Badlands Motorsports race track objections continue

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

The original objections to Badlands Motorsports Resort developing a high-end condo/race track in the Rosebud River Valley began a decade ago. However, residents are passionate and persistent, still fighting to ensure the environment and sensitive species are protected.
“We feel that the Alberta government has the tools in the Alberta Wetland Policy and the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) to effectively regulate against this development,” said Wendy Clark, spokesperson for the Save the Rosebud group. “Decisions have not been made using the collaborative and integrated approach to achieve the outcomes of the SSRP/AWP.”
Clark said 83 per cent of residents surrounding the Badlands Motorsports Resort development live in Wheatland County and the development is bordered on three sides by Wheatland County. However, excluding herculean efforts, Wheatland County residents don’t have a say in Kneehill County decisions. The result is conflict between a cash-poor municipality contravening the wishes of generational environmentally conscious neighbours.
Should the development go forward, it will be an added tax base for Kneehill County. They have granted development permits to the company.
The resident action group noted that Alberta land use policies have stated municipalities are encouraged to expand inter-municipal planning effort, to address common issues, especially where valued natural features are of interest to more than one municipality, and where the possible effect of development transcends municipal boundaries.
The lobby group contends Kneehill County has not engaged in that coordination. Under the Alberta Wetland Policy, developments must avoid or mitigate wetland areas. Residents indicate Kneehill and the developers contravene this policy and they have petitioned Alberta Environment and Parks to deny the development for those reasons.
A biodiversity study, conducted by Cliff Wallis, indicates significant species are impacted and damage will occur due to the Badlands Motorsport development. Wallace has studied the area since the 1960s.
“In my opinion, the proposed Area Structure Plan (Badlands Motorsports Resort 2013) is not consistent with the Kneehill County Municipal Development Plan (Kneehill County 2013), specifically as it relates to guidance and policies dealing with Environmentally Significant Areas and valleys. In addition, the Badlands Motorsports Resort Area Structure Plan is not consistent with the Government of Alberta Land Use Policies (1996), as they relate to environmental protection, since the Area Structure Plan promotes the loss of significant wildlife and plant habitat and establishes inappropriate land use,” stated Wallis in his study.
Residents agree. They say noise, development and activities offsite will affect rare species in the area.
“The concerns are what the impacts this development will have on an environmentally sensitive area,” said Fiona Lauridsen, an area resident and spokesperson for Save the Rosebud. “We do not live in isolation, so our decisions and actions therefore affect the whole ecosystem. It can’t always be someone else’s responsibility to save what little is left. It is not what is meant by shared responsibility. It means we must take that responsibility upon ourselves to protect that which is rare and precious, on behalf of everyone and everything that is to follow us … without shared stewardship we cannot protect our ecosystems.”
Lauridsen questioned the use of planning and idealism, when it is abandoned, or amended just when it needs to be effective.
She said taxpayers, to protect and develop a future quality of life for Albertans, designate their trust in officials to administer government policies and they have a responsibility to use tax dollars reflecting the electorate’s wishes. She felt allowing Badlands Motorsports development in the Rosebud River Valley doesn’t fit that mandate.
Realtors have commented they expect land values to decrease, due to the racetrack development, because the area is known for quiet activity and environmental uniqueness.
“People move out to the country for peace and quiet,” said Aztec realtor Shauna Kenworthy.
Clark asked Wheatland County council to support them in their petition to the Alberta government on this issue.
Wheatland County council agreed to send a letter to the Minister of Alberta Environment and Parks.