Sturgeon Valley residents told county councillors last week to throw on the brakes and reverse a plan to allow RV storage lots in the valley.
The proposed bylaw change would have allowed recreational vehicle storage lots in the county's inter-municipal fringe areas. The fringe areas are part of the county's planning documents and encompass any area within 1.5 miles of Edmonton, Morinville and St. Albert.
The county found two of the lots operating outside the bylaw in 2008 and county planners suggested making a change to allow them. The lots are a permitted use in other parts of the county. About a dozen valley residents showed up at council's public meeting to express their displeasure at the idea of having the lots near their homes.
"This use should be in industrial areas dues to increased traffic unsightliness and possible pollution," said resident Rose Semenchuk.
She said she doesn't understand why the county would want to bring such lots into a residential area. Semenchuk also questioned who would benefit if the county passed a bylaw. She said most of the people using the lots would be residents of Edmonton or St. Albert, not county residents who store their recreational vehicles on their own property.
Another long-time resident of the valley said she had seen a decrease in the rural character of the valley as more housing has been developed. Increased development and the opening of Anthony Henday Drive she accepted as the inevitable side effect of progress.
"This proposal to allow recreational vehicle storage on country residential land is not progress," she said. "This type of business does not belong in a residential area."
Another resident, Randy Didrikson, implored the county not to approve the bylaw, but said if they even considered it, there should be much more regulation around the size of the lots, required screening and their distance from homes.
Resident Mel Watamaniuk also spoke against the idea, saying that allowing RV storage wouldn't create the kind of community he had moved to the valley to experience.
"I don't want to open my living room window to overlook rows and row of RVs or ATVs," he said. "I moved there to avoid that."
Message heard
After the public submissions, all the county councillors said they received a clear message.
Coun. Tom Flynn, who represents part of the valley, said it was clear that the valley was not a place for such lots. He said he might be open to the idea of allowing the development in other areas of the inter-municipal fringe, but not in the valley.
"On no other basis could I support it," he said.
Mayor Don Rigney also said it was clear the county had opened up the potential for lots in far too broad an area.
"It is clear to me that we have cast too wide a net," he said. "I am not prepared to support it in its current forum."
Coun. Ken McGillis said he believed there will be some areas of the inter-municipal fringe where storage lots would make sense, but he stressed the valley was clearly not one of them.
"There are still a lot of places in that inter-municipal fringe area where that development would be appropriate," he said. "I think we have to go back and look at what is the potential for some of the areas."
Council declined to offer second reading on the bylaw on Tuesday. The issue will instead return to council for further review at a future meeting.
