Sundre River Resorts' proposal for a 177-unit RV campground took a major step forward last week after Mountain View County council rezoned the 88-acre site for parks and recreation.The proposed campground, situated on Bearberry Creek west of Sundre in the McDougal Flats area, will also include a teahouse, recreation centre, tuck shop, soccer field, baseball diamonds and pedestrian trails.Council had deferred the public hearing in October pending comments from Alberta Environment regarding flood potential on the site. The department wrote on Dec. 22 that it had no concerns since no permanent structures were proposed for the area designated as floodway, which falls within its jurisdiction.ìThey did say verbally that if the lots aren't going to be used for agriculture, it's probably the best use for the land because it's movable, not permanent,î planner Christian Tinney told council at Wednesday's hearing.Two letters of support were submitted by adjacent landowners and no objections were received. Leo Fagnan of Sundre Forest Products, located about one mile south of the proposed campground, said his company provided a letter of support but did have some concern about the proximity and the potential for noise complaints.That issue will be addressed at the development permit stage in the form of a bylaw by the applicants, with the county as cosignatory, Tinney said.ìAny aspect we're not happy with, we can go back and ask them to rework it,î he said, noting that the South McDougal Flats Area Structure Plan identifies residential development even closer to the sawmill operation.ìI'm satisfied we can achieve exactly what we want,î Tinney assured council.Under the proposal, effluent will be hauled to the Sundre sewage lagoons from a central holding tank outside the flood area. Water will be supplied by private communal wells and the applicant also has a licence from Alberta Environment to divert water from Bearberry Creek.While Div. 2 Coun. Trish McKean initially expressed concerns about the possible impact of channel migration from the creek, council voted unanimously in favour of second and final reading of the rezoning bylaw.Responding to McKean's concern prior to the vote on second reading, Div. 6 Coun. Paddy Munro described the campground as ìthe perfect development for this propertyî because the RV units could be moved. The risk, he said, lies with the property owner, not the county.Munro added that he had confidence in the Municipal Planning Commission crafting a development agreement that would work.ìThose guys are thorough and tough,î he said.A followup motion recommended MPC ensure the campground will have no impact on surrounding agricultural and industrial activity.Appearing before council on behalf of the applicant, consultant Bob Wescott said the campground proposal has ìbroad support from the communityî and ìthe goal is to have something that Sundre River and the county of Mountain View is very proud of.î
