A dual-parcel rural property that the City of Moose Jaw annexed in 2017 will soon be separated to address a past mistake that saw a home built on the property line.
During the Dec. 13 regular council meeting, city council unanimously approved a discretionary use application and subdivision application for “non-farm residential” on parcels A and B, civically known as 1301 Ninth Avenue Southeast.
The subdivision application will create a new non-farm residential property zoned AR agricultural resource district, while an existing residence will be separated from the adjacent agricultural use on the same site. This proposed lot is considered discretionary since it is under a non-farm residential use.
While the city annexed the land four years ago, the property remained under a zoning bylaw designation from the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw, a council report explained. Therefore, the current applications must be reviewed against the land-use policies of the RM and city.
The layout of 1301 Ninth Avenue Southeast consists of parcel B, which comprises about 140 acres, and parcel A, in the northeast of the site, comprising 17 acres. A home is located on parcel B, while an equine-related business — including a riding ring — is located on parcel A.
“Another residence, which was intended to be built on parcel A, was mistakenly built straddling the north-south property line separating parcels A and B,” the report continued.
The applicant submitted a subdivision application to city hall asking for a third lot — parcel C — to be created. It would comprise 9.15 acres taken from the other two parcels and be situated between them. The second residence will be fully contained on the new parcel and compliant with all necessary setbacks.
The new parcel will use the existing access road from Ninth Avenue Southeast, but this will cut off parcel A’s access to that road, the report continued. The property owners will maintain legal road access through an existing panhandle south to 14th Avenue Southeast to rectify this problem.
The discretionary classification is to prevent the “suburbanization of arable agricultural land,” ensuring that residences are only built as an accessory to an ag operation until council authorizes something else on an individual basis.
“In this case, the residence is existing and was occupied by the stable manager of the riding facilities, though it’s acknowledged that the new parcel will be sold to a third party and will no longer have involvement with the equine or agricultural activities,” said the report.
All services exist on the property and will not need to be altered to accommodate the proposal. Furthermore, no existing utility easements will be affected by the subdivision.
The report added that the non-farm residential use of the property should not affect the future use of surrounding land. However, the nearby industrial development could make the property less desirable as a non-farm residence.
The next regular city council meeting is Monday, Jan. 10.
