New Bearspaw development up for debate at Rocky View County council

A new mixed-use development could bring hundreds of homes and stores to a community on the outskirts of Calgary.

The proposed shopping and residential development in Bearspaw was in front of Rocky View County council on Wednesday.

Administration is recommending the plan, which includes almost 900 housing units and 50 acres of retail, entertainment and business units, be approved and the land re-designated.

The entire project would span 275 acres. It would be located close to Calgary city limits near the neighbourhood of Tuscany, at the corner of Highway 1A and 12 Mile Coulee Road.

A community group opposing the development named Protect Bearspaw collected over 400 letters and 90 minutes of video submissions opposing the project.

Close to 150 residents opposed to the project packed council chambers for the hearing on Wednesday.

By contrast, there were 16 letters and no videos in support.

“It is a significant blight on the community in which we reside in, which we belong to and bought into,” said Steve Lilly of Protect Bearspaw.

“When you are putting something this size on county land and you are pulling from resources from other subdivisions and other infrastructure that is already in place that is very concerning.”

Residents raised concerns about roads, schools and infrastructure like water and sewage, but underlying every submission was the notion that Bearspaw is a neighbourhood of large country estates, and residents want to keep suburban-style development at bay.

“We like our country way of life, we like seeing open spaces and having neighbours right on our doorstep,” said Bearspaw resident Esther Aichele. “That’s what this development puts at risk.”

The developer says it is committed to upgrading roads and water systems in the area.

Highfield Investment Group CEO Adrian Munro says the group has consulted with both public and Catholic school boards in the area.

He also says the development is built with graduated densities and that the planned community would be nowhere near as dense as a city suburb.

“In order to try and get to the point where we need to be to do the upgrades that we are signing up for with our application. We have a transition of density,” said Munro.

“It kind of goes from like the six units per acre you might see in Tuscany or the eight units per acre you might see in Haskayne and moving along the periphery in the transition area where you’re into traditional country residential developments.”

Rocky View councillors heard all of the in-person submissions Wednesday but did not have the chance to publically review all of the submitted videos in opposition to the development.

A second special hearing of the council to deal with the matter is set for February 1.