Remote suburb sparks safety fears
Calgary’s fire chief is expressing concerns over a development in the far southeast Calgary community of Mahogany and its proximity to a sour gas well and pipeline.
A still-undeveloped part of the community on the edge of the city falls within the emergency planning zone of a well and pipeline already in operation.
In a letter dated March 21, Bruce Burrell informed the Calgary Planning Commission of his concerns with the development.
He writes that there are not enough roads into and out of the community for firefighters coming from McKenzie Towne, that firefighters could not currently get there within the seven- and 10-minute benchmarks in the event of an emergency and that residents would be unaware they are in the safety perimeter zone for the well and pipeline.
Burrell could not be reached for comment, but deputy chief Ken Uzeloc said the delay in response time means “some of those key decisions are going to take longer.”
There are currently no properties built in the emergency zone and it will be years before that occurs.
“As the development proceeds through ... you will get both residential and commercial built in those zones.
Obviously, we have concerns on putting residential families, even dense commercial operations in there. That just means more people to have to deal with if something goes wrong,” said Uzeloc.
The fire department, the developer — Hopewell Residential Communities — and Ald. Shane Keating said they are working on a brochure for future property owners about the emergency zone.
“Today, none of the construction and none of the development should be of concern at this point,” said Keating. “When it gets to the emergency planning zone, then we have to make sure that everyone’s well aware of where it is and what’s being looked at, and all the safety precautions are in place,” he said.
Since the letter was written, construction has begun on a new fire station in Seton that would help with response times in the deep southeast.
Hopewell spokesman Scott Hamilton confirmed the southeast quarter of the community would fall under the emergency planning zone.
The well and pipeline are not on their property, but the developers are well aware of it and of the emergency planning zone. It will be several years before that area is developed, he said, and added there is no thought of cancelling construction in the affected area.
“I think the idea is to just ensure that residents are well informed and it’s managed. The risk, as far as we understand, is extremely low,” said Hamilton.
The development of Mahogany was first approved by council in 2006, said Keating. The company’s plans have resurfaced because the developers proposed a small amendment to the plans in another area of the community.