Councillor Morgan Nagel is unsatisfied with the lack of action being taken by town council on residential density and believes the majority of elected councillors appear to be reneging on a promise to take action on the issue.

At the Jan. 22 council meeting, Nagel reluctantly changed his motion to direct administration to look at broadening its density targets after he and Councillor Alex Reed originally sought to reduce density. The compromise was reached when it became apparent Nagel's original motion would fail.

"The really pressing issue that bothers me about the way our discussion ended is there are approximately 8,000 homes that have been given zoning but not their subdivision yet. If our council wants to reduce that number or take any steps to change in which those homes are built, we have to be willing to reduce the density target," says Nagel.

Mayor Jeff Genung was sternly opposed to the idea of reducing density targets calling it a step backward and envisioned headlines across the country. He suggested it might impact the town's pursuit of Smart Cities funding.

"I understand what you're trying to do, but I don't believe reducing density targets is the way to do it," Genung said.

He did. however, support the idea of examining ways to achieve the density targets in a balanced manner.

Nagel says it simply isn't enough and the range of the density target must be changed in order to have developers institute changes to their planning.

"If a developer came to us and said they wanted to build a neighbourhood that looks like Bow Meadows, that would not fall in line with 8 to 10 units per acre (policy). If we at least open up the option for low-density development by going to 6 to 10 units per acre that's a half step in the right direction. It's not a full step in the right direction because it still allows for the ultra-high density stuff."

Nagel didn't see any problem is creating headlines.

"I think that would be a good thing. It seems pretty unanimous in the public and in council that we don't want Cochrane to be just another community that follows through with everybody and especially a community that follows Calgary around. We're different. We have our own Western brand small-town feel on the outskirts of a major international economic hub.

"We are trying to establish this really high tech industry, which quite frankly isn't parallelled by any other small city or big town of 30,000 people. So I hope we do have the courage to take action and actually do things a little different than every other cookie-cutter suburb out there."

Nagel points out rapid growth and traffic were the top two issues going into the fall election and says the two are directly related. During the election, he points out, he collected almost 700 signatures of people asking for action to be taken

"Rapid residential development is the cause of our traffic problem, so if you bundle development and traffic together as basically the same issue, I would say the majority of our current council were elected to take action on these issues."

He believes his hands are tied to take action if he's unable to garner the support of enough councillors to sway the vote.

"The bottom line is if the majority of council doesn't want to take action on this there's nothing I can do. I learned that with the last group. The last group had no desire to push back against the development industry and if I don't have three other councillors willing to do that with me honestly there's nothing I can do that."

"I had the majority of this current town council make a promise to take action on this stuff and if that public pressure three months after the election doesn't matter, I'm at a loss, I don't know what to tell you, what to do next."

Councillor Reed was more accepting of broadening the town's residential density.

"I think it was a good compromise to take out the word "reduce" and look at other options and I hope we get to a better place because density drives everything."

He says while serving on the municipal planning commission for four years he became acutely aware of some poorly planned new developments that have plagued some residential areas with parking problems, accessibility issues and lacked adequate green space.

"To be dictated by Calgary or by other groups about what the needs of Cochrane are I think is inappropriate. This has been a big issue for Morgan and me for the last four years and I feel very strongly about."

He says naysayers will say he favours urban sprawl but claims that's not the case.

"No, I don't want to have urban sprawl, but I want to have planned communities where someone like me who's a little further on in their life and prefers to have a larger lot and a bigger home can do so or someone like my son who's just starting out can have a starter home. We should be able to accommodate all those interests."

Several councillors pressed the need to have different kinds of housing available to accommodate different needs. Susan Flowers, in particular, pointed out at one time there was no other option than full-sized single housing dwellings and little to accommodate those with lesser needs or means. 

Nagel believes those targets have now been exceeded and he says the recent property assessment roll indicates the market is being flooded with this type of housing and some properties are facing steep reductions in value.

"I bet all the families in Cochrane who live in high density would ask our government, please, no more high density because you're destroying the value of my home."

CAO Dave Devana believed reducing densities would send the wrong message and was not keen on asking the planning department to examine ways to reduce density but instead have them examine how the density is distributed. He suggested the residential density in Cochrane falls somewhere in between that of Calgary and Rocky View County.

Nagel and Reed received the full support of the Riverview Community Association for their original initiative and some members of the association were present at the council meeting.

SEE MORE:

Reed, Nagel Want Residential Density Target Lowered