Kneehill County council passed an amendment to its Land Use Bylaw to redesignate a portion of Agriculture farmland south of Linden to Country Residential and Recreation district to allow the landowners to begin development process at the regular Tuesday, October 11 council meeting.
A public hearing regarding the proposed redesignation was held on September 13 before it came back before council for second and third reading consideration at the September 27 meeting. Although second reading was passed, third reading was initially defeated until later in the meeting when Division 1 Councillor Faye McGhee moved to reconsider the motion and table it until the next council meeting.
“(The landowners) are looking to create two specific uses on the (property),” Planning and Development officer Brandy Hay-Morgan shared during the meeting.
Ms. Hay-Morgan explained the land being proposed for the Country Residential use, located approximately one mile south of the Village of Linden, is currently cropped, but is rated as “quite poor farmland.”
The land has also been rated as a Level 5 significant historic site for archaeological reasons and, as such, would also require permits from the Alberta Culture and Status of Women prior to development.
During the public hearing, adjacent landowners expressed concerns about the development-particularly the Country Residential development-and how it would impact their existing confined poultry feeding operation.
Ms. Hay-Morgan noted minimum setback requirements for poultry is “considerably lower” than it is for other types of livestock, such as cattle. She further noted there are other residences closer in proximity than the proposed Country Residential development and who would be considered adjacent landowners if the confined feeding operation ever applied for expansion.
Along with the proposed Country Residential development, the landowners are also hoping to develop a 7.2 acre Recreational development with Airbnb cabins, a common kitchen area, and the potential for some RV hookups.
There are also some historic looking buildings on the property which are being proposed to be relocated for this purpose.
Councillor McGhee lifted the tabled motion to allow third reading, which passed with a vote of three opposed and four in favour.
