Rocky View County (RVC) council unanimously approved first, second and third reading to amend a land use bylaw during an open house on March 11 to allow the Calgary Croatian Retirement Recreational Sports Society (CCRRSS) to develop two quarter sections of land.
The new Direct Control Bylaw will provide the Society the ability to develop the recreational structures on the site.
The land – located 3.2 kilometres (km) east of M.D. Bighorn and 0.8 km west of Range Road 53 on the south side of Township Road 280 - is owned by RVC, but the Croatian Society has maintained and upgraded the building on the land since 1990.
The site contains recreational facilities owned and operated by the CCRRSS, facilities include membership campsites, and outdoor picnic shelter and accessory buildings for storage in conjunction with the recreational use of the site.
The amendments to the bylaw will let the Society address fire safety concerns by allowing roof material construction to include metal, steel and other non-combustible materials.
The amendments also include a maximum requirement for the number and size of accessory buildings and three season kitchens.
A main lodge is being contemplated in the future, however, no timeframe was known as of press time.
Thomas Vukovich, director of the CCRRSS, addressed council and was available to speak to any objections to the amendment.
“We’ve been on the property for 23 years and we’ve built and maintained the area,” he said.
“We’ve put in powerlines and an emergency system for anybody to use.”
Vukovich explained that the Society has 25 members and of them, 12 visit the site more than five times in a year, with 12 active campsites throughout the year.
“We only use a quarter of the property, the other (quarter) is for access to nature, we have a strict land use (plan), no garbage is left behind, and we’re very concerned about fire (management).”
The open house allows for the applicant to speak for 20 minutes towards their case, five minutes for anyone to speak in opposition and five minutes for anyone to speak in opposition to the amendment.
No one from the general public or council spoke in either opposition or in favour of the amendment.
Council unanimously approved first, second and third reading of the bylaw amendment.
