Provided all goes according to plan, Sundre could be poised this year to place a community gazebo and bandstand at Greenwood Campground.
Jon Allan, the town's economic development officer, provided some background on the proposed project to council at the June 11 council meeting.
“The reason this came about is because the town administration were approached by a West Fraser employee in 2017 about developing a community gazebo,” said Allan.
Following that initial discussion, council agreed to set aside $10,000 in the 2018 budget to pursue the potential options, he said.
“An ad hoc working group made up of staff and pledged donors was then created.”
The idea behind the working group was to discuss the gazebo’s purpose — the style, function and location, he said, adding his presentation was essentially the result of information that stemmed from those conversations.
“The purpose of the gazebo is to become a beautiful community icon, an event space, somewhere to have perhaps outdoor markets, maybe music in the park, maybe art in the park, performances in the park — a community gathering spot,” he said.
“It’ll become a downtown anchor.”
But before being able to proceed, administration needed council’s direction to begin designing plans for an approved location, he said.
Possible sites discussed included the former Mountain View County shop land near the museum, Town of Sundre municipal reserve lands on Centre Street North near Fourth Avenue by Joko’s, the green space on the north bank of the Bearberry Creek towards where the trail ends, as well as Lions Park near the pedestrian bridge. However, the ad hoc working group narrowed down the options to three possibilities within the Greenwood Campground, he said.
The first is near the cookhouse, the second is a campsite closer to the Red Deer River, while the third is in the northeast corner of the campground that is readily visible from Highway 27 as traffic comes over the bridge. The latter came out as the working group’s preferred choice for a multitude of reasons, he said.
“There are lots of benefits to this location. It’s got great sight from the bridge for travellers to see, it’s a larger space, it’s got an excellent natural amphitheatre setting due to the berm.”
Additionally, that location offers excellent accessibility to Sundre’s downtown as well as picturesque optics with the river visible in the background, he said.
And since the campsites in that northeast part of the campground are used less frequently than those in the other areas at Greenwood, there would not be as much revenue lost from closing them down to accommodate the gazebo. Outlining some cons, he said the site would be closer to bridge noise and also faces the potential of water pooling.
Establishing a suitable site is only the first step, he pointed out.
“We would also want to know, obviously, what the gazebo would look like. But we need to know where it’s going to go before designing a site-appropriate gazebo.”
After council confirms a location, administration would then engage the services of professional designers that will take into consideration the setting and uses, he said.
Possible themes could include the following: a classical Victorian style, such as the gazebo in Olds' Centennial Park; something more modern; or perhaps a design unique to Sundre such as a timber-framed structure that pays homage to the area’s heritage in forestry, he said.
“When we move forward, we’ll be requesting a minimum of two or three options to be submitted by a designer.”
Providing a tight timeline with an optimistic goal of getting shovels in the ground this year, the economic development officer said the next steps include obtaining quotes before the end of June, followed by completing the site design before proceeding with a public survey in July to get input from residents on the preferred option.
Those results would be brought back to council, with an engineering and materials list compiled in August and September with the possibility of starting construction — should weather and council permit — when the campground closes for the season in the fall, he said.
Allan’s full presentation, which includes a breakdown of each proposed site’s pros and cons, can be found in council’s agenda package for the June 11 meeting on the municipality’s website.
“The big decision is now down to you,” he told council, presenting administration’s request for decision to select one of the sites discussed as well as to approve allocating a portion of the budgeted $10,000 towards funding the gazebo’s architectural design and engineering.
Among the questions raised by members of council were whether parking had been considered, if the gazebo would also be closed when the campground is shut down during the winter, and how serious a threat the potential for pooling of water represents.
Allan said there is a town-owned lot immediately behind the old hotel that could offer parking space, as well as additional spots available in the campground’s day use area. Additionally, the intent would be to leave open the possibility of hosting events any time of year.
“Absolutely we’d like to see it utilized year-round,” he said.
Chief administrative officer Linda Nelson agreed.
“Picture it being lit up in the wintertime and in the evenings during the summer — it could be quite spectacular as you’re driving through the community,” she said.
In terms of concerns about drainage and pooling water, Allan said the structure would not be level with the ground to account for such a scenario.
Coun. Paul Isaac asked why previously discussed plans to move and rebuild the washhouse seemed to have been put on the back burner.
“I’m not sure why we’ve changed our mind,” said Isaac.
That project has not been forgotten about, said Allan, but funds are not yet in the budget for that expense, which would rack up well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, Allan added Isaac’s point was valid and could certainly be a discussion for council to consider.
“The plan at some point is that that entire area becomes a public gathering space, which would include the museum and possibly depending on discussions with the county” the former shop’s land, added Nelson.
“There are some thoughts going forward. This is just one piece of the puzzle,” she said.
Coun. Cheri Funke’s motion to approve the site in the Greenwood Campground’s northeast corner as well as to allocate budgeted funds to proceed with design preparation carried with Isaac opposed.
