Rocky View County (RVC) council approved Phase 3, 4 and 5 of the Cottage Club Ghost Lake development project May 13.
The gated community lies along the shore of Ghost Lake and the Bow River south of Highway 1A, west of Cochrane.
The project has currently sold 130 lots with 77 cottages occupied in its Phase 1 and 2 projects, which were approved in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
The three phases recently approved will be the final extension on the property, according to Don Stengler the Cottage Club Ghost Lake project manager, which will bring the total occupancy to 350 cottages with an expected summer population of 800 people.
Division 1 councillor Liz Breakey raised concerns over the risks of flooding in the community from the Bow River and Ghost Lake, the year-round volume of water use and the setback from the Bow River with Phase 5.
According to Phil Nottveit from Urban Systems – the project’s developer – Phase 5 will be 46 metres above the river and flooding isn’t projected to be an issue.
“If the lake has a high water level event, it would never reach the cabins,” Nottveit said.
Nottveit said the project was given a water licence by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resources (in 2009) for 39,800 cubic metre of water per year to be used between April 1 to Oct. 31.
That averages out to about 50 gallons of water use per person per day.
A school bus blub – where a bus can turn around – has been constructed in accordance with Rocky View Schools’ condition and Urban Systems has prepared a stormwater management study based on a ground infiltration system.
Sewage management would be the responsibility of the landowner, Nottveit said.
Division 2 councillor Jerry Arshinoff was concerned about the geotechnical report required by the county, having not yet been completed, and questioned administration if the report needed to be finalized before approval is given.
“Why can’t we wait until the documents are in place? What’s the advantage to (approving) it now? How can we come to such a decision without the reports?” Arshinoff asked.
“It’s been Rocky View’s policy in the past that, that isn’t the procedure,” said Byron Riemann, the county’s general manager of infrastructure and operations.
RVC policy does not require reports to be completed before an application is approved, the reports then become a condition of approval and all conditions must be met for the development to continue.
The application was approved with Breakey and Arshinoff voting in opposition. To view more information on Cottage Club, visit cottageclub.ca.
