Richard Froese
South Peace News
Wellsite trailers are now allowed in some areas of Big Lakes County.
At its regular meeting Feb. 22 council gave final reading to land-use bylaw 01-2023 to amend the land-use bylaw to add industrial wellsite trailers in some land-use districts.
Council approved the amended bylaw after a quiet public hearing at the meeting.
“We didn’t receive any submissions,” says Pat Olansky, director of planning and development.
The bylaw adds wellsite trailers as a permitted use in the agricultural and Crown land districts and discretionary use in the rural industrial, hamlet industrial and highway commercial districts.
“Wellsite trailers are becoming a more popular development building for residents to use as office buildings, cabins and dwelling units throughout the county in various land-use districts,” says Pat Olansky, director of planning and development.
Industrial wellsite trailer is defined in the LUB as a factory-constructed relocatable industrial dwelling unit designed to be used as a temporary living quarters containing sleeping, cooking, living and sanitary facilities.
Up to three wellsite trailers are allowed in the agriculture and Crown land district on one property.
Additional units require approval from council, which also reviews all applications in districts where the units are discretionary use.
High Prairie East – Banana Belt Councillor Tyler Airth says wellsite trailers are popular in the farming field.
“These are used more in agricultural areas,” says Airth, who suggested a limit of trailers on a property.
At is regular meeting Nov. 23, the Municipal Planning Commission passed a motion that administration present council a proposed land-use bylaw amendment to add wellsite trailer as a discretionary use in the hamlet residential district.
“The MPC has had considerable debate about the suitability of these types of units within the hamlet when presented with development permit applications,” Olansky says.
However, at the Jan. 25 meeting, council was advised against allowing wellsite trailers in hamlet residential districts by interim CAO Roy Brideau because, he says, the structures are not visually appealing in residential areas.
Unless specified as a permitted use or a discretionary use in a land-use district, an industrial wellsite trailer shall not be considered as part of a development permit application, the bylaw states.
All units shall have Canadian Standard Association certification where applicable.
All components of the trailer shall meet the requirements of Part 9 of the Alberta Building Codes.
The applicant shall submit recent photos of the trailer to demonstrate the condition and appearance of the trailer to the satisfaction of the development authority.
Several wellsite trailers have been placed throughout the county with approval from the MPC as a variance under provisions in the Municipal Government Act, Olansky says.