Mountain View County (MVC) council has passed a motion calling on the steering committee overseeing the updating of the Eagle Valley area structure plan (ASP) to hold a second open house soon.
The move came during the June 13 council meeting.
First put in place in 1997, the Eagle Valley ASP is being reviewed and updated by Mountain View County to bring it into line with the current municipal development plan and land use regulations.
The plan is used by the county as a guide when it comes to land use and other development.
The current plan area is bordered on the south by Twp. Rd. 334, on the north at the Red Deer County boundary, on the east by Rge. Rd. 43 and in the west by Rge. Rd 52 on the south and Rge. Rd. 42 on the north.
Starting on June 22, 2016 with the adoption of terms of reference by council, the ASP process has so far included 15 steering committee meetings.
One open house was held on Feb. 27, 2017, which included a workshop and survey.
A date for the second open house has not been set and the committee is not scheduled to meet again until Sept. 13.
“No additional open house date, presentation of materials or draft finalization has been discussed by the steering committee,” administration said in a briefing note to council.
“One of the three county organizational priorities for 2018-2019 is statutory and policy framework as identified in the county’s strategic plan. Planning and development’s capacity is focused and shifting towards the reviews of the existing five intermunicipal development plans and the development of five IDPs over the next two years.”
During the June 13 council meeting, several councillors voiced a desire to see the committee move forward with the second open house.
“We are going around in circles and I’m hearing things from members of the committee that concern me, like saying they have no faith in the open house process,” said councillor and steering committee member Greg Harris. “The open house and public feedback at the open houses is absolutely fundamental to the ASP process.
“What I fear is we are seeing a more representative type, where members, in their view, are engaging the community and saying they know what the community wants but there is a reluctance to take it back to the community.
“We need to take this back to the public, but instead we seem to be taking a lot of time word-smithing and making minor changes to things. It just seems to be that this will go on forever. It needs to go to the public.”
Coun. Peggy Johnson, who is also on the steering committee, said she believes things are moving along adequately.
“I think although we haven’t taken it to the second open house yet, that we are very close,” said Johnson. “I appreciate that this is taking resources. I think the committee is unaware that there is concern at council level for it to get done.
“I guess I would ask for patience and let people know that we are close to going to the second open house.”
Deputy Reeve Angela Aalbers, who is also on the steering committee, said, “We need to get this out to the public. We should wrap this up.”
Coun. Al Kemmere put forward a motion calling on the committee to move to the second open house as soon as reasonably possible and that a letter be sent by the reeve to the committee chair explaining council’s position.
All seven councillors voted in favour of the motion.
Following the council meeting, Reeve Bruce Beattie said council wants to see the steering committee’s work move forward in a timely fashion.
“We want to have that (updated ASP) in place and as one of the members of the committee mentioned, under this review what they really wanted was a short, concise document and it seems like the committee is coming to that short document and is rather expanding the discussion,” said Beattie.
“So we are encouraging them to go back to the public to reconfirm the direction for the committee.”
The terms of reference do not include a specific timeline for the committee’s work to be completed, he said.
