Two rezoning requests made to Ponoka County council have been postponed.
Council decided to defer a decision on a rezoning application until an area structure plan is prepared for the land.
Seventy-nine acres, sandwiched between the north border of Ponoka and an acreage development, is up to be rezoned from agricultural land to country residential, so it can support further subdivision in the future.
Because the land has acreage development to the north and town borders adjacent to the south the Town of Ponoka has concerns about the application.
Betty Jurykoski, planning and development officer for Ponoka, expressed the town’s support for the rezoning as well at its concerns.
“We, as a municipality, are concerned with access and how the access will affect our existing roads. We would have a dust factor with prevailing winds to the south that may impact adjacent residents to the south.”
Jurykoski also expressed the concern of how the rezoning would tie into the northwest Storm Water Management Plan for overland drainage and the 2012 Master Servicing Study that identifies a future water distribution supply main line directly adjacent to the south boundary of the proposed rezone area.
The town also wants more information about the rezoning and an area structure plan developed and submitted for review.
Rezone area re-advertised
Council is also re-advertising an enlarged subdivision proposal before making any decisions.
Originally the request was to subdivide approximately 14 acres but it was later increased to 50 because if the northern part of the parcel was sold there would be no access to the southern portion due to water.
The request to subdivide the 50 acres across the southern portion of land was met with opposition from adjacent landowners.
There is already another acreage on the land as well as a large house. Adjacent landowner Lex Kerkovius is not opposed to the extra acreage or the enlarged subdivision but he is concerned the 50 acres could be divided into several smaller parcels in the future, something neighbors are opposed to.
“I am very opposed,” said neighbor Dean Levie. He feels there would be increase in noise, partying and erratic driving with the subdivision.
County CAO Charlie Cutforth expressed Levie’s concerns as legitimate but also personal and not directly relating to whether the land can be subdivided and changed from agricultural to country residence.