After being delayed for three weeks, High River Toyota’s application to relocate into Foothills County has made baby steps.
County councillors gave first reading on an application to redesignate land at the corner of Highway 2A and 322 Avenue as direct control to allow for the operation of an automotive dealership – a move that would allow High River Toyota to relocate just north of Okotoks and existing dealerships Okotoks Honda and Okotoks GM.
Council added a condition that transportation issues would be further investigated with Alberta Transportation and a conversation with the Town of Okotoks regarding highway corridor development occur prior to considering second and third reading. A second public hearing would also be required before the bylaw could proceed any further.
Maleka Rajani, assistant general manager at High River Toyota, said progress is good, though it wasn’t quite the result the company was hoping for.
“It’s like we’re in limbo right now,” said Rajani. “A definitive would have been good.”
She said she’s cautiously optimistic about the application moving forward, because she believes the condition council imposed will go in Toyota’s favour given the fact it deals primarily with traffic and transportation issues, which the dealership has said it would tackle.
“As a dealership, we’re prepared to put in lights,” said Rajani. “If they’re just waiting for the information I think we can be optimistic.”
In its public hearing presentation in January, High River Toyota stated it would cover costs of improving the highway intersection and putting traffic lights in – but Alberta Transportation had responded to the application saying lights were not warranted and the government would not support installing them at this time.
Foothills County CAO Harry Riva Cambrin said generally traffic lights cost $300,000 on top of costs to upgrade roadways and turning lanes at installation. It’s possible Alberta Transportation would be receptive to the idea if the municipality and dealership were both invested, he said.
“Would Transportation bend? I guess it depends on how much the municipality is prepared to put into the intersection and how much the developer is willing to put into the intersection,” said Riva Cambrin.
He said the municipality could implement an endeavour to assist, which would mean any future development would help contribute to the cost of the upgraded intersection.
Coun. Delilah Miller said asking future developers for contribution to the lights would be good move given the future direction of the 15 Street service road.
“Anybody who’s been on that road, you can clearly see there’s other lands for sale on this service road, so we are going to be faced with other applications in this area,” said Miller.
She added that, given the amount of potential development coming to the area, council should seriously consider what it wants to see along the service road if not a dealership like Toyota.
Coun. Jason Parker said he agreed with the need to install traffic lights prior to any further commercial development, as crossing the highway can be difficult during both peak and non-peak hours.
“I’m very disappointed Alberta Transportation would not support lights because I certainly do think it’s a safety hazard at this point in time,” said Parker. “If there was a way somehow that we can help facilitate, that this business could facilitate that I would like to see that.
“If there was a way we could convince Alberta Transportation to put lights at this site I would be ready to move forward with this because it solves a problem for safety and for residents accessing that highway in this area.”
He said it’s not just County development on the service road that will have an impact – the lands on the east side of Highway 2A were annexed into Okotoks so the outlook for the area is more traffic.
That was one of the resident concerns raised at the January hearing, in addition to increased lighting and impeded views. Parker said those concerns were all valid, and while he likes to fight for people sometimes landowners need to pay attention to where they choose to buy.
“Sometimes people need to take responsibility when they purchase property right adjacent to a major highway,” said Parker. “They have to, at some point, expect some future development in that area. And the fact Okotoks will be developing to the east will certainly have an impact on this area.”
Reeve Suzanne Oel said though it may be a few years out, the annexed lands opposite the proposed Toyota dealership will definitely be planned and developed.
“That’s going to come soon and that’s going to be right across the street from this, and this is going to be another set of lights,” said Oel. “That’s the future forecast because this is right next to the town.”
She said as much as there’s a reality check piece with regards to location and development, council is sensitive to the concerns of the residents that were brought forward.
“I don’t want to lose sight of concerns that were brought forward, as the gallery was full,” said Oel.
Coun. Alan Alger, who represents Division 5 where the land is located, was the sole vote against passing first reading, standing firm in his position to support residents in the area. He said his email and phone were both flooded with messages from area residents before and after the public hearing.
“I hate to chase business out of the area, but I just don’t think it’s in the right spot,” said Alger. “I was elected by these people to support them and to represent them, and I have to do that. It’s a contentious issue in the area.”
He said with the dense country residential properties in the area, the low-key commercial businesses along the 15 Street currently are more fitting, but a dealership doesn’t fit with a congested neighbourhood.
Discussions with the Town of Okotoks will not take place until a planned intermunicipal committee meeting in April, and a public hearing will be scheduled afterward for Foothills County to consider second and third readings on the development.
