Concerned residents of Cochrane's Heritage Hills community have loosely banded together to express their concern over an adjacent landowner's proposal for residential development on property bordering the town's northwest boundary.
The Horse Creek at the Bow proposal encompasses 640 acres of land and was presented to council back in July. Put forward by William McNabb, whose family homesteaded in the area in 1873, the plan includes three development cells – future communities aligned with the existing communities of Heritage Hills,Heartland and West Pointe (eastern half of the lands); a new community (western portion); and a "gateway retreat" on the south side of the river that could be suitable for a private school or institution and would align with the bordering Stoney Nakoda First Nations lands. The inclusion of commercial space/a community hub/employment centre is flagged near the future RCMP site along Highway 1A.
Heritage Hills resident Bill Cooper said the proposal is ruffling his feathers and those of his neighbours who are concerned not only about their mountain views, but also the fact they feel the proposal doesn't align with Cochrane's vision and would set a negative precedent for growth in the community.
According to a 16-page report Heritage Hills residents submitted to the town earlier in August, there is enough developable land in the Cochrane and Rocky View County's Cochrane North to accommodate 79,000 people – more than double the town's current population – negating the need to entertain any further developments.
Drew Hyndman, the town's senior manager development services, said currently the proposed land from the McNabbs is not part of the community's municipal limits and the town is not considering annexation nor is there an application for development.
"We have quite a lot of room to grow in our existing boundaries," he said, adding the McNabbs were interested in exploring the options for their land that has been surrounded by development in recent years, including the expansion of the Burnco gravel pit.
That being said, Cooper and other concerned residents wanted to ensure they were on record against future development in the area.
"People fail to understand that once the process starts, unless it's stopped, and even if it does stop, developers continue to come at you until they get what they want," he said. "So let's deal with it now before it blossoms into something that you can't control."
Population estimates and growth potential aside, Cooper said the area is also an important green space and environmental corridor, which is home to a variety of species of flora and fauna that should be preserved.
"Everybody who bought on Horse Creek Road paid a serious premium for a mountain view," he said. "We would like to see mayor and council come back and say we're sticking to our plan ... and move on."
Residents in the area would also like to see the town address connectivity for the communities at the edge of the municipal boundaries before development spreads farther out.
“I would like to see council encourage development within Cochrane first before further urban sprawl destroys another beautiful natural landscape on the western edge of town. There doesn't seem to be sufficient infrastructure for the existing communities, maybe we should work on that first,” Cody and Daphne McCuen stated in an email.
Though there isn't a current plan in place to move forward with the Horse Creek at the Bow proposal, Hyndman said the town appreciates and encourages residents to bring concerns forward.
