As you drive over the Chestermere Lake Bridge toward 16th Ave heading into Calgary or out to Strathmore you can always see a collection of faded blue tunnels on the hillside. That, dear readers, was once the Camp ‘N’ Park, also affectionately known as ‘surf city’ – a place for campers and trailers to stay while their kids whooshed down the slides.
The Camp ‘N’ Park had its glory days but was condemned by the health authorities due to sewage that was encroaching in the campgrounds. It was an unpleasant rigmarole and despite promises made by the owners to clean up the park and reopen, nothing has happened. The entire facility has fallen into disrepair and ill repute. Members of the community have gone exploring and described it as dark and musty with glass everywhere. It has become a hangout for teens and transients, and not a safe one at that.
Here are a few questions answered by Christopher Steeves about the water park: Is the owner planning on tearing down or fixing the park? You would need to speak to the owners about their plans for their land. I can tell you this; There is an Area Structure Plan (ASP) in place for the land and it is zoned light industrial. The province has also indicated that some land on the east side of highway 1 would need to be annexed for future expansion, and that would impact them.
Please note as well, the park is a structure (and the land around it are now naturalized) and the town has no more authority to tell them to tear it down than we do to tell someone to paint their house pink. The authority of the town would only come into play if the structure was unsafe and posed a threat to the public. Can the Town of Chestermere do anything to persuade the owner to do something? Many of the identified and reported issues on this land were prior to it being annexed in to the Town of Chestermere.
Since that annexation, by-law staff have been working closely with the owners’ on identified issues under the town by-law. This will continue on any identified issues and the full power of the by-law will be used to enforce any required action. Otherwise this is privately owned land with a specific zoning in place.
What the owners chooses to do with their land is up to them as long as it fits within that zoning and complies with our land use by-law. You would need to ask them what plans they have for their property. Does the Town of Chestermere have the authority to fix the fences and use security measures to prevent teenagers and transients from settling there?
The town has contacted the property owners and informed them that that they need to repair the fencing and gates in order to restore a secured property. They have been given a set time to comply, if they do not, the town then has the authority to do it themselves and bill the land owners. For everyone interested in the water park this is all the news we have for the moment.
