The County of Stettler council has denied a request for property tax forgiveness from the owners of Bar W RV Resort on Buffalo Lake.
During its Oct. 8 meeting, council met in-camera to discuss the matter before returning to open session and passing a motion to accept the request as information.
Keith Wilson of Bar W RV Resort, appeared before council in September to outline the financial challenges facing the development.
He said only 46 RV lots are currently in use, citing the low water levels at Buffalo Lake as a barrier to attracting new customers.
The resort sits on the same property as the former Paradise Shores development, a large scale RV project that became one of the most contentious developments in the county’s history.
In 2018, the concept called for up to 1,000 sites, as well as a water park & marina.
The plan quickly drew opposition from nearby residents & summer villages, who raised concerns about the size of the development & it’s potential environmental impact.
A year later, the County issued a stop work order, with the development appeal board later reducing the project to 168 sites.
In July 2019, The Alberta Court of Appeal rejected Paradise Shore’s appeal of the development permit to reduce the number of sites.
Wilson, an investor in Paradise Shores, then took full ownership of the property in the fall of 2019 & rebranded as Bar W RV Resort.
In 2021, Keith & Doug Wilson attended a County meeting seeking a tax agreement. Council at the time agreed to forgive the penalties if taxes were paid.
Two years later, the County again granted partial tax forgiveness, writing off 80 per cent of unpaid municipal taxes from 2022 & 2023.
The approved 2023 development permit set the number of sites to 318, with the resort fully opening in May of 2024.
The request for a further $70,785 in tax relief was made by Wilson on the basis of the resort not being fully operational until last year.
Following the in-camera discussion, council recommended Wilson contact County staff to discuss the details of a tax installment payment plan.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
