The Conrich area of Rocky View County (RVC) will not be seeing a new industrial development for the time being after council shot down an attempt by a developer to redesignate a section of the hamlet into an industrial park.
At the February 13 meeting, councillors heard from administration about a motion to adopt an industrial park, formally called the Bridge Industrial Development Scheme, that would have furthered the east Calgary community into a growing industrial park.
Division 6 Coun. Sunny Samra, who represents the Conrich area on council, led the charge on the motion's opposition.
“From the time this application came in…the area has changed,” argued Samra. “I think it’s right in its intent, but it’s a little premature.”
The proposed industrial development lies just 1.6 kilometres east of Calgary and falls within the Conrich Area Structure Plan, which according to the County, originally designated the area in question for industrial use to, “support development from hamlet residential to highway business and industrial development.”
An application was submitted for the Bridge Industrial Development Scheme by area landowners back in November 2020, and at the time the development received no letters of support or opposition from community members.
In December 2023, another community outreach attempt was made, with the County receiving three letters of opposition from nearby residents who complained that the addition of more industrial developments would further disrupt the country-residential lifestyle.
Darrell Grant, who represented the applicant team at the council meeting, lobbied that the development redesignation application should have been approved because it fit with the pre-existing Conrich Area Structure Plan.
“We strongly and firmly believe we are aligned with the Conrich Area Plan. The industrial component is an appropriate use for this land,” said Grant, who also said that the reason that an application from 2019 was not dealt with because COVID-19 stalled the process.
According to Grant, nothing changed content-wise from the original application to the one presented to council.
RVC Division 5 Coun. Greg Boehlke agreed with Grant, and said he believed an industrial development would be an appropriate use for the area.
“This is an area planned for light commercial [activity],” said Boehlke. “[I’m] not sure why we would hold this up. [This] fits policy.”
County administration said they could not identify any financial implications relating to the approval of the Bridge Industrial Park Scheme. Administration's official recommendation to council was for the application–the adoption of the park scheme that would serve as a framework to guide future industrial development and the land redesignation request– be approved by council.
However, Samra argued that too much time had passed between the original 2019 application and now for the motions to be accepted. Samra said that regardless of the application remaining the same, the area itself had changed.
In the end, council decided 3-2 to send the motions back to administration for further work. Samra was joined by Division 1 and 4 Coun. Kevin Hanson and Samanntha Wright with no votes, while Boehlke and Division 3 Coun. and Reeve Crystal Kissel voted to approve. Division 2 and 7 Councillors Don Kochan and Al Schule were not present for the vote.
