Foothills MD councillors were asked to put off a decision on new rules for solar and wind power generators in the municipality at a public hearing last week.

MD council held the hearing to hear from residents about proposed changes to the municipality’s land use bylaw

A number of proposed changes to the bylaw would establish standards for installing wind and solar energy systems.  The changes would address things such as the height of wind turbines, set backs from residences and neighbouring properties as well as setting a standard for installations requiring a development permit.

Residents and officials from renewable energy companies asked councillors to take more time to look at the changes before deciding.

“There’s just too many items here to be discussed,” said Marty King, owner of Chinook Eco Energy,

The proposed changes are only geared towards wind and solar power systems.

He said it’s already expensive and difficult to put up solar and wind systems and the MD shouldn’t discourage people from doing so by putting more red tape in place, such as requiring development permits.

He said requiring a building permit would be fair, but a development permit is asking too much. As well, he said the MD should not require a development permit for single wind turbines installed on acreages.

“We just want to ensure we’re not deterring people from doing this,” he said. “Whenever we start getting into a development permit we’ll be taking all the fun out of it.”

MD resident Nick Worthington said it’s good the MD is trying to be ahead of the game when it comes to renewable energy, but he said there hasn’t been enough consultation with stakeholders.

“Any decision by council today on renewable energy is premature,” he said.

MD planning officer Brenda Bartnik said the MD is not trying to make it difficult to install wind turbines, but said it needs to consider things like aesthetics and impacts on neighbours.

“We’re not here to cause a deterrence,’ she said. “We’re here to ensure people wishing to install wind turbines have done their due diligence.”

MD municipal manager Harry Riva Cambrin said requiring a development permit is the only way to ensure a neighbour has the opportunity to provide input on a proposed wind turbine.

“There really is no other opportunity for a neighbour to have a say on something next to them they may not be happy with,” he said.

Coun. Larry Spilak said the MD needs to have a set of rules in place to address wind turbines and site locations are a key part of the issue.

“Wind turbines are going to become an item in every municipality,” he said. “I think the idea is to protect neighbours while allowing them to be built.”

Development permit changes

Residents are concerned proposed changes requiring development permits to construct houses on undeveloped parcels are redundant and will only end up costing landowners.

The changes would require a development permit to construct a house on an undeveloped parcel of land not covered under a lot development plan. At present, the MD only requires a building permit,

As well, the proposed changes will increase the number of items to be included in lot plans and requires an engineer’s stamp on the plan. Millarville-area resident Mary Stapleton worries that the changes will place significant costs on their shoulders to complete the process of subdividing their property.

She and her husband own 20 acres of land and have received approval for redesignation to country residential and are applying for subdivision approval and a development permit.

“The process so far has been predictable and we have followed it to the letter,” she said.

She argues requiring an engineer’s stamp is excessive. She said it could cost between $25,000 to $40,000 to get an engineer to sign off on their application.

She said much of what would be required under the changes is already covered under existing procedures.

“The new rules can be addressed with the current system that allows discretion,” she said.

As well, she said the changes should be done in conjunction with the new municipal development plan.

Worthington said the MD should do a cost analysis before making a decision.

“It seems to me it’s going overboard, way, way overboard,” he said.

Riva Cambrin said the MD has seen many cases in recent years where lots aren’t developed properly or houses aren’t built in the right locations.

“What’s been happening out there is people have been placing their homes in areas that are, we’ll call it, at risk, whether it’s on top of a pipeline or in a low area where they get flooded out,” he said. “In many cases the way they’re developing their lots is affecting their neighbours’ property.”

He said it’s more important to deal with these issues as parcel sizes get smaller.

He said building permits don’t address many of the problems the MD is seeing.

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