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A climber on rappel is silhouetted against Barbour Rock near Panorama Mountain Village on Thursday, June 26th. PHOTO BY KELLY CARLSON
CastleRock application sparks ALR debate at council STEVE HUBRECHT steve@invermerevalleyecho.com Invermere council voted to support nonfarm Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) use by CastleRock Estates Ltd. Partnership at its most recent council meeting. The company applied to use a 1.7-acre portion of ALR land as a parking lot, so that CastleRock residents can have somewhere to store trailers and boats. The CastleRock community association does not allow people to park trailers and boats in front of their homes. District staff and council members have been up to tour the site as part of the previous Committee of the Whole meeting several weeks prior, where they learned that work on the parking lot and a road to it had already begun. “I don’t support the land being used that way,” said councillor Spring Hawes, during discussion of the application at the June 24th council meeting.
A report on the matter prepared for make reference to the specific piece of council by district staff had recom- land, saying you can’t graze cows there, mended not supporting the applica- but has also heard another rancher say tion, pointing out the developers’ pro- that, in fact, you could graze cows there. posed use of the land was inconsistent “To me, the reasons given on why it with both Invermere’s official commu- shouldn’t be in the ALR and should nity plan and the Imagine Invermere be a parking lot were fabricated,” said integrated community sustainability Mr. Denchuk. “We don’t have a lot of plan. The report ALR land in our I’m absolutely opposed boundaries. It is also noted that the hayfields on important.” to somebody making the ALR land in Several councilfree with the policies and the application lors also took ishave not been regulations we have in place. sue with the comSPRING HAWES used as hayfields starting DISTRICT OF INVERMERE COUNCILLOR pany for some time work on the land and that, as development in Castle well before the application was made. Rock has progressed, parts of the fields Councillor Greg Anderson said he have been used as dumping areas for was troubled that CastleRock skipped excavated fill and debris. due process and went ahead with work “All of our policy does not support before making its application. By the CastleRock using this land to make a same token, the ALR land in question is parking lot,” said councillor Paul Den- only 1.7 acres and is well hidden from chuk, adding he has heard one rancher view, he said.
VJ (Butch) Bishop Owner/Operator 4846 Holland Creek Ridge Rd. Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
“The cost to remove the fill and return the site to its original state is unrealistic. And the CastleRock community does have a need for that parking space,” said Mr. Anderson. “The 1.7 acres is just the tip of a larger section of ALR land, (the parking lot) doesn’t break up that parcel into small pieces.” Ms. Hawes said it was a matter of principle that agricultural land should be protected and that the developer should not have begun work before getting approval. “I’m absolutely opposed to somebody making free with the policies and regulations we have in place. There are other opportunities and places for CastleRock to provide that parking space,” she said. “I don’t think it’s as big a deal as you’re making it out to be,” said councillor Justin Atterbury to Ms. Hawes and Mr. Denchuk, adding the developer See A3
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