Skip to content

Concerns over plan does not stop its endorsement

Following 18 months of understanding, strategizing, implementing and monitoring, the town’s Integrated Downtown Action Plan (IDAP) is complete. Presented to council Sept.
Town of Cochrane
Town of Cochrane

Following 18 months of understanding, strategizing, implementing and monitoring, the town’s Integrated Downtown Action Plan (IDAP) is complete.

Presented to council Sept. 23, the plan aims to establish a sustainable set of six key actions that will help Cochrane’s downtown maintain its heritage, while building toward the future over the next 20 years.

The plan is intended to develop a mix of land uses in the downtown core, which will improve economic vitality for businesses, improve public spaces for visitors, provide better access to arts and culture and establish connections throughout the downtown…all in an effort to keep Cochranites in the community by offering the urban services they want and need.

“We wanted it to be different and action oriented,” said Kathy Dietrich, senior manager of planning and engineering for the town.

One of the six actions identified in the plan caused a stir in council chambers – revitalize the town lands adjacent to 5th Avenue and the Glenbow neighbourhood – as it seemed to some councillors to put the crosshairs on what they said was an important community venue; the Lions Rodeo Grounds.

“That little hub there creates (our heritage),” said councillor Ivan Davies of the Rodeo Grounds, voicing his concern that with the IDAP, Cochrane could risk losing some of its history; a sentiment echoed by councillor Tara McFadden.

Dietrich and the town’s manager of development, Jared Kessel, assured council that the intention of the IDAP, specifically the action plan that speaks to the land on and around the Rodeo Grounds, was to address where the pool and curling facilities currently sit, as with the new Aquatic Centre and Curling Club expected to begin construction in the near future, both would be closed.

Dietrich said no direction has been given for the removal of the Rodeo Grounds, that there is currently no intention to do so and if the subject were to be dealt with in the future, a fuller discussion would be needed.

Councillor Ivan Brooker had two points of contention: the belief that the IDAP focuses too much on pedestrian and bicycle lanes, and not enough on bettering the flow of vehicular traffic in town; and an amendment put forward by councillor Joann Churchill to create a future transit hub that would be labeled and constructed to be a gateway into the community.

“That’s the last thing I would want to see driving into a town is a transit hub,” said Brooker.

Mayor Truper McBride said the idea of a transit gateway simply provided the best possible location for those coming into Cochrane, regardless of how they arrived.

Councillor Jeff Toews said although he would like to see more pedestrian and bike-friendly roads in Cochrane, he agreed that vehicular traffic is a certainty and should be a focus.

Toews said he had spoken with Wal-Mart and Sobeys management and that they both said they don’t expect their customers to walk or bike to their stores, but would most likely drive.

Despite a handful of concerns, council was excited about and adopted the IDAP.

Name recognition

Council designated the outdoor ice rink in east Cochrane the Tim Bannister Memorial Outdoor Rink to honour the former town employee and community volunteer who died June 2012. Council also named approximately 1.4 km of pathway along the Bow River from the Water Treatment Plant to the current west boundary Glen Boles Trail to recognize his artistic accomplishments.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks