Another six country residential lots could be added to Hidden Valley if council approves the subdivision of a 14-hectare property off of Couch Road.

EVEM Ltd., which owns the lot, has applied to have the land divided into the six properties along with a walkway, a public utility lot, a site that would be zoned for future development and a proposed new road that would be named Stehelin Drive.

The application came forward to council at its meeting Tuesday night.

The six lots for country residential homes would be between 1.03 hectares and 1.09 hectares.

In a report to council, planning manager Pat Ross noted the site is already designated as Residential - Country in the city’s Official Community Plan (OCP).

“The application fits many of the policies in the OCP, such as siting and form of the proposed road, and maintaining trial linkages,” Ross said.

He went on to note city staff are recommending a condition be placed on subdivision approval that would require a geotechnical and hydrological report that would demonstrate the feasibility of on-site servicing.

That recommendation is coming out of an OCP policy which states: “All new lots in areas designated Residential-Country may have their soils tested in advance of proposed development to determine the adequacy of soils for sewage percolation and potential conflict with ground water resources.”

The condition is one of two that are attached to the proposed subdivision.

The other would require EVEM Ltd. to sign a development agreement with the city that would:

• set out development responsibilities;

• defer development cost charges until the application is made for building permits; and

• defer for two years the development of the two largest lots that would be at the end of the proposed roadway.

That timing would see development of those lots deferred for two years to allow “the city time to implement planned improvements to the area’s existing storm drainage.

“Deferral of development cost charges and limiting the time of development of proposed parcels E and F will be facilitated through a development agreement registered on title to serve as notification to future owners of the land,” Ross stated in his report to council.

The report goes on to note the Public Use Land Dedication (PULD) was already satisfied in 1993 when a part of the original lot was transferred to the city. It was used to build a storm drainage pond.

The original lot was created in 1978. It has since been subdivided five times, resulting in the nine country residential lots already there as well as the pond.

Approval for a 10th lot fronting Couch Road was also recently issued as part of a separate process.

The PULD would not be required for the proposed subdivision.

Ross also pointed out the plans include a six-metre walkway “that will be dedicated at no cost to the city to create a pedestrian link from the proposed road to Loganberry Lane to the north of the proposed subdivision.”

The proposal had Coun. Samson Hartland questioning how close this would be to the five country residential properties the city is looking at adding along Couch Road.

Ross noted the EVEM development would be south of the area the city is looking at. As well, the city has the ability to seek a second opinion on the geotechnical/hydrological reports.

He also confirmed that while the city generally allows developers to name streets they put in such subdivisions, council does have the discretion to choose a different option.

Council will vote next Monday evening on the subdivision in Hidden Valley, located off the Mayo Road about three kilometres north of the Alaska Highway.

Also at that meeting, council will look at whether to move forward with a bylaw that would see the city acquire the utility lot proposed for the subdivision. A total of $15,600 would be spent on the purchase of the 0.42 hectare stretch of land.

Coun. Dan Boyd was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.