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Stormwater master plan for Dead Man's Flats completed

“We’ll be looking out for that if there’s developments or changes planned. It provides us an overall guiding document and it’s good news when they don’t result in capital budgets and infrastructure, but they’re identifying that potential.”
MD of Bighorn office 1
MD of Bighorn Office on Thursday (Aug. 6). EVAN BUHLER RMO PHOTO⁠

MD OF BIGHORN – A new stormwater master plan for Dead Man’s Flats will give the Municipal District of Bighorn a guiding idea for the next five to 10 years.

While the plan showed the municipality may have to spend $1.4 million in stormwater improvements in the highway commercial district of the hamlet, it ultimately recommended no changes be made in the coming years.

“The reason is to plan the overall stormwater system for the hamlet as a whole, which also includes the east so they’re not done in isolation," said Bill Luka, Bighorn’s director of operations. “It does identify the issues. We know there could be two [stormwater] ponds.

“We’ll be looking out for that if there’s developments or changes planned. It provides us an overall guiding document and it’s good news when they don’t result in capital budgets and infrastructure, but they’re identifying that potential.”

The MD of Bighorn hired Canmore-based ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd. to complete a stormwater master plan for Dead Man’s Flats.

The report highlighted that $530,000 in ditching and culvert improvements in the area of 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street and $912,000 to construct two future stormwater management ponds could take place, they weren’t imminently needed.

A staff report stated the improvements could address existing conditions, but the cost would not be able to be recovered from developers.

The two stormwater ponds would help reduce discharge flows and velocities, but the report noted it is considered a “best practice and not a requirement.”

The report also highlighted that culvert and ditching improvements should only be undertaken if “concerns arise”.

“This is considered a basic management practice and recommendation,” Luka said of the ISL report. “If I hired 100 engineering firms, I’d have 98 or 99 recommendations to consider the ponds. They’re not required, but it is a good practice, especially since we’re within the commercial area. We’ve never had ponding issues in the area and we don’t consider it a priority.”

According to the staff report, the offsite levy for stormwater management improvements only applies to two lots at the Sparrowhawk development and the other is adjacent to the campground and waste transfer site near the west end of the hamlet.

Bighorn council also approved an amendment to the Dead Man’s Flats water and wastewater connection fee.

The bylaw doesn’t apply to the River’s Bend and Quarry Limestone subdivision, the MD’s industrial triangle land and the 105 accommodation units in Dead Man’s Flats. The report noted the connection fees had previously been paid as part of previous development approvals.

As of Jan. 1, the connection fee per dwelling will be $5,512 and the $3,674 per visitor accommodation unit. The commercial hectare fee is $110,244.

The change adjusts the fee with accruing interest and inflation since they have previously been prepaid by the MD to the Town of Canmore.

Luka noted for the stormwater master plan, it would be proposed to be updated in the next five to 10 years. It also means no changes in immediate future budgets are needed, but the operations department will continue to look for potential issues that may flare-up.

“It might change as there’s redevelopment, we’ll be revisiting and looking out for it,” he said.

“We’ll manage it and review it because there is active development that does change the environment. I think they’d be reviewed within a five- to 10-year period, but like seven to eight.”

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