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Summer Villages halt Stettler County’s Buffalo Lake amendment request

White Sands and Rochon Sands oppose density increase at Buffalo Lake RV Resort
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By Jessica Jones

For the Independent

The County of Stettler will be back to the drawing board after facing opposition from the Summer Villages when it comes to an amendment request that proposed an increase in density at the controversial Buffalo Lake RV Resort.

The Summer Village of White Sands and the Summer Village of Rochon Sands, members of the Buffalo Lake South Shore Intermunicipal Development Plan (BLSSIDP), had until Feb. 14th to respond to Stettler County’s amendment request to increase the allowable density from 168 to 325 dwelling units at the Buffalo Lake RV Resort.

According to a Stettler County press release, “The Summer Village of Rochon Sands communicated they would be open to discussing a formal review process of the BLSSIDP in whole or part, with regards to amending the density levels in both the The Buffalo Lake Intermunicipal Development Plan (BLIDP) and the BLSSIDP, prior to any proposed changes or amendments.”

The County of Stettler council passed a motion to request an amendment to the Buffalo BLSSIDP during their mid-December council meeting, after the developer, formerly knowns as Paradise Shores, stated that it is not financially viable to continue the Buffalo Lake RV Resort project with the current density limitation set at 168 units on the 83-acre site.

“He (the developer) stated that RV Sites Canada had previously leased approximately 220 lots … and that they would need approximately 325 approved sites, allowing them to sell approximately 100 more leases,” Niki Thorsteinsson, County of Settler director of communications, previously stated.

“So, according to those statements, we have concluded that without an amendment to the current approved density of 168, the existing 220 lease holders will not have a completed resort in which to put their RVs and campers,” she added.

County of Stettler council is now faced with deciding to accept the responses from the Summer Villages and cease to pursue the amendment or enter a resolution process with the other municipalities.

The resolution process requires that the “dispute process” be completed within 60 days.

A stop-order surrounding the property issued in the summer months, which caused the removal of many RVs, is currently still in place and will not be lifted until the property is brought into compliance.