Red Deer County council has given first reading to a bylaw that would allow the county to lend the Red Deer Regional Airport $300,000 for the construction of a gravel base taxiway.
The motion on first reading passed unanimously at council's recent regularly scheduled meeting.
In a briefing note to council, county manager Curtis Herzberg said the new gravel base taxiway would allow aircraft associated with a proposed flight training school to travel between a hangar and apron at the airport.
“Montair Aviation (based in Pit Meadows, B.C.) selected Red Deer Airport as a location (for the new school) as a location that best serves most of their operating needs and requirements with the exception of one: the airport or its tenants do not have a hangar building available that is large enough to accommodate the combined aircraft storage and office space required by Montair.
“In order to accommodate this requirement, the airport requires a new taxiway to connect the academy's planned hangar and apron to the airfield through the property boundary. At this time, the taxiway will be of gravel construction. In future, the taxiway may be paved, so the design must incorporate a granular base that can be utilized as the base for future asphalt paving.”
Under the proposed lending bylaw, the county would loan the money to the airport with repayments of $24,000 in 2016 and equal payments of $46,000 over the following six years. The source of the loan would be from general operating funds.
With Montair locating at the airport, aircraft operational movements would increase from 50,000 per year to 100,000 per year, making it the busiest regional airport in Canada, he said.
The estimated economic impact per student would be between $100,000 and $150,000, he said.
Notices requesting public input into the bylaw will be posted in the coming weeks, says Adam Ferguson, county corporate communications coordinator.
Meanwhile, councillors have also given unanimous first reading to a land use bylaw amendment regarding cluster farm dwelling rules in the municipality.
The amendment would amend the use definition for cluster farm dwelling to read as follows: “A third or additional dwelling added to a property to be occupied by a person who is solely, or mainly employed in an agricultural operation or confined feeding operation on the site. The proposed dwelling must be located in the same yard site as one of the existing dwellings.”
The amendment would also provide land use bylaw regulations in conjunction with clustered farm dwellings as follows:
• The new clustered farm dwelling shall be compatible in appearance, colour, style and size to the principal residence.
• Wherever possible the new clustered farm dwelling must comply with the maximum lot coverage applicable to the agricultural district.
• Wherever possible, the new clustered farm dwelling must tie into the existing water, sewer and storm drainage systems, as well as franchise utilities, access roads, driveways and approaches existing upon the lot.
The public hearing for the amending bylaw has been set for Feb. 16 in council chambers.
