Valleyview development gets OK
City council passed the third reading changing the official community plan for the Valleyview area on the Hart Highway, which will allow single-family neighbourhoods to be developed in the area.
Two area residents, including Dianne Gagne, spoke at the hearing, listing concerns about the development while friends and neighbours showed their support by attending the meeting.
Many of the concerns revolved around the wildlife in the area. Residents were calling for a full study on the wildlife. They did not feel the study done by Triton, a drainage study with a wildlife component, was sufficient and expressed concern about the displacement of animals that are territorial by nature.
In a letter to council, and during her presentation, Gagne said there is a misconception displaced animals will move to other areas, and that all wildlife is territorial and only the number of animals supported by available habitat will survive.
Ian Wells, the city’s director of planning, said the study did not identify endangered species in the area or anything warranting further concern. He pointed out that 60 per cent of the land will remain undeveloped, to be phased in, and there will be wild tracts of land between developments.
Final reading on the bylaw will be withheld until a servicing brief and traffic impact study is completed.
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