MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY – The county’s municipal planning commission has rejected a development permit application for the proposed addition of 30 spaces at an Eagle Hill recreational vehicle facility.
The move came by way of motion at the commission’s recent regularly scheduled meeting, held by teleconference.
The property involved is located about 10 kilometres north of Highway 27 on Rge. Rd. 44 and Twp. Rd. 340, at NW 32-33-4-5. The applicant is the Forest Heights Golf & Country Club Ltd.
There are currently 20 seasonal RV sites on the property, which is zoned Parks & Recreation District.
“The new sites would be located east of the existing sites and will be integrated with the existing sites into one campground,” administration said in a briefing note to the commission.
“The sites would be serviced in the same manner as the existing sites which include power and water as well as a pump out tank system to handle the sewage at each site.”
There are sour gas pipelines along the westerly side of the subject property that require a minimum setback of 1,500 metres from the centre of the pipeline.
The commission received a number of letters objecting to the application.
One letter from the Eagle Valley Cemetery board said it had a number of concerns, including water use, noise, campfire smoke, potential trespassing and vandalism in the cemetery, sewage and garbage disposal, additional traffic, and the “absence of enforcement and lack of resources for emergency services.”
In a letter responding to the concerns, owner David Bach said, in part, that, “The truth is we have support from most of the Eagle Hill and Eagle Valley community. We have letters on hand from our closest neighbours and we are looking forward to this small expansion.”
Administration said it could not support the application as both the land use bylaw and the Eagle Valley area structure plan require that the setbacks identified by the Alberta Energy Regulator, for development near sour gas facilities, be adhered to and at 1,500 metes the applicants will not be able to satisfy the setback requirement on the property for the 30 additional sites, the note states.
“Also, the cumulative impact of adding more RV sites, therefore more occupants onsite, will put additional strain into the emergency response plan due to the proximity of the sour gas pipelines.”
Administration said it could not support the application because it did not meet conditions of either the Land Use Bylaw and the Eagle Valley Area Structure Plan Bylaw No. 47/97.
Six commission members voted to reject the permit application.
