M.D. OF BONNYVILLE – Changes could be coming to what property owners can build, store and use their hangars for at the Bonnyville Regional Airport.

M.D. of Bonnyville council gave first reading to Bylaw LU 586 during its October 27 regular meeting, moving forward with proposed changes to the airport’s development regulations.

The goal is to modernize the rules, create more opportunities for aviation-related businesses and establish clearer standards for development at the airport.

But the proposed changes also spell out what won’t be allowed, particularly regarding recreational vehicles, outdoor storage, and using hangars for purposes unrelated to aviation.

Could someone live in an airport hangar?

One of the more interesting changes involves introducing security suites.

Under the proposed bylaw, property owners could apply to include a self-contained space inside a hangar or principal building for people involved in airport operations, maintenance, management or security.

However, that doesn’t mean hangars could become residential properties.

The proposed rules would limit each lot to one security suite, occupying no more than 15 percent of the hangar’s total floor area.

The suite could not be sold or rented separately or occupied as an independent dwelling.

During council’s discussion, questions were raised about whether recreational vehicles, office trailers or modular structures could be used for this purpose.

Administration clarified that security suites would have to be incorporated into the hangar or principal building rather than treated as separate accommodations.

The intention is to accommodate people with legitimate operational responsibilities at the airport, not open the door to residential development.

Hangars would still have to be used for aircraft

The proposed regulations would also clarify how much hangar space could be used for activities unrelated to aviation.

A hangar would have to remain primarily dedicated to aircraft and aviation-related purposes.

Non-aviation activities could occupy no more than 30 percent of the building’s total floor area.

Those activities also could not prevent aircraft from being stored or moved in and out of the hangar.

Commercial or industrial operations unrelated to aviation would not be permitted inside hangars.

In other words, the proposed rules would allow some flexibility in how owners use their buildings, but the airport would remain an aviation-focused development area.

Tighter rules for outdoor storage

The M.D. is also proposing clearer restrictions on what can be kept outside.

Under the draft bylaw, recreational vehicles, motorhomes, boats, flat-deck trailers and unattached utility trailers would not be allowed to be parked outdoors on airport lots.

Outdoor storage would generally have to be directly connected to an approved aviation business.

That could include aircraft, aviation equipment and fuel-handling equipment, provided the storage areas are approved and maintained safely.

The draft would also limit each lot to one storage sea can, with a maximum length of 40 feet.

Vehicles associated with airport operations would have to be parked in designated front-yard areas, and those spaces could not be used for long-term vehicle storage.

The proposed restrictions are intended to prevent airport properties from becoming general storage yards while protecting aircraft movement and safety.

New standards for buildings

The bylaw also introduces more detailed expectations for the appearance and construction of airport buildings.

Hangars and other principal buildings would have to use durable exterior materials, such as metal cladding or similar approved finishes.

Temporary materials, including tarpaulins and untreated plywood, would not be acceptable as exterior finishes.

Buildings would also have to be maintained in good condition, with non-reflective roofing and exterior surfaces to prevent glare that could interfere with aircraft operations.

The draft retains a maximum building height of 10 metres and limits total building coverage to 55 percent of a lot.

Federal aviation regulations would continue to take precedence over municipal development rules.

What happens next?

The proposed changes apply to Direct Control District #5, which covers designated lots at the Bonnyville Regional Airport.

According to the M.D., early consultation with affected landowners helped shape revisions to the original proposal.

Council’s approval of first reading does not make the new regulations law.

Council must schedule and advertise a public hearing, giving property owners and other interested residents an opportunity to provide feedback before council considers final approval.

Until the bylaw receives the required readings and is formally adopted, the proposed changes remain just that — proposals.