Kneehill County council approved rezoning a four acre portion of former hamlet property to agriculture after a public hearing was held.
The public hearing was conducted and decision made at the March 23 regular meeting of council.
Reeve Jerry Wittstock opened the public meeting as chair.
Barb Hazelton, manager of planning and development, presented the application to rezone about four acres of land currently zoned hamlet in the Wimborne area.
“Ian Robertson and Hong Ling Zhu have applied to redesignate a four acre portion of SW 35-33-26 W4 Plan 5899 GW from the Hamlet General District to the Agriculture District,” stated Hazelton in her memo to council.
“The subject parcel is the old Wimborne School site. It is accessed by Township Road 33-5 from the south side of the parcel.
“The parcel is approximately 1,000 feet east of Highway #805. This is a four acre parcel. They are looking to rezone the entire property.
“This property was not part of the initial Hamlet of Wimborne and was not given hamlet zoning until 1981. This was done after the school was officially closed.
This property is not contiguous to the other hamlet lots, and is not serviced by any of the hamlet services.”
In her report Hazelton noted over two dozen different discretionary uses included in the agriculture zoning which could show up on the property if the application was approved by council, some of which included market garden, brewery/distillery, tree farm, honey processing and many others.
A letter from the applicants was included in the council agenda package.
“We would like to raise a few farm animals for our own food source,” stated the signed letter. “Chickens, pig, sheep.
“All the land around us is agriculture land. We also have a potential sale if it is agriculture land.”
Hazelton stated during the public hearing this application came from the property owner who stated it’s easier to sell the property if it’s zoned agriculture.
Wittstock asked if there were any written comments in favour or against the application, and Hazelton responded there were none.
Wittstock asked if anyone wished to speak in favour or against the application and no one stepped forward.
Coun. Wade Christie asked if there was an oil or gas well site to the north. Hazelton responded there is a well site in the quarter section but there was no comment submitted from the well site owner regarding this rezoning.
Wittstock asked if there were any other comments, and got no response, so he closed the public hearing.
Councillors then unanimously approved second and third reading of the bylaw that would rezone the property from hamlet to agriculture.
Stu Salkeld, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
ECA Review
