INNISFAIL – Locals are invited to offer their input at a public hearing on Aug. 28 into a new plan to finally develop a quarter section of long held agricultural property northeast of Dodd’s Lake into a modern, robust residential subdivision.
The plan, which covers an area of almost 128 acres, has been earmarked for development since 2011 but was sold in 2022 to an Ontario developer, who then retained the services of Red Deer’s Stantec to create a new Dodd’s Lake Outline Plan (DLOP).
“The landowner desires to develop the property in a high-density residential type of format,” said Gordon Shaw, the town’s manager of community development services, during a comprehensive presentation to town council on July 24. “It's likely something that will take many years to see full build out, but they have a new product they want to introduce into the Innisfail market, which consists of much higher density than what we've seen before.
“That includes townhouses as well as apartment buildings.”
The ambitious new DLOP was brought to Innisfail town council to consider adopting as the new vision for the property, which is currently the site of a homestead and is being used for agricultural purposes.
As well, council was asked to give first reading to several bylaw changes, including amendments to its Municipal Development Plan and the North Area Structure Plan, as well proposed bylaw amendments to adopt a new land use district for high-density residential development.
Council approved first reading for all proposed bylaw changes.
The new DLOP said the development plan calls for 10 phases, with the first being earmarked for townhome development within the southeast corner near C&E Trail and the southern property line.
This first phase also envisions a road connection to the C&E Trail with service connections to existing municipal services located outside of the development area.
Overall, future development is anticipated to generate a total of 1,011 units, including 197 single detached dwellings/units, 474 semi-detached/townhome dwellings, and 340 apartment units.
However, the new DLOP says the precise phasing of development will depend on a number of factors, including general economic conditions, specific economics of the local housing market, and development of trunk utility mains and available capacity in existing utility mains.
“These issues would also affect the size and location of the proposed development phases. Thus, the phasing plan is tentative and may change due to the above factors,” said the new DLOP.
In August Meghan Jenkins, the town’s director of community services, said the town has been working with the developer throughout this year on the plans.
Jenkins said notices have been sent out to more than 100 residents living in the Dodd’s Lake area about the public hearing in council chambers on Aug. 28.
She said If council chooses, second and third readings to proposed bylaw changes can be heard on the same day.
If all regulatory processes are approved and accepted by town council, actual development for the first phase could begin next year at the earliest, said Jenkins.
