We have spent the last few weeks here at the City ramping up to begin working on important projects again after a bit of a slow-down during the summer. Specifically, during the last two weeks Council and staff have been focusing on the Conrich Area Structure Plan appeal. You’ll often hear this referred to as the 690 appeal because it refers specifically to the section of the Municipal Government Act that focuses on detrimental impact one community has on another.
We wanted a good neighbour document in place before the Conrich plan was approved to address our concerns about Rocky View development and allow them to do the same. Council and Administration worked on this for almost six years, but the draft document still hasn’t been brought in front of Rocky View Council. With no other formal mechanism to address our concerns about Conrich, we decided to submit a Provincial appeal.
Starting on September 12, both municipalities had a chance to lay out our positions to the Municipal Government Board (MGB), the Provincial body hearing the appeal. Our position focused on why we believe the Conrich Plan will affect us negatively. Our experts testified about the detrimental effects on tax dollars, our environment, our ability to be competitive in the economic market and more. In essence, the team relayed the negative impacts our community will experience in the following areas: transportation, social and community services such as schools, fire services, etc., non-competitive economic development due to a massive glut in the marketplace, environmental stormwater and wetland impacts, and unsustainable regional planning.
We are not, in any way, trying to plan Rocky View’s community; they have duly elected officials and staff at the County who are responsible for that. We are, however, responsible to our residents to ensure that development on our borders does not harm our community in any way. This plan puts Chestermere is a position of risk in too many areas for us to support it. We are not against economic competition either; fair competition is beneficial for everyone, but the proposed Conrich development does not fit that criteria.
While we very much want to continue to have a good working relationship with all of our neighbours and seek the benefits good regional planning provides for all of us, Chestermere is our priority. The MGB will make its decision in the next few months, and we’ll make sure to update you as soon as we hear any results.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.chestermere.ca/conrich or contact a member of Council any time.
