Residents of Mountain View County ... Council is currently in the midst of an incredibly important process, which has the potential to impact all taxpayers in the long run. Why does council's review of its Municipal Development Plan (MDP) matter? It may very well change the ability to implement currently approved county plans, such as Netook Crossing, which will in turn impact our county tax base.That is why as the landowner for the approved Netook North Crossing Business Park and Residential Community and a Mountain View County taxpayer, I attended the county's policies and priorities committee meeting on Oct. 12. My goal at the meeting was to make sure that committee members had a full understanding of the facts and benefits that Netook Crossing would bring to the county if allowed to move forward as approved.Due to concerns that have been raised by council in respect to our project, Neuroese Properties has extended an offer to engage an independent and qualified professional to conduct a full fiscal impact assessment to detail Netook Crossing's fiscal impact on the county.I would like to stress that I do believe public engagement is critical to the process and anticipate it will continue once the county releases its proposed changes to the MDP. This assessment presents a real opportunity for the county to blend public input with factual evaluation to support a balanced and fully informed approach to its decision-making.To ensure that the fiscal impact assessment does not burden taxpayers, Neuroese has offered to cover 100 per cent of the cost involved in the process and requested that the county participate by helping to select the consultant, defining the terms of reference, identify questions, etc. Many members of council seemed hesitant to participate and deferred making a decision until their Oct. 26 meeting.This response is very concerning. We need to recognize that Netook Crossing is a vital part of MVC's future and it is going to take cooperation from everyone involved to move it forward in a positive manner. We appreciate concerns that this may delay the MDP process but feel that exercising prudence in support of fully informed decision-making will avoid future councils and taxpayers looking back at Netook as an opportunity lost.Because I am concerned that there is some confusion around the history of this project I would like to take this opportunity to clarify. First of all, it was not the developer who came to the county with the concept to develop the lands. It was the other way around. Starting in 2006, the county recognized that the planning and economic development status quo was not sustainable. The need for a new planning approach to address the very real land-use pressures of the Edmonton-Calgary growth corridor while protecting agriculture and diversifying the local tax base was required. A new vision was needed, so the county went through the process of creating and approving a new MDP, a new ASP and striking agreements with urban partners to maximize the opportunity presented by Netook. It was at this point that developers were encouraged into the planning process.There was a great deal of public engagement throughout this process and after attending a number of public meetings I bought into the concept of this new type of community. I believed that Netook would help create a more sustainable tax stream for the county and meet the demand for industrial, commercial and rural residential development while helping preserve farmland into the future by using land more efficiently.We prepared the Netook Crossing North Concept Plan consistent with the existing MDP and ASP. We worked extensively with county planners and engineers to overcome technical matters related to our plan. We worked with our neighbours to ensure our development did not negatively impact them, and our neighbours supported our plan. We enjoyed a good working relationship with county officials, administration and with our neighbours in this community.Simply put, we were encouraged to be part of Netook, and have invested millions in the county and are concerned where this council may be taking us. We need to be careful not to cast a dark shadow over the county by sending a message to future investors that council doesn't follow through with approved plans, policies and processes. That would not be good for the county or its taxpayers.At the Oct. 26 meeting we will be talking to council regarding facts of the project and once again encouraging them to participate in the fiscal impact assessment by helping to pick the consultant and ensure all of the county's questions are answered. It is incumbent on all of us to make sure the best decisions are made for the future of the county.Herb StylesNeuroese PropertiesMVC Taxpayer
