On February 24th, 2016 in the gymnasium of Sarah Thompson School, Langdon residents gathered to hear the presentation of the final draft of the Langdon ASP (Area Structure Plan). With this one tiny hamlet growing rapidly, it comes as no surprise that development would pick up in the area and the growing pains that come with it.
The history of Langdon is one of a passionate spirit of western heritage and its residents have strived to keep that small town feel, despite the growth in their community. Since 1892, when Langdon consisted of one store and four houses and then during the early 1900’s when a bank, general and hardware store, hotel, drug store, newspaper, and a lawyer’s office, Langdon quickly became somewhere families wanted to live. Now with around 5000 people calling Langdon home, developers and businesses are looking to move in.
Members of RVC (Rocky View County) staff were on hand with display boards showcasing the plans for the ASP. A brief presentation was given with very few questions from the public – most of those wondering who is on the hook for paying the costs of road upgrades and other aspects of the development.
The Alberta MGA (Municipal Government Act) states that an ASP must describe:
• the sequence of development proposed for the area,
• the land uses proposed for the area, either generally or with respect to specific parts of the area,
• the density of population proposed for the area either generally or with respect to specific parts of the area,
• the general location of major transportation routes and public utilities, and
• may contain other matters the council considers necessary.
Rocky View County states, “The need for a new Langdon ASP has been determined based on a number of factors. These factors, among others, have been considered through the preparation of the Langdon ASP and include:
• strategic direction and policy within the County Plan and other relevant County policy;
• continued development pressure in the area;
• physical constraints and attributes of the area, including servicing capacity; and
• key issues and opportunities identified by Administration, residents, landowners, and stakeholders through the public and stakeholder engagement process.”
This final draft spoke to some priorities in the ASP that included:
• Maintain the look and feel of Langdon as a rural community where new development blends into the character of existing neighbourhoods.
• Establish a community through sustainable growth while continuing to maintain a strong sense of hamlet values and citizen involvement.
• Support an appropriate amount of growth in order to have improved recreational amenities, safe and attractive roads and sidewalks.
Another one of the listed priorities stated “Increase safety on Centre Street by directing heavy truck traffic to Vale View Road in order to focus Centre Street as a core for the Hamlet where it is safe for residents to walk, bike, and drive to local shops and services”. This aspect of the ASP had residents feeling mixed emotions as they were grateful to be getting large trucks off Centre Street – however, left feeling concerned about who would then cover the costs for the road upgrades to route large trucks to Vale View Road.
This draft ASP went before Rocky View County council in a public hearing on March 8th, 2016 where first reading was given to adopt the ASP. Just as at the February open house, residents and landowners in the area voiced their concerns over cost, large truck traffic and draining issues.
The first reading was passed unanimously at which time Councillor Ashdown put forth a motion to table the item. The motion was passed and the Langdon ASP will now return to Rocky View Council in an upcoming council meeting for second and third readings.
