Lyalta approved for new year-round recreational facility

By Melissa Crispin-Piche Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wheatland County’s Municipal Planning Commission has approved the expansion of an existing recreation facility at the Lyalta Community Centre, paving the way for new year-round recreational opportunities in the community.

The application proposes to redevelop and expand the outdoor recreation area located about 0.8 km northeast of Lyalta and near the entrance to the Lakes of Muirfield community.

The existing site includes the Lyalta Community Centre, a community hall constructed in the 1980s, two ball diamonds, a temporary camping area and an adjacent dog park. 

The proposed expansion will add a building with flexible change room space, a storage garage and a wheelchair-accessible, gender-neutral washroom. The garage will provide space for maintenance equipment, including a Zamboni, a small tractor with a snow attachment and sporting equipment.

A four-season sport court is also planned. During the winter, the space is intended to function as an outdoor ice rink for skating and hockey, while warmer months will allow for activities such as pickleball and basketball.

The project also includes a new soccer field, additional parking and a new roadway entrance intended to improve traffic circulation and access to the site.

During the Municipal Planning Commission meeting Aug. 18, development officer Suzanne Hayes presented the proposal where questions were raised about whether the proposed water system would be able to handle larger events.

The development’s water and wastewater assessment was based on an anticipated maximum of 20 users per day for the indoor washroom facilities. The existing groundwater well has a recorded capacity of approximately 10 Imperial gallons per minute while the estimated demand is 8.93 Imperial gallons per minute.

Coun. Shannon Laprise questioned whether that would be enough if the facility hosted a large tournament. 

“But if they have a ball tournament or they fill up that parking lot with 400 cars, that’s gonna be way more than that; do they have a contingency for water use?” Laprise asked.

Hayes said the county’s third-party engineers are still reviewing the information and have requested additional details. 

“That’s what the third-party engineers will be hashing out with them in this review process,” Hayes said. “Our engineers have asked for more information regarding that and potentially an alternate method would be approved rather than what they’ve proposed.”

The application notes that the site has hosted ball tournaments on its existing diamonds for many years.

Coun. Keith Clayton was quick to interject.

“As far as ball tournaments up there, they hold them already on the two diamonds and have for probably 20 years,” he said. 

It was noted that the water usage during higher attended ball tournaments has never been an issue to date, comparing the usage to what a newer facility might anticipate.

The proposed rink also brought up questions about water use. Officials raised concerns about where the water was going to be sourced from.

Reeve Scott Klassen explained that the site previously had an outdoor rink, and it was noted that they were able to manage the water with a previous rink approximately 20 years ago, implying there should be no need for concern regarding water. 

Traffic and dust were also addressed as part of the development review. A traffic assessment prepared by McElhanney concluded Township Road 252 and Range Road 264 have sufficient capacity to accommodate the additional traffic. The proposed 351 parking spaces exceed anticipated demand, and no turn lanes, traffic signals or other intersection upgrades are currently required.

The county estimates Township Road 252 could see traffic volumes of about 260 vehicles per day on regular days and more than 400 vehicles per day during larger events.

Transportation staff also noted existing dust concerns along Township Road 252 have historically been addressed through measures including road oil. The county will continue to monitor traffic volumes and road conditions as the site develops.

The project also received a setback variance from the Western Irrigation District after the original proposal did not meet the required 30-metre setback from the irrigation canal.

Storm water and servicing plans remain subject to final review by the county’s third-party engineers before the new recreational amenities can be used.

The development permit includes 16 conditions, including requirements for a new gravel approach from Township Road 252, signage outlining rules and hours of operation, completion of engineering reviews and compliance with the approved plans.

Outdoor recreational activities will be permitted seven days a week throughout the year between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Parking associated with activities at the expanded facility will not be permitted on public roads.

The project is being funded through several sources including grants from the province, the county and countless other to get this project moving forward. 

Council ultimately approved the proposal subject to the 16 conditions outlined by administration.