Developers behind a proposed DeWinton-area community are focusing on an aging population with their plans, but area residents are weary of high density residential projects in the region.
Bryan Fenske, one of four partners on the Meadows of DeWinton project, said they plan to build an age-in-place community for the Foothills, for those who wish to live in the country but have a touch of urban life.
“What farmer growing up and living his life here wants to go into Calgary when he’s 75?” said Fenske. “Everything has been designed with the current Foothills residents in mind.”
The Meadows of DeWinton is not intended to become a bedroom community of Calgary, he said. He said the community could also appeal to children of farmers who want to work on their family farm but have their own home outside of Okotoks, High River or Calgary.
Details of the 1,500-home development were unveiled at an open house in the DeWinton Community Hall on Dec. 8. It’s expected the 476 acres of land near 16 Street and Highway 2A, adjacent to the Okotoks overpass will be built out over the next 15 years.
The community would include three assisted living facilities, senior villas starting at $500,000, as well as starter and mid-size homes ranging between $400,000 and $700,000.
The community will be serviced by a water pipeline from the Bow River, through Heritage Pointe, which the development group secured three years ago.
Fenske said he hopes to have an area structure plan before MD council by April.
Further public open houses will be hosted in January, revealing public feedback and any changes to the current proposed plans.
Fenske said the developer group will foot the bill for traffic lights at 16 Street and Highway 2A, to make the turn toward DeWinton and into the Meadows much safer. They also intend to install a motion signal light on the Okotoks overpass for those turning left toward Davisburg from Highway 2, he said.
The Meadows will have three main entrances, he said, to spread out the amount of traffic entering and exiting the development. The developers have purchased a right-of-way from an adjacent landowner to complete the Old Quarry Road, running parallel to Highway 2, providing an additional access at Dunbow Road, he said.
“A lot of criticism about development is that you’re adding traffic, but we’re going to make these three things safer at our expense right off the bat,” said Fenskie.
Area resident Marie Wilkinson said she’s not convinced traffic lights and a mile of road will make a difference in the impact she expects on her quality of life. Living just to the south of the proposed development, she said the additional traffic will affect her ability to get in and out of her property quickly – something she needs to do as an active midwife.
“On the highway, we have trouble getting out now, and there’s not many residents,” said Wilkinson. “You’ve got all the commuters from Okotoks coming this way, so you’re already struggling with the traffic from Okotoks, so with lights in there we’re going to sit in traffic jams trying to get out to Highway 2.”
Heather Forbes, who lives next to Wilkinson, said she doesn’t see anything positive about the proposed development.
“It’s urban sprawl in a rural area,” said Forbes. “I don’t think we need any more big developments in the neighbourhood, all these big clusters of residential areas in the rural property.”
Mike Hornick, who lives just north of the development area, said the proposed community won’t offer much value to him or his family. He said the proposal and design look good, but he doesn’t want to see that kind of density in the area.
“I’m a little concerned too, because this is all farmland that’s again going to be consumed by residential,” said Hornick.
He said he’s rather see developments like this in areas that wouldn’t affect the environment as much, closer to urban centres rather than in farm country.
Jenna Kuhlen currently resides in Calgary, but visited the open house to get a glimpse at architectural controls and the commercial district. While the country-style homes didn’t appeal to her modern style, she said she’s interested in opening a branch of her Calgary-based health and wellness practice in the Meadows.
“I think it would be so imperative in the area, especially is there’s going to be such a senior community,” said Kuhlen. “I would be serving the community as a whole, and I think that’s a really great concept.”
