CBC Calgary
Council to decide on Symons Valley
Calgary - A new development in the city's northwest will be the first required to pay for roads before any building starts.
The Symons Valley project, which will include houses, shopping centres and parkland, is before city council Monday.
The city is requiring the developers pay upfront for upgrades to Sarcee and Stoney Trails, which will be the connecting roads and will eventually need to be about six lanes wide, the area alderman says.
Alderman Gord Lowe says the city has learned not to allow development to start without the road network in place. The Somerset, Bridlewood and Chaparell development became a virtual island when the existing infrastructure couldn't handle the increased traffic. Council is spending millions of dollars to try to fix the problems.
"This is the first time we've looked at transportation issues downstream, or outside of the development itself," Lowe said. "We are then going to control the phased development permit process, which will remain under the absolute control of council.
"I don't have to be standing on the asphalt, but I have to know that the transportation will come up and grow concurrently with the development there."
The new development will eventually be the size of Red Deer and the developers, Trinity, Hopewell and Genesis, want to begin this spring.