Richard Froese
South Peace News
A parcel of five lots in Kinuso has been redesignated by Big Lakes County to update the land-use bylaw in the hamlet.
At its regular meeting Aug. 28, council gave final two readings to amended land-use bylaw 14-2024 to redistrict Plan 992 6643, Block 1, Lot 1 and Plan 042 4683, Block 4, Lots 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A within Kinuso to hamlet residential (HR) district from direct control (DC) district.
The land is located on the east side of Range Rd. 102 just north of Highway 2.
Council adopted the amended bylaw after a quiet public hearing at the meeting the same day.
“We didn’t have anybody opposed,” says Pat Olansky, director of community services and planning. She notes the county received several calls from people with questions.
The subject lots were designated DC because originally the lots were outside the boundary of the former Village of Kinuso, Olansky says.
Kinuso dissolved as a village on Sept. 1, 2009.
The parcel sizes did not conform to the county’s country residential district and did not fit within any other land-use district, she says.
“Redistricting these properties will provide the landowners with clarity on exactly what uses are permitted or discretionary and will streamline the processes and allow either the development officer or the Municipal Planning Commission the ability to decide on development and subdivision applications,” Olansky says.
“These lots are already developed for residential use, therefore, the hamlet residential district is an appropriated land-use district.”
Sometime after Kinuso dissolved as a village, those properties were incorporated into the new borders adopted by Big Lakes council for the Hamlet of Kinuso.
“The general purpose of the direct control district is to provide council with decision-making powers to develop and subdivide lands appropriate for control by traditional land-use districts, she says.
All regulations in the DC district related to buildings uses, setback, lot area and other special regulations are determined by council.
The HR district allows for a variety of residential land uses of a smaller scale and higher density compared to the hamlet estate district, which are compatible with the overall residential character of a hamlet.
Hamlet residential permits single detached and duplex dwellings, recreational vehicle parking site, minor home occupation, canopy, accessory building, utility building, accessory use and institutional.
Discretionary uses include apartment building, bed-and-breakfast operation, tourist home, boarding or lodging house, cabin, row house and manufacture home dwellings, garden and garage suites, group home, major home occupation and home day care.