Mini-golf and batting cages could soon come to Meadowview Drive following county council’s decision to approve a controversial change to its land-use bylaw.
Sturgeon County council voted 5-1 (Coun. Matthew McLennan opposed, Mayor Alanna Hnatiw absent) on July 12 to rezone the roughly 28 acres of land across from the Meadowview Golf & Country Club to direct control 22 from agriculture.
Direct control is a catch-all designation where council has direct control over how a plot of land can be used. This particular district allows for accessory and administrative buildings and indoor and/or outdoor recreation facilities.
In March, the owners of the Meadowview golf club asked the county to rezone this area to recreation district so they could put a driving range on it. A concept plan suggested that go-carts, mini-golf, batting cages, and a campground with space for 60 recreational vehicles would follow later.
Twelve people spoke against the rezoning at an April 12 public hearing, with residents writing 27 letters of opposition. Opponents said the proposed RV park and go-carts would bring noise, trash, light pollution, and unsafe traffic conditions to the region, and could affect migratory birds at nearby Big Lake.
County program lead for current planning Martyn Bell said the club’s owners dropped their plans for go-carts and RVs on this land in response to the public hearing. Instead, they now plan to put a driving range, pitch-and-putt, mini-golf, and batting cages on the land, and are seeking to rezone it to direct control 22 instead of recreation.
Administration said this change will not require a new public hearing as these new uses are more narrow than what the applicant originally proposed.
McLennan disagreed, saying these are substantive changes of great importance to area residents. He called on council to hold a second public hearing.
“It is a fundamental right of our residents to be heard and if we go this route, I feel we’re skipping a step,” he said.
McLennan’s proposal was defeated 1-5 (McLennan in favour).
Coun. Kristin Toms said the applicant listened to residents and addressed all their major concerns. There will be no surge in traffic now that the go-carts and RV park are gone, and no large event venues due to restrictions imposed by this zoning.
“I think [the area residents] are getting exactly what they want.”
Coun. Neal Comeau said a second public hearing would be redundant.
“We can control what’s going on there with this DC, and that will satisfy the residents and the area.”
In an interview after the vote, Patricia Gibb, who lives near the golf course and opposed the rezoning, expressed disappointment with council’s decision.
“The voice of the people is no longer heard and that squelches the democratic process.”
