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Rocky View Weekly: Partnership hoping to entice rural municipalities back to CRP

Truper McBride, the chair of the Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP), says the organization is hoping to entice estranged rural municipalities to rejoin the alliance.

He said the organization is seeking dialogue and cooperation with several municipalities, including Rocky View County.

“The task is to re-engage with the rural communities with a dialogue,” said McBride. “There are some things that we would like to talk about. We hope we can bring the family back together.”

The statement came after a Jan. 20-21 CRP retreat, during which representatives of the 15 member municipalities discussed the Province’s recent response to the organization’s planning document, the Calgary Metropolitan Plan (CMP).

McBride reiterated that residential developments densities of between eight and 10 units per acre are non-negotiable.

“We are committed to the densities,” said McBride. “We can have conversation on how we phase-in over time, we don’t expect everyone to get to eight to 10 overnight.”

Rocky View County Reeve Rolly Ashdown said the County is willing to sit down and talk, as it does see advantages to regional planning. However, he said the CRP’s targets for residential densities are not compatible with development in the county, nor is the current voting structure, which gives Calgary a veto.

“We wouldn’t be able to join,” said Ashdown. “Rocky View wants to maintain its autonomy.”

According to Ashdown, the County will continue to work with neighbouring municipalities.

“We would still look forward to cooperating on a friendly basis,” he said.

In its response to the CMP, the Province directed the CRP to reach out to neighbouring non-member municipalities. McBride said he didn’t sense that the Province was looking to force the non-member rural municipalities into the Partnership, but it could happen.

Crossfield Mayor Nathan Anderson, who represents his community within the CRP, said he wouldn’t support the partnership if it became mandatory, such as happened in northern Alberta’s Capital Region.

“I don’t think (membership) should be forced on anybody,” said Anderson. “I think we should work together as opposed to having the Provincial government try to tell us what to do. If the CRP starts going in a direction, as far as morphing into another layer of government, I won’t be supporting it.”

However, Anderson said his original pessimism about his community being part of the CRP was unwarranted after attending the retreat.

“I am optimistic that the counties will rejoin the CRP,” he said. “Everyone is so close to seeing more or less eye-to-eye. I was very impressed with the way Mayor Truper McBride led the conversation, it was about building bridges with the rurals as opposed to any kind of strategy to get them back in.”

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http://www.rockyviewweekly.com/article/20110131/RVW0801/301319965/-1/RVW/partnership-hoping-to-entice-rural-municipalities-back-to-crp