Rocky View County (RVC) council will be revisiting a subdivision application on agricultural land near Cochrane after administration recommended the proposed subdivision be refused.
Harvey and Margaret Buckley applied to create a 25-acre parcel with a 108.9-acre remainder on land located 0.8 kilometres (km) west of Range Road 51 on the north side of Township Road 252.
“The applicant wishes to create this parcel to provide for a family member who currently resides in the dwelling there,” said RVC planner Jessica Anderson. “The goal of the applicant is to create a 25-acre parcel to have a separate title with the existing ‘ranch’ and ‘farm’ designation.”
According to RVC administration, the current land use designation does not support further subdivision on the land, which was previously subdivided in the early 1970s. Anderson said the applicants were advised to redesignate the land prior to submitting an application for subdivision.
“The applicant feels that this is in fact first parcel out, and that the parcel that was created in the 1970s would not have been the first parcel out of the quarter,” Anderson said. However, since the applicants owned the land at the time of the first subdivision, administration considers this a proposal for a second subdivision.
Since a first parcel out requires a minimum of 50-acres, administration’s report indicated that this subdivision would not qualify, even if the land had not previously been subdivided. The process normally requires the land to be redesignated as ‘residential three’ or ‘agricultural holdings’ prior to the creation of smaller parcels.
“I can’t recall in my four years of council here ever doing (a subdivision) where it’s a smaller first parcel that hasn’t been rezoned,” said councillor Al Sacuta. “My first reaction is to vote no and wait for it to come in the right way.”
Margaret, who spoke on behalf of her application, said the family wishes to keep the agricultural designation because their daughter, who will reside on the smaller parcel, plans to rear and train horses on the land.
According to Margaret, the parcel proposed for subdivision is sized to suit the topography of the land, protecting the creeks and waterways located within the remainder.
“We have dealt with geographical separations and various sizes of parcels in the past,” said councillor Liz Breakey. “Tabling this proposal would allow the applicant to reapply without repaying all the fees.”
Following a motion from Breakey, the application was tabled to allow the applicant an opportunity to review the file and consider other alternatives.
The motion passed 7-2, with Habberfield and Boehlke voting in opposition.
