Red Deer City Council passed first reading on proposed Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and East Hill Major Area Structure Plan (MASP) changes, which could see two options for a potential Piper Creek crossing to the Bower neighbourhood.
In October 2020, City Council voted to keep the potential Molly Banister Drive road alignment in the Municipal Development Plan and the East Hill Major Area Structure Plan, thus keeping the roadway as an option to accommodate traffic in the city’s southeast in the future, should population and traffic needs warrant it.
In May, 2021, an application came forward from the future land developer, Melcor Developments, to make amendments the MDP and the East Hill MASP.
Council approved administration’s recommendation to include two changes:
The first proposed change is one additional crossing option at Bennett Street, in addition to the existing Molly Banister Drive option. Both options would be listed in the MDP and East Hill MASP, but only one could developed in the future. Selection would incorporate public feedback during development of a neighbourhood area structure plan.
The second proposed change would reduce the road classification from an arterial roadway to a four-lane collector roadway. A collector roadway would require less space, lowering the environmental impact, while still able to handle traffic volumes close to arterial roadways.
If the roadway is required in the future, current population projections suggest it could be built in 20 to 30 years, or once Red Deer’s population reaches approximately 188,000.
Members of the public who feel they are impacted by the proposed bylaw amendment are invited to provide their feedback at a public hearing on August 30. Details will be posted on The City’s website at www.reddeer.ca/publichearings.
For more information, please contact:
Corporate Communications
The City of Red Deer