Dear Editor,
Re: Be Clear about future plans July 12, 2017
The Council of the MD of Foothills made the right decision in rejecting the Meadows of DeWinton development. Council should also reject the Aldersyde East development of 6,000 – 9,000 residents which has been submitted to Council, and will hopefully be decided before the election in October.
Isolated high density cluster subdivisions with little or no infrastructure have no place in the MD.
To be clear about future plans, Council must develop a plan for the central district growth corridor which is acceptable to the residents of the MD.
The creation of a central district plan was earmarked by the MD as a priority in 2013, but as yet no plan exists.
The plan should be sufficiently detailed so that cluster subdivisions, having populations greater than the combined size of the Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley, are not dumped without warning on the doorstep of existing acreage communities.
Council must also develop a framework of policies which prevent planning from being developer driven.
To do this Council needs to enter into a new dialogue with residents of the MD to determine the direction of future growth.
The residents must have a continuing say in the location and magnitude of development in the MD, and not just at election time.
Doug Lord
MD of Foothills
