Richard Froese
South Peace News
A Big Lakes County landowner wants to revert land back to its former land-use district.
As a result, council has taken first steps to redistrict property of a recreational vehicle business west of High Prairie.
At its regular meeting May 22, council gave first reading to an amended land-use bylaw 12-2024 to redistrict part of SW 28-74-17-W5 to highway commercial (HC) district from country residential (CR) district.
Property owners Jaco and Belinda Dippenaar filed an application to redistrict the land, Pat Olansky, director of community services and planning, told council.
A public hearing has been scheduled for June 12 in chambers at 1 p.m.
The parcel is the site Northern Ray’s RV located on Highway 2 about two kilometres west of High Prairie.
The Dippenaars bought the business and property in December 2017 from Ray and Gisele Frey, who started the business in 2000.
Olansky said the property was redistricted in 2022 to highway commercial from country residential to bring the parcel of land into compliance with the land-use bylaw.
The applicants recently redistricted the property back to country residential for the sole purpose of the bank being able to complete an appraisal of the property as country residential for a pending sale of an area approved as a subdivision.
That portion will remain country residential, Olansky said.
At its regular meeting Feb. 14, council gave second and third readings to land-use bylaw 2024-02 bylaw to redistrict part of SW 28-74-17-W5 to country residential from highway commercial. Since then the applicants have decided to revert a section back to highway commercial in order to keep the RV business as is.
“The County is in the process of closing a section of the east end of the undeveloped road allowance, which is also being used for storage for purchase by the applicants and consolidation with the parcel,” Olansky said.
“This small piece is also being redistricted to highway commercial.”
The general purpose of the highway commercial district is to allow for development that would accommodate the travelling public along major highways and major roadways in a manner that does not conflict with other land uses and highway safety.
The general purpose of the country residential district is to provide for traditional country residential living on rural lands in a manner that does not detract from the character of the surrounding agricultural community.