Rocky View County council unanimously approved a Bearspaw rezoning application that will split 20 acres off of a 155-acre parcel, Feb. 14.
The Agricultural Holdings District, which is owned by Suzanne and Ralph Spanier, is located on Township Road 260 about half a kilometre south of Highway 1A, just south of the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.
ìNow that Glenbow Ranch has converted, this is an ideal location for acreages,î said Councillor Lois Habberfield. ìThis is a more appropriate place for people to be than many (parts of the county).î
There are two existing houses on the property, with the first having a connection to Rocky View Water Co-op and the second being serviced by a private well.
Both homes have private sewage treatment systems and direct access to Township Road 260, which comes to a dead end immediately west of the existing approach.
The owners intend to create a separate title for one of the dwellings and sell the remainder.
The land is located within the Bearspaw Area Structure Plan (BASP), which states that subdivision should be limited to farmsteads and first parcels out. Because a farmstead had already been created on the subject property in 2007, County staff recommend refusal of the application.
Council did not agree with the recommendation.
ìI think we should be looking at an amendment to the BASP,î said Habberfield. ìIt is an area that will transition.î
Habberfield added that the topographical constraints of the land make it difficult to grow crops and as the land is further fragmented, it is becoming more difficult to raise cattle in the area.
Area Councillor Paul McLean said it is important the County is sensitive to the impacts of development in the area.
ìWe want to be thoughtful on how it develops over time,î he said. ìThe cues from the community have been heard, they do agree with what is going ahead.î
No residents spoke either for or against the proposal and County staff received one letter of support from 30 letters it circulated to neighbours.
