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The Terms of Reference for the Bragg Creek Hamlet Expansion Strategy was rescinded by Council on September 23, 2023, and a new project was approved that will review the entire Bragg Creek Hamlet area.
Area Structure Plans are approved by Rocky View County Council as bylaws and provide an overall planning framework for a specific area. The Greater Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan was adopted in 2007 to guide future land use, subdivision, and development in the hamlet and its surrounding area. The Area Structure Plan identifies the area south of the hamlet, between Highway 22 and Bragg Creek Provincial Park, for future expansion consideration. However, the plan does not contain specific policies to guide development on the expansion lands.
Rocky View County is now initiating the Bragg Creek Hamlet Expansion Strategy. The purpose of this project is to explore the potential land use scenarios for the hamlet expansion area in accordance with the Greater Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan and the Hamlet of Bragg Creek Revitalization Plan. The result will be specific policies to guide the development on the expansion lands.
The hamlet expansion area is approximately 86 hectares (214 acres) in size, and consists of approximately 20 parcels. The maps below outline the area.
Council was presented with a report on May 12, 2020 with a project update and to obtain further direction on the project. The report outlined the different proposed land use scenarios, technical studies, servicing cost constraints, and an engagement summary.
Council unanimously directed Administration to continue the Bragg Creek Hamlet Expansion Strategy project and to finalize the Area Structure Plan amendments based on a land use scenario that envisions higher residential densities to offset the anticipated cost of servicing the area. The project team has finalized the draft based on Council’s direction, available below:
Due to COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions throughout 2020 and into 2021, in-person engagement originally planned to follow Phase 3 of the project could not occur. The project team created a video update outlining the proposed policy amendments with the chosen land use scenario based on Council’s direction:
On September 13, 2022, Administration presented an update report to Council. Upon consideration, Council directed that:
- The Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan Hamlet Expansion Strategy project be placed on hold to accommodate staff resource availability and other Council planning project priorities, and to allow further assessment of development progress within the existing hamlet, servicing capacity, and transportation improvements (specifically White Avenue/Highway 22 intersection discussions).
- Administration present a report with an update on these items, together with a request for direction on continuation of the ASP project, no later than September 2023.
Meeting minutes and video of the proceedings are available on the Meetings & Hearings webpage.
Background
The hamlet of Bragg Creek is located approximately 30 km southwest of the city of Calgary. The County’s Municipal Development Plan (the County Plan) supports the development of the hamlet as a small rural community with basic services in accordance with the local plan.
Following the development of the Area Structure Plan in 2007, the hamlet experienced little development, due to geotechnical conditions that did not support effective use of private sewage treatment systems, and shallow, untreated water wells upon which most hamlet residents relied. In addition, the population remained static as reflected in the 2006 and 2013 municipal censuses.
In the summer of 2013, major flooding in southern Alberta affected the majority of the hamlet. As part of the flood recovery, a municipal water distribution system and wastewater collection and treatment systems were put in place within the hamlet to provide safe and reliable services to the community.
In December 2015, the Hamlet of Bragg Creek Revitalization Plan was adopted by Council to identify opportunities and actions that can be undertaken to achieve the community’s vision for the hamlet, and to revitalize the Bragg Creek area as a dynamic place to live and visit.
The Revitalization Plan indicates that a large portion of the hamlet expansion lands has the potential to accommodate cluster housing as a way to provide diverse housing types to the community. As part of the Revitalization Plan implementation, one of the recommended actions is to determine steps for allowing future development in the expansion area as originally intended in the Greater Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan. This area would include the properties located just south of the hamlet, an area that consists of 20 parcels and is approximately 86.66 hectares (214.41 acres) in size.
The original Area Structure Plan Greater Bragg Creek ASP provided direction for the County to prepare a comprehensive land use strategy to accommodate hamlet expansion within these lands once a funding commitment and a timetable for development of municipal water and wastewater systems to service the area become available.
The municipal water and wastewater systems are now in place in the hamlet, and the potential service extensions to the hamlet expansion area are currently being investigated. For this reason, the County is initiating the Bragg Creek Hamlet Expansion Strategy in accordance with the Greater Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan policies and the Revitalization Plan’s implementation strategy.
Project Timeline
The Bragg Creek Hamlet Expansion Strategy will involve public and stakeholder engagement, technical reviews, policy writing, and development of land use scenarios for the area. The plan will be prepared in the following phases:
- Phase 1: Project Initiation and Background Research
January - March 2019 (Completed)
This phase marked the official public launch of the project with the project webpage and a mail out. Early stakeholder engagement occurred.
- Phase 2:Public Engagement and Plan Writing
March - July 2019 (Completed)
The County hosted an Open House and Coffee Chats to introduce the project and to gather initial comments from the Community. The comments and responses received in Phases 1 and 2 have been captured in an Engagement Report, available for review in the Related Information Section below.
- Phase 3: Draft Hamlet Expansion Strategy Release
July 2019 - January 2020 (Completed)
The draft vision, objectives and potential land use scenarios were completed in this phase. The land use scenarios were supported by preliminary technical assessments, such as a water and wastewater servicing strategy and transportation network analysis.
The proposed land use scenarios were presented to stakeholders and residents at an Open House and through an online survey. The comments and responses received in this phase have been captured in the Phase 3 Engagement Report, available for review in the Related Information Section below.
- Phase 4: Public Hearing
Date to be confirmed
A report was presented to Council in mid-2020 to seek further direction on the project. The COVID-19 pandemic halted public engagement efforts that were originally planned for the summer of 2020. The project was restarted in fall 2020 with a video update due to COVID restrictions.
The Bragg Creek Hamlet Expansion Strategy will align with other statutory plans, policies, and studies that have been adopted since the original Area Structure Plan was completed in 2007. Please visit the links below to review these related plans, policies, and studies:
Get Involved
There are several ways to get involved in this project.
- Contact us at planning_policy@rockyview.ca or 403-230-1401 for questions, updates or further information.
- Fill in the form below and we will send you regular email updates.
- Follow the project on this webpage. We will post updates and upcoming events.