The County of Stettler Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) has conditionally approved a year-round campground development at Tail Creek Park, including 15 cabins, a lodge and upgraded recreational facilities at its Sept. 16 council meeting.

WSP Canada Inc. submitted the discretionary-use application on behalf of the property owner, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta.

The 30.65-acre property is along Highway 21 near Content Bridge. It is bordered by the Red Deer River to the west and the highway to the east.

The commission approved Development Permit DP 26044 at its Sept. 16 meeting, with changes intended to address flood and emergency planning concerns.

The development includes 10 dry cabins serviced by electricity and five wet cabins with power, water and wastewater services. Each cabin will measure approximately 300 square feet.

Plans also include a 5,760-square-foot lodge containing reception and lounge areas, a meeting room, administrative offices, cooking facilities, a commissary and washrooms.

A portable washroom facility, gathering area with a fire pit, septic field and improvements to internal roads and existing campsites are also included. One of the existing ball diamonds is expected to be converted into an outdoor gathering area.

The approval applies only to items identified as proposed on the site plan. Facilities marked for future development, including a wastewater treatment plant and additional campground areas, will require separate development permits.

County planning staff found the proposal met setback and building-height requirements without requiring variances. Staff assessed the development as reaching the district’s maximum site coverage of 45 per cent.

A traffic study estimated the completed development would generate 202 vehicle trips on a weekday. The study concluded the existing Highway 21 intersection could accommodate the additional traffic through 2046. Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors accepted the assessment and approved the required transportation permit.

Flood risk received considerable attention during the meeting.

Part of Tail Creek Park lies within the Red Deer River’s one-in-100-year floodplain. The cabins are planned outside the floodplain, while other structures will be placed on engineered fill to raise them above the identified flood elevation.

Before any affected building can be occupied, a professional engineer must certify that its elevation is above the flood level and that the required floodproofing measures have been incorporated.

Commission members added a requirement that construction materials be stored outside the floodplain. They also moved the deadline for an emergency response plan forward by one year, requiring it to be filed with Heartland Regional Fire by Sept. 16, 2027.

Members questioned how the proposed sewage system would be protected during a flood. Planning staff said the owner must obtain private sewage and other safety-code permits, with the permitting authority responsible for determining whether further flood protection is required.

The commission also discussed public access to the Red Deer River and concerns about the condition of the property under an earlier land-transfer agreement.

Planning and Development Director Craig Teal said those matters involve a separate agreement between the County and the Métis government. He said an agreement in principle had been reached concerning a land exchange and public river access, but it had not yet been finalized.

A County-owned right-of-way currently divides the two properties. A licence of occupation must be signed before structures can be built on that land.

The development permit was approved with the amended conditions. Construction must begin within one year and be completed within two years of the permit’s issuance.