SUNDRE – A public hearing date for the Mountain Springs Area Structure Plan has finally been scheduled after the bylaw’s first reading that was originally passed a couple of years ago.
Council had at the time approved first reading on March 27, 2023 and in accordance with the municipality’s approval process for statutory plans, the draft area structure plan was circulated to relevant government agencies and internal departments for review and feedback.
That ultimately led to comments the applicant was required to address, and the applicant has since then been working to address those comments before proceeding with scheduling a public hearing.
But due to provincial regulations outlined in the Municipal Government Act, a proposed bylaw that does not receive third reading within two years of its first reading must be rescinded.
So as a matter of protocol, council rescinded on April 28 during a regular meeting the bylaw that was given only first reading in 2023 before once again giving the bylaw a renewed first reading.
“For this area structure plan, because there were also some changes that we requested, we felt it would be much cleaner if we rescinded the previous bylaw and started again with first reading and public hearing,” added Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, in response to questions from council.
A date for the public hearing was set for Monday, June 9 at 4 p.m.
The proposed area structure plan, available in full in council’s agenda package for the April 28 meeting that can be found on the town’s website, is a 32-page document outlining the potential residential development for a 155-acre (63-hectare) parcel of land on a quarter section located in the northwest area of Sundre immediately east of Highway 22 that has historically been used for forage and livestock grazing.
“Mountain Springs is well positioned to become a desirable, attractive, outdoor oriented community. At full build-out, it will have a projected population of 1,751 people, all enjoying life in a well-planned community, with abundant amenities and resources nearby,” reads a small portion of the plan’s introduction.
