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Sylvan Lake town council weighing bylaw change to allow boat storage facility

Sylvan Lake town council wants more time to consider bylaw changes that would allow for the construction of a boat storage warehouse near the lakeshore.

Sylvan Lake town council wants more time to consider bylaw changes that would allow for the construction of a boat storage warehouse near the lakeshore.

A developer is considering building a storage place for boats next to Wild Rapids Waterslide. Boats would be stored inside, and when needed, a forklift would hoist the boats and place them in the water.

The facility would complement a marina that is in the works in front of Chateau Suites.

Local firms Bear Development Corp. and Lakeview Contracting have partnered to build the proposed floating marina for a site in front of the Bear-owned Chateau Suites.

Both the boat storage facility and the marina are in the planning stages and formal development applications have not come before council.

What was before council on Monday was a bylaw amendment that would allow for storage/warehouse facilities in the zoning that applies to the site.

Further, a definition of a marina — which has not previously been outlined in planning documents — was to be added.

Coun. Christine Lust was concerned about adding storage and warehousing as a potential use in the area.

“I don’t think that’s an appropriate use of lakefront property,” she said.

The proposal would do nothing to improve public access, which has been a goal of council’s, she said.

Coun. Dale Plante was concerned that council was trying to change its land use bylaw for a project that had not even reached the development application stage.

While there has been almost no comment on the proposed land use bylaw changes, he suggested if the public were aware of all of the background and what has been proposed they would have commented.

Coun. Megan Chernoff also questioned whether allowing dryland boat storage as a use was the right way to go.

“I don’t feel like we have the information to see if that’s the best move.”

Chernoff proposed tabling second reading of the bylaw amendment to give planning staff time to explore other alternatives.

The bylaw amendment will come back to council on Feb. 23.

pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com