Title
Range Road 23 Gravel Pit
Proposed Motion(s)
That Council:
a) Direct Administration to pursue a Recreational Lease with the Province of Alberta for the purposes of developing the RR23 Gravel Pit into a Day Use Park
b) Approve $442,000 from Restricted Surplus - Municipal Park for capital development costs of the Day Use Park.
Body
Administration Recommendation(s)
Administration supports the proposed motion. Development of the area provides us with the ability to better manage and control the area and what occurs on the current crown land. By developing the property for recreational use the County will apply for a lease to the Province and manage the area under Parkland County bylaws and policies.
Purpose
The former gravel pit located at the end of Range Road 23 has been used as an undeveloped recreational area by County residents, as well as visitors from other municipalities. Issues have arisen around some of the different types of uses occurring in this area and direction is being sought on how best to address these issues.
Summary
Parkland County has been seeking resolution to the issues surrounding RR23 Gravel Pit for almost four years. A more detailed history on County involvement is outlined in the attached Administrative Report. Recognizing that access to the North Saskatchewan River is very limited within Parkland County; and that many residents and visitors to the County enjoy this area and the many positive outdoor recreation opportunities it has to offer, the decision was made to keep the area accessible with enhanced enforcement during certain times of year to try and control the negative uses from occurring. Unfortunately, the issues raised by concerned residents have not subsided with this approach.
There are presently two schools of thought with regards to how these issues should be addressed. One is to pursue development of a formal Day Use Park site focusing on drawing in positive, appropriate use of the area to drive out the negative activities occurring in the area. The other is to abandon and reclaim the area back to its original state, thus removing vehicular access to the area make it less desirable to users, resulting in them seeking other locations for their activities. Several surveys and meetings have been held and there has been no clear consensus amongst the community with regards to which school of thought to pursue. It should be noted that the surveys we have conducted are not statistically significant, but have been used to try and obtain a sense of direction from those concerned residents participating in the process.
The following course of action are being considered. More details regarding the options, pros and cons are provided in the attached Administrative Report.
1. Day Use Park Site Development (proposed Concept Plan attached)
The area would be developed to accommodate and support many of the acceptable activities already occurring in the area.
Capital Cost - $442,000
Projected Annual Operating Cost - $30,000 - $35,000
Timing - 2012/2013
2. Road Removal and Reclamation of the Site
This would involve removing the road and completing the reclamation activities as identified in the Provincial Lease Agreement. The area would be turned back to the province and left to grow back to a natural state.
Cost - $84,000
Timing - 2012
3. Development of a River/Lake Access Strategy*
An alternative may be to focus on the development of a River/Lake Access Strategy that identifies where access is needed around what water bodies, identify locations for access development, what amenities are required to support that access, what the costs are, what residents are willing to pay for, and a set of priorities as to what order they should be developed in. Extensive public consultation, that is statistically sound, would be required to identify our residents needs and priorities. In the case of the RR23 Gravel Pit the road would remain, but access would remain blocked off until the planning is done and it is determined from a County wide perspective whether or not this is an appropriate spot for park site development.
Cost - $100,000 (estimated)
Timing - 2012/2013
*Option: Development of a North Saskatchewan River Acess Strategy Only
Strategic Plan/Policy/Legal/Staff Implications (As Required):
Strategic Plan implications:
Quality of Life - Parkland County is a diverse and inclusive community that will balance the needs of its residents and provide a choice of lifestyles in a harmonious and safe environment.
Strategy 3. Parkland County will enhance the services we provide our residents.
Environment - Parkland County will be a respested steward of the environment.
Strategy 2. Parkland County will expand patrol services to better protect natural areas.
Legal implications:
A Recreational Lease must be applied for and obtained from the Province of Alberta before any development can be carried out, as it is crown land.
Staff implications:
Additional park site to maintain, require operational funding through budget process to support the site maintenance. Increased patrols may be required to begin with to ensure compliance with park rules and regulations.
Financial Impact:
Cost: $442,000
Source of Funding: Restricted Surplus - Municipal Park
Other (As Required)