Oops.
One builder in Cochrane built semi-detached dwellings on four lots in Heartland, only to discover those types of homes were not under the types of houses approved in that district.
The builder is seeking an amendment to land use bylaw 22/2015 for the houses already built in Heartland, which currently already has families residing in the homes, to redesignate the land use from Residential High Density Multi-Unit Dwelling District (R-M) to Residential Single and Two-Dwelling District (R-2), to allow the houses.
Cochrane town Coun. Ross Watson questioned how something like this could be missed.
“How was the building permit issued when it wasn’t permitted?” Watson asked.
Senior manager of development services Drew Hyndman said it was an error that was missed and, in the future, the town will be looking into doing better checks with developers and builders.
Council expressed their disappointment in the builder.
Coun. Tara McFadden and Coun. Morgan Nagel both said they were not pleased and disappointed in the builder.
The Town of Cochrane employees reassured council that the builder was taking the right steps by notifying the town of the mistake, and the builder was also covering the cost of the application for the bylaw change.
Because there are already families residing in the home, council expressed that it would be very unlikely they would remove the houses.
There will be a public hearing for the bylaw amendment on Jan. 25, 2016, at 6 p.m.
For more information go to cochrane.ca
Can marijuana be grown in town? It is a possibility in the future.
Council gave first reading to bylaw 23/2015 the Dec. 14 council meeting, proposing a change to the definition of “Horticulture Use” to allow medical cannabis in the defined use.
In the Dec. 14, council agenda, the proposed use would be defined as the “cultivation, processing, testing, packing, storage and shipping of cannabis for medicinal use.” By defining the use, the Town of Cochrane would be about to regulate the location of the operations, should the federal government grant approval for that use within town boundaries. Should this definition change be approved by the town, staff proposed additional regulations such as, all processes are fully enclosed in a stand-alone building and horticulture use for medical cannabis shall meet the minimum separation distance of 75 meters from a residential home or school site.
Mayor and council agreed for a public hearing date to be set and to discuss the issue further in the future. The only concern that was brought up was by Coun. Mary Lou Davis-Eckmeier who suggested a greater distance between the school and possible future building, such as one kilometre instead of 75 metres, but agreed to discuss it further in the future. The will be an open house to invite public feedback, to be announced.
The public hearing for bylaw 23/2015 is set for Jan. 25, 2016 at 6 p.m.
Look for more town council items in next week’s Eagle.
