proceed with development,” he said. “With these workshops, we are looking at the conservation areas adjacent to Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, to determine some building areas that could be allowed nearby.”
While Barss said many residents in the Bearspaw area have been concerned with the possibility of future development in the area, the creation of Haskayne Park within the City of Calgary’s borders and the growth of Cochrane to the west, have put pressure on RVC to develop a plan for the area.
“There are differences of opinion, even within the study area, of what, if anything, should go here,” he said. “The park has always been concerned about the type of development on its boundaries, and the area is becoming increasingly difficult to farm. It’s a very unique and complicated process.”
One factor the County has been looking at is the idea of equity, noted Barss. With certain areas identified for development and others for conservation, the idea of “transferable development credits” has been discussed – to allow landowners to develop on suitable land, if their current property is part of the conservation lands.
“If we plan to conserve in some areas and build in others, some people will never be able to develop their lands – and where is the equity in that?” Barss said. “The plan proposes a transfer of density, to balance between these two aspects of the design.”
The majority of the lands identified as conservation lands will preserve viewscapes within the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, as well as native grasslands, untilled pasture lands and areas with better wildlife connectivity.
“It’s a beautiful area, and we would like to preserve the features of this part of the County,” Barss said. “So far, we’ve had positive feedback that the public thinks this plan has merit. Now it’s about trying to make it an equitable and fair process for everyone.”
Following an open house at RockPointe Church on Jan. 11, Barss said the hope is for a draft plan to be ready for circulation in late spring. The information received will be reviewed and included in a presentation to council sometime this year.
“It’s a different process, an exciting process, and I think it could result in some significant new additions to the open space around the park,” Barss said.
“It’s going to have a different look and form, which may make some people react negatively – but it’s important to step back and see the balance we are trying to achieve.”
