Tuesday, January 10, 2012

City of Lacombe terminates land development agreement with Canadian University College


At the January 9, 2012 Regular Council Meeting, a decision was made to terminate the Legacy Pointe/Residential Housing Development Initiative (REHDI) agreement between the City of Lacombe and Canadian University College.

“I must compliment Council on the extensive deliberations that considered all options before the decision was made to not pursue land development with Canadian University College,” said Mayor Steve Christie. “I believe the unanimous decision of Council to be the right decision.”

“The governance leadership shown by this Council regarding the Legacy Pointe development is to be commended,” said Chief Administrative Officer Norma MacQuarrie. “It is indicative of Council’s desire to work with all community stakeholders for the betterment of our community.”

“I fully understand the concerns some have about the REHDI Project and appreciate why City Council took this action,” said Canadian University College President Mark Haynal. “It has been a pleasure to work with Mayor Christie and Norma MacQuarrie. I know they love Lacombe and consistently work to do what is best for our city.”

“Canadian University College will begin working with other developers to develop the land in a manner that benefits both our institution and people who want to build or buy a home in Lacombe,” he added.

The Legacy Pointe/REHDI agreement was originally introduced in response to the 2005 to 2007 housing boom and the escalating housing prices that accompanied it. More specifically, the REHDI project was aimed at assisting first time homeowners who were finding market prices to be unaffordable. Also of importance was the establishment of an area in Lacombe that offered a new type of development (affordable housing interspersed with diverse market homes in a walkable neighbourhood).

The work carried out on the Legacy Point project reflected engineering design standards that included smaller carriageways, sidewalks on both sides of the street, and wider lanes for servicing purposes.

Originally, the project development area was 300 acres. This was negotiated down to a 15 acre development site in recent discussions between the City of Lacombe and the Canadian University College.

Council will continue to encourage meaningful discussion with land developers on how to fulfil expressed community needs such as affordable housing, and work towards incorporating innovative and sustainable neighbourhood design standards and architectural controls in its long term planning.

The City of Lacombe is a vibrant, fast-growing community of over 12,000 residents that welcomes innovation and enterprise while honouring its architectural and historical heritage. Alberta’s newest city offers a rich natural environment of lakes and green spaces, along with an unrivaled range of lifestyle amenities and recreational opportunities. Lacombe offers modern subdivisions, a full range of schools, the Canadian University College, a hospital and first-class recreation facilities.

The high quality of life in this picturesque community makes it an ideal location to live, work, learn and invest in. For more information on Lacombe, please visit our website at: www.lacombe.ca.

Located in the City of Lacombe, the Canadian University College (CUC) is a Christian university offering over 35 major or track choices in Campus Alberta Quality Council (CAQC) approved bachelor degree programs in Arts, Music, Science and Education. CUC is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church and holds CAQC approval for its degree programs.

With almost 500 students coming from all over North America and various international locales, the warm family-like atmosphere on campus has a distinct cultural flavor. At CUC we believe in the complete university college experience. We provide an environment where academic, physical, and spiritual growth is encouraged. Also affiliated with CUC and operating on the same campus is Parkview Adventist Academy, a grades 10-12 boarding school. For more information, please visit www.cauc.ca.
 










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