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Developers ready to move ahead

Developers of long-anticipated projects outside Okotoks’ south border are hopeful work can finally begin after an agreement that could allow the Town to annex 1,950 hectares of land.
Developers behind the proposed Wind Walk community hope an agreement can be worked out to allow work to start on the community.
Developers behind the proposed Wind Walk community hope an agreement can be worked out to allow work to start on the community.

Developers of long-anticipated projects outside Okotoks’ south border are hopeful work can finally begin after an agreement that could allow the Town to annex 1,950 hectares of land.

Okotoks and MD of Foothills councils have approved in principle a Memorandum of Understanding that could see Okotoks boundaries extended northeast as far as Highway 2 and south of Highway 7, including the proposed Wind Walk and Gold Medal developments.

If approved by the provincial government, the annexation could be official Jan. 1, 2017.

Wind Walk’s developers hailed the signing of the agreement.

Seth Atkins, senior vice-president of the Holmes Group, said they recognize there are still several steps to complete before the annexation agreement is complete.

He said they hope an agreement can be worked out with the Town and MD to allow them to start construction this year.

“Yes, we do still hope to have a portion of the project under the previous approval start in a timely manner, but we’re happy to work with the Town of Okotoks to ensure we’re meeting all their needs,” he said.

The Mike Holmes-lead community, proposed at the intersection of Highway 7 and secondary Highway 783, was first unveiled in 2008 as a ground-breaking environmentally-friendly community.

The Town opposed the plan and it was mired in years of legal battles, but developers announced in November 2015 they would support the Town’s request to annex the site.

He said the agreement allows them to work with the Town and MD to determine a path forward and what changes will need to be made to plans for the development.

“It gives us a light at the end of the tunnel, in terms of at least allowing us to know what the regulatory environment is for the area.”

Wind Walk was originally proposed to have 457 residential units, enough for approximately 1,100 people. However, the number of homes will increase to meet the Town’s density requirements.

Atkins said the original principles and vision behind Wind Walk will remain the same.

“We’re trying to make a point here, we want to be pioneers,” he said. “I do confess we didn’t think it would take eight years to get to this point, but at least we’ve stuck by what we believed in.”

The mayors of Okotoks and the MD of Foothills say they can work with Wind Walk’s developers to move the project forward.

“Whatever it takes, we will facilitate, if they wish to move forward early, then we’d like to help them out in that,” said Okotoks Mayor Bill Robertson. “So whatever we can legally do, we will move heaven and earth in order to do that.”

MD mayor Larry Spilak said the MD would need to discuss what would need to be done to allow Wind Walk to proceed.

“Now that we have an agreement, that would have to go to council for a decision, but I can’t foresee a problem if Wind Walk wanted to take the opportunity to make a move faster,” he said.

In the mean time, developers of the nine-lot Gold Medal commercial project say they are ready to go.

Dirt work has begun for the Gold Medal Business Park, and landowners are in the process of registering the land title for the property.

The proposed commercial development is immediately to the west of the Wind Walk site.

Kristi Beunder, principal for CivicWorks Planning + Design and Gold Medal planner, said the annexation is positive news but will not change their plans to break ground this year.

Gold Medal had been waiting on an annexation agreement but owners chose to move ahead because a decision wasn’t made.

“We’ve been working on this since 2007,” said Beunder. “We’ve proceeded down the road not knowing what would happen with annexation, being unclear about where services would come from.”

The annexation announcement does not change plans for the site, she said, which should be ready to accept development permits in the fall.

“We’re on the move, finally,” said Beunder. “It’s been a long time coming, too long for us. I’d really like to see it up for lease by the end of the year.”

She said development plans included right-of-ways for utilities in the case of annexation so adjustments can be made easily as Gold Medal integrates into the Town of Okotoks. Nothing else should change, she said, because approvals made by the MD must be upheld by the Town.

“In terms of wanting to get the ball rolling and begin leasing, nothing has changed,” said Beunder. “The future in the Town of Okotoks is great but I don’t know what that looks like yet.”

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