MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY – Council has instructed administration to bring back more information before considering a third-reading vote on the proposed updated area structure plan (ASP) for the county-owned Olds-Didsbury Airport.
The move came by way of motion following a public hearing at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, held in person and online, with all councillors in attendance.
Put forward by Coun. Peggy Johnson, the motion calls for council to “defer the decision on Bylaw No. 07/24 Olds-Didsbury Airport Structure Plan until a comparison has been done on the directly affected quarters, based on re-designation and subdivision potential for the number of acres that will not be available based on the proposed area structure plan.”
Bylaw No. 07/24 was up for third reading at the June 12 council meeting after receiving second reading on May 8.
The original ASP for the facility was approved in 2006 and is being updated at the instruction of council. A steering committee is overseeing the project, which has included an open house in January and several public hearings.
The updated plan would provide direction for the future land use, subdivision potential, and requirements for future development of the airport and lands surrounding the airport.
The updated plan includes no new confined feeding operations supported, no new communications towers supported if they interfere with the safe operation of the airport, and no new alternative/renewable energy, commercial supported.
At the public hearings to date some area landowners have express concerns with the proposed updated plan, including regarding possible negative impacts on land values, increased air and ground traffic as development accelerates, increased safety concerns for residents and landowners as traffic increases, and noise and privacy issues, and land taken out of agriculture production.
A motion put forward on June 12 by Coun. Gord Krebs instructing administration to bring back information on the county’s revenue and expenses vis-a-vis the airport was defeated.
An earlier motion also put forward by Krebs calling for new terms of reference to restructure the ASP committee to include an equal number of ag producers with an equal number of other parties and two councillors was also defeated.
Councillors did not set a date for the information requested in Coun. Johnson’s June 12 motion to come back before council.
The Olds-Didsbury Airport is located just west of Highway 2A between Olds and Didsbury.
