The recommendations of the Mountain View County committee that examined the future of aggregate extraction, including from gravel pits, in the county have been presented to the county's policies and priorities committee.
During the committee's April 2 regularly scheduled meeting members reviewed and discussed the recommendations, which were developed over the past months by the county-appointed aggregate extraction committee in its examinations of issues around gravel pits.
Coun. Al Kemmere, who chaired the aggregate committee, presented the recommendations.
Gravel-related topics examined by the aggregate committee included community consultations, multi-lot developments and aggregate extraction uses, sound attenuation, the aggregate extraction and processing district designation proposal now before council, and designated haul routes.
The committee includes members of the public at large and several sitting councillors. It was formed last year to gather input and make recommendations regarding proposed amendments to the county's land use bylaw.
Under the proposed amendments a new land use district titled “aggregate extraction/processing district” would be created.
Recommendations coming out of the aggregate committee include the following:
• The committee has recommended increasing the development permit referral area to one mile (from the current half mile) surrounding the proposed location of that gravel pit to ensure all potentially affected parties are made aware of an application for aggregate extraction.
• That a 100-metre setback from single residential dwellings to aggregate development would be considered an appropriate buffer zone.
• That gravel pit operators shall follow the noise control provisions mentioned with Alberta Environment's code of practice for pits.
• Should the approving authority decide to place a five-year term on the development permit it was noted by legal counsel that this should be placed on a discretionary use permit.
• The majority of the committee were in support of the creation of an aggregate extraction processing district, and the committee recommended adding heavy equipment training facility uses to the district.
• The committee recommends that any delivery or pit material within four miles of the gravel pit location shall be considered local delivery and shall be limited to a maximum of six loads per legal land location. Loads exceeding six would require issuance of a separate road use agreement.
• The committee is supportive of requiring aggregate loads leaving gravel pits be tarped. It was recommended should council be supportive of this requirement for aggregate operators that they determine where this would be suitably added and who shall be required to tarp loads within the county.
Kemmere made a motion that the recommendations come before council for consideration. The motion passed unanimously.
