Work to start on Diamond Valley growth plan

Four councillors from two neighbouring communities will spend the next few months brainstorming future development in their communities.

The Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley are forming a joint growth strategy advisory committee to explore opportunities for development in one of the first steps to redrawing their Municipal Development Plans (MDP).

The committee will consist of two members and an alternate from each of the two councils.

The joint growth strategy advisory committee’s terms of reference was approved by Turner Valley Town council at its Oct. 19 meeting and will come to Black Diamond Town council for third reading on Oct. 21.

“It’s approved and we’re moving forward,” said Turner Valley Mayor Kelly Tuck, adding she and Gerald Pfeil have been appointed to the committee, with John Waring as the alternate.

Town Planner Matthew Atkinson said the advisory committee is tasked to look at growth without considering existing town boundaries as restraints.

“This is just deciding where growth is, it’s not speaking to how that growth takes place,” he told council. “That will be drawn out through the end process.”

The Towns are working with Calgary consulting company O2 Planning + Design to assist in creating the 60-year growth plan.

During Black Diamond’s Oct. 7 meeting, Rod Ross, the Town’s planning and development officer, told council the advisory committee would be responsible for planning the entire area of the two towns without considering borders.

“We’re not going to be taking into account individual interests of specific landowners at this point,” he said. “We are thinking of years longer than most people will be owning their lands. We are taking a very long-term broad perspective.”

Ross said the committee will determine what makes sense from a planning perspective and once it reaches a unanimous decision it will bring the information to the public for consultation.

“The committee needs to work through the issues and arrive at a consensus on each part of the strategy and make recommendations to each of the respective councils,” he said.

The MDP was last reviewed in Black Diamond in 2001 and in Turner Valley about four years ago.

Each Town will adopt its own MDP – which will consist of an updated map illustrating land use, open spaces and infrastructure for future development – based on common values, aspirations, goals and interests.

Black Diamond mayor Sharlene Brown said the advisory committee will work with consultants throughout the process and then bring in other parties including residents, merchants and the MD of Foothills once the work is complete.

“It lets us work out the issues that we need to work out before we provide the next step going forward to the MD of Foothills, like what pieces of land do we want to attempt to negotiate, road infrastructure that needs to be put into place, those things we need to look at before we take it to the next level,” she said. “It’s a really great opportunity for both of our communities to plan for our future with no boundaries.

“That will be the guiding document that will go forward with the potential Intermunicipal Development Plan and growth process that we go through over the next few years.”

Black Diamond Coun. Mike Ross said the consultants indicated the final report should be presented to each council in February.

“I can’t see it going much beyond that,” he said. “It could get extended a couple of months if people are busy with meetings or open houses need to be rescheduled.

“It could slow things down a bit, but it wouldn’t be by much.”