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...
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