Mountain View County council has defeated a proposed re-designation from agricultural district to aggregate extraction/processing district for a property just outside Olds.
The move came during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
The property involved is located in the Netook neighbourhood within NE 1-33-2-5, immediately northwest of Olds. The applicant and owner is Ernst William Odersky.
The proposal was to re-designate the property to allow for the operation of clay extraction.
“The objective of the comprehensive site development plan (CDSP) is to lower the elevation of a large mound or hill and to continue to farm the cropland using good farming practices,” the applicant said in a letter submitted as part of the re-designation process.
“To also supplement income by the sale of clay and black loom to help cover high input costs for the cropland. To use water when needed while trucks are hauling during dusty conditions.”
In a briefing note to council, administration said it could not support the application.
“The applicant has provided the minimum required information for the CDSP as part of the redesignation application but did not sufficiently address concerns raised,” administration said. “Although some of the concerns that have been identified during the referral process like, noise, dust, road use as well as debris within the site can be addressed as part of the development permit process, concerns regarding compatibility with surrounding land uses, the develop-ability of the reclaimed area for future land uses as well as traffic impact were not addressed to administration’s satisfaction.
“These items in combination with the location within the urban fringe of the intermunicipal development plan resulted in administration’s inability to determine that the proposal will have minimal impact on the growth of the town.”
Council received several letters from nearby residents expressing concerns with such things as traffic and noise.
In one letter, Mike Ryan stated, in part: “It is our opinion that this type of operation is suited for a rural area where neighbours are many kilometres away. However, given the close proximity to current residents and the future development of the athletic park and residential subdivision that this application should be rejected.”
A number of councillors voiced concerns with the proposed re-designation.
“I can’t support this,” said Coun. Greg Harris. “I have serious concerns about the safety aspects of it. I have issues with the power lines and the gas lines. Based on existing information I have no faith at all that it will operate as it should.”
Coun. Al Kemmere said, “I believe we will have need for these types of extraction areas somewhere in proximity to the town (of Olds) but what is missing here is a lot of information and a lot of process that we would expect any other extraction process to follow up on.
“When I read the comprehensive site development plan information it is not as complete as what we would normally ask for in a gravel extraction process. There is a lack of information here and that makes me struggle to approve this at this point.”
Councillors defeated a motion for second reading of the proposed re-designation.
