After the Regional District of East Kootenay sent a proposal to rezone 457 acres of forest near Fernie back to staff, developers will gather more information and bring it back.
The proposal was initially brought before the RDEK board of directors on January 17th, but the board felt the proposal needed more vital information before it moved forward in the approval process.
“While the applicant has presented a detailed plan and offered a number of covenants to provide further reassurance with regard to the development, the Board felt it was premature to move forward to a public hearing without having additional information in several key areas, including road access, wildland and structural fire protection, water and septic, and wildlife corridors,” said RDEK Board Chair Rob Gay.
According to the proposal, the land would be would subdivided into 75 lots, each with three to five acres. This would leave over half of the land undeveloped, in what is called a conservation subdivision design.
The area is located just outside of Fernie, on the southeast slopes of the Lizard Range and north of Fernie Alpine Resort.
Officials with the developer, Handshake Holdings Inc, said the company is thankful to have the issues defined through public debate after efforts to engage with conservation organizations and adjacent landowners.
“Handshake Holdings Inc. will provide additional information and clarity in several key areas, including road access, fire protection, water and septic, and wildlife corridors,” said President Reto Barrington. “We take these issues seriously and will address each of them prior to our next submission. Our intentions are to serve the community and the environment to the highest standard with absolute transparency and accountability.”
Additional information will be submitted to the RDEK, with summaries shared online.
More: Galloway Lands proposal sent back to staff for further information (Feb 4, 2022)
More: Development company presenting plans to rezone Galloway Lands near Fernie (Jan 5, 2022)
More: Local groups voice opposition to proposed development near Fernie (Jan 10, 2022)