Words across the road

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

The owners of the Rocking R Guest Ranch came up against some opposition to their expanded vision for the ranch, voiced at a public hearing for the ranch’s re-designation from agriculture general to rural business.
During the Wheatland County council meeting June 5, Leslie Pringle, manager of Eagle Lake RV resort, and neighbour Debbie Kae of Spruce Tree Farms both appeared to present noise complaints. Margaret Harsh, another adjoining landowner, indicated she worried about resale property values with a business located next door.
“It is not about being against anything, other than the impact of the noise,” said Pringle. “My main concern with this application is I am afraid it is another bait and switch. So, in the application that originally came forward, it was for a wedding venue and only a wedding venue, clearly set out between June to September. Right from the get go there were other events.”
Pringle said noise levels vary with shifting air patterns and events involved. She said she’s had complaints from the RV patrons and had to give refunds to people in the RV resort, who took issue with the disturbance infringing on their enjoyment of peace and quiet.
“It doesn’t make sense that one business must suffer so another can succeed,” said Pringle.
Kae said she initially supported the wedding pavilion, but then the decision was made not to build a pavilion but to utilize wedding tents, that allowed greater noise levels to drift over to her property.
“This has impacted me by the loss of my privacy, the loss of my peacefulness, the loss of my quietness, serenity and enjoyment of my farm,” said Kae. “No longer do I look forward to my weekend, when I anticipate what events will come ahead and what events could come ahead, if multiple events occur.”
She said having a bylaw officer investigate is not a satisfactory way to deal with the issue. Pringle said she wants more checks and balance to ensure businesses only conduct events designated by the permitted use.
“I resent the fact I am accused of lying,” said Rocking R Guest Ranch owner Terri Kinsman “I do not want to fight with my neighbours. I am asking for understanding from my neighbours.”
Last year, the ranch held 11 weddings, along with various other events, including participation in Alberta Open Farm days, which Kinsman said increased visitor rates in Wheatland County and led to an Alberta Ministry event booking. In 2017, Rocking R Guest Ranch also held business conferences, craft sales, a life celebration and a private party.
Kinsman said she wanted her neighbours to know she holds great respect for them, and wants to find solutions that will allow her to keep the business viable and assist economic development for the county.
“I am not saying we will stop doing weddings entirely, but we would like to do fewer weddings and more less labour-intensive events that I just described. Naturally anything we want to do in the future will have to be approved by the county,” said Kinsman. “I doubt that they will approve anything that will create mayhem in the area, nor do we want to do that. We just want to showcase the beautiful county in which we live, because when tourism works, we all work.”
The county intent for the area around Eagle Lake was to expand different types of development. However, with economic downturns and no active regeneration of the lake waters, development avenues have been slow.
Wheatland County councillor Amber Link said the current application only concerned re-designation and was not about compliance to permitted uses.
“With anything in the county there is always the potential for non-compliance,” said Link. “That doesn’t depend on re-designation. That is up to our development and planning department to work on non-compliance, and work on enforcement in those cases.”
She said event issues were covered under development permits that would come back to council at a later date.
Link considered both sides of her constituents’ concerns and said that forward thinking was needed to give farmers more choices and make farms more sustainable. She also indicated there may be room to revise some of the non-discretionary guidelines in development permits, and she admitted she has heard drifting noise as well.
Angie Lucas, Wheatland County’s general manager for agriculture, community and protective services, said staff was actively upgrading the events bylaw and a draft was coming to council sometime in August or September.
The re-designation was given third and final reading approval.