County approves subdivisions

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Sunny South News

By Nikki Jamieson
Sunny South News

Lethbridge County council approved three subdivision applications last week.

During their Aug. 3 meeting, three separate subdivision applications were presented to council.

The first, Subdivision Application #2023-0-075 – Bezooyen – NE1/4 32-08-19-W4M, would split a title of 18.6 acres into two titles. The land in question is located two-and-a-half miles southeast of the Town of Coaldale, on the southside of Highway 512. The applicant wishes to revive a subdivision proposal from about ten years ago that was approved but not finalized. The land is proposed to be split into a 7.2 and a 11.4 acres sections for county residential use.

The proposed smaller parcel contains an existing yard with a dwelling and other improvements, while the proposed larger parcel is vacant. While there were hog barns located on the latter portion, they have been removed, and the applicant will need to provide confirmation from the NRCB that the hog facility has been decommissioned and there is no longer an active permit. A slight realignment of the existing property boundaries  will also be needed to include the trees on the west side. Ultimately, the proposal meets the county’s criteria in its Land Use Bylaw No. 1404 for the subdivision of a resplit of an existing title containing 20-acres or less of farmable land.

Council passed a motion that Subdivision Application #2023-0-075 be approved subject to the conditions as outlined in the draft resolution.

The next one, Subdivision Application #2023-0-083 – Androkovich – NW1/4 30-08-20-W4M, would subdivide 5.74-acre first parcel out subdivision from a title of about 158 acres for country residential use. The land in question is located two miles east of the City of Lethbridge, a mile south of Highway 512 on Broxburn Rd. The proposal would see the separation of the proposed acreage from the rest of the farmyard and agricultural operations.

The proposed subdivide land contains a dwelling, multiple sheds and a dugout, as the quarter-section contains a rather large and spread-out farm area on the west side with multiple improvements. The remainder of the quarter section contains agricultural buildings, animal shelters, shacks, grain bins and a second residence, which will remain on the agricultural title. The animal shelters were associated with a seasonal cow-calf operation and not a confined feeding operation, and there are no identified environmental or historical features on this land that warrant consideration. The proposal will be the first parcel out subdivision from the quarter-section, and it meets the criteria of the LUB.

Council passed a motion that Subdivision Application #2023-0-083 be approved subject to the conditions as outlined in the draft resolution.

The final one presented, Subdivision Application #2023-0-085 – Van Hierden – Block Z, Plan 6150Y within SW1/4 07-10-23-W4M (Hamlet of Monarch), would see 0.07-acres subdivided from a title, for private utility use.

The land in question is located within the Hamlet of Monarch, on the corner of Queen Street and Alexandria Street. The proposal would create a separate title for a site used by a telecommunications agency.

The land is the site of a former gas/service station that has been out of operation for decades. When the gas station ceased operations, the site was reclaimed. An Environmental Site Assessment Phase II was completed in 2022, which found that there were no contamination issues with the site, and no further remediation was needed. The southwest corner of the property contains private utility infrastructure for BELL Communications, and while it has been leased for years, the company has entered into an agreement to purchase the land. The subdivision would follow the existing fencing around the infrastructure.

The proposal is eligible for subdivision for utility use, it requires one waiver for the lot depth, as it exceeds the minimum width and overall area required.

“The lot itself is zoned Hamlet Commercial, with that being the former gas station site there, and under the bylaw the Hamlet Commercial zoning does require a 15 by 100-foot site overall,” said Steve Hardy, senior planner with the Oldman River Regional Services Commission. “This parcel would need a slight waiver, as that zoning would just (stay through on) there and carry on.”

Council passed a motion that Subdivision #2023-0-085 be approved subject to a parcel size waiver being granted and the conditions as outlined in the draft resolution.