A contentious bylaw change that would allow a 400-unit RV storage facility northwest of Cochrane received unanimous council support Monday night, resulting in a divisive reaction from members of the public who packed the chamber.
Council, against the recommendation of administration, gave the green light to the storage facility to be built at the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary following a public hearing held earlier in the evening.
Coun. Morgan Nagel, who made the motion to change the site designation to allow for the development, emphasized that this was an important issue for council to take the reins on, rather than leaving the designation as discretionary, which would have deferred the decision to the Cochrane Planning Commission.
“The reality is we don’t want people parking their RVs in their driveways,” added Nagel.
The contentious application to re-designate the public service lands at the seminary has been a tumultuous journey.
“This is not a new process. We began communicating with the town in 2011,” Phil Davidson, who presented on behalf of the seminary, explained. He added that because there was no existing bylaw in place to govern the application, it came to a standstill until their formal application was delivered in September 2015.
“I’m so disappointed,” said Barb Gibson following council’s decision.
Gibson is a Rocky View County resident and active Cochrane community member whose rural property borders the seminary – which is located north of Cochrane along RR43 and across from the Ag Lands.
The 25-year area resident previously reached out to media and spoke at the public hearing, as did her husband Gary, in an attempt to dissuade council from allowing the project to move forward.
She and several other speakers noted such concerns as noise, fencing, obstruction of view, lighting and increased traffic. She also emphasized that the applicants have been running a full-scale commercial operation on public service lands with no consequence for many years – storing as many as 200 RVs, commercial vehicles and sea containers.
Supporters of the application were emphatic that there is a strong need for an RV storage lot near town. One presenter described his “140-km carbon footprint” to travel to and from a Sundre storage facility for “safe and affordable RV storage.”
Gibson viewed council’s decision as “shocking” and said “I don’t think that council gets this or the impact this will have.”
Included in those concerns is a potential increase in traffic volumes.
Those in support of the application refuted those concerns saying the storage facility would improve traffic because there would be fewer RVs clogging interior Cochrane roadways and that most facility users are monthly users.
One speaker illustrated that point saying he parks his RV at the Ghost Lake Recreation Area and that “approximately 80 per cent of units on that site never move.”
Alberta Transportation did not object to the application.
Ed Allen, maintenance manager at the seminary, said that the seminary will work closely with the town to address public concerns.
Allen also said pedestal lighting or something similiar would be utilized – nothing garish or high beam. Tree and shrub planting would include taller varieties such as columnars and evergreens.
“We are going to do what we can to work with our neighbours,” said Allen, adding that the seminary “loves and respects all their neighbours” and he was “impressed that the council (members), who are there as representation for people of the town voted for the needs of the community of Cochrane.”
Once the bylaw is passed, Allen said he anticipates the development permit application would be made as soon as possible, with the goal of starting construction in the spring.
“I see a lot of value of something like this coming into the community,” said Coun. Jeff Toews.
Councillors acknowledged the concerns brought forward by those in opposition and have requested administration comes back with permitted use specifications.
The application also includes perimeter fencing, gates, outdoor lighting, landscaping and potentially a waste dumping station (at the discretion of the town).
