While town council ruled in favour of the residents of GlenEagles united in their opposition to the development of the Jones Estate land, a mechanism has yet to be put in place to prevent a future application from coming forward. Council voted unanimously in favour of scrapping the application by Quantum Place Developments (QPD), although deviating from last meeting's intentions to vote in favour of Coun. Pat Wilson's motion that would allow for the development of one dwelling unit on the four-acre parcel. This was to reserve council's right to exercise ultimate say on the development – as voting in favour of any development, be it for one or the originally-proposed 11 units, could result in another development authority rather than council such as the Cochrane Planning Commission or the Subdivision and Appeal Board, having the final say. "Bottom line – this is the right decision," said Phil Lalonde, a GlenEagles Estates resident and lawyer who has been active in the resistance to the three applications since 2015 to develop on the site. "This is the best outcome," added Gary Kooistra, a Vistas resident, adding that he would like to see a conversation begin to create a park space on the site and possibly tie it in with the nearby Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. The move prompted Coun. Morgan Nagel, who has not been supportive of development on the site to close the night with a notice of motion for administration to return with options for council: "(That) council direct administration to explore land use, density and regulatory options for the Jones Estates in order to address opportunities for future development that recognize the unique development constraints of this property." The community resistance namely stems from concerns relating to slope stability (the parcel is adjacent to the Vistas, on a hilltop); hydrology concerns/groundwater drainage (potential impacts on developments below); access (narrow road running through the Vistas); noise and disturbance to community (construction concerns, heavy haul traffic, added housing to a community deemed "complete"). Administration recommended the original application based on their findings that it met their technical requirements and council's approved policies. QPD and town administration maintain that all requirements have been met to satisfy the concerns – which the residents have vehemently disagreed with. "This is a sad reflection of our current bylaws," said Coun. Alex Reed, with respect to the council decision that has no ability at this time to prevent a fourth application from coming forward. "My concerns about safety are not going to go away," said Coun. Marni Fedeyko, who has reiterated her concerns for the narrow road way without a sidewalk that runs along the Vistas – the only access to the site. Although Coun. Susan Flowers initially suggested 11 units on the site may be the solution, she opted to side with Mayor Jeff Genung and her fellow council to strike down the recommendation.
