By Dan Singleton
MVP Staff
Almost four years after work first began, Mountain View County council has adopted a new area structure plan (ASP) for the Water Valley-Winchell Lake area in the county's southwest.
During the Sept. 25 regularly scheduled council meeting, councillors gave second and third reading to Bylaw No. 10/13 setting up the plan.
The new plan was prepared under the direction of a multi-stakeholder steering committee, which held public meetings, workshops and conducted public surveys starting in 2009.
The plan covers 47 sections of land in the county's southwest corner, and is being developed to combine the two existing Water Valley and Winchell Lake plans.
“There was a lot of good public input into this process,” said Deputy Reeve Patricia McKean, who is the Division 2 councillor for the Water Valley-Winchell Lake area. “I think we have a good plan.”
Steering committee chairman Greg Harris told council that he is also pleased with the public input that went into the preparation of the plan.
“This has been a long process,” said Harris.
The new plan's two principal goals are to “provide landowners within the plan area with information on the amount and type of development that may be permitted within the plan area; and to provide guidance to Mountain View County council and administration.”
It sets out land use policies regarding agriculture, residential development, neighbourhood commercial development, business park development, and community recreation.
It also deals with environmentally significant areas, natural resource extraction, and infrastructure, including roads and water and wastewater.
The plan adopted last week includes 10 key principles providing guidance for the development of the area, including recognition that “agriculture is the primary activity in the plan area and that other land use and development must respect and be compatible with agricultural operations.”
The land use policy areas section sets out specific policies to guide future land use and development within the plan area.
Policies under the agriculture subsection include the following:
• New confined feeding operations, as defined by provincial regulations, shall not be permitted within the plan area;
• agricultural land use should be promoted and encouraged to continue within the plan area;
• adjacent uses shall respect existing agriculture operations, including their hours of operation, their odours and noises and traffic they create. New agricultural uses shall similarly respect the presence of adjacent uses.
Policies under the residential development subsection include the following:
• The low density residential designation is intended to accommodate development of up to three titled lots, regaining the balance of the quarter as the fourth title in accordance with the policies of the municipal development plan.
• the minimum lot size for low density residential lots is three acres and the maximum lost size shall be five acres.
• parcel size in the medium residential density shall be five to 15 acres.
• the identified medium density residential areas are intended to accommodate subdivisions of up to 15 titled lots per quarter section.
• higher density areas for subdivision of five up to a maximum of 48 lots, shall provide adequate systems for the supply of water and wastewater services at the developers' expense.
• parcel size in the identified higher density areas shall be between three and five acres.
• higher density multi-lot subdivision applications shall require a concept plan when required by the MDP and shall be prepared in accordance with the MDP, to support re-designation and subdivision applications in the residential areas.
Policies under the commercial subsection include that the development of the community centre at the intersection of Rge. Rd. 52 and Highway 579 shall be limited to small-scale retail, institutional and service use, and that new or expanded commercial development shall be designed so its size and appearance complement the area.
Policies under the environmental section of the plan include that “development shall preserve existing vegetation in riparian areas in order to minimize erosion, minimize habitat fragmentation, maintain wildlife movement, and preserve the environment.”
As well, development within the 1:100-year floodway and flood fringe of any river or stream “shall not be permitted, unless recommended and properly designated by a qualified professional engineer.”
The natural resource extraction subsection includes a requirement that such activities are “considered interim use rather than an ultimate or final land use within the plan area. Development permit applications for gravel pits shall be accompanied by an end use plan.”
As well, all resource extraction must follow provincial regulations and may require the following: public consultation, concept plan, supportive studies, and reclamation plan.
During the Sept. 25 council meeting, Coun. Kevin Good said he is pleased with the new Water Valley-Winchell Lake ASP, as well as the Southeast Sundre ASP, which was also approved last week.
“I'm convinced that the majority of people's views on what these areas should look like in the future have been adequately displayed,” said Good. “It's a far cry from what was happening five years ago. I'm just really happy to see a common-sense approach and plan from the public.”
Both plans are available for viewing on the county's website.
