Council adopted the bylaws following a public hearing attended by residents who were both for and against the plan.
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At its March 28, 2023, Regular Council Meeting, Coaldale Town Council voted to adopt an Area Structure Plan Bylaw and Rezoning Bylaw to allow for the development of a new residential subdivision along the northern boundary of Land-O-Lakes Golf and Country Club.
The public hearing capped off a year-long engagement process that began with a Town led open house in March, 2022. At that time, residents were invited to provide feedback on a plan that had only just begun putting a proposal together for the new subdivision. Feedback received led to a first reading of the Bylaw in July 2022, during which Council provided the developer with a significant list of changes to the proposal in line with what they had heard from the community. Following the first reading, additional developer led engagement occurred including another community meeting in February, 2023 and then a final public hearing held prior to the plan’s adoption at the March 28 Regular Council Meeting.
“One of the things we’re really proud of with this project is that we really went over and above when it comes to community engagement during this planning process” said Mayor Jack Van Rijn. “Typically, municipalities follow a pretty modest and minimalist approach to engagement on these types of issues, but we wanted to make sure we took community feedback to the next level. Engagement with the community multiple times throughout the plan development process means the plan far better reflects what the community wants to see, and so we’re proud of the work that went into listening to residents and how their feedback is reflected in the plan that was ultimately adopted.”
“We recognize that not everyone gets exactly what they want when these plans are adopted – it’s just not possible to please everyone when you’re talking about a growing and diverse community like we have” said Cameron Mills, Director of Growth and Investment for the Town of Coaldale. “With that said, if you look at how the plan changed since it was initially presented by the developer almost a year ago, you can see that there was a lot of concessions made to ensure that community concerns were addressed.”
The neighborhood is expected to be built relatively soon, with work starting right away on a detailed infrastructure design so new lots can come online quickly. At the March 13, 2023, Regular Council Meeting, a presentation on development statistics delivered by Cameron Mills highlighted the lack of new lots to support housing development and residential growth in Coaldale. Officials from the Town hope that these new lots will help to mitigate this challenge.
“When you look at Coaldale’s residential growth over the last 4 years, what you’ll find is that we’ve been in a relatively slow but stable pattern. That’s not a bad thing, but when you compare that to our commercial and industrial growth, which has been really explosive during the same period, you realize it’s likely something that needs to be addressed,” said Mills. “Investors recognize Coaldale as an incredibly competitive and attractive market in the region – that’s why we’ve outpaced other communities in terms of non-residential growth. But this new development should help us ensure those new businesses have local access to the labor force they need as they continue to grow here in Town.”
“This newest neighborhood has something for everyone,” said Mayor Van Rijn. “It’s got a mix of starter homes, multi-family opportunities, larger lots, and opportunities for more estate style homes along the golf course. It’s also going to feature a new park, an upgraded pond area, and access to the LINK pathway trail network. This is all in line with our approach to planning and ensuring new neighborhoods provide residents with an opportunity to age and grow within their communities and is a key strategy Council outlined in Council’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.”
People interested in learning more about the new subdivision are encouraged to reach out to the Town, or watch for opportunities as lots become available for sale in the coming months.