CHARLES TWEED
Several concerned residents gathered at Ponoka County councils’ office to let their voices be heard regarding the rezoning of a parcel of land near Gull Lake.
Allied International Imports Ltd. requested the application to accommodate the development of an eight-lot acreage subdivision.
The main concern focused on the specific act of rezoning the land from hobby farm to country residential.
“I don’t oppose people developing their land, but everything there has ended up with hobby farm designation. And it is specifically for the concern of future subdivision. As a community we want to maintain the safety and integrity of the area,” said Randy Stuart a resident who lives in the area.
Residents were worried if the land were rezoned that it could be subdivided further in the future. County rules state that hobby farms must be 10 acres. The proposed subdivision would fall slightly below that mark at 9.7 acres.
“I know that the fear is that it does provides the ability to re subdivide in the future if it is zoned CR (country residential). If that is a concern then council can amend it to a CRH (country-residential-hobby farm) with a slight relaxation of the size,” said CAO Charlie Cutforth. “Then it restricts that there is no subdivision in the future.”
Stuart also asked that some restrictive covenants be put in place for subdivision.
Five main areas were identified in the covenants.
1. No garbage or refuse shall be burned, buried or stored on the lot at any time.
2. No mobile homes are to be placed on the lot. Or any other moved dwelling, such as a modular home or pre-built home, unless it is not more than five years old.
3. All houses are to have a permanent foundation, with the exterior to be finished within 12 months of starting construction.
4. No part of the lot should be used for commercial, agricultural or other purpose that would result in: more than three trucks over one ton coming or going per day, result in keeping on the lot more than four swine, 50 fowl, or one large grazing animal per two acres of land, or create a visual nuisance.
5. No more than four RVs or any other temporary mobile accommodations should be stored on the lot for more than 14 consecutive days.
“Having some restrictive covenants like this isn’t overly restrictive. It shouldn’t hinder sales and in fact I think it will be a positive sales if anything,” said Stuart.
Council had no issue with the covenants.
John Gain lives adjacent to the land in question and raised the concern of an easement.
“My main concern is I would like some sort of a buffer between my southern border and his northern border. So if it is developed, I’m not on their backside staring at unwanted waste,” said Gain.
The notion of an environmental easement seemed to quell Gain’s concern. The easement would ensure that no tree removal on the borders of land be removed without county approval first and unlike a municipal reserve the land stays with the landowner.