County Council looking to rock on

Phil Hughes of Premium Food Services whips up the flames for his Caribbean pork tenderloin, flambéed with dark rum, a popular choice during the Sturgeon County Bounty.
By MorinvilleNews.com Staff

Sturgeon County – Concerts and music festivals could soon be able to rock on without some red tape. County Council gave unanimous first reading to an amendment to its Land Use Bylaw that would permit concerts to run without a development permit providing the festival runs for less than seven days.

The bylaw modification is intended to promote concerts and festivals within the county, something Sturgeon County sees as adding to the quality of life for its residents while stimulating the local economy during the event.

“I think this is a great initiative,” said Councillor Don McGeachy. “We want to encourage this, breakdown some of the barriers and make everyone enjoy a higher quality of life in the county.”
The proposed change would provide a development permit exemption providing a valid assemblage permit is issued, no permanent structures or buildings are erected on the property, and the concert runs for less than seven consecutive days.

Safety and other permits would still be required before as assemblage permit would be issued and building permits would be required for stages and other non-permanent facilities erected on the premises. There is currently no fee for assemblage permits; however, Sturgeon County is considering implementing a fee structure for them.

Now that the bylaw has received first reading, a public hearing will be held Mar. 31 at 10:30 a.m., to be continued at 6 p.m.

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