Foothills County Council will vote on a large, proposed development east of Aldersyde on Wednesday (March 12).
The Highfield & Rowland Acres Area Structure Plan (ASP) is up for second and third readings, after receiving its first reading in June of 2024.
The development would consist of two neighbourhoods (the Highfield & Rowland Acres), situated east of Aldersyde and separated by both the Highwood River and Highway 547.
The proposal includes several non-residential land uses, including a school site, an equestrian facility, and a fire hall.
It's been met with opposition by many area residents, whose concerns include a lack of public services, the availability of emergency services, water availability, and the project's scope.
Amelia McLaren is one of the Foothills County locals who has voiced criticism regarding the ASP in its current form, taking issue with the proposed population density.
She was in attendance at a public hearing for the ASP on May 28, 2024, and says the estimated population seems to have changed since the presentation.
"The developer was very specific that the total population would be 4,746. Now, the public still had concerns at that number, however, since then, the area structure plan has been modified many times and we're up to a number that actually doesn't have a confirmed population count. Their estimated population is up to 16,000. That does not include secondary suites."
The smaller population figure referenced by McLaren was shown at the May 2024 public hearing, where a slideshow from the applicant stated the proposed density for the project would see 0.90 units per acre (UPA) for Rowland, and 1.57 UPA Highfield, with a combined estimated population of 4,746.
In the accompanying document, the County lists the proposed average density as 0.9 UPA for Rowland Acres and 1.57 for Highfield, though the accompanying ASP draft, dated February 2024, states that the density is to range between 2.5 and 5 UPA.
The ASP lists estimated projected populations between 8,132 and 16,265, based on a UPAs of 2.5 and 5, respectively. The County's information document does state that secondary suites do not count toward the density calculation.
According to the applicant, Township Planning + Design Inc., the usual Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB) requirements would have Highfield's UPA at 8 and Rowland's UPA at 6.
The County requested allowance to have the entire plan area designated as a single Hamlet Growth area, and to allow a minimum average residential density of 2.5 UPA.
The request was approved at the CMRB's February 7 meeting, the same meeting in which members voted to wind down the CMRB's operations.
Foothills County Reeve Delilah Miller recalls the process as one of many instances where the County and the CMRB didn't see eye to eye.
"[The ASP] did not meet CMRB guidelines, they wanted much higher densities... We know our residents don't like those kinds of densities and don't want that, and neither does our council. These are densities we feel are more palatable. These are larger acreages, one acre sites would never be allowed, they're rare in the cities."
McLaren feels the dissolution of the CMRB should give the County and applicant the freedom to take a step back and reconsider the plan.
"They always said 'We don't want this type of development, but the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board is dictating, we have no choice, we have to follow their requirements.' So, with this board no longer dictating any requirements, we feel that we would like a better explanation of why this seems necessary at this time, at this place."
Miller, who is aware of the pushback regarding the proposed density, asks residents to bear in mind that the development is to be fully serviced, including water and sewer services, likening the proposed development to Heritage Pointe in that regard.
She also compared Highfield & Rowland Acres to Heritage Pointe insofar as the timespan the development is expected to be completed.
"This is a phased development, this is not the same as happens in the City of Calgary or Okotoks where a developer comes in, picks a site, and then slams in 1,000 houses within a year or two. This is a development that's in several phases and it'll take, we're estimating, at least 15 to 20 years to build out... We don't develop the same way as our urban neighbours."
The current ASP shows Rowland Acres split into four phases, with Highland split into seven phases (11 including parts a and b for phases 1-4).
As far as the feedback and concerns council has received since the May 2024 public hearing, Delilah says none of it can be considered, citing procedural fairness under Alberta law.
"We can appreciate that residents have concerns regarding this development and have sent many emails to council, however, we as council cannot respond or consider any of these emails because they are new information that's being presented after the original hearing and it is a point of procedural fairness for the applicant, for anyone else who attended the hearing, that they are not privy to the same information. So, council cannot take any new information in between readings, so we don't respond to residents, nor can we receive any new information."
For McLaren, the higher end of the population estimates, which she says could exceed 20,000 when factoring in secondary suites, is simply too large, especially considering the estimate given at the public hearing.
"That is not a plan that resembles the public hearing. So, we are asking the County to vote no to this current plan and allow the developers to go back to a plan that now does not have Calgary Metropolitan Region Board oversight, and which will fulfill the needs and the character of our area now."
The council meeting is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and can be attended in person or viewed online.