Council votes against Oxbow annexation

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore’s town limits will not be changing anytime soon, as council voted on March 4 to maintain current town boundaries and not annex a proposed development to the west of town.
In November 2015, the previous town administration received an application for annexation from Telsec Property Corporation, the proponents of a 327-acre residential development sited on county lands adjacent to the current Oxbow Country Golf Course. While past officials showed support for the plan in March 2016, progress between the town and county stalled as Alberta’s economy slowed and the local housing market cooled.
After Town of Strathmore administration reviewed the annexation proposal and discussed the project with its proponents and representatives from other town departments, they identified several factors that pose risk to the town, said Renae De Molitor, Town of Strathmore senior planner.
“The annexation proposal carries upfront carrying costs, and during this low real estate time, equates to a significant risk to the town as pockets of unfinished subdivisions and unfinished infrastructure can become a town liability,” said De Molitor.
Undeveloped land is not scarce in Strathmore and annexing the development would only increase its supply. With annexation, land surplus throughout town would increase from 62 to 67 per cent, according to town administration.
Strathmore has numerous developing communities with undeveloped lands, including Edgefield, Lakewood, Ranch and Wildflower, and several communities in planning phases that have yet to be constructed, including Grandview Gardens, Heritage Heights, North Hill Heights, The Prairies and West Creek.
As the project would introduce new developments on the outside of Strathmore separated from existing or planned residential communities, town officials determined that annexation would not represent “smart growth,” and would “create urban sprawl.”
The project was assessed as having a large upfront carrying cost due to necessary infrastructure upgrades. Annexing the Oxbow development would necessitate additional road upgrade and maintenance costs for example, as Range Road 244 requires major upgrading and Range Road 254 is gravel, requiring year-round maintenance.
Developing existing or planned communities in town instead allows Strathmore to “facilitate smart growth, utilize existing infrastructure, stormwater and services, and implement economic initiatives.”