Editor:
A recent letter to the editor in the July 18 Outlook “Concerns about potential new Canmore spa, boutique hotel in Rundleview area” outlined opposition to a proposed hotel development on provincial land just to the south of Rundleview by the president of one of the six condo associations located in Rundleview. I will begin this letter by stating I am one of the residential homeowners in the aforementioned condo association and as such, definitely have a stake in the outcome of this development and oppose it for the same reasons stated in that letter.
However, before the residents of the Bow Valley dismiss this opposition as just another not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) protest, you might want to take note of exactly where this proposed commercial development will be located. It is included in a 60-year lease awarded by the province for an 18-acre parcel of land that stretches from Rundleview Drive in the east to almost the pump station in the west and the edge of the Rundleview community in the north to the Spray Lakes Road in the south. This places it between Quarry Lake, the dog park and the Rundle Forebay. Thus, while you could argue that it is in the backyard of Rundleview, it could also be argued it is in the sideyard of Quarry Lake, the dog park and the Rundle Forebay.
What could this commercial development on undeveloped land well outside any of the current commercial districts mean to the residents of Canmore and to a lesser extent the residents of the overall Bow Valley? While the developers have currently indicated they would like to develop a boutique hotel and Nordic spa, the actual scope of this project is not known at this time. However, the developer’s lease allows them to utilize the full 18 acres.
The full costs of this development to Canmore are not really known, but it is expected they will be excessive as you are locating a commercial development a considerable distance from any existing commercial development and the corresponding services on what has been until now relatively pristine undeveloped land.
But it is the unforeseen ramifications on access to Quarry Lake, the largest off-leash area in the Bow Valley, the Rundle Forebay and the Canmore Nordic Centre that should be of concern to all. Due to the popularity of the aforementioned attractions, Spray Lakes Road is often quite busy and during hot days in the summer and Nordic events in the winter, the road sometimes reaches gridlock.
What will the addition of a hotel and Nordic spa do to the already overcrowded road and facilities and the subsequent enjoyment of the existing residents of the Bow Valley?
Don Rees,
Canmore
