An issue of roughly 800 metres of pavement has put the brakes on Crossroads Gas Co-op’s plans to build a 15,254-square-foot office and shop 2.5 km north of Innisfail.
Now levelled and fenced for use as storage, the 19-acre site is in a direct-control district, meaning all development applications must be approved by Red Deer County council.
The company has applied to go ahead with its plans to build its shop and office on the site, located on Range Road 282, about 800 metres west of Hwy 2A.
The application hit a snag during deliberations on Tuesday, when councillor George Gehrke asked whether the gravel road leading to the site should be paved and at whose cost.
Gehrke pointed out that there is a substantial number of homes in the areas and that the development has already raised considerable controversy among property owners concerned about piecemeal planning in the area.
“If you’re going to allow this type of development in these areas, they’ve got to do the adequate minimum,” said Gehrke. “They’ve got to pave their lot, for crying out loud, they should have to pave the road that gets there.”
The initial approval for a direct control district, which allows the site to be used for storage, identifies a gravel road and does not mention paving or dust control, said Cynthia Cvik, director of planning and development for the county.
Councillor Jim Wood said he agreed with staff, that issues of dust control or paving should have been addressed at when council agreed to allow development in the area.
Council agreed to postpone the application until its next meeting to allow discussion of upgrading and possibly paving the road and how or if those costs should be shared.
bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com