BONNYVILLE - During the July 23 MD of Bonnyville council meeting, residents from the Whispering Spruce subdivision on the northwest area of Cold Lake were denied their application for a second approach to a residential parcel, but council suggested
“The applicant would like to construct a second approach onto their parcel to facilitate the development of a detached garage with a secondary suite... The approach policy states that only one approach is allowed on a residential parcel but applications for approaches beyond the maximum may be considered by the Development Authority,” according to information from the MD of Bonnyville.
Although a referral was sent to Infrastructure Services with no reported concerns, and no complaints or feedback had been received from adjacent landowners, MD administration suggested that council refuse the application as it does not comply with the Road Approach policy.
Coun. Don Slipchuk was understanding of the request stating, “I understand what they're doing. They want to keep some privacy for whoever's living at that second suite. They're going to be going right by their house all the time...I don't see an issue with putting another approach in there.”
However, Coun. Ben Fadeyiw responded, saying, “We’ve said no to so many people with the second approach request... If we [approve] it’s going to be unfair to the people that wanted a second approach, and we said no to. I think we just stick to our bylaws and go from there.”
He added, “If we want to change the bylaws, I’m all in favour of that and getting that going." Fadeyiw said council's decision should be fair to surrounding acreages.
“This area has a lot of big lots, so it's not going to be [only] this one. Once we open up the can of worms it's going to be a lot of applications... If that's what we want to do I think we do it across the MD, not just this one time,” said Fadeyiw.
Coun. Dana Swigart brought up the point that it appears, through the satellite image of the applicant’s acreage, that there is already ample room, and questioned the necessity of a second approach. Swigart reminded council that additional approaches do effect MD road maintenance.
Slipchuk brought up the increase in privacy that a second approach could also offer multi-generational homes.
Ultimately the application for the second approach on the Whispering Spruce parcel was denied, and though there was much deliberation and interest on future discussions regarding changing the second approach bylaw, no formal commitment was made.
