MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - The county’s municipal planning commission (MPC) has OK’d a development permit for an existing dwelling, secondary suits and accessory building at the Timber River equestrian centre in Westward Ho.
The commission approved the permit during its regularly scheduled meeting on March 7 despite a motion put forward by commission member and county councillor Peggy Johnson to have the matter deferred pending input from adjacent landowners.
The property involved is located about one mile north of Highway 27 east of Range Road 43. The secondary suite is 336 square feet and has a project value of $20,000.
The subject 100.62 acre parcel contains a primary dwelling, detached garage and equestrian centre consisting of an outdoor and indoor riding arena for public use.
The application was made to bring the existing dwelling into compliance, members heard.
“The investigation of a complaint determined that the secondary suite and accessory bidding requested within this application was not previously permitted,” administration said in a briefing note to the commission.
“This development permit application was deemed necessary to bring the parcel into compliance with the land use bylaw. The accessory building is a permitted use and the dwelling, secondary suite is a discretionary use with the agricultural district of the land use bylaw.”
The secondary suite meets the requirements of section 9.11 of the land use bylaw as it is within the 20,000 square-foot riding arena and takes up 336 square feet, which complies with the maximum 60/40 per cent square foot radio of primary structure to the secondary suite, administration said.
Administration supported the application, saying it complied with provisions of the land use bylaw and that the use of the accessory building for day use is a permitted use within the agricultural district.
Commission member and Division 6 county councillor Peggy Johnson put forward a motion calling for a decision on the application to be deferred pending circulation of the proposal to adjacent landowners and the affected landowners have time to respond.
“I think that where this is a non-compliance issue, where there are multiple landowners who live within close proximity that are affected and where the critical thinking process infers that you gather all the information before you make a decision, I’m saying that no all the information has been presented,” said Johnson.
“I think in order to be ethical, open-minded and transparent, that all the information needs to be presented in order to make a proper decision. I don’t think that all the information that we need to make the decision has been presented.”
Under the land use bylaw such an application does not require landowner circulation.
Commission chairman Gerald Ingeveld said, “Even though under extreme circumstance we do have the power to defer, I don’t see the need to defer. We do have the opportunity for appeal, there are a couple opportunities to appeal, so I think that would made it fair across the county.”
Johnson’s motion was defeated.
The approval of the development permit comes with a number of conditions, including that use of the existing accessory building for residential occupancy is not permitted and shall be limited to day use only.
The MCP is made up of county councillors and appointed public members.
