Residents in Cochrane’s Fireside neighbourhood can expect to see some new developments in the next couple years, but not everyone is happy about it.
The Town of Cochrane is currently in the planning process of building a Points West Living senior care facility on the land behind the Shell gas station. In total, it would be comprised of three buildings between five and six stories tall.
According to Jared Kassel, manager of planning and engineering for the town, the project has been in the works since the approval for the development of Fireside in April 2010. Kassel says the area has what’s classified as “commercial/residential mixed zoning” and as long as the facility has “no variance” then it will likely be “approved directly by his staff.”
Sean Higgins, a resident of Fireside, takes issue with the facility based on its height.
“This building will change the whole appeal of Cochrane,” said Higgins.
He’s been living in the area since 2013 when his family purchased their home from Calbridge Homes and says he only heard about the project about a month ago. The facility is set to go up directly behind his property, which he is worried will depreciate in value as a result.
“People think I have an issue with the fact it’s a senior facility – I don’t, if it were two stories I’d be happy,” said Higgins.
When Higgins initially purchased his home, he was under the impression the land behind him would eventually hold a grocery store. Now he’s worried with a six-storey building behind his home, not only will his yard suffer “loss of privacy and sunlight,” Cochrane will “lose the small-town feel” that he loved.
According to Higgins, many of his neighbours were told varying stories about what would go on that land by their builders, but they were never informed it would be a high-rise. The issue is that before Fireside was even developed, zoning for the area was approved “to allow buildings to be up to eight storeys,” says Kassel.
Unfortunately for Higgins, and any other unhappy residents, the time has passed for community feedback since the open house for the project was held Nov. 17 at the Ramada Hotel in Cochrane.
Kassel explained that although his department is no longer accepting feedback from the community, they are still taking the community’s needs and opinions into account.
“We’re currently looking at all the infrastructure needs and various other needs of the community,” said Kassel.
He and his team are currently in “discussions with the developer” and residents of the town can expect a decision from them regarding the approval of the development in the new year.
