MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - County council has approved amendments to the Bergen area structure plan (ASP) Bylaw No. 04/22 related to aggregate extraction on the community.
The move came by way of motion following a public hearing at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, held in person and by Zoom.
The amendments all relate to aggregate resource extraction, and include the removal of some sections of the plan, which is a document that helps guide future development in the area.
One section (7.1.1) removed from the plan reads, in part: “The number of lots allowed to be subdivided from the aggregate impact area setback is restricted because of the setback from potential aggregate area deposits. Within the aggregate impact area setback, no new country residential lots are allowed. This setback is the inner 300 metres of each quarter.
“Throughout the outer 500 metres of these quarters, landowners are advised of possible impacts from future aggregate operations. At the time of subdivision, the county will consider a possible noise easement agreement to be registered on new titles.”
Another section (7.1.2) deleted from the plan reads: “Within the aggregate impact area setback, country residential development is prohibited. Other forms of development not recommended other than this allowed under the land use bylaw in an agriculture lot.”
The aggregate resource extraction map in the plan has also been removed.
The amendments came after a number of Bergen area residents sent a letter to council asking for an ASP steering committee be established to review the plan.
In the letter the residents said, in part: “Some elements of the ASP no longer meet the needs or aspirations of affected landowners.”
The landowners said they believed the plan “needs to be reviewed at the earliest opportunity in 2022, which direct input form the members of the community that are directly affected by the plan.”
The landowners also said: “We believe these conditions outlined in the ASP are inconsistent with county policies and places conditions that do not exist in other areas of the county with regards to land development or subdivision or the creation of aggregate extraction operations.”
After council approved the amendments on Apr. 13, reeve Angela Aalbers told the Albertan, “I think we came a long way to making amendments that were requested by the residents.”
