BOYLE — Boyle councillors made the decision to keep their RV park as a seasonal spot to stay after reviewing an unusual request from a hopeful individual looking for a more permanent parking spot.
During their June 6 meeting, village officials ultimately decided against opening the Clintberg Ave camping loop near 8 Street for year-round access. Councillors voted 5-0 to designate the park for seasonal use only, a decision prompted by a request received by administration.
“We had an inquiry expressing interest that they would like to rent a spot in the RV campground for year-round permanent status,” CAO Warren Griffin told councillors.
He said the inquiring individual expressed interest in building a semi-permanent deck and the vehicle would likely function as a full-time residence.
“I find this a little bit challenging, just because there are campgrounds that can do that already,” said Coun. Barb Smith.
“I’m encouraged that they want to look at us as an option, that’s awesome. I don’t ever want to discourage someone from being here, but it’s not a good look for residents — we have an entire trailer park,” she added.
The request sparked discussion between councillors and admin about access to utilities, site maintenance, and precedent.
“We need to know who we are with that RV park,” said Mayor Colin Derko. “We didn’t design that RV park for that.”
Questions about access to utilities, such as water, sewer, and garbage, necessary levels of service, and concerns about precedent were also posed from around the table.
Griffin noted that while the village had not permitted permanent residences in the park previously, other RV parks have made access to utilities available for year-round campers.
“The pros of that is you get a regular income because they’re paying rent on a regular basis,” said Griffin. “But it is, as Paul (Clyburn, public works superintendent) would say, service creep.”
If year-round campers were allowed, the village would be on the hook to provide garbage pick-up and snowing clearing in the winter. Residents of the village pay for garbage pickup monthly, and while a contract is in place for snow clearing in the trailer park, the RV park is not plowed during the winter.
Another ‘con’ voiced during discussion was the availability of spots for seasonal or other short-term campers. Permanent residents in the RV park would mean fewer spaces for travellers passing through, employees working in the area, and overflow camping for events like weddings.
“It sets a precedent for how many other people that are going to come in and choose to live there,” said Coun. Shelby Kiteley. She suggested pointing the interested individual to the trailer park, where pipeline workers have able to hook up in empty lots in the past
Other parks in the area that do allow for year-round living include campgrounds by Long Lake, Skeleton Lake, and others around the region, but do not include sites managed by Athabasca County.
In addition to their motion to designate the RV park for seasonal use, councillors opted to unofficially ask administration to point the interested party towards the existing facilities.
“We could provide some assistance,” said Derko. “Somebody coming into the area may not even know all the stuff we’re talking about, so why can’t we help them out?”
