Road Closure PH carried over to Jan. 18 Raymond council meeting

By Nikki Jamieson
Westwind Weekly News

Discussion on a Raymond road closure bylaw had been postponed on their Jan. 18 meeting.
A public hearing for Bylaw 1107-21, pertaining to the road closure of Granite Road, was held during Raymond Town council’s regular Jan. 4 meeting. Coun. Kelly Jensen recused herself from the public hearing.
According to the accompanying brief, the property was originally established in 2017, through a road‐dedication requirement with the subdivision application of Phase 3 of Stonegate Meadows. This had been consistent with the 2013 Stonegate Meadows Area Structure Plan at that time, which had Granite Road being a through road.
However, in July 2021 the Stonegate Meadows Area Structure Plan was amended and a new ASP for that area was adopted in Bylaw 1101‐21. The new Stonegate Meadows ASP removes Granite Road in its entirety, and utilizes a cul‐de‐sac on the east side, rather than a through road.
First reading of the bylaw was given at council’s regular Nov. 2, 2021 meeting.
Notice of the hearing was given and feedback was received from Alberta Transportation, Atco Gas, ATCO Pipelines and Fortis Alberta, stating no opposition to the road closure. Feedback was not received back from Telus or Shaw at the time of the public hearing. As the town had not yet received this feedback, the town’s development officer, Mark Boltezar, recommended that council “holds this public hearing open” to their next meeting on Jan. 18, to allow for more time to receive those comments. By doing so, it will allow administration to be able to send everything at once to the transportation minister.
Unlike most other bylaws, municipalities need to receive approval from the Minister of Transportation in order to pass a road closure bylaw. Road closure bylaws receive first reading, a public hearing, and then it gets sent off to the transportation minister for approval. Once that has been given, then consideration for second and the third and final reading can take place.
Council unanimously passed a motion to leave the public hearing open for two weeks, to allow for more information.