A parcel of land along Elevator Road in the Village of Rockyford, which belongs to CN, is set to be subdivided and the applicant requested village council consider accepting cash-in-lieu of a land dedication or deferral at the regular Tuesday, November 23 council meeting.
The subdivision application was approved in 2020 with the condition a 10 per cent portion of land, equivalent to some 0.178 hectares or approximately half an acre, be dedicated as municipal reserves.
“Municipal Government Act (MGA) allows a municipality to take up to 10 per cent of land (from a parcel subdivision) for municipal reserve,” explained Palliser Regional Municipal Services CEO Devin Diano during the meeting.
He went on to explain a municipality can take this municipal reserve in three ways-as actual land, cash-in-lieu, or to defer the municipal reserve owing to the remnant parcel; if the municipality chooses to accept either actual land or cash-in-lieu there are regulations as to what this reserve can be used for, such as a park or public recreation area.
During the discussion, Rockyford Councillor Bill Goodfellow noted a proposed walking path in this area had been in discussion by previous councils and questioned whether accepting the cash-in-lieu might hinder developing this in the future.
Rockyford Mayor Darcy Burke clarified the walking path discussion was “premature” and accepting the cash-in-lieu would have “no bearing on the rail bed.” Mayor Burke also noted, based on the valued assessment for the approximate half-acre, the village would not be receiving “any sort of significant money.”
Council voted in favour of accepting the cash-in-lieu, with one opposed to the motion.