Potential changes to the Land-Use Bylaw that would redistrict certain parcels of land in the county from agricultural use to rural use have caused significant debate during the bylaw’s consultation process.
At the county’s information session Feb. 8, people opposed to the changes cited concerns over how they felt the bylaw could potentially affect their ability to do with their land as they please.
Another objection raised during the information session was that changing land use from agricultural to rural could allow other land owners to do things with their land that their neighbours did not like.
For example, there was concern that a resident whose land was redistricted to rural use could choose to develop that land industrially against the wishes of neighbours.
County officials assured audience members that development would be assessed on a case-by-case basis by county council and that a rural use redistricting was not carte-blanche for people to do what they pleased.
But it was interesting to see how those who were so opposed to a bylaw that could potentially restrict the free use of their land were against other people being able to exercise that same sovereignty over land that they own.
There was even opposition to people being able to bring development proposals to council for consideration, regardless of whether or not council would approve it or not. The potential of negative future use was enough to warrant concern.
It is understandable that people want to preserve the integrity of where they live. There are legitimate reasons to be concerned about how your neighbour’s actions could affect you. Nobody wants to live next to a waste treatment facility.
But if giving landowners freedom to do what they want with their property is a principle worth fighting for, then all landowners should be allowed to exercise that freedom as long as it fits within the established rules and guidelines.
Freedom means that everyone has the ability to engage the process. If the Land-Use Bylaw passes, trusting that the mechanisms built into it will protect the interests of everyone is a critical part of that process.
