In an effort to help meet its yearly need for about 300,000 tonnes of gravel, Mountain View County council has approved the redesignation of a 160-acre parcel of land immediately west of Sundre from agriculture district to aggregate extraction/processing district for a new pit.
The move came by way of motion amending the land use bylaw following a public hearing on Oct. 11.
The property in question is owned by Mountain View County and is located at SE 32-295-5, northeast of the Sundre airport.
The county had originally wanted to redesignate a total of 478.94 acres (including NE 29-32-5-5 and SE 29-32-5-5).
More than a dozen people spoke during the public hearing, including representatives of the Town of Sundre, the South McDougal Flats Area Protection Society (SMFAPS), Coyote Creek Golf and RV Resort and residents of Sundre and the McDougal Flats area.
Concerns with the redesignation raised by some speakers included possible increases in dust, noise and traffic, as well as the future impacts on water quality and property values.
Robin Tudor, a McDougal Flats area resident and former president of the SMFAPS - he earlier resigned as president so he could run in the 2017 municipal election in Division 5 - told the hearing that nearby residents had many concerns with the original 478 acre re-designation.
"They (McDougal Flats residents) are scared because they do not know what the actual proposal is," Tudor said. "They are scared for property investments. They are scared for their health. They are scared for their future."
The SMFAPS acting president Marlow Currie told the hearing "We have many concerns about this project.
Not only is the project very large is size and scope, it introduces a lot of risks that do not appear to show up on any of the review or studies that have been presented to the community. This decision on land use change is premature and we would like to have more public consultation."
Outgoing Sundre town councillor Myron Thompson, a Sundre resident, called on the county to put off a vote on the redesignation pending further talks with the town and other stakeholders.
"We must work together and not make snap decisions without being satisfied fully that the conversations that are necessary have been held. I do not think that these conversations have been completed," said Thompson.
Several Coyote Creek residents and other nearby residents also spoke at the hearing.
Prior to the hearing the county received dozens of letters of concern.
In a letter from the Town of Sundre, planning and development manager Mike Marko called on the county to put off voting on the redesignation pending further talks.
"The town has strong concerns regarding the adoption of Bylaw No. LU43/17 (the re-designation amendment)," Marko said. "The town strongly feels that this application is premature and must be discussed further with the Town of Sundre and other stakeholders, including Alberta Transportation, through a collaborative process that address the proposed details and concerns expressed."
Marko also spoke during the public hearing.
"We are respectfully asking the county to slow down this process, recognize the prematurity of the land use amendment, and initiate further discussions through a collaborative framework with the Town of Sundre and other key stakeholders to discuss the implications in more detail and develop potential win-win solutions for all stakeholders," he said.
In a letter sent to the town, Coyote Creek general manager Bruce Johnson said the 600 residents at the facility have numerous concerns with the redesignation.
"Stripping this land of all the vegetation and trees could add to the potential of flooding to the town of Sundre," Johnson said in the letter. "Having these gravel pits directly north of our recreation property will have a drastic impact on property values."
Johnson also addressed the public hearing in person.
Following the public hearing, councillor Angela Aalbers, whose Division 5 includes the area in question, put forward an amending motion reducing the area for redesignation from 478 to 160 acres.
"This will allow us to continue to produce gravel for the west side of the county," said Aalbers. "If we just do the one quarter section, it will give us 80 plus years (of gravel) at the current rates and I think it will also alleviate some of the issues that were brought up with flooding and some of the questions and concerns that Coyote Creek has with respect to proximity to the golf course."
All councillors voted in favour of the amendment.
Councillors then voted in support of second and third reading of the amended motion.
Following the vote, Sundre mayor Terry Leslie, who was in attendance at the public hearing, said while he is "happy to see the reduction (from 478 to 160 acres) . . . I would have liked to see it deferred for a period of time to jointly discuss land use planning for the two municipalities in the community."
Following the vote, SMFAPS acting president Marlow Currie said, "I think what this shows is how important the planning process is in working with the public, in both the long-term and short-term. I'm hoping that now collaborative approach will help fine-tune this development so that what was promised in the original consultation steps are carried through."
Following the hearing, Robin Tudor said, "It's a good first step. It's not perfect but we will take what we can get. They (county) are going to have to do community consultation going into the permit stage. We want to feel secure that we have the information."
Reeve Bruce Beattie says creating the new gravel pit will benefit the county for many years.
"I think it was a very good decision," said Beattie. "It will provide the county with the resource of gravel for another 50 or 60 years at the current rates and that certainly is a long enough lead time to have further consultations.
"We know that we need gravel in the entire county so we need policies that look after the entire county, but we also have to be respectful of the people it affects."
The project must now go to the development permit stage.
"That is when we will get into the specifics," he said.
The county utilizes about 300,000 tonnes of gravel every year, including about 200,000 for the re-gravelling program and 50,000 for the county's construction program.
The county currently owns and operates 11 active gravel pits, including the McDougal Pit (SE 36-32-5-5), which produces about 25,000 tonnes of gravel a year.
"It will provide the county with the resource of gravel for another 50 or 60 years at the current rates."Reeve Bruce Beattie
