Ponoka County councillors tabled April 23 rezoning application for seven parcels of land near Gull Lake.
County CAO Charlie Cutforth feels the applicant’s plan needs to be reconfigured.
The request is to rezone the land from agricultural to hobby farming and West Central Planning Agency agrees the land has multi-lot potential.
Eight approaches would be needed to service the developments, with four on one quarter section. No approaches would be allowed off Secondary Highway 771.
“That many approaches just isn’t good planning,” said Cutforth.
Charlene Hawkings, a landowner between two of the proposed parcels, objected to the rezoning for safety and increased traffic reasons.
Fawcett request
A stipulation was added to another bylaw regarding an agricultural to country hobby farm rezoning application.
The 31.5 acres is near Morningside and the applicant, Dougald Fawcett, says the intention of the land is to raise 4-H animals and pleasure horses.
However, there’s already one acreage within the subdivision and an adjacent landowner to the northwest alleges a commitment was made that another wouldn’t be developed.
“With a second subdivision out of that quarter, history shows a second one leads to a third one, which leads to a fourth and possibly a fifth,” said Brent Flewelling.
The stipulation states the new subdivision stays as one subdivided piece but it isn’t a permanent safety net.
“Keep in mind that council down the road can do an amending bylaw,” said Cutforth.
Fawcett says the land will have no large scale operations and the only reason he’s subdividing is so the landowner can have the land title.
Mannix request
A piece of land near Leedale was rezoned from agricultural to urban residential for a motorhome.
A concrete pad will be constructed for the motorhome, which has a self-contained sewage system, to park on during the summer months.
The land already has two water wells and power.
Lloyd request
Approximately 39 acres in the Battle River Valley is being rezoned from agricultural to county residential for family members.
Applicant Aaron Lloyd appeased nearby landowners’ concerns saying the parcels of land were for two of his own children and two of his brother’s children.
He said at the present time only one has even expressed interest in the land but he wants it rezoned for security. “It could stay the way it is forever.”
Coun. Gawney Hinkley wholeheartedly supported the rezoning and it achieved final reading.