A proposed commercial/residential community at the existing gravel pit along Griffin Road continues to push buttons among some residents. Developer Burnswest held another open house on April 18 at the Spray Lake Sawmills Sports Centre, which drew a strong turnout. Among those in attendance were many existing residents in the adjacent Riverview community. While the development, which is looking to go before council for first reading sometime this spring, has been flagged by some as a welcomed replacement to the existing gravel pit site, others continue to be concerned with how density will play out and the volume of traffic that could go through Riverview. Stan Cordingley has lived in Cochrane for 40 years, 28 of which have been spent in his current Riverview residence. He, along with some of his neighbours, are concerned that the traffic flow will more than triple – particularly once the bridge connecting downtown to the south of the Bow River opens up. "I'm not against this because I think something has to fill in that gravel pit, but the density is too high and the traffic flow through the community is going to be a real problem." Gerry Ertel, president of the Riverview Community Association, said that the association's traffic impact research indicates that traffic could reach 18,000 cars per day. "Right now, on the corner of Griffin and River Avenue, the traffic is 5,900 vehicles per day and when the new bridge opens up, that will increase by over 13,000 vehicles per day by 2023 (total of 20,000 vehicles per day)." "Our biggest concern is the traffic ... we're just trying to avoid total paralysis of the downtown core," said Ertel, gesturing to the boards that show drivers are likely to take the proposed route that travels through Riverview, with only one traffic light, as opposed to along Griffin Road where there could be up to three lights - which he feels would prove to be a natural shortcut. He also brought up the potential congestion where Griffin Road meets Highway 22, with the interchange project still in the design phase. All this while traffic flows deal with the railway running through town. Ertel stressed that the association is not against the development; therefore, he and the members are bringing forward options to the developer and town planning with the hopes of finding a solution that satisfies their concerns. The association has taken use of the terminology surrounding density - with "anticipated density" brought down to 8 units per acre (upa) from 9 upa and the maximum density to 12.6 upa from 14.4. Chris Heier, one of the owners of Half Hitch Brewery, said that he thinks the development is a big plus and looks forward to the traffic it will bring to his restaurant. Drew Hyndman, senior manager of development services for the town, said that "we are working with the applicant and trying to address a few issues that have been identified." While it is market dependent, total community build out, which is expected to take 10 to 15 years, is aiming to accommodate 691 units or 1,800 residents.
