The contentious issue over gravel was once again brought to the forefront at Rocky View County council on June 27.
The contentious issue over gravel was once again brought to the forefront at Rocky View County council on June 27.
A tabled application made by Summit Aggregates for a gravel pit on Big Hill Springs Road from a year ago was given second reading on Tuesday and is anticipated to be moved forward with a third and final reading at the next council meeting July 25.
“I'm disgusted … it showed council has no regard for the public, ” said Springbank Coun. Jerry Arshinoff, who voted in opposition.
“If we're going to allow gravel proposals to come through before the Aggregate Resource Plan - then why are we doing it? ”
Bearspaw Coun. Eric Lowther and Cochrane Lakes Coun. Bruce Kendall maintain that it would be unfair to the applicant to not have their application heard in a reasonable time frame, simply because the county is taking an extended period of time to develop aggregate guidelines for the county.
The ARP has gone through public and stakeholder consultations and watchdog resident group Rocky View Gravel Watch has taken considerable issue with the perceived inadequate setbacks, a gravel safeguarding clause and an overall favoritism of the gravel industry.
Janet Ballantyne, county resident with the watchdog group, said this was the “most disgusting and disappointing council meeting I've ever attended. ”
Ballantyne said she was outraged that even though it was advertised as a regular public hearing and there was staff on site to take names for a speaker's list, council voted not to hear from the applicant or public again.
One Cochrane Lakes resident, Paul Thebeau, was present at council to provide his support for the Summit application.
Thebeau said that while he was against previous applications for additional pits along Big Hill Springs Road, he felt the Summit pit was the most suitable one because it is situated next to the existing operational pit in the area.
“We're not going to win them all, ” said Thebeau, who said he would rather see pits confined to one area of the region rather than spread throughout.
Thebeau said he gathered 55 signatures in support of the Summit application.
No speakers were heard at the council meeting - including longtime Bearspaw resident Bill Corbett, who decided to leave the meeting when his anticipated opportunity to speak at the public hearing was quashed by council.
Corbett said he is frustrated with the process and felt council treated those who turned out to speak up with considerable disrespect.
Two further gravel pit applications are anticipated to be brought before county council next month.
