MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - County council has given first reading to an amending bylaw for the Bergen area structure plan (ASP) and set a public hearing date.
The moves came by way of motion at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, held by teleconference.
The ASP is used to direct and guide development in the plan area, with the plans established by motion of council.
In 2020 a number of Bergen area landowners requested an amendment to the existing plan, including a call for removal of gravel extraction policies 7.1.1 and 7.1.2.
In May 2020 council passed a motion to receive the amendment request as information and direct planning to include the request with the municipal development plan review.
In the letter to council, the landowners said their respective properties are in and adjacent to the area defined as a potential aggregate extraction area including aggregate impact, advisory and environmentally significant areas.
Section 7.1.1 allows for no new country residential lots and the 300 and 500 metre setbacks limiting development, while 7.1.2 prohibits country residential subdivision and development.
“We believe these conditions outlined in the Bergen 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 operation,” the landowners said.
“We believe removal of these specific conditions will not restrict future potential aggregate resource extraction. Removal of these restrictions will, however, allow future development as the current landowners set fit within the current land use bylaws.”
The landowners said they believe the potential for future extraction in the subject area is “highly unlikely” for a number of reasons, including that number of existing homes (more than 30) that would invoke the setback requirements as outlined in the land use bylaw.
Council set April 14 as the date for the public hearing on the proposed amendments.
