After nine years, Okotoks council has given the go-ahead for the Wind Walk development.
The high-density area structure plan was originally proposed within the MD of Foothills in May 2008, led by reality TV personality Mike Holmes. The development is located on the south side of Highway 7 at Secondary Highway 783.
Anticipating annexation into the Town of Okotoks, the developers revealed their new area structure plan with urban density levels in April. The plan went to public hearing on June 26 and was unanimously supported by Town council.
Council also gave first reading to the land use bylaw that will allow phased development. Wind Walk developers had initially approached Town council on June 12 to have the land use bylaw for the entire 145-acre site approved, but it was postponed due to concerns with water.
Coun. Carrie Fischer said it was important to ensure there would be enough water available to sustain development that was approved, and she didn’t feel comfortable granting approval to the entire plan.
“I was hoping to see phased development come forward, so not a request for the whole quarter to be approved at the same time, because that’s got much different water requirements than phases,” said Fischer. “I just didn’t think it was flushed out enough.”
The Town is currently undertaking three water licence transfers, which will provide enough water for the first phase of Wind Walk. Once the transfers are complete and there is sufficient water supply, the land use bylaw can be fully approved.
Coun. Matt Rockley was disappointed when the land use bylaw was postponed. He said the land use could have been approved while water licence transfers were being finalized.
There was also some frustration with not being able to more forward with water constraints, he said. He had hoped approving the Wind Walk area structure plan and land use bylaws would have made the provincial government take notice.
“That’s been an issue we’ve been working on ever since the decision was made to pursue annexation, and the challenges with getting our provincial partners to work with us on that has been very frustrating,” said Rockley. “I wanted to push them a little bit with this approval to show that we needed to move forward. To wait another five years isn’t acceptable, so I wanted to push the envelope a little bit with the Province in terms of our water situation.”
He said he’s still thrilled to see Wind Walk receive approval. It’s something he’s been working toward since before annexation was announced in 2012, he said.
Wind Walk, and similar developments, were part of what drove the annexation from the MD of Foothills, he said.
There was an approved area structure plan in place in the MD for Wind Walk, and at least three other plans either the same size or larger right at Okotoks’ boundary, he said.
“That was one of the main reasons I ran for Town council, was that I was very concerned about lots of semi-urban development happening around Okotoks and the cost-sharing and taxation complexities that come with all of that,” said Rockley.
He said he’s always believed in the vision for Wind Walk, but thought it made more sense for the development to be part of Okotoks rather than just outside its borders.
“I’m absolutely thrilled now that it’s moving forward as a neighbourhood within Oktoks,” said Rockley. “I think it’s really a win for everybody involved, including the MD of Foothills.”
