Rocky View County is putting detailed planning for Conrich at the front of the line as the hamlet prepares for the possibility of significant residential growth immediately west of Chestermere.
County council voted unanimously June 23 to proceed with three local planning projects in a set order. The Conrich Neighbourhood Plans will begin first, followed by the Springbank Community Core Plan and the Bearspaw Future Residential Development Area Plan.
The decision does not approve new homes, subdivisions or construction.
Instead, it directs county administration to prepare the more detailed planning framework that would be required before development can proceed in two areas of Conrich. That work will examine matters such as roads, servicing, land uses, parks, pathways and the transition between residential, commercial and industrial properties.
For Chestermere residents, the decision is close to home.
Conrich sits only a few minutes west of the city along the Trans-Canada Highway corridor. Growth there could eventually affect regional roads, utility planning, employment areas and travel patterns shared by residents of both municipalities.
Rocky View County’s existing Conrich Area Structure Plan identifies the hamlet as a full-service growth community with an eventual population of approximately 15,000. The plan divides future hamlet growth into northwest and southeast neighbourhood areas, each requiring a comprehensive local plan before development can move forward.
County administration recommended beginning with Conrich because it is identified as a priority growth area in Rocky View’s Municipal Development Plan.
Several landowners and developers have also indicated they may be prepared to advance projects once the necessary policy framework is established, according to the report presented to council.
The County has already made significant investments in water and wastewater infrastructure serving the area. Administration said development could help generate levy revenue toward those infrastructure costs.
The neighbourhood planning work will take place while Rocky View County is also completing a broader review of the Conrich Area Structure Plan.
That larger review covers approximately 4,411 hectares, or 10,900 acres, between Chestermere and northeast Calgary. It is examining residential, industrial, commercial and institutional land uses while updating a planning document originally adopted in 2015.
Running the two processes near the same time could help ensure the neighbourhood plans reflect any changes made through the wider review, particularly where different land uses meet.
Council’s decision also moves the projects forward before the County completes proposed changes to its Planning Project Prioritization Policy.
Administration is developing a system that would require business cases for future planning projects. Those cases would allow council to compare costs, staffing needs, community impacts and timing before deciding which projects should begin.
Because the Conrich, Springbank and Bearspaw projects were already directed through higher-level plans approved in 2025, administration argued they could proceed with less risk while the new prioritization process is being developed.
Rocky View County approved $400,000 in its 2026 budget for new area structure planning projects. Administration expects that amount to cover a substantial portion, and potentially all, of the three projects.
The work is expected to begin before the end of 2026, although the precise schedule will depend on staff availability and the completion of planning projects already underway.
Public consultation was not conducted while the initial business cases were being prepared. County officials said engagement will form part of each planning project once council approves individual terms of reference.
Those future engagement plans are expected to include opportunities for affected landowners, residents and other interested parties to comment.
Reeve Sunny Samra said neighbourhood plans are a relatively new planning tool for Rocky View County and should help ensure that individual development proposals follow a shared community framework.
After Conrich, administration will turn to Springbank, where the County wants to establish a central community hub around Huggard Road and Range Road 33. The Bearspaw project will follow, focusing on future roads, servicing, parks and pathways in a potential residential growth area.
For Chestermere, the most immediate question will be what shape future growth in Conrich takes.
The June decision does not answer that question. It does, however, begin the detailed work that will eventually determine where homes, roads and community spaces may go just beyond the city’s western boundary.