An amendment to the Partridge View Conceptual Scheme was approved by council at the Jan. 12 meeting. Appendix C will facilitate a comprehensive planning framework for a separate development cell with two residential parcels on the south side of Carriage Lane, immediately east of Range Road 31.
According to Rocky View County (RVC) planner Stefan Kunz, the Central Springbank Area Structure Plan does not allow the continued use of the current servicing solution should the lands be subdivided, and administration recommended the applicant expand the Westbridge Water Co-op to provide connection to both newly created lots.
“It seems clear that the intent is to eventually get a pipeline running into this neighbourhood, and the first person who does it will be getting contributed costs from everyone there,” Councillor Margaret Bahcheli said. “It looks like all the bases are covered.”
Bahcheli moved to approve the application with the condition that the applicant would be allowed to drill a well to service the property. Her motion was carried 6-2, with opposition from Councillors Lois Habberfield and Eric Lowther.
“I believe that the administrative recommendation is correct, that each property should have its own water source,” Habberfield said. “This still leaves the original lot sharing a well with the neighbour, and I don’t feel this is a good solution to have. I’ve seen cases where this results in problems down the road.”
Redesignation delayed
Second reading was given to a redesignation application to accommodate swath grazing on land located west of the City of Airdrie, at the northwest junction of Range Road 13 and Township Road 264. The proposal is to redesignate the land from Ranch and Farm District to create a 49- to 98-acre Ranch and Farm Two District parcel, a 48-acre Ranch and Farm Three District parcel and a 50-acre remainder, which will keep the Ranch and Farm District land use.
“The proposed parcel is undeveloped and has traditionally been used to grow crops, and the new proposed agricultural use is swath grazing, where cattle raised on smaller parcels of land are rotated through the land as they feed,” said RVC planner Meghan Norman. “The applicant has proposed three parcels for swath grazing, and has suggested that a dwelling on each parcel would then allow the cattle to be watched as they are rotated through the land.”
She added the applicant demonstrated the redesignation would be beneficial to their business, as hauling feed is expensive and this opportunity would allow the business to be more self-sufficient. The proposal would also allow the applicant’s three sons to remain active in the family business.
As Councillor Lois Habberfield is the registered landowner of the property, she recused herself from the presentation, discussion and vote. Second reading was passed with opposition from Councillor Jerry Arshinoff, who also voted against moving forward with third reading. The item will return to council at the next meeting, along with a proposed subdivision on the land.
“There are a virtually infinite number of people across the prairies who use swath grazing as a manner of feeding their cattle in winter without ever changing agricultural use,” Arshinoff said. “They’ve been doing so for approximately 120 years.”
Assessment review board
Rocky View County (RVC) council unanimously approved a motion to appoint Ken Sawatzky to the Assessment Review Board. Sawatzky was selected as the “desirable” candidate based on his directly related experience in assessment related work involving all types of property.
