News last week from the owners of the former Rosedale golf course site want to potentially develop the property into a campground met heavy backlash on social media from residents of the small community.
On Monday’s meeting, Drumheller town council passed first reading of the proposed bylaw amendment, which would see the site redesignated as a residential cottage housing district to permit the development of a campground, and started the process of discussions about the amendment and announced a public hearing scheduled for Monday, October 17, where residents are invited to share their opinion with council before the amendment is given a second and third and final reading before being passed.
An article announcing the developer’s intentions to begin work on the site appeared in the August 17 edition of The Drumheller Mail and sparked heavy criticism and opposition from some Rosedale residents toward the project.
“A lot of it has to do with safety, and I’m not sure how this will affect the value of my home,” said nearby homeowner Mikala Chambers. “I already can’t even take my kids for a walk here. The roads are narrow, you’re dodging Winnebagos and tourists who aren’t watching where they’re going.”
“I don’t really want to look at that. It’s right in my backyard – between the campfires and noise and extra garbage, it’s not something I want near my home or family,” she said, adding there are a number of young children living in the neighbourhood.
Resident Colleen MacDonald attended Monday’s council meeting and also opposes the proposed development of the property.
“We do not want to have anymore increased traffic or transient residents. I would love Rosedale to develop like Nacmine has. We have several campgrounds surrounding us and feel we do not wish to have anymore developed within the residential area,” she said.
RA Hamilton, the development company, said original plans to develop a year-round mobile home park were revised to a season campground after meeting local opposition to a mobile home park. The plan was reduced to 64 lots for RV and tent camping, with plans to incorporate an employee-owned business model which would see locals contributing to the site as part owners. They said they intended to invest $1.75 million into the development located on ten acres of land in the northern area of Rosedale, which the company had been sitting on for ten years.
“I wish Mrs. Hamilton well and hope she finds a solution to the problem here and we can all come to agree with it,” said Chambers. “I don’t think she should have to sit on a lovely property and do nothing. But I also don’t think we should all have to deal with the inevitable issues that would come with a huge production like that.”
