BARRHEAD – A County of Barrhead resident will have a chance to resurrect a mobile home park in Campsie.
Councillors unanimously approved Ledger Roach's development permit for a 13-site mobile home park during their July 5 municipal planning commission meeting.
Development officer Jenny Bruns noted the land in question, adjacent to Highway 18, is currently zoned Country Residential and mobile home parks are allowed under the Land-use Bylaw (LUB) as a discretionary use.
She noted the property previously served as a mobile home park, but the previous owner shuttered the business due to infrastructure challenges with utilities.
Burns said that currently, the property is developed, with three mobile homes and a utility shed. Water, sewer lines, electricity and natural gas lines were recently installed.
She also added all the utilities are privately-owned and that water would be provided by a well and trickle system, so no municipal services are needed.
Bruns also noted that Roach lives on-site, and if the application does not meet the expectations of neighbours, an appeal process is in place.
She said that as part of his application, Roach provided the county with a copy of the operator contract that indicates landlord and tenant responsibilities, adding she did not have any concerns regarding the document.
Bruns noted that under the LUB, mobile home parks must adhere to several regulations, such as: a mobile home must be set 7.5 metres from the street, and 4.5 metres from adjacent lots; all the roads in the park must adhere to county standards; there must be space for internal pedestrian walkways; utilities to the units must be provided underground; there must be a visitor parking space for every two mobile homes; and five per cent of the entire property must be devoted to recreational space.
However, perhaps the most important regulation is that all areas not occupied by a mobile home and their additions, driveways, or other permanent buildings or developed facilities must be landscaped to the satisfaction of the development officer.
"At this point, they are," Bruns said, noting Roach has done an admirable job cleaning up the property from the previous owner, saying that's why she feels comfortable recommending approving the permit with the standard conditions.
These include such things as the developer taking responsibility for the costs of construction for driveways to each unit from the adjourning municipal road and any requirements from Alberta Transportation, including future intersection improvements, that county staff notify adjourning landowners, and that Roach enters into a development agreement with the municipality to address nuisance matters such as noise, dust, utilities and road-use agreements.
Roach would also be responsible for conforming to any provincial and federal legislation.
Roach is the third owner of the property that has attempted to create a successful mobile home park, the first being in the early 1970s.
Roach said the previous owner of the park did not do much to the property except collect pad rents.
He noted one of the issues he faced was an aging septic system that the past owner neglected to perform proper maintenance on. After investigation, he found that the septic tanks had been left open, with their metal coverings off, covered by just plastic.
As a result, Roach said, after he purchased the company, there was a point where he had to bring in a septic hauling company once a month at a $500 price tag.
"Part of it was septic, but half was rainwater finding its way into the system," he said.
However, Roach said it is no longer an issue, nor are many of the other problems he inherited, adding he has spent a lot of time and effort replacing much of the park's infrastructure.
"Cleanup is and continues to be the largest issue," he said. "But I'm slowly chipping away.
Reeve Doug Drozd asked to hear Roach's short-term plan, suggesting the vacant lots would be a good fit for companies looking for a place to house their workers, noting there are several companies in the area working on pipeline infrastructure replacement/improvement projects.
"A few weeks ago, I was approached by one of the companies looking for a place to park their RVs. They are driving around Barrhead without a place to go," he said.
Roach noted that he has allowed two of the company's RVs to take up temporary residence at his park but was hesitant to accept more until he had received permission for the mobile home park.
Now that he has received his permit, he plans to contact the company and offer them the use of his remaining eight lots, saying they should be at his park for about five months.
Coun. Bill Lane commended Roach, saying that for many years he has received many complaints about the old mobile home park, ranging from the ground water, frozen water and sewer lines, septic fields backing up, or that it was just an unsightly property.
"Then one day, I saw him out there mowing grass and cleaning up, introduced myself, talked to him about his plans, and I was impressed," he said, adding every time he passes the property, he sees the improvements Roach has made. "I've only received one complaint saying if the park reopens, it will attract a bad element."
Roach said that would not be an issue under his watch.
"We are looking for good people, families," he said, admitting in the 70s and 80s, mobile home parks often attracted an unwanted element.
“But that time is over. We need to move on, develop and bring people, especially families, back to Campsie."
