The Mike Holmes lead Wind Walk development passed its first hurdle, but MD of Foothills councillors have attached a few strings to the project.

MD council gave first reading to the development’s Area Structure Plan (ASP) last week on the condition it tie into a water pipeline in Aldersyde in the future and the Okotoks’ wastewater system.

Coun. Ted Mills said his main concern is seeing the development proceed without a backup to the ground water wells proposed to supply it.

“From the water stand point, it’s been said there is sufficient water there, but in my opinion a pipeline has more security than a hole in the ground,” he said.

The development is proposed for a 145-acre parcel of land just outside Okotoks’ south border across Highway 7 from the Cornerstone area. Plans for the area call for 457 single family and multi-family homes to be built at the site, which includes a small area for commercial development.

The project includes cutting edge environmental technologies intended to reduce energy and water consumption and will feature houses designed by TV personality Mike Holmes to be at the forefront of energy efficient building techniques.

Plans for the development include using two ground water wells to supply the development, with the bulk of the water coming from one well. Developers have included provisions to augment this supply with water from Aldersyde.

Mills said he would be okay with allowing the first phase of the development to proceed using a ground water well, but he wants the area tied into a water pipeline before the second and third phases proceed.

Coun. Larry Spilak wants to be able to connect to Okotoks’ wastewater treatment plant.

“I’m hopeful we can negotiate with Okotoks on their behalf to take in the sewer,” he said.

Coun. Ron Chase supported the plan saying it is a template for how developments should be built in the future.

“It’s a step into our future where we try to do the right thing with the sun, the wind, the air and the water,” he said.

Chase said the development will be closely scrutinized throughout the process, and Holmes and the developers will be under pressure to make sure it’s done right.

With the vote, the community’s developers now hope they can work with the Town of Okotoks and ease people’s concerns.

“Now is the time to step back and say ‘what is the best and most appropriate option for all the stakeholders and the region,’” said Seth Atkins, director of Holmes Communities.

He said they are willing to build a pipeline to connect to one in the Aldersyde area and work with the Town of High River, which supplies water to the hamlet.

“We’ve certainly heard what people are talking about in the area, which is their concerns around water,” he said.

Plans for the Wind Walk area feature a multi-pronged water management strategy that includes using storm ponds to collect rain runoff to recharge underground aquifers and water conservation techniques and technologies.

It also includes an on-site wastewater treatment plant. Atkins said the plant would treat water to a near drinking-water quality and this would then be used for irrigation of parks and public spaces in the community.

He said there’s nothing to say they won’t continue on with this plan, but they are willing to talk with the Town about using its wastewater system.

“We’re very happy to sit down with the Town and discuss with them what they feel is the most appropriate application and way to potentially do that if they want to do it or not,” he said.

To date, Okotoks council has opposed the development and recently went so far as to ask MD council to quash the ASP.

Okotoks mayor Bill McAlpine said the MD’s decision paves the way for the two municipalities to meet and work out their differences.

“It opens it up for discussion. But I’d hate to venture a guess as to where the discussions would go,” he said.

The Town has agreed to provide sewer services to the Sand Stone Springs development and offered to do so for the Gold Medal Development, by the Country Living Store west of the Wind Walk site.

McAlpine said the wind walk development is a much bigger project than the other two.

He said the Town would have to look at the existing capacity of the wastewater plant and whether or not upgrades would be needed if the Town agreed to supply sewer services.

“We have done that with the Sandstone Springs development and we’ve made that offer for the Gold Medal development, but I don’t know if we have the capacity to look after another 500 homes,” said McAlpine.

He said they would also have to determine how much it would cost and who would pay for it.

If the Town declines to provide sewer services, MD manager Harry Riva Cambrin said the MD would need to find an alternative plan for wastewater before proceeding with second reading.

A solution to the this issue could also be found in the Aldersyde area.

Riva Cambrin said the MD has looked at installing wastewater services in the Country Lane RV Park and surrounding area in he past. The MD could look at whether or not the development could be connected to a sewer service in the area, he added.

MD Coun. Terry Waddock cast the lone dissenting vote against the development for two reasons.

Firstly, he said there’s too much risk to use a ground water well to supply the development. He said it’s one thing to have a single home connected to one well, but not a development with more than 400 homes.

Secondly, Waddock is concerned about the density proposed for the development. He said it would be more appropriate for the MD to pursue clustered development in the area around Okotoks.

“It’s very high in density and it’s in the wrong place,” he said.

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