The provincial government, whether by design or pure happenstance, has thrown Foothills County a lifeline to extricate it from a rather precarious position.
As a member of the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board, Foothills County must abide by a regional growth plan whose policies have caused a fair bit of grief in these parts. Governing growth in eight jurisdictions in Greater Calgary, the plan lays out densities that residential development should meet, but the problem is those guidelines are largely out of step with rural sensibilities.
Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver announced last month that membership in regional planning boards will become voluntary, which means Foothills County could once again be master of its own house when it comes to growth and development.
County officials are taking a wait and see approach given the changes don’t take effect until next year, but judging by how outspoken they’ve been, it’s hard seeing the County staying in the fold unless things change considerably.
It makes sense to have a plan so growth in the region takes place in locations, and at densities, that will allow it to maximize costly infrastructure investments, but as much as that works in urban settings, it doesn’t fly in rural areas, which has been the crux of the issue.
People live in the country because they want to get away from congestion, so it’s not surprising they don’t take too kindly to the imposition of suburban-style density requirements in their back yards.
The regional growth plan has put Foothills County in a no-win situation. Any development proposal that passes muster with rural residents won’t get the regional board’s stamp of approval, while applications that meet CMRB guidelines will get a rough ride from constituents.
The good news for Foothills County is that problem could soon disappear.
