Development permits issued in Cochrane in 2023 may be down from last year, but don't let that fool you. It will remain smoking hot in 2024.
Preliminary numbers indicate $188,5 million in building permits were issued in 2023, compared to $254.8 million in 2022, a drop of $66.1 million.
Most of the development is in housing, with permits issued for 510 new units, 30 less than last year.
New industry development permits were the weakest in years. Only $3.4 million in permits were issued, compared to $26 million last year and $41.2 million in 2021.
The town estimates the population was 35,024 at the end of 2023. It's 2024 budget projects a 3.87 per cent growth in assessment.
Later this year, town council is scheduled to receive a development summary report for 2023 that will include additional information from 2023 and what is anticipated for 2024, says Drew Hyndman, executive director of Development and Infrastructure Services.
Some of the proposed developments, redevelopments and rezonings coming forward in 2024 could prove to be the most controversial since the battle waged by Riverview residents over Greystone in 2017-2018.
Greystone was approved by a narrow 4-3 vote by council in July 2018 and since then has begun to take shape. It's first residents moved in in the latter part of 2023 and more houses continue to rise. Its commercial district is expected to get underway in 2024, including a 35,000-square-foot Calgary Co-op grocery store.
Developer Burnswest Properties indicated as early as 2022 that they wanted Greystone to include a hotel. No formal announcement has made as to who will be developing the hotel but could come down the pipes in 2024.
"I've envisioned a hotel as being something that may not occur until closer to the middle stages of development, but there's been some great interest in getting that locked down." but Josh Hagen, vice-president of development for Burnswest Properties, stated during the Discovery Centre opening in September.
The long-awaited development of Southbow Landing also got under way after being stalled for several years. The delay put a damper on the continuation of the James Walker Trail.
Cochrane town council approved its structure plan in October 2015, then land-use in September 2017. The project sat in abeyance until Qualico Communities announced in January 2023 it had purchased the project. Ground was broken in July.
An outcry in the River Heights communities for the completion of James Walker Trail to be fast-tracked has become even louder with Southbow Landing now underway.
In the fall, an armadillo device confirmed what residents have been saying about the rapid increase in the high volume of traffic on River Heights Dr. Based upon the data collected, over 2.3 million cars travel the route annually, and it's expected to increase with more homes being constructed.
A large crowd is anticipated when a public hearing is held early in the New Year. Qualico is seeking to change approximately 27.48 acres of land from Urban Holdings District (U-H) to Residential High-Density District.
For years, Riversong resident Dana Fenech has been lobbying the town to take safety measures for pedestrians. She believes if approval is given to the rezoning, the town must insist James Walker Trail be completed before construction begins on the high-density housing.
The first public hearing of 2024 is scheduled for Jan. 22 to determine whether the Rolling Trails Area Redevelopment Plan will get the green light. The plan has been met with a mixed reactions from its residents.
The plan area incorporates the existing Towers Trail and Rolling Range communities. Both areas were developed into acreage style development prior to their annexation into the town in 2004. Since that time, the lands have retained their Urban Holdings District land use, remaining as 41 acreages ranging in size from 1.8 to 19.9 acres as well as two public service town-owned parcels, one environmental reserve parcel and one municipal reserve parcel.
The first in series of landowners meeting was held in 2017, followed by open houses.
The public hearing was originally scheduled to be held on October 24, 2023, but was cancelled due to State of Local Emergency declared by the Town of Cochrane.