Meeting on Monday, the city's planning committee approved additional campsites for Richard Lake, despite objections from some neighbours in the area.
However, developer Armand Charbonneau has approval for just 12 of the 32 new sites until a new private sewage system is in place.
In additional to the sewage system, the developer also must build a chain link fence along the northern portion of the land and limit building on the property to the approved site and a chalet.
The chalet will go in the former welcome centre the city operated on the site.
It was the third time at planning for the proposal, which has faced opposition from homeowners already living on Richard Lake. As a result of objections raised at a Dec. 12 meeting, city staff provided a memo addressing the issue.
“Those concerns would be addressed as part of the site plan approvals process,” said Jason Ferrigan, the city's director of planning.
For example, there were concerns that nearby McFarlane Lake is considered at capacity for development, and that McFarlane and Richard Lake are connected by a stream.
“Richard Lake, however, is not an 'at capacity' lake under this policy of the Official Plan and there is in this instance no watercourse within 300 metres of the subject lands which flow into McFarlane Lake,” the memo said.
“As such, this policy is not applicable to the subject lands, nor this application ... In fact, it would have minimal impact on Richard Lake.”
But Maurizio Visentin, of the Richard Lake Stewardship Committee, told the committee that the lake is the primary water source for residents living on the lake, where blue green algae is already present.
There are already 335 campsites and 52 year round dwellings on Richard, he said.
“Increasing use of the lake increases the spread of milfoil,” Visentin said. “Existing developments have increased phosphorus levels by 50 per cent.”
And former Ward 10 Coun. Frances Caldarelli, whose family has had a home on Richard Lake since 1938, said the lake shouldn't be subjected to more development.
“Good planning strategy has to look at the whole picture,” Caldarelli said. “Each additional trailer brings more boats, more Sea-Doos to the lake — and the condition of the lake gets worse and worse.”
Dave Dorland, speaking on behalf of Charbonneau, pointed out that the existing and proposed campsites have their own sewage system that doesn't affect Richard Lake.
And concerns raised by neighbours will be addressed in the site plan agreement.
“The impact on the lake ... will be negligible,” Dorland said. “The site plan control agreement is very onerous.”
In the end, the committee gave approval, but the developer can only proceed with 12 of the 32 campsites until the private sewage system has received city approval.
