MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - A public hearing has been held to consider a proposal to redesignate a 160-acre parcel from agricultural district to aggregate extraction/processing district of a new gravel pit west of Sundre.
The parcel involved is located about two kilometres south of the intersection between Highway 584 and Rge. Rd. 55, at NE 30-32-5-5, in the McDougal Flats area.
The applicant is Sundre Contracting Ltd., and the property owner is Harder’s Trucking Ltd.
The hearing for the proposal took place during a special council meeting held April 7.
The pit would see dry sand and gravel mined at 14 mining blocks ranging in size from 3.17 hectares (ha) to 10.02 ha., and the proposed haul route from the pit would be Rge. Rd. 55 north to Highway 584 with a maximum of 50 loads per day or five loads per hour.
The applicant told council that the new pit would have economic benefits for the community.
“Sundre Contracting for decades has had a great rapport with both the county and the public and we wish to continue that at all costs,” said Skyler Duncan. “We would like land in question to be considered to be rezoned simply because we would like the opportunity to continue to work.
“We have been able to build a sustainable business in the Sundre area and while doing this are able to employ over 30 hard working Albertans per year, all of which are residents of either the town of Sundre or Mountain View County. Allowing us to operate this pit allows us to continue to employ them.”
The company is committed to working with the community and county going forward, he said.
A number of objection letters were received by council, with concerns expressed around noise, dust, traffic impacts, impact on property values, and the accumulative effects of multiple industrial operations in the area.
One of the letters was from the board of directors of Coyote Creek Condominium Phase 1 and 2 on behalf of owners within Coyote Creek.
That letter stated that allowing the new pit to come into operation would create a number of negative impacts, including the following:
• Damage to the exiting roadways with additional heavy trucks utilizing it. Competition for the roads with large RVs increasing the potential for accidents and unsafe conditions.
• Noise, dust, and carbon emitted will create pollution in turn affecting the quality of the air and ambiance of the resort.
• Destruction and eradication of the current forest that occupies that land.
• The pit’s depth will drain water as well as eroding the micro-organisms the surrounding environment’s balance will be jeopardized.
“We know that the county understands the impacts on our community by their recent demonstration of the correct decision to deny a similar application in recent years,” the board said.
“We trust you will judge understanding the major impacts not only on Coyote Creek but Sundre and Mountain View County to deny this application.”
Administration is recommending approval of the redesignation, saying it meets the policies of the municipal development plan and the South McDougal Flats area structure plan, and that the land is deemed suitable for the intended use as aggregate extraction/processing.
Following the public hearing, councillors instructed administration to bring back further information.
“Could I request that administration look at the 165-metre setback from the country residential property on the southwest side of this application and bring back a 165-metre setback as part of the redesignation plans,” said Coun. Angela Aalbers.
Reeve Bruce Beattie also asked for more information about the traffic impact study related to the application.
“If we can have some clarity I think that would be helpful,” said Beattie.
The matter was adjourned to the April 28 council meeting for consideration of second reading.
