CANMORE – The Town of Canmore and the Municipal District of Bighorn have taken the first steps towards creating an Intermunicipal Development Plan for the area near Dead Man’s Flats.
The aim of the new plan, which is required under the Municipal Government Act, is to help the two municipalities work together to resolve matters of mutual interest along their shared border, including future land use planning and development, transportation corridors, and environmental matters.
The current study area includes the entire section of the Smith Creek Area Structure Plan south of the Trans-Canada Highway in Canmore and the entire hamlet of Dead Man’s Flats in the MD of Bighorn.
Tracy Woitenko, a development planner with the Town of Canmore, said the current study area would likely become smaller once an intermunicipal committee is created. The committee will be made up of two councillors from each council.
Alaric Fish, Canmore’s manager of planning and development, described the plan as a high level document that would not be binding on either municipality.
“This plan is not going to establish detailed land use concepts either for Dead Man’s Flats or the adjacent lands in Canmore,” said Fish. “As Ms. Woitenko pointed out, it will be a higher level plan than the Municipal Development Plan so there will be some concepts or issues for the municipalities to work through, but it’s not going to be a detailed plan.”
In the past, the Town of Canmore and the MD of Bighorn have butted heads over the MD’s plans to develop 29 hectares of land for light-commercial development in Dead Man’s Flats.
In 2015, the Town of Canmore filed an appeal against the MD’s area structure plan claiming the plans would impact the functionality of a wildlife underpass on the Trans-Canada Highway and the adjacent wildlife corridor.
The Municipal Government Board dismissed the appeal in March 2017, allowing the MD to move forward with its plans.
Woitenko told council that if both councils approve the plan issues about wildlife corridors and habitat patches would be addressed through the new plan. There would also be procedures established to improve communication and resolve intermunicipal disputes.
While the plan must still be approved by both councils, it could help the two municipalities resolve any issues that may arise when Three Sisters Mountain Village begins to develop phase three of its Smith Creek Area Structure Plan, which envisions adding a mix of residential housing and commercial development south of the Trans-Canada Highway from Canmore to Dead Man’s Flats.
When the entire area is fully built out there will be up to 1,700 units of low and medium density housing, which could add up to 4,000 new residents. It will also include large areas of open space for recreation and a trail system.
A draft of the Intermunicipal Development Plan is expected to be completed and reviewed by the intermunicipal committee by July before both municipalities hold a joint open house by the end of August.
First reading of the plan is expected to take place at both councils in September and if all goes according to plan the Intermunicipal Development Plan will pass second and third reading before year’s end.
