NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT Ball diamonds near the Family Leisure Centre and commercial zone in Crescent Heights could be relocated to make way for more commerical or high density residential development on Division Avenue, the planning commission heard on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Plans for a new community in Crescent Heights could mean a move of prominent ball diamonds to open new commercial land along Division Avenue.
The city’s land and properties department on Wednesday filed an area structure plan for the envisioned community of Brier Run.
Billed years ago as a “complete, active lifestyle” community, it would include residential, commercial and recreation land west of the Family Leisure Centre.
Documents presented to the municipal planning commission detail how the subdivision would be serviced and accessed, and integrated into the greater community.
But the general layout also includes potential new facilities, and the possibility of relocating a complex of four ball diamonds.
Project manager Ian Hakes told the News that decision could be years away, but the community is planned, and will offer a “live, work, play” community in an area where several disparate uses (industrial, commercial and residential) already meet.
“It’s undeveloped to this stage, but the area all around it has been, so we wanted to tie it all in,” said Hakes, stating new industrial and commercial land is needed in general. “Once that’s in place you bring in residential and that’s everything, which is the goal.”
Included in the drawings on land controlled by the parks department are a proposed outdoor court facility and another multi-use field west of the Methanex Bowl. The diamonds could be relocated west of the existing BMX track, and the previous land be re-designated as a commercial or multi-family housing complex on a high-traffic route near existing Northlands Co-op and Northe Pointe plazas.
The department’s business plan for 2019-2022 states commercial areas of the project are a priority area, though several areas of the community are earmarked for commercial zoning.
The development would proceed west to east.
“The policy is to drive larger development to major collectors (roads),” said Coun. Darren Hirsch, who also stated that infill development can become “a little bit painful when it’s open space for years and people live there and get used to it, it becomes a problem.”
A public hearing will be held at council on the subdivision, then again when land is officially rezoned. A public open house is planned after it is introduced at council later this month.
The land mass itself includes a full quarter-section that borders 10th Avenue NW, which had been leased to Moduline Industries for staging. Another near quarter-section includes the Family Leisure Centre and Methanex Bowl football field.
The new site plan would see half the area remain open space, including a future school site. Density estimates cite room for about 450 units, either home lots and multi-family building, edged by new commercial and industrial land, and connected by a trail system and amenities.
Planners say the goal is to build around a “crown jewel” of the FLC, while an array of land use joins quiet, residential area of Crescent Heights to commercial and industrial land on its edges.
“There’s always a wish to get more in the north,” said Coun. Brian Varga, chair of the commission. “It will take buyers to see what will go in there, but maybe people won’t have to drive to the south end for everything, which is what we always hear.”
Land closest to Brier Park Industrial estates is set for light industrial use, and land closest to existing homes would be single-family homes while density would increase going northward.
