Zoning request going back to council

By Collin Gallant on June 28, 2018.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com @CollinGallant

A proposal to set up a denture clinic at a residence across from the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital will go back before city council next month, about one year after a similar proposal was defeated.

Wednesday’s meeting of the municipal planning commission heard the owner of the lot on the corner of Fifth Street and Seventh Avenue has reapplied to rezone the lot as a neighbourhood commercial district.

Members approved the proposal 5-0, thereby sending it back to council ,which voted 6-2 in May 2017 that the current zoning as low-density residential should stay intact to protect the character of the neighbourhood.

Even commission members noted the apparent deja vu, but were told that planners said council has the final decision-making authority on all zoning applications. Applicants have to wait six months before resubmitting rejected plans.

The new application notes support from adjoining property owners and others on the block.

“In my mind it’s the highest and best use for the property,” said Pete Vanderham, a public member of the commission. “But if council hasn’t changed its opinion, it’s an exercise in futility.”

The house sits across the street from another converted home office of a doctor, as well as the former main entrance of the hospital.

Planners say six other corner lots within a two-block radius operate as medical offices, and there is currently no overarching plan for the area, which would favour residential such as in the Herald Redevelopment Area, further to the east.

Commission vice-chair Coun. Darren Hirsch said the discussion at council would likely revolve around parking concerns.

Commission chair Coun. Brian Varga supported such a change in 2017, and again voted in favour of the issue moving on for a council decision.

“Parking is an issue all around that area,” he said. “If this results in more stalls in the back, that’s the way it may have to go.”

The zoning change will be introduced at council’s July 3 meeting and would be subject to a public hearing before a final vote, likely in August.

Aurora permit let

A major marijuana growing facility has its development permit following a unanimous vote at Wednesday’s municipal planning commission meeting.

Aurora Cannabis pans to construct a 1.2 million square foot greenhouse in the Box Springs Business Park, a plan that received an initial OK.

Stripping and grading the massive site began last month with a permit issued under the previous land designation of business industrial. That was changed to direct control however, to allow such an enterprise, though it is not noted in the city’s current land-use bylaw.

Building permits are contingent on Aurora submitting finalized drawings of the site, adherent to a development agreement with the City of Medicine Hat and an engineering plan to connect to utility servicing.

The only question raised by members was access to the complex.

Planning staff said that will be accomplished by an extension of Box Springs Way northward. That road change was approved as part of a subdivision and will be built by the its developer, the Box Springs Business Park partnership.

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