Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) board of directors Oct. 7 voted to pass the first readings of two bylaws that sends the Rockyview development proposal to outside agency referrals.

The first readings of Bylaws No. 2341 and 2342, covering official community plan amendments and zoning amendments that could pave the way for the creation of a 183 country lot subdivision in the Rockyview/East Hill area east of Cranbrook, were passed in a nine to six vote.

Voting to support the bylaws were City of Cranbrook Mayor and board chair Scott Manjak, city councillor and board member Liz Schatschneider, District of Sparwood director Gayle Travis, City of Fernie Mayor Cindy Corrigan, Electoral Area A and B directors Mike Sosnowski and Heath Slee, Electoral Area F director Wendy Booth, Village of Radium Hot Springs Mayor and board director Dee Conklin, and Area C director Rob Gay.

Before the board voted on the bylaws, they heard from project proponent Sheldon Isaman.

“I am proud of the fact” that such an effort was made to inform the public through six informational cafes, said Isaman, president of 673989 BC Ltd. and principal of Summit West.

A total of 508 comments were collected during the cafes, with the bulk focussing on “proper planning” and parks and trails, Isaman reported.

An open house is planned for sometime this month, he added.

“I stand before you today ready to make an investment in this region. We have an exciting new idea for conservation development.”

“Where will growth occur?” Isaman asked.

“It’s phase one of a larger project, as I see it. Or is it phase one of no further development?” asked City of Kimberley Mayor and RDEK director Jim Ogilvie of Isaman, who replied his plans for the ???? acre property include six to eight phases.

The chief goal of the project is to cater to an expected growing market of commuting oil patch workers, who can enjoy the lifestyle afforded by Cranbrook and take advantage of flights from the Rocky Mountain International Airport to Fort MacMurray, Alta.

Isaman told the board that up to 100,000 new jobs will begin in the oil patch in the next 10 years and there is a push afoot from many areas to provide required housing, where air transport is readily available.

“One per cent of that would take up all the available housing in the Cranbrook area,” Isaman noted.

Total build out for the property will be 183 houses on small country lots and the land doesn’t “border any of the community forest, whatsoever,” he said.

“There is still a process for a public hearing” and just because the first reading of the bylaws has passed does not mean “it is a done deal,” noted City of Fernie Mayor and board director Cindy Corrigan.

Also speaking to the bylaws was East Hill area property owner Peter Davidson, who expressed concern about the timing of the land use decisions arriving right before a municipal election. “What’s the rush,” he asked.

He also said he had concerns about “the open public participation,” pointing out that several “major changes” had occurred to the plans in the past week. “What is proposed in the long term?”

Davidson also suggested the six information sessions held by the proponent weren’t all they could h ave been.

“The sessions were by invitation only, or a validation process by the proponent,” he said.

As for the validity of the proposed plans, he asked why the RDEK would encourage more development in Area C when other development projects around the region “are struggling to survive? There are many examples of empty or near empty developments in our region.” He questioned how allowing another large project to proceed would impact those developments and investments moving forward.

Further, Davidson pushed, there is 6,600 acres of neighbouring land, privately owned, that could also enter subdivision phases. With that in mind, he said, there needed to be serious consideration of transportation corridors.

“I question the wisdom of proceeding with approval,” he said, as Cranbrook already has “two major development projects that in trouble.”

Prior to the board voting on the bylaws, Area C director Rob Gay outlined his position on the Rockyview plans.

“I really don’t see a rush around this,” he began, adding the proposed development is “historically” in line with past projects on Cranbrook’s fringe.

“This is not out of the question for what we’ve seen in the past,” he said, noting he sees the plans as an example of a “conservation subdivision.

“The owner is agreeing to set aside 30%” of the property for conservation, he explained.

Gay reiterated there is no rush and said it made sense for the board to pass the first readings so the matter could go to relevant government and First Nations agencies for referrals before returning to the board for further deliberation before then going to a possible public hearing, should the next readings be passed.

Noting the history of past and current Area C developments, the property wouldn’t explode with development and population, Gay said.

“It won’t fill up in 10 years,” he said, suggesting the norm of 10 years would likely occur again.

Ogilvie led the charge against the first reading.

“I sat here not too long ago when Cranbrook argued about development not being within 10 kms of their sphere of influence,” he said, referring to the City of Cranbrook’s support for the project.

“This is an urban development in a rural area – just like we just turned down in Fernie,” he said, suggesting that the board should “at least” defer the matter until the regional district completed a growth strategy for the area and region.

Sosnowski said he supports the proposal and proceeding with the bylaws.

“I applaud the applicant. We need development and people want to live in rural areas,” he stated.

Schatshneider echoed the city’s position from its go-around on the issue the week before.

Pointing out the results of the 2009 referendum, where Cranbrook residents narrowly voted to not support the Rocky View/East Hill boundary expansion, Schatshneider said, “The City of Cranbrook would have much preferred this to be in our limits.”

Ogilvie then reminded the board about a past boundary development (Panorama), where Cranbrook had to go through an expropriation process in order to tie that development into city services.

“It cost us a lot of time and money,” Ogilvie said.

Rockyview intends to proceed with wells and septic systems.

“There is plenty of existing room in the City of Cranbrook to accommodate all the people in Fort MacMurray and then some,“ Ogilvie said.

That led to a brief exchange between Manjak and Ogilvie.

Electoral Area G director Gerry Wilkie agreed with Ogilvie in that he believes the region needs to review its growth management strategy.

Gay replied that he supports looking at the growth strategy but said he believes the proposal fits into the Rocky View official community plan (OCP), which is less than two years old.

“The applicant has complied with everything. Let`s change the name of it (OCP) to the regional stop plan because we need some growth,” he exclaimed.

He also warned that the property owner could present a much less desirable plan for the land, without having to go before the public.

District of Invermere Mayor and board director Gerry Taft cautioned to board to consider fringe development and warned against poor planning and mixed land uses beside one another, pointing at the East Side of Lake Windermere as an example.

“This kind of development… I`d be less concerned if it was inside the city,” he said, adding he doesn`t see conservation values in plans for almost 200 septic fields and wells.”

“It’s just crazy, if you ask me,” he said.

Village of Canal Flats councillor and board member Ute Juras said she believes the board should slow down and made a motion for deferral.

`We are dealing with a difficult situation. The time for conflict in these matters is over,” said a bristling Manjak. “Whatever decision this board makes, Cranbrook will agree to that.”

The board voted nine to six against Juras’ motion, with Wilkie, Ogilvie, Taft, District of Elkford Mayor Dean McKerracher and Electoral Area E director Jane Walter backing Juras.

The same six directors voted against the passing of the first readings of the bylaws.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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