Rocky View County council unanimously approved an expansion to the Century Downs Racetrack and Casino at its Feb. 23 meeting.
Approval of the amendment to the existing Master Site Development Plan (MSDP) will facilitate the development of two additional barns, a barn lounge building, a jockey building and an expansion to the existing racetrack and casino building.
“Everything we have done to revise the site plan is within the original parameters,” said Kathy Beatson with Kellam Berg Engineering, who spoke on behalf of Century Downs at the public hearing. “We are really just expanding due to market demand. The casino has proven quite busy, so thoroughbred racing is now being contemplated, and that’s the main driver.”
According to Beatson, a third barn is required in the immediate future, but additional amendments are being proposed so the option is available to quickly respond to demand for facilities without further amendments to the MSDP.
Approved subdivisions
Council unanimously approved a subdivision on land located immediately east of Lower Springbank Road and west of Range Road 25. The application creates a four-acre parcel with a 14.62-acre remainder and, according to administration, includes a three-metre strip of land along Lower Springbank Road dedicated for future road widening, in accordance with the Springbank Functional Study.
A pair of two-acre parcels with a two-acre remainder were created following council’s approval of a subdivision request on land located north of Airdrie along Range Road 293. The land is within Phase 1 of the Balzac East Area Structure Plan and, according to administration, is suitable for residential infill development of parcels of this size.
Application tabled
A subdivision proposal to create two 10-acre parcels with a 20-acre remainder northeast of Cochrane was tabled by a unanimous vote. Administration recommended the applicant be required to construct an internal subdivision road to provide access to the new lots and facilitate future subdivision in the area, but indicated the “applicant-preferred” alternative would involve improvements to the existing approach.
“This whole concept of making exceptions all over the county, at some point we have to decide, are we going to do these internal roads or not?” Councillor Margaret Bahcheli said. “It’s a disaster – when you don’t get the original applicant to do the internal road, you never get the internal road.
“I think we need to make a decision as a group. I feel like following the rules just makes me look like an idiot because then we have other councillors who don’t follow the rules and they look like heroes. If we could get a level playing field and get some guidance, policy and instruction that this council can agree to stick to, this will go a lot faster.”
Agricultural change
Council unanimously approved a redesignation from Ranch and Farm District to Agricultural Holdings District on land located northeast of Chestermere, immediately west of Highway 791. The redesignation will facilitate the creation of a 20-acre parcel with a 20-acre remainder, which will allow the landowner’s daughter to raise calves and horses on the proposed new parcel.
