1. PUBLIC HEARING PRESENTATION: RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS
Draft Bylaw No. 5/2016 – Rural Industrial: Shaftesbury Trail Gravel Pit District

2. INTRODUCTION
Residents of Shaftesbury Trail, along with other residents of Peace River and area recognize the important economic role natural resources play in our community.
The interests of various stakeholders can at times be in conflict with each other; which considering the nearly 200 signed support letters from Peace River and Shaftesbury Trail residents, appears to be the case presently.
As residents we are not asking Council deny the rights of industry in developing gravel pits in the Municipal District, we are asking as the voting public that our rights to enjoy our property be respected.
The proposed amendments to the Land Use Bylaw will open Shaftesbury Trail to gravel pit development; this is not necessary as outside the river valley are 27 existing pits, and with greater room for future development.
These existing gravel pits are not in residential areas, and are supported by better infrastructure.
The proposed changes unnecessarily pit industry owners against residential land owners.

3. EXISTING GRAVEL PITS MD OF PEACE
The industry has previously demonstrated an inability and/or unwillingness to remediate abandoned gravel pits. These pits have littered West Peace for decades, often with associated equipment also abandoned.
Shaftesbury Trail Study suggests that “…commence reclamation of their existing gravel pits in the near term, as a show of good faith prior to the submission of any new Land Use Bylaw amendment applications or gravel pit development permit applications.”
By establishing stringent set backs we will be able to protect residents from non-remediated pits if the practice of simply abandoning them continues.

4. EFFECT ON SHAFTESBURY TRAIL
The effects of increased industrial traffic on Shaftesbury Trail need to be studied and considered before Land Use Bylaws are changed.
Shaftesbury Trail does not have a shoulder or turning lanes of any sort.
The road is increasingly used local traffic, leisure traffic enjoying the scenery of the Peace Valley, cyclists, pedestrians, and existing industrial traffic.
Amendments to the Land Use Bylaw to allow for increased industrial unnecessarily risk safety of users including residential traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians.

5. ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL IMPACT
Of the two non-developed sites (Lot 34 & Lot 35-1) owned by gravel pit operators along Shaftesbury Trail, Lot 34 has been described as having historical significance.
A letter dated February 26, 1998 by Dr. W.J. Byrne, then Assistant Deputy Minister to Cultural Facilities and Historical Resources with the Government of Alberta placed restrictions on developing Lot 34 as follows:*
Archaeological Site HbQi-15 should be avoided, however if this is not possible additional studies will be required at the site in the form of archival research, and further field studies.
Historic Period Features 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16 are to be avoided in their entirety.
Given the abundance of gravel pits elsewhere in our Municipal District, we should not even be considering disturbing sites of archaeological and historical significance.
*Project File: Permit:

6. CULTURAL IMPACT
The areas that are currently held by gravel pit operators are used throughout the summer months by local aboriginals.
Sage and Sweet Grass growth is also present and important plants in cultural events.
As mentioned in the previous slide, we have an abundance of gravel pits in the MD and as such we should not be disturbing areas of cultural significance.

7. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The MD’s Land Use Bylaw describes the area around Shaftesbury Estates as being an “Environmentally Sensitive Area”.
As recognized in the existing Land Use Bylaw, Shaftesbury Trail is an environmentally sensitive area. We should not be disturbing these areas especially in consideration of other gravel pit infrastructure in the MD.

8. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
As Peace River continues to grow the Peace River Valley along Shaftesbury Trail becomes an increasingly popular place to build a home and raise a family.
Continued industrial development in the from of gravel pits depress property value and the desirability of the area.
Future development could be forced to other areas of the Peace River Valley outside the MD of Peace.
Reduced future grow combined with depressed property values effectively reduces the MD’s tax base, and as such reduces it ability to maintain future growth.
From a purely economic view, this Council should be seeking to work with industry to develop gravel pits in other areas so that the Municipal District will benefit from maximum tax revenue from all sources.

9. OTHER EXAMPLES
Other jurisdictions have denied the construction of gravel pits over concerns raised by the community.
One such example was reported in the Mountain View Gazette on May 7, 2013 in Mountain View County. The following reasons were cited for denying the gravel pit:
The application will affect the use and enjoyment of neighbouring properties.
Impacts on the regional road network have not been satisfactorily addressed.
The application does not meet the goals and directions of the South McDougal Flats Area Structure Plan requiring the addressing of impacts and public response.

10. CONCLUSION
As residents we are concerned about the proposed amendments to the MD of Peace Land Use Bylaw for the following reasons:
Previous gravel pits have not been adequately reclaimed.
Shaftesbury trail was not built for the industrial traffic this amendment would allow.
The negative effect on the Shaftesbury Trail’s cultural, archeological, and historical attributes would be immediate and irreversible.
As an environmentally sensitive area with options to develop gravel pits in other better suited areas, further development should not occur.
Future development will significantly and negatively effect the quality of life for Peace River and Shaftesbury Trail residents.