Red Deer Airport is taking steps to ensure future development nearby does not affect operations.
Regulations restricting the kinds of development allowed close to the airport are included in Red Deer County’s Land Use Bylaw.
However, county senior development officer Denise Bedford informed council in a report on Tuesday that the development regulations “cannot be enacted upon since the proper approvals were never granted by Transport Canada or the Province of Alberta nor the Province of Alberta (Municipal Affairs).
“Therefore, the regulations contained within the Land Use Bylaw are not enforceable.”
Having the right zoning and development restrictions in place around the airport is important to ensure structures are not built so high they have an impact on airport operations, or have businesses sprout up that may create dust or smoke problems or attract birds.
The county also has to ensure that electronic equipment that could affect aviation communications is not set up nearby. Planning restrictions are in place without a four-km radius of the airport.
County council voted on Tuesday to make a formal request to the province’s Lieutenant Governor to provide the approvals needed to work with Transport Canada to give the county the power to impose the zoning regulations needed to protect the airport.