Dunes Lookout Resort development decision sails through with council approval

By Sharon Harrison
A 20-bungalow, four-season villa development forming part of a West Lake tourist commercial establishment was approved Wednesday by council at a special planning and development committee meeting.

Council provided no comment or discussion on the agenda item before voting to approve. The decision is to be ratified at the next council meeting May 13.

The West Lake Lodge Ltd. development (operating as Dunes Lookout Resort) was seeking approval for a zoning bylaw application (second submission) for the property located at for 1874 County Road 12 – a designated tourism corridor – located about a kilometre from Sandbanks Provincial Park.

The year-round development will also include a bike café/reception (open to the public), a guest amenity building and a centralized dock (either floating or on legs to be removed seasonally) for the purposes of sunbathing, swimming and non-motorized watercraft launching (kayaks and canoes provided) for resort guests.

Amenities will include a common barbecue area and fire pit, two volleyball courts and a grassed area for bocce and croquet. The resort will have 63 parking spaces.

Under a new two-step process (effective Jan. 1), details of the proposed planning application came before council at a first statutory (overview) meeting (Feb. 19) intended as information-gathering only. Wednesday’s statutory public meeting, the second part of the two-step process came with a report and recommendation by the planning department for council’s decision. Background story here: countylive.ca/mainly-future-zoning-concerns-for-proposed-20-cottage-west-lake-resort/

Agent for the applicant, Ruth Ferguson Aulthouse, of RFA Planning Consultant noted the permitted zoning bylaw restricts the permitted uses to only those that are proposed, namely 20 tourist cottages plus the existing duplex for the reception office, one dwelling unit, a retail store, and restaurant (bike cafe).

“All other tourist commercial uses, such as a marina would not be permitted through this amending bylaw, so the proposed re-zoning bylaw will restrict these other uses that were of concern at the public meeting, and it will also restrict and limit the density to the 20 tourist cottages.”

Regarding noise, she also pointed out that the proposed development does not have any special events facilities like some of the other resorts do, which she said often generate noise through evening weddings, for example.

“There will also be restrictions in terms of the noise, so that there are quiet hours instilled in the resort.”

Speaking to previous comments on marina activities and degradation of the environment, Ferguson Aulthouse confirmed there is no marina proposed.

She reminded that the proposed development will only occupy the previous footprint of the historical campground on the site. “Seventy-five per cent will remain wooded and vegetative and used as open space.”

Cathy Coultis, chair of the West Lake Community Association, was the only member of the public to provide comment on the proposed development, specifically on increased traffic congestion and existing dangerous driving practices, noise and environmental concerns.

She spoke to increased traffic congestion, especially at the intersection of West Lake Road [County Road 12] and County Road 18, which she said gets even busier as soon as the Sandbanks Park opens at the end of April, through to November.

“Drivers have been noted on numerous occasions to not stop when making a left or right turn at that intersection, also speeding remains a serious issue.”

Coultis noted that she will be requesting, on behalf of the association, to provide a deputation to the traffic advisory committee recommending that a three-way stop be installed at the intersection.

Touching on noise, and noting that noise levels and decibels are governed by the County’s noise bylaw, she asked what guarantee will be put in place that guests will adhere to it, and who will monitor any infractions.

“I am aware that the sound buffers and fencing will be dealt with through the site plan control approval process, but sound also travels across water,” she added.

She also noted another large resort development on the shores of West Lake (and one in an environmentally sensitive area) would mean even more human impact on an already heavily tourist congested area from May to October, citing Isaiah Tubbs Resort (1.2 kilometres away), Wander the Resort, and the recently approved Campfire Circle development.

“Human activity has been proven to be disruptive to natural habitats, lake health, shore degradation, and contributes to the increased loss of bio-diversity,” she said. “The increased impact from resort guests, aquatic activity, especially where gas fuel of water craft might be used, will be addressed by the on-going stewardship efforts of the WLCA and community volunteers to protect this area’s vital eco-system utilizing our lake health monitoring program.“

Angela Buonamici, planning co-ordinator, noted she had spoken to one resident as well as responding to Coultis’s email regarding the traffic and the noise.

“With regard to noise, there is still a second process of going through site plan, and that’s where we deal with noise, fencing and those types of concerns.”

She also noted that noise is dealt with through bylaw enforcement and is not a planning issue.

“Traffic seems to be an existing problem and speeding is against the law, and that is an OPP thing, and I trust that they can figure it out through that,” added Buonamici.”

The property is currently zoned as rural 1 (RU1). The application seeks to re-zone the property to tourist commercial (TC) and special tourist commercial holding (TC-x-H). The lands are designated shoreland in the official plan.

The 10.3-acre site had formerly operated for 50 years as a seasonal trailer park and cottage rental business, consisting of 18 seasonal trailers, three rental cottages, 10 docks, a washroom building, five sheds, a storage building and a brick duplex. All structures, excepting the duplex and storage building, will be removed to facilitate the re-development of the site.

The environmental impact study noted no natural significant features on the property, but the 0.7 hectare patch of forest will be conserved. It also noted that the hedgerow vegetation located north of the property will be preserved in its natural current conditions and the trees present in the hedgerows will form part of the development.

Planning documents related to this application can be found on the County’s website.