Although landowner Rupert Goodhart’s subdivision application didn’t align with the Rocky View County’s agricultural and residential policies, council approved the redesignation at the May 28 council meeting.
Administration recommended council not approve the application, which would allow for the current lot, located about five kilometres north of Highway 567 outside Cochrane and off Lochend Road, to be subdivided into two 10-acre parcels with a 34-acre remainder.
A report to council explained this request does not align with the agricultural and residential policies outlined in the Municipal Development Plan (MDP).
Goodhart has owned the property since the 1980s and he runs Lochend Clinic, a treatment facility for whiplash and soft tissue injuries, on the land.
Goodhart and his late wife first submitted an application to council in 2008 requesting to redesignate 34 acres of land into four separate residential parcels. They requested two 10-acre parcels, one four-acre parcel and a 30-acre parcel where their clinic and home is located.
The proposal was sent out to 16 area landowners, and initially received three letters of opposition and six letters of support.
In response to the concerns, Goodhart made several changes to the application and resubmitted the current proposal, which removed the four-acre parcel. Goodhart plans to continue living and operating his clinic on the 34-acre parcel and sell the two lots to finance future research for the clinic.
No letters of opposition were received about the current proposal and three neighbours came to council May 28 to voice their support.
“I am in complete agreement with the subdivision proposal. I think it brings people in instead of oil companies,” said area landowner Larry Koper.
In his presentation to council, Goodhart stated many reasons for the change in land use.
Administration reports found the land to be undulating because of the steep slopes, poor soil quality and the many streams, springs and sloughs that cross the land.
Goodhart said he had to let the land fallow for 10 years because of “desperate over-grazing” after buying the lot from Sunset Ranch.
“No one can make money in nearly 100 years of ranching here,” he said, as the land surrounding his property is traditionally used for ranching, and the original owners foreclosed three times since the 1920s.
“This land change will probably bring in revenue,” said Howard Hawkwood, another area landowner present at council to show support.
“We feel (the Goodhart’s) enrich our community. Quality of life is definitely available to people who would like to live here,” said Hawkwood’s wife, Nellie.
Administration recommended council not approve the application because it is not an area of anticipated growth and additional fragmentation is not supported by the MDP.
The land also has limited access. Alberta Transportation indicated that it will not add additional accesses to the lots on Lochend Road, so all three parcels will have to be provided by the existing approach.
Goodhart said the transportation accesses are a provincial expense, so they wouldn’t be reflective on the county; the land has “excellent” ground water, which would allow for individual wells to be serviced on each parcel as well as a private sewage treatment system; and the design of the properties would ensure “the character of the area remains rural.”
“This has miserable agricultural quality and was never farmed, so we are not subdividing the land that feeds us.”
Councillor Lois Habberfield said these were “excellent reasons” and she thought “Mr. Goodhart has done a lot of research in the area.”
“What is really telling about this is that we didn’t see any opposition from the agricultural community or from the neighbours. Considering that it really isn’t an agricultural parcel, I see no reason to keep it in that form,” said councillor Al Sacuta.
Council made a unanimous decision to give second and third reading to the motion to approve the subdivision application. The motion was approved.
