It could take up to 15 years from inception for Innisfail’s newest proposed neighbourhood to be able to accommodate the 1,658 people plans suggest could populate the subdivision.
Dodd’s Lake area landowners Cliff and Shirley Greenwood have plans to subdivide nearly a quarter section of their land in the future to create a 736-housing unit residential neighbourhood.
“Based on the historic pace of development in Innisfail, if all land development activity was focused in this area then it would take between 10 and 15 years to fully build the number of housing units described in the outline plan,” municipal planner Craig Teal said in a report to council.
Planning for the development is in the preliminary stages.
The Greenwoods now have a council-approved outline plan to guide how the area north of Dodd’s Lake and west of the C&E Trail will subdivide and develop over the next several years.
The outline plan, which received council approval last month, includes information on the type of housing for individual streets, expected density and population, phasing, and concepts for providing municipal water, sanitary and storm drainage.
But timing of the proposed development is dependent on many variables including when the landowners make application for subdivision as well as provision of municipal servicing.
The Greenwoods have not yet applied to re-designate the land for other uses - the next step required before the land can be carved up into individual lots.
And an upfront investment in sanitary sewer infrastructure will be needed before any large amount of development can take place, Teal reported.
A limited area can be serviced through the existing sanitary sewer system leading through the Hazelwood area.
But he noted the majority of the area is dependent on either a connection to the regional sewer line or a lift station farther to the north to convey effluent back to the existing sewage lagoon.
“For this reason the phasing plan focuses on working from the north back to the south,” said Teal.
The first phase of development is dependent on the extension of the collector road from Hazelwood Estates, along with municipal water and sanitary services.
“Development beyond the first phase needs to balance the issues of being technically sound and avoiding excessive throwaway costs,” Teal noted.
He pointed out that the northeast corner of the proposed neighbourhood, largely flagged as phase 2, is a likely candidate as it is the low spot for both stormwater management infrastructure and a lift station for sanitary sewer.
