The final draft of the Aggregate Resource Plan (ARP) of Rocky View County (RVC) will be available to view tonight at an open house at the Cochrane RancheHouse, 101 RancheHouse Rd, that starts at 6 p.m. with a presentation at 6:30 p.m.

The revised version appears to pay more attention to details on how the mining of aggregate unfolds in the county. The last draft was released in December 2016 and whipped up a dust storm of concerns by county residents. Halls were packed for public meetings and enraged residents attempted to delay the approval of additional operations along Hwy. 567 until the new policy had been established. Those since-approved rezonings are now the subject of legal action by a group of unsatisfied residents.

A major change in the final draft is the attention it pays to setbacks from nearby residences and institutions. It restricts aggregate developments with area structure plans and conceptual scheme areas. It also prevents development in quarter sections with a density of 20 homes and keeps setbacks at 500 metres from other residential and institutional developments. It also allows the council to consider even greater or lesser setbacks on a case-by-case basis.

These setbacks are among the concerns of Rocky View Gravel Watch that held their own information meeting on Mar. 14.

The organization says 80 per cent of the feedback received during the last public consultation clearly indicated the proposed 500-metre setback was inadequate and three-quarters of them wanted setbacks of at least 1,500 metres.

During their meeting, attended by about 50 people, Janet Ballantyne reviewed what they considered to be major issues and encouraged people to attend the county's open houses on the policy as well as send in letters of concern. Sample letters were provided, although personally-written submissions were preferred.

The cumulative traffic impact on such routes as Hwy. 567 is becoming an equally large public safety issue. Approved changes in land-use zoning by RVC council last summer could lead to the development of three more gravel operations in the near future. Other potential sites are within close proximity to Hwy. 567 because of the rich and accessible vein of aggregate running through the area.

A third information is scheduled at the Rockpointe Church, Mar. 22, also starting at 6 p.m., and the first one was held Monday night in Beiseker. 

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Setbacks Remain Inadequate in Revised ARP, says Rocky View Gravel Watch