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Hunters Hill plan goes to hearing

A resolution to amend Summerland’s Official Community Plan to add the Hunters Hill Neighbourhood Plan will go to a public hearing.

A resolution to amend Summerland’s Official Community Plan to add the Hunters Hill Neighbourhood Plan will go to a public hearing in October.

The amendment adds the neighbourhood plan as a secondary document and designates the lands as rural residential.

The proposed development is between Garnett Valley and Highway 97 and involves three separate land titles.

The three properties are a total of 69 hectares and could accommodate 30 to 50 one-hectare lots.

Two wetland areas have been identified in the area.

The development of the plan began in August, 2013 and a formal application was made to the municipality in early July.

At present, the land is zoned CR1-Country Residential and A1-Agriculture Small Acreage. The Official Community Plan designation is Open Land.

Because a portion of the land is within the Agricultural Land Reserve, the development will have to be referred to the provincial Agricultural Land Commission.

Municipal administrator Tom Day said the development must include a statutory right of way for emergency vehicle access.

Members of council had mixed thoughts about the proposed development.

Coun. Martin Van Alphen put forward a motion to defer the item, requesting more information from municipal staff.

He said issues including the effects of irrigation water on the land must be considered.

Mayor Janice Perrino said she would like a geotechnical report before the development proceeds.

“This is a huge parcel of land,” she said.

Coun. Bruce Hallquist added that the financial implications of the development must also be examined.

Coun. Orv Robson said the area would be ideal for rural residential development.

“I see it as being a benefit to our community,” he said. “I think it’s going to be ideal.”

A motion to approve the first three readings of the amendment and to take it to a public hearing was supported, with Perrino opposed.

At a special council meeting on Monday morning, council passed a resolution to add a technical review section to the neighbourhood plan.

The technical review includes the need to realign and upgrade Sanborn Road from Bentley Road to the entrance of the proposed development site, water modelling for the plan and a geotechnical and drainage analysis.

The public hearing will be held at the Oct. 14 council meeting.

 



John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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