Springbank ASPs / Rec Master Plan
Rocky View has updated the deadline for written submissions on the Springbank ASPs – the new deadline is Wednesday, January 13th. County staff have also cautioned that the January 26th date for the public hearings may be subject to change. We will keep you posted. Information on the Springbank ASPs can be accessed here.
The deadline for input on the proposed Recreation & Parks Master Plan has not changed – written comments and responses to the survey are due by Monday, December 21st. You can access the survey and the available information on the draft Master Plan here. Written comments should be sent to rvc@hargroup.ca. We encourage as many of you as possible to provide input - this appears to be the last opportunity for resident input on how Rocky View's recreation priorities will unfold in the future.
Our main observations on the draft Master Plan are:
· The Plan uses dated growth projections from before the oil price crash and the pandemic. These seismic events will continue to have massive impacts on anticipated growth in Rocky View. Without reasonable growth projections, it is not clear how the Plan can adequately determine or plan for future recreation needs.
· The Needs Assessment indicates that most residents prefer unstructured recreation activities that they can undertake spontaneously and that these types of activities are increasing relative to more structured, programmed activities. However, indoor recreation facilities account for $6 million of the $7 million the Plan recommends spending over the next 5 years (and $66 million of the $95 million over the next 20 years).
o It does not appear to provide any recommendations for how to prioritize projects if the County’s finances are not strong enough to undertake all its recommendations, beyond the rankings it gives to various projects.
· Although residents indicated they were generally satisfied with the County’s existing approach to providing recreation services, the Plan appears to recommend changing the approach to move more planning and provision of services in-house.
· The material asserts that there are service gaps in both SE and SW Rocky View and recommends spending $6 million on multi-use recreation facilities in Langdon and Springbank in the short term. The lack of a community / recreation centre in Langdon is clearly evident as a major gap from the Needs Assessment. However, the Needs Assessment does not appear to identify any specific gaps in SW Rocky View to support the recommendation for a multi-use community centre in Springbank.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please let us know. Also, please share this with your friends and neighbours.
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