Wednesday, July 24, 2013
PONOKA NEWS Page 3
County considers hauling restrictions By Amelia Naismith
more materials than smaller “family farm” operations. However, council doesn’t want to single anybody out as more damaging. “Here’s the difficulty — we don’t want to be in the redirecting farmers just trying to do their business,” said Cutforth. Before focusing on preventative notices, council also discussed the idea of adding a fee to farming operations that would pay for road damages. They also believe if every operation were corporate the county would treat them as they do oil and gas operations and bill when damages occur. However variances in size make that option impossible.
Ponoka County council is considering requiring pre-emptive notices from farming operations and projects with the potential to damage roads. CAO Charlie Cutforth says farms undertaking plans such as hauling silage and manure along county roads need to phone and acquire a blanket permit first. “I think these operations need to be climatized to the fact they need to phone the county . . . it’s part of their routine,” said Cutforth. Along with the phone call and issuing permits, Cutforth says the county will also have to give its blessing based on weather and road conditions. If a road is being heavily damaged by the hauling, farmers can be re-routed until the damage is repaired or the YO U M AY Q UA L I F Y F O R road isn’t as soft. DENTURES THROUGH In the past, Ponoka T HE SENIOR BENEFITS County was redirecting traffic and hauling operPROGRAM. ations from chip sealed CA L L T O DAY roads to gravel roads to preserve the chip seal. F O R I N F O R M AT I O N However, complaints of unfairness kept coming in. Giving notice before hauling materials will D E N T U R E C L I N I C ensure the county can keep an eye on the operations and the roads so they won’t be continually damaged without being attended to. The need to give notice applies more to larger, busier, corporate 5101 - 49th Ave • 403-783-3771 operations producing
• Danny Jones •
Chilly garage sale: Several sellers and buyers braved the early morning fog and dampness to attend the Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce garage sale, July 20. Photo by Amelia Naismith
Rezoning near the Fifth Meridian By Amelia Naismith
rezoned for her daughter and family. “The east side of it is wetland, it can’t be farmed,” said Reeve. “It’s a rough little corner. It’s not farmable, that’s for sure,” added Reeve Gordon Svenningsen. Future subdivision considered A small parcel of land along range Road 254 was rezoned to country residential to from agricultural district allow for future subdivision. This is the second rezoned parcel on the 157 acres of land. “It’s pretty straightforward, just a separation of the buildings from the rest of the land,” said Svenningsen. Rezoning bylaw amended Samson Tribal Enterprises Ltd. applied to rezone 7.5 acres of land from agricultural to country residential to allow for future subdivision of the land. However, council amended the application and decided to use a creek running just southwest of the proposed land as a natural boarder. Now, just more than 10 acres, the rezoned land is hobby farm.
At county council’s, July 16 meeting, five rezoning applications were approved with ease, as there were no objections from landowners and only one amendment to an application. On the corner of Township Road 434 and Range Road 283 — near the Fifth Meridian — 12 acres of an 80-acre parcel was rezoned from agricultural district to country residential hobby farm to allow for future subdivision of the rezoned area. Services are already located on the land from a previous mobile home including a well, an approach, fencing, building site, barn and out buildings. The 12-acre parcel is also not good farming land. Dual lot subdivision Another 40.5-acre agricultural parcel was also rezoned as a country residential hobby farm. The land was rezoned for Don and Della Jess for a subdivision for their son. The parcel could also be subdivided again in the future. “Like I said, I’d like to cut it about in half and I’m thinking — I’m tired of a wet basement — I’m thinking of building a retirement home up there eventually,” said Don Jess. Rezoning for family More poor agricultural land, along Range Road 242 and south of Township Road 424, was rezoned country residential hobby farm. *until August 2, 2013 Joyce Reeve is having the 22 acres of land
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