Council adds parking options to Land Use Bylaw

By J.W. Schnarr
Vauxhall Advance
jwschnarr@tabertimes.com

An amendment to Vauxhall’s Land-Use Bylaw will pave the way for more available parking facilities within the town in the future.

Following a public hearing on the changes to the bylaw during their regular meeting on March 16, council voted unanimously to amend the bylaw to add a parking option to several types of planning districts, including: Highway Commercial, Industrial, and Public and Institutional.

Parking would remain prohibited use in all residential districts and the urban reserve district. During the hearing, Bonnie Brunner, municipal planner with the Oldman River Regional Services Commission, updated council and those in attendance on the intent of the changes.
Several local residents were in attendance, and they voiced concerns regarding their parking issues; while generally satisfied with the amount of parking available, there were comments about wanting to park closer to home, as well as concerns about theft from vehicles when they were left alone.

Additionally, they discussed issues involving power availability for those wishing to plug their vehicles in during cold winter months, and wanting to be close enough to Vauxhall’s core in order to take advantage of the local amenities.

Brunner also reminded those in attendance that the changes were not specifically intended for parking areas to be added, but to give council more options should they ever consider a parking project.

“This is just kind of the first step, that council is considering adding these changes to the bylaw,” she said.

The changes would considerably add to the parking options for anyone interested in applying for a development permit or for council itself.

“This is potentially a huge area,” said Deputy Mayor Richard Phillips.

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