MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY – Council has decided that a second public hearing will be held to further consider the proposed updated area structure plan (ASP) for the county-owned Olds - Didsbury Airport.
The move came by way of motion at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
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 included an open house in January.
The Olds-Didsbury Airport is located just west of Highway 2A between Olds and Didsbury.
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 communications towers supported if they interfere with the safe operation of the airport and no new commercial alternative/renewable energy supported.
A first public hearing for the plan held last month saw several area landowners express concerns, 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 projection.
Following the first public hearing, county administration met with several area landowners to go over the ASP update process, council heard.
Council held a discussion about the proposed ASP at the May 8 council meeting.
“I’m hearing from a lot of landowners that they didn’t realize the impacts on their properties and they are concerned,” said Coun. Jennifer Lutz.
She put forward a motion calling on administration to provide an opportunity for impacted landowners to meet with the aviation steering committee to provide input on the plan.
“I think it’s fair to bring the two parties together to have a further conversation before we pass it,” said Lutz.
That motion was defeated, with councillors Dwayne Fulton, Alan Miller and Greg Harris and reeve Angela Aalbers voting against.
Coun. Gord Krebs then put forward a motion to have administration to prepared a new terms of reference to restructure the Olds - Didsbury area structure plan committee to have an equal number of ag producers with an equal number of other parties and two councillors to review the Olds - Didsbury airport area structure.
“The justification is I don’t want anybody making decisions on somebody else’s property or livelihood without their input for any reason,” said Krebs.
Reeve Aalbers said she believed the existing area structure plan committee was “very diligent in producing council’s direction.”
That motion was defeated, with councillors Krebs, Lutz and Fulton voting in favour.
Council then voted in favour of second reading of the bylaw, with Coun. Krebs voting against.
Chief administrative officer Jeff Holmes then said if the intention of council is to gather more information and to consider further amendments to the bylaw his recommendation would be that a second public hearing be held.
Coun. Krebs put forward a motion that council defer third reading of the bylaw until a second public hearing can be held regarding the bylaw.
“This is a way to make sure that the people we couldn’t talk to have a chance to come forward,” said Coun. Lutz.
That motion carried, with reeve Aalbers and councillors Miller and Harris voting against.
The second public hearing will now be scheduled, perhaps in June, said CAO Holmes.
