The Mountain View County committee examining the future of aggregate extraction in the municipality has reviewed some of the proposed recommendations it will make to county council, probably in May.
During a meeting at the council chambers on March 3, members went over recommendations developed over the past months by the committee in its examinations of issues around gravel pits.
Gravel-related topics examined by the committee during five meetings starting in July 2013 have 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.
“One of the parts that I appreciate here is the comprehensive site engagement process,” committee chairman and Division 7 councillor Al Kemmere said following the March 3 meeting. “It's going to create a template that everyone will have to apply under and that way we will have consistent information coming to the county but also to the public.
“We will have a consistent format so that both the municipal planning commission and the public will get information on a consistent basis.”
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.
A public hearing regarding the amendments got underway in April 2013 and has been adjourned pending the committee's work and recommendations.
Under the current bylaw No. 11/11, gravel pit and mining operations are considered discretionary uses in agriculture, heavy industry and airport districts under the definition of “natural resource extraction/processing” and are not subject to public hearing.
The amended bylaw would delete the “natural resource extraction/processing” definition and replace it with “aggregate extraction/processing” and “mineral resource extraction/processing.”
The aggregate extraction/processing district would accommodate the use for anything that is “mined”, which includes sands, gravel, peat, clay, shale and stone.
The mineral and resource extraction/processing would not be a new district but rather a new use for consideration under the agriculture, heavy industry and airport districts in the land use bylaw.
All proposed gravel pits and other uses defined under aggregate extraction/processing would be required to be appropriately redesignated prior to any development permit applications being accepted.
Existing gravel pits would not be required to designate until such time as their permit expires, is modified, amended or expanded.
As well, redesignation would not be required on borrow pits, as these are temporary, one-time use that is for a very specific county or provincial project that does not involve the use of typical gravel pit equipment such as crushers and conveyors.
The committee's proposed recommendation regarding referral areas for aggregate extraction/processing development applications reads: “The committee has recommended to increase the development permit referrals area to one mile surrounding the proposed location of the gravel pit to ensure all potentially affected parties are made aware of an application for aggregate extraction.
“Current process is to refer the application to landowners within one mile of the designated haul route. The committee has recommended that this remain as part of the process to ensure all affected landowners are aware of the proposed haul route.”
The committee's proposed recommendation regarding multi-lot residential developments reads, in part: “The committee determined that there are different required setbacks for multi-lot residential developments and single residential dwellings located within close proximity to a gravel pit. The committee also looked at the existing south east Sundre area structure plan buffers and discussed using that concept within their final recommendations to the county.”
Chairman Kemmere says committee members will be providing additional input into the proposed recommendations over the next several weeks, with the final recommendations tentatively coming before the county's policies and priorities committee in May.
“Policies and priorities will review the recommendations and where it goes from there will be a council decision,” said Kemmere. “The hearing would be rescheduled and then reopened.”
"One of the parts that I appreciate here is the comprehensive site engagement process"Al KemmereDiv. 7 councillor
