• All roads that provide access to and from the Ascension development exist, Blueridge Rise along the south border and Bearspaw Road to the northwest.  

• No new roads will be built, only a traffic circle is proposed at the intersection of Blueridge Rise and 12 Mile Coulee Road. 

• Overall increase in traffic volumes on these roads is inevitable. 

• Commercial traffic will use Blueridge Rise.

• Walking along these roads is dangerous.

• Why is Ascension not upgrading existing roads, providing its own alternative access, and sidewalk pathways? What is the slope at intersections and details of retaining walls along the roadways?

• Currently, local residents frequently walk on along the local roads in the community and feel safe. This is because traffic levels are low and crime is extremely infrequent. The development will substantially change the fabric of the community and exacerbate the risk of increased crime rates, increased traffic volume, speed concerns, proximity to existing homes, and road elevation concerns. 
• The proposed expansion of Blueridge Rise Road will be a major safety concern for the nearby communities and require efficient traffic flows for emergency services such as ambulance, fire and police. 
• Due to elevation differences where Blueridge Rise, and subsequent proposed expansion with increased traffic is elevated from existing properties, will create a significant concern for increased risk of vehicle accidents or vehicles veering off the road creating significant danger or potential harm for children and people in their own yards. This materially changes the use, function, and structure of our private properties along Blueridge Rise as no one will feel safe and cause property owners to avoid this potential high risk area within their own yards/properties.  

• Significant upgrading to the existing water supply and sewer infrastructure will be required.  Where will the water come from and where will the waste water go?
• The number of small lots will increase the stormwater flowing into the man-made pond and subsequent drainage downhill.
• Adequate solutions are required to avoid overland flooding downhill into Blueridge Mountain, Watermark and Old Bearspaw.  
• Why is Ascension not providing the necessary information to assess the impact of the number of houses and commercial area will have on existing utility systems.  Do they require a separate system?

• Development proposed for Ascension will look and feel like a suburb of Calgary.
• The land use would allow for a majority of semi-detached and townhouse building forms.  Single detached houses are not the dominant building form.
• Large commercial parcel in the east corner is 51 acres. 
• 300 unit Seniors Housing complex could be part of the Market Place.
• Density is 4.75 units per acre while density in Bearspaw is 1.95 units per acre is the density of Watermark.  Blueridge has a density of 1.8
• Why is Ascension so grossly out of character for our Bearspaw community? 

• Expect construction activities to continue for several years that further impact the community. Noise, dust, traffic, congestion, and safety are all risks that come with large-scale construction activity in a local and family oriented community. 

• The Lasso Trail is a 2.5 km trail that meanders through a ravine, plains and aspen stands with sweeping mountain views. It is a community amenity that enhances the lifestyle of local residents however added traffic only serves to strain these limited and pristine resources.
• The existing lands provide invaluable habitat for wildlife in the area.

We are strongly opposed to the current Conceptual Scheme Proposal and proposal for land use redesignation for this land as it will impact not only our community, our quality of life, our safety, our function of our property, our accessibility to our homes but also to the wildlife and local habitat.  There is a need for large reserve areas AND proper wildlife impact assessment studies.

• There will be an increase in noise, dust and construction equipment activity while the lands are stripped and recontoured to accommodate the small lots and roads.
• The large Market Place development will create significant noise 24/7 with large volumes of traffic and the uses located in the building. The commercial development is located at a higher elevation and there are concerns over light pollution.
• Dark-sky principles are critical.
• Why has Ascension been silent on the Dark-sky principles?

• “Bearspaw should offer a rural lifestyle where nature and the agricultural character of the area is respected. Sensitive development will safeguard Bearspaw’s natural environment and prioritize sensitive watershed, wildlife and and wildlife habitat.” – This is Rockview County’s draft vision for Bearspaw as part of the Bearspaw Area Structure Plan review and the Ascension development is inconsistent with this vision.
• “Review the Land Use Bylaw to establish criteria with respect to building setbacks from escarpments to preserve viewscapes and ensure safety.”  RVC, Final County Plan Amended June 23, 2022, pg. 25.
• Viewscapes are those features that provide a community asset, such as pleasing vistas and scenes that provide a sense of landscape identification and character.
• Views within viewscapes include open land, vistas, skylines, ridgelines, and peaks.
• RVC’s website states  “rural advantage over urban living”.  Most people living in RVC view rural life appealing and have made substantial investments to live within these communities.

As this land is within Rocky View County and not the City of Calgary, we would like to have continuity and harmonious community area development that is inline with country residential properties.