The development team has been hard at work completing the studies, reports, and drawings required for our official application to Parkland County to begin the bareland condo approval process. The process can be simply described as:
1. ASP/MDP Amendments – these are amendments to the text found in the current Area Structure Plan and Municipal Development Plans to allow for communal water systems to apply to a bareland condo. Currently, there is no provision for bareland resorts as none have been done in the County prior to Allan Beach.
2. Land Use Change (rezoning) – changing the zoning from its current use as a recreational campground (renters) to a bareland recreational resort (owners)
3. Subdivision – in this case a bareland condo which allows for individual titled lots for both the proposed cottage and RV lots. In addition, the common space within the property is owned and managed by the onsite condo association. The condo association is a legal entity comprised of a group of elected members (generally owners of lots on the property) who meet to discuss the condo by-laws and manage the overall operations of the resort.
In our opinion, a bareland condo is an excellent development style within a county as the tax base can increase significantly for a piece of property and since the property is self-contained, the condo association maintains the property including utilities, roadways, and maintenance.
The win-win comes in the form of benefits to the community from having owners vs renters at the property. Historically, campgrounds that have been converted are occupied by a new group of owners who are regulated by legally binding bylaws and keep the property in much better repair than a typical campground. The main reason is that the individual owners of lots understand that with proper maintenance of the common property and individual lots has a significant impact on the future property value of their lot. As with any lot ownership, the proposed lots at Allan Beach could have significant increases in property value over time.
This is a very simplified overview of the approvals process and there are many details to be dealt with throughout the approvals process. We are hoping that the approvals go well as we have put a lot of effort in ensuring that all details are in place for this application. Additionally, we are anxious to begin development and providing lots to future residents. To those of you who have expressed interest, thank you for your patience!
Once the formal application has been made, we will update all interested parties as to its status throughout the process.
Below is the latest Concept Plan – the biggest change being around Allan Beach Pond where we have removed all but two lots from around the pond due to the poor soil conditions surrounding the pond and the environmental setbacks and engineering limitations surrounding the pond. Instead, we are proposing walkout cottage lots at the top of the hill. This change will provide even more environmental protection along the waterfront and another great public walkway around the pond and all along Hubbles Lake. All residents will be able to enjoy the water features of the resort while leaving more room for natural reserves.
ABR Concept Plan August 10, 2009
Well, it’s not Diffendoofer Day, but on Friday, October 9th, the official Allan Beach Resort land use change application was completed and submitted to Parkland County for consideration. Thank you to all who have inquired recently about the future of the Allan Beach Resort – this application puts us one step closer to our goal of offering titled lots to the public as soon as possible.
