Bearspaw residents were given the opportunity to learn more about the proposed Glenbow Ranch Area Structure Plan (GBRASP) at an open house at RockPointe Church on May 14, where they offered feedback and asked questions of plan developers.
“We want to make people aware of this process and get some initial ideas, but we will be back several times over the next year,” said Rocky View County (RVC) senior planner Richard Barss. “The goal with this process is to provide a road map for future development here.”
Currently, Barss said they are looking at basic infrastructure for the area – which extends almost to the County’s boundary with the City of Calgary, and encompasses a small portion currently included in the Bearspaw plan. However, depending on what is decided for the land included in the GBRASP, the size of the area may increase or decrease.
“We want to figure out where things will be – park, services, what will be included?” Barss said. “We also want to see what land uses will be permitted – is this all country-residential, or will we see industrial or institutional uses as well?”
Barss said in the past RVC’s area structure plans were financed by the County, but the GBRASP will rely on funding provided by developers. The funding developers will be treated like stakeholders, Barss said.
“In the past year or two, council has considered that we can move these forward at a quicker pace if some are developer financed,” said Barss. “These are very expensive documents, and the County only has so many resources. This is how the County can deal with some of our more outdated plans.”
Vince Verlaan, engagement consultant with Modus, the firm hired by RVC to develop the GBRASP, said that as a stakeholder, the funding developer knows the risks associated with financing the creation of the plan.
“They know when they provide that money that the planning process is in the public interest. The resulting plan must serve the municipality’s interest, not just the stakeholder’s,” he said. “And the resulting plan doesn’t have to be passed by council.”
The development of the plan will follow four phases, Verlaan said. Following the introductory phase, which will give residents until June to provide initial feedback, the plan will become more focused.
“We will work on that through September, into the fall, and then start to explore our options to make sure it’s a good plan,” Verlaan said. “Phase four will involve drafting the actual plan, and then sending it out for final comment before we will present it to council for review.”
Residents have until the end of May to provide input on the plan by visiting gbrasp.metroquest.ca
“We need to know – what do people value in this area? Is it viewscapes? Wildlife corridors? We want to hear what you have to say,” Barss said. “We are encouraging the conversation.”
