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Draft MDP feedback divided over ag-parcel size, multi-lots
The minimum size for agricultural parcels and whether subdivision should be allowed beyond first parcel out were two issues that revealed a sharp divide among Mountain View County residents after the draft MDP was unveiled last fall, planning consultant Cam Lang told council’s policies and priorities committee on Feb. 8.
Along with questions about growth centres and the county’s relationships with its urban partners, the two issues were identified as “areas where we happen to have a wide difference of opinion or lingering areas of concern,” Lang told councillors at the meeting.
“If we were to categorize the more critical items going ahead, those would be the items,” Lang said.
Lang and planner Bill MacDonald, both employed by McElhanney Consulting, presented P&P with the responses from 111 questionnaires filled out after four open houses in late November and early December.
The draft Municipal Development Plan proposed setting the minimum size for a new agricultural parcel at 40 acres, but only 41 per cent of respondents agreed, while 46 per cent disagreed and 13 per cent gave no answer.
On residential development, only 43 per cent of respondents supported the maximum of four new lots allowed, while 46 per cent opposed that maximum and 10 per cent did not indicate. As well, 51 per cent of respondents said they agreed with establishing a Potential Multi-lot Residential Development Area, while 39 per cent did not agree and 10 per cent gave no answer.
Similar differences were registered in earlier surveys.
In a statistically valid telephone survey conducted last summer, 89 per cent agreed with the objective of preserving farmland, but there were deep splits among respondents when it came to country-residential development, Lang said earlier in the meeting.
“Of those that support multi-lot subdivisions – 45 per cent – almost 70 per cent agree that they should be permitted in certain areas – non-agricultural land, in or near towns, or on marginal lands,” he said. “Almost half – 49 per cent – are opposed to any subdivision beyond first parcel out.”
“We’re saying half the population doesn’t want subdivision beyond first parcel out and the other half supports multi-lot subdivision,” Reeve Bruce Beattie said. “So it’s a very clear direction then.”
“When it’s sitting at 50-50, seven people have to decide,” Div. 6 Coun. Paddy Munro said. “That’s the game.”
“Moving forward, ultimately it will be up to you as a council to set a course,” Lang concurred.
“The point we’re trying to drive home is that throughout the process we’ve had a lot of public feedback and there are many policy sections where we appear to have a lot of agreement and a high degree of support.”
These, said Lang, include an acceptance of growth centres around the towns and agreement that the previous policy stipulating multi-lot development could only occur within 800 metres of the county road network was unfair.
Administration has written the county’s urban partners to request meetings to address issues related to joint agreements in light of the draft MDP.
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