BARRHEAD - An Edmonton-based developer got the go-ahead to build a campground near Manola.
County of Barrhead councillors approved Knotty Pine Cabin's application for the proposed 130-site campground on the banks of the Pembina River during the Sept. 20 Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) meeting.
Development officer Jenny Bruns noted the property is currently zoned as agriculture and is on the 100-year floodplain.
The development will include 30 self-contained trailers and 100 glamping sites available as seasonal rentals only.
"The elevation survey data shows that much of the development will be in the flood plain area, except the residence (wash house), electricity and septic are all outside the flood zone," she said. "The only thing inside the floodplain would be the moveable units."
Bruns added that although the municipality's land-use bylaw suggests caution when approving developments in the floodplain, there was nothing in the document that restricted it as long as infrastructure such as roads, septic and the like are outside the area.
She also said the county received comments from Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) and there were no concerns of note as all of the permanent infrastructure that could harm the environment, notably the river, is located outside the floodplain.
Bruns recommended that the commission approve the development permit with several conditions, the most notable is that the developer enter into a development agreement to address matters of road use along with other nuisance items, and that they follow any provincial requirements. Other conditions include refraining from removing vegetation from the riverbank without prior approval of the AEP and that no permanent structures, utilities, or services other than roadways be within the flood plain.
But the most important condition, Bruns said, is that the developer provides and maintains a site-specific emergency management plan to ensure items are removed from the floodplain as soon as possible if AEP issues a flood risk notification.
She also added that the campground would take up only a small portion of the property, noting that under the land-use bylaw, a development can occupy two-thirds of the proposed site.
"The majority of the land is used for farming," she said.
Potable water will be available for campers through taps at the lodge via a well. Facility users will be able to access the river through an internal access point, and the developer will provide animal-proof garbage bins. Sewer from the trailers' storage tanks will be removed by honey wagons and disposed of through the campground's septic system outside the flood plain.
All the structures inside the floodplain will be movable, including the trailers and the glamping structures.
Coun. Walter Preugschas asked how much of the property the development would take up.
Development owner Andre Depelteau said the majority of the quarter would remain as a working farm but noted the campground would take up 85 acres.
However, he said due to the relatively small footprint of the campground, the sites, outbuildings, et cetera, the actual space occupied is more like 20-30 acres.
Depelteau noted the glamping sites will have their backs to a ravine that overlooks the river and will be 75 feet apart, while the 30 self-contained trailers are 100 feet apart.
Reeve Doug Drozd asked what the plan was for an internal road structure for the development.
Depelteau replied that the road system already exists, as does an extensive trail system, which is large enough for a vehicle to drive on.
Drozd also asked if there were any intensive agriculture operations nearby, stating campers may not be thrilled with the smells and noise that come from them.
Depelteau said he wasn't concerned, adding he realized there is a commercial dairy in the area, along with the much closer Richardson Milling, which has up to 100 trucks coming in and out of their facility along with a "constant hum from its operations".
Ron Cust, who will be overseeing the campground's operations agreed, saying he has lived on-site for the better part of a year, and it has not been an issue.
Preugschas asked what types of activities will be available to the campers.
"The site is quite large," Depelteau said. "There are lots of places to walk and pick berries, and we are thinking of putting in a frisbee golf course, but most of the activities would be self-directed. There are lots of hiking, fishing, canoeing, tubing opportunities and several beach areas."
Emergency evacuation plan
Depelteau reiterated all the glampers and trailers are moveable, saying they will have three tractors on-site for that eventuality.
He estimated it would take roughly an hour-and-a-half to move the trailers to safety and another six to seven to move all the glampers.
Cust noted that AEP has monitoring stations on the river, the most permanent being near Mayerthorpe and Sangudo, which will alert them to potential issues and give them enough time to enact their evacuation/emergency plan.
Bruns concluded the discussion, noting the real question is, ‘How much risk is council willing to take on.’
"When we permit something that is in the floodplain, we are inherently open to liability by approving this," she said. "That is why we worked so hard with the developer to lower the risk, by ensuring there are no permanent structures and that there is a strong emergency plan in place ... to limit that risk to council and ratepayers."
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