BARRHEAD - The County of Barrhead will add to a list of a growing number of campgrounds within its borders.
On June 20, the municipal planning commission unanimously approved an application by an Alberta-numbered company, owned by Daniel and Edith Zdrowski, on the Shady Lane Estate property that includes a winery and U-pick fruit operation.
Development officer Jenny Bruns noted the application is for a 42-stall campground and added that the property is in an agricultural district, and campgrounds are allowed as a discretionary use.
"Basic or unapproved campgrounds (by our definition) allow for a wide arrange of accommodations. They can have things such as administration offices, laundry and washroom facilities and support other recreational facilities," Bruns said.
However, they cannot include the use of mobile homes, trailers or other forms of moveable shelters on a permanent, year-round basis.
The Shady Lane campground, which Bruns said is already in operation, will include a mix of camping sites, a platformed bell tent, and spots for recreational vehicles (RV). There will also be a washroom/shower facility on site.
She added that RV septic service would be on-site in the form of a 5,000-gallon tank. Potable water will be provided via portable water wells filled by water trucks.
She also pointed out that the development application stated there would be several garbage receptacles centrally located with waste disposed of through a third-party private contractor.
Bruns noted that the proposed development also fits into the goals and objectives in the county's municipal development plan, such as encouraging tourism and using lower-capability agricultural land for recreational development, minimizing potential conflicts between recreational activities and other land uses and reducing municipal costs associated with recreation development.
Proposed recreation amenities slated include walking and hiking trails, beach volleyball and various corn hole games.
Coun. Walter Preugschas asked how far away the other campground on Range Road 44 was.
In April 2022, the MPC approved an application to add a basic campground to his wedding facility.
Bruns said it was relatively close, adding that there is also a community hall and a greenhouse on the road.
"It is going a busy road." deputy reeve Schatz interjected.
Reeve Doug Drozd asked if the municipality had received any complaints about dust from the amount of traffic.
He noted that with another campground on the road and at least one other business, there was a potential for a lot of dust to be generated during certain times of the year.
"I can see more people ordering MG30 (dust control treatment) if there is a lot of traffic coming and going," Bruns replied. "But with the development agreements, we can have developers such as this campground and the wedding venue pay for at least a portion of that cost just to keep the dust down."
As part of the approval, one of the conditions was that the applicant enters into a development agreement with the county to address nuisance matters, including potential road-use requirements. The other condition is that the county would send notification of the development to adjacent landowners, as required in the land-use bylaw, to give them a chance to appeal the decision.
Schatz asked for clarification regarding the RV septic service. He noted that the request for decision (RFD) states that the developer is installing a tank for RV grey and black water.
"They are putting the tank under the washhouse," Bruns replied. "And they will try to funnel people into the facility, including those in RVs. But if those with self-contained RVs come, if they happen to use their facilities and need to empty their tanks, (the developer) is going to see if they can do something with their existing tank (under the washhouse) or ask them to go to an RV dump station somewhere else."
The closest sani-dump facility would be in Barrhead.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
