Roblin Lake campground

Residents raise concerns over proposed rezoning

The proposed rezoning of a Roblin Lake campground in Ameliasburgh from seasonal to year-round use has a number of residents concerned about the impact potential increased water usage would have on the small lake. About 75 homes use municipal water drawn from the 600-metre long lake, which has no river inflow sources. Prince Edward County Lakeside Retreat is requesting a zoning change from Special Tourist Commercial to Tourist Commercial, a change that will permit year-round use of the campground, which is currently zoned for seasonal use. Many of the lakeside residents became aware of the proposed zoning change only after a County notice was posted at the entrance to the campground. Neighbours within 120 metres of the property had been notified in writing, and notices were placed in local newspapers, but lakeside residents felt they should all have been informed due to the potential impact the change of zoning may have on the small lake that they depend on for their water. An advocacy group quickly formed on social media, and a number of residents have prepared depositions for the information session scheduled for Council this evening.

Mark Debono is a lakeside resident and he shared some of his thoughts on how residents were notified of the proposed change. “I think a lot of people are disappointed at the lack of distribution of the rezoning notice. There are a lot of people who live or cottage around Roblin Lake and a lot of them didn’t receive any notice,” he said. “There’s been a lack of information regarding the proposed plan. It’s being called a family resort, and the application is very vague. The community wants transparency in this process, and we would like the impact assessment made public. The assessment should also help the County properly assess the detrimental effect on our finite water source that supplies the village and some in the surrounding area.” He added his concern about the condition of the septic beds on the property and whether they would be adequate for increased usage of the campground. He also cites the very short time residents were given to voice their opinion on the rezoning, and the general lack of information on this project.

A County resident is one of the new owners of the campground, and his vision is to convert the somewhat rundown and dilapidated 20-acre facility into a family-friendly retreat. “It’s a place where families can come to the County and have a nice place with quality accommodation to spend a week or two, and return year after year, and have a nice relaxing atmosphere,” he said. “We want to invest in this property, so people will have a good experience. We are not building anything new, we’re just using what’s existing, and we’re keeping the current capacity. I’d like to have a property that’s well maintained and well taken care of.” He said that the zoning change to year-round use will make it easier to obtain financing. “The issue is that the property is rundown and requires a significant amount of investment to get it into good shape.” Currently, some of the cabins are set up as children’s dormitories with a number of bunk beds and rudimentary bathroom facilities. He intends to refurbish these and others into family-oriented units that are comfortable and well insulated for use in the shoulder seasons and into winter. He said that the rezoning application is keeping within the County’s new Official Plan, which seeks to increase upscale year-round roofed accommodation along tourism corridors, and the village of Ameliasburgh is specifically mentioned in the plan. “Everything that the County wants is encapsulated in this project. I’ve read the Official Plan, I spoke to the planning department, and I tried to create something that would fit well with the fabric of the community.” A Planning Committee meeting is scheduled this evening at 7 p.m., and a number of Ameliasburgh residents will be making depositions. The meeting will be live-streamed at http://bit.ly/LiveStreamPEC.