Wildlife clause added to subdivision approval
The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass Municipal Planning Commission approved a country residential subdivision in the Tecumseh area April 22 after adding a condition meant to support wildlife movement through the property.
The application proposed creating three country residential lots from a titled area of about 41.7 hectares, or 103 acres, along with the subdivision and consolidation of a small parcel with an existing lot.
The approval included conditions for municipal reserve to be deferred by caveat, environmental reserve to be provided for a wetland area, an access easement to be established and a restrictive covenant limiting water use.
Ryan Dyck, a senior planner with the Oldman River Regional Services Commission, told the commission the land was within an approved area structure plan for the Tecumseh area and said the current application represented only one portion of a broader development concept.
“The ASP supports as many as 23 lots,” said Dyck.
Dyck said the approved lots would be cistern only because groundwater studies showed the aquifer could only support a limited number of lots with wells.
“These lots are to be cistern only lots,” said Dyck. “Because the groundwater report established that the aquifer can only support as many as 17 lots, so some lots have to be cistern only.”
The application included comments from provincial environmental officials raising concerns about wildlife connectivity. Alberta Environment Rangeland Department representative Jody Best said the subdivision appeared to be “right in the middle of two wildlife corridors,” while Senior Wildlife Biologist Maria Didkowsky said the area remained within the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor and a west wildlife linkage zone.
Dyck told the commission the concerns were important but said many of the broader land use decisions had already been addressed through the area structure plan and rezoning process.
“It’s a challenge because we’re trying to balance private property rights and the public interest,” said Dyck.
He said once an area structure plan had been approved, the subdivision stage offered fewer tools to address wildlife concerns. He added the area structure plan included policies on low impact development, wildlife sensitive fencing and a dedicated corridor intended to support wildlife circulation and habitat preservation.
Manager of Development and Trades Johan van der Bank said Alberta Environment had been referred on the area structure plan when it was developed, but the municipality did not receive the same level of comment at that time. He said the developer had hired a biophysical consultant who assessed the area and identified the need for a corridor that was then designed into the area structure plan.
Commission member Doreen Johnson raised concern about a small area identified as Lot 4B, saying she believed the area may have played a role in wildlife access around a wetland.
“I still would like to see better access to that because we are in a very, very sensitive area for wildlife,” said Johnson.
Commission member Sam Silverstone questioned whether fencing should be addressed to help keep wildlife movement possible through the large lots.
The commission approved an amendment requiring architectural controls in the form of a restrictive covenant to implement wildlife friendly fencing requirements established in the area structure plan, to the satisfaction of the subdivision authority.
The amended subdivision approval then carried.
The commission also approved a development permit for a duplex in Coleman. The application included a two per cent variance to maximum height and a 51 per cent variance to the front yard setback.
Development Officer Katherine Mertz said the parcel was in the Residential R1 district and the duplex was a discretionary use. She said the applicant intended to subdivide the parcel so each half duplex would sit on its own certificate of title.
Mertz said the proposed dwelling appeared to be on a slope greater than 16 per cent, meaning the applicant would have to provide a slope stability assessment with foundation design and site grading recommendations before the development permit could be issued.
The commission also approved Phase 2 of Hatchet Creek Family Campground, located near Emerald Lake west of Coleman. The approval allowed up to three off grid cabins under the land use category of small tourism accommodation.
Mertz said a 2023 development permit had previously approved a comprehensive site development plan for the campground, which included 12 RV sites and accessory buildings. The new permit added the three cabins and replaced the previous 2023 permit.
“There are existing sewer and private sewer and water lines that have been installed with a permit in place for the private septic disposal system,” said Mertz.
A second Coleman duplex application was also approved. The application was similar to the one approved next door, with a two per cent height variance and a 70 per cent variance to the front yard setback.
Mertz said the larger setback variance was possible because the boulevard increased in depth on that lot, still allowing a 6.1 metre parking stall. As with the neighbouring application, the applicant would be required to provide a slope stability assessment before the permit could be issued.
The next Municipal Planning Commission meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, May 27 at 2 p.m.