CREMONA - Village council has instructed administration to return with more information regarding the possibility of creating a campground along Highway 580 in the village, says mayor Tim Hagen.
“At this point we haven’t got enough information yet, so we are letting the (chief administrative officer) get a little more information,” said Hagen. “We would actually like to sell that piece of land and not put a campground there, but the other options is if you can’t sell the land put it in to some other use.”
The village currently has three lots for sale just east of Highway 22 on the south side of Highway 58.
In his monthly report to council, chief administrative officer Rudy Friesen included a draft for discussion regarding a possible municipal campground development on the lots.
The campground would consist of up to 10 non-serviced camping sites including a fire pit, some grass, a picnic table and one or two planted trees per site, he said in the draft.
“The sites would be booked on a first come, first served basis with a self-registration kiosk in a green space adjacent to the sites.”
The eight to 10 sites, with proposed amenities, plus the green space and self-registration kiosk would require an estimated investment of $15,000, he said.
“The resulting revenue, based on $25/night would mean a short time frame for our return on this investment,” he said.
Administration has submitted an inquiry to Alberta Transportation regarding the project.
“While they many not require a full 1st Avenue West extension for a temporary campground, the individual I spoke with anticipates a minimal requirement of a dedicated access/egress point for the site. Any costs associated with a formal access/egress have not been considered in this draft,” he said.
No word has been received back from Alberta Transportation prior to the recent council meeting.
“A campground provides the opportunity for the village to generate some revenue and to attract visitors to the community for a longer stay, which benefits local businesses as well,” he said.
Mayor Hagen says councillors expect to receive more information from the chief administrative officer at the July 20 council meeting.
