Olds town council gave first reading last week to a new Highlands Area Structure Plan amendment bylaw.
Before second reading can take place, a public hearing on the bylaw must be held. That hearing is set for March 27 at 7 p.m. at council chambers.
Proposed amendments to the bylaw include:
Adding a local/neighbourhood park in the northwest residential area north of the 57th Street entrance.
Reducing the total number of residential units proposed in one area to make space for that park and reducing the number of proposed street-fronting row housing on the cul-de-sac in the northwest.
If approved, the bylaw will result in a slightly smaller number of housing units and a smaller projected population in the neighbourhood.
The number of dwelling units would be reduced by 28 from 807 to 779 and the projected population would fall by 67 from 1,935 to 1,868.
In the May 2016 version of the Highlands Area Structure Plan, the land base used in the calculation included a gas pipeline right-of-way and a commercial site.
The proposed amendment removes these two things from the amount of land considered when calculating the residential density of the area.
A report to council on the proposed bylaw says despite these suggested changes, "the residential density remains consistent with the expectations of the Municipal Development Plan."
If the bylaw is approved, the number of dwelling units would be reduced by 28 from 807 to 779 and the projected population would fall by 67 from 1,935 to 1,868.
