Chestermere’s continuing effort to determine how its acreage communities fit into a growing city returns to Council Tuesday, July 28, with a public hearing on another change to the Land Use Bylaw.
Council is considering Bylaw 018-26, which would eliminate the Transitional Rural Residential district from the Land Use Bylaw and redesignate the three remaining properties within that district as Country Residential.
The public hearing begins at 1 p.m. during the regular Council meeting. Council gave the bylaw first reading June 23.
Although the proposed change directly involves only three parcels, it is part of a broader discussion that has been unfolding this year over development, subdivision and servicing within Chestermere’s acreage communities.
Council created the Country Residential district in February. The designation is intended to accommodate residential properties that retain a semi-rural character and generally do not have the full range of urban utility services available in newer subdivisions.
The regulations provide an avenue for one- to two-acre residential parcels while limiting further subdivision.
The new district has particular relevance to residents in the North Acreages, East Acreages, Paradise Meadows and Lake Ere Estates, where questions surrounding subdivision, servicing costs, taxation and future development have been the subject of considerable discussion.
The City held an acreage information session June 10 to explain the Country Residential and Transitional Rural Residential districts, subdivision requirements, off-site levies and servicing expectations.
A follow-up report was presented to the Governance and Priorities Committee July 21. The committee directed Administration to prepare a mail-out to acreage property owners containing questions and answers arising from the information session.
The July 28 hearing deals specifically with removing the Transitional Rural Residential designation and transferring Lots 15, 16 and 17, Block 3, Plan 251 2026 into the Country Residential district.
It does not, by itself, approve a new subdivision or development on those properties.
That distinction is important as Chestermere attempts to balance the interests of existing acreage owners with the infrastructure and planning demands created by a rapidly growing urban community.
Residents wishing to speak at the hearing can register before it begins. The City's deadline for submissions guaranteed to be included in the Council agenda has passed, although later submissions may still be provided to Council if Council agrees to accept them.
After the public hearing closes, Council can amend and pass the bylaw, defeat it or postpone a decision.
For acreage residents, Tuesday’s decision will be another step in a planning conversation unlikely to disappear as urban Chestermere continues growing around communities that were built under very different servicing and development expectations.