Crestview Lodge recreation area project update

John Sinnott in the middle of planned patio behind Crestview Lodge
C. Davis photos

C. Davis and T. Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

The Crestview Lodge Hobby Club (CLHC) requested gravel from both the MD of Pincher Creek and the Town of Pincher Creek councils recently.  The club was formed by tenants of Crestview Lodge and is a separate entity from the Pincher Creek Foundation, which is the administering body for Crestview Lodge.

Originally the CLHC asked for 5 loads of gravel delivered from the Town of Pincher Creek to create a foundation for the paving of a patio section in the new recreation area being built south of the lodge. A similar request was made to the MD of Pincher Creek and to local gravel and trucking companies.


In the package received by the Town of Pincher Creek was acknowledgement by the Pincher Creek Foundation that they accept the proposal of the hobby club planting trees if it does not cost the Pincher Creek Foundation, interfere with existing utilities or the underground sprinkler system, and is not on land where the proposed new lodge is projected to be built.

At their June 24, 2013 meeting, Council for the Town of Pincher Creek agreed to supply 5 truckloads of gravel under the condition that the overall  project proposed by the Crestview Lodge Hobby Club is clearly approved by the Pincher Creek Foundation Board.

CLHC member John Sinnott appeared before Council for the MD of Pincher Creek No. 9 as a delegation on June 11 to speak to a May 21 letter requesting help with the project. At the June 25, 2013 MD council meeting CAO Wendy Kay said that Sinnott had come back asking for up to ten truckloads of gravel instead of the five originally requested.  After some discussion, which centred around Deputy Reeve Rod Cyr's assertion that such a request should be part of the Crestview budget, an opinion Reeve Bjorn Berg concurred with, saying that in the future he would like to see such requests come from the Pincher Creek Foundation.  Councillor Yagos moved to donate the gravel but not the hauling, which is consistent with the MD's usual method for dealing with similar gravel requests.   That motion was unanimously approved.

Man with a plan: John Sinnott

According to Sinnot and the letter sent to Town and MD councils, the project will take several years to complete and work on it is therefore planned in several phases. The first phase, now nearing completion, is the removal of trees, installation of irrigation and the placement of a fire pit.  Phase two is paving the pathways around the outdoor recreation area, with asphalt paving decided up as the most affordable of the options, at an estimated price of  $15,000.  Phase three is the construction of a barbeque shelter with a cement floor. Other proposed features of the project, including a gazebo and a fountain/spray park are to be completed when adequate funds are raised.

As for the projected spray park, he said "That's down the road. Young kids, grand kids will enjoy that and keep them out of the adults hair.  It's hard to say what that's liable to develop into. Anyway, there's lots of possibilities there."

According to Sinnott there is an area that will still remain grass so that in the future there can be bowling, bocci ball or horseshoes.

Dilemma: The short version of the above is this: the CLHC has, almost certainly, procured a total of up to 15 tons of gravel for a project requiring up to 10 tons of gravel, but at present has no way to move it.

"They were going to supply the gravel, and the Town would supply the trucking.  They've got two different things, now" Sinnott said.  When asked what he though of the MD council proposal to have the MD supply the gravel and the Town the tucking he said "It would simplify things if that's how it worked."

Sinnott took us on a tour of the recreation area site.  He explained that the plan for the patio is a 40' circular paved area, already marked out, with a pathway leading up to it so that there will be easy to access for those with walkers or wheelchairs.  "If you can't get here, you can't use it.  That is our number one priority right now, to get it paved so we can use it."

"The plan currently is to dig out the planned area to a foot deep, stockpile the topsoil for other uses. We're all but ready to put the fire pit in.  When we put the gravel in and pack it, when we get it close to the right level, we'll put the fire pit in, and when the pavement goes in  it'll be at the right level."

Sinnott said he was initially told a development permit was not necessary for the project, and then found out one was needed. "I got them that, and it's signed by Millie, the Manager of the Crestview Lodge."

As far as I'm concerned, it's fairly simple, but everybody seems to be putting little stumbling blocks in the way, that really don't amount to anything."

According to Sinnott, the recreation area plan came about after outgoing Entertainment Coordinator Kathy Klien asked for a wish list from residents. "She got a list about that long (indicating as far apart as his arms would stretch). She posted it, and I took a few of the things out of that list  and put them together into this project, and we get it all in one."

"The idea is to give a nice area that the residents can use outside in the summer and enjoy friends, family, and other residents that is semi private."

Funding

Sinnott said funding for the project was anticipated from a number of sources.  "We've been working on donations, all the way along. We sent letters out to the service clubs,  to start with."  In addition, about 200 area businesses have been approached.   Donations go through Crestview Lodge and a tax-deductable receipt can be issued for the value of the donation.

The Crestview Hobby Club holds a Bazaar every year in November or December.  "The proceeds from that, up until a year ago they've been giving away most of it," said Sinnott.   "So we decided that this year maybe we'd keep some of that, and  get something that would help us."

"It's a big project, and we need lots of help with it."

Lundbreck Parade

Sinnott is still staying true to his Lundbreck roots too, helping plan for the parade planned to coincide with the Lundbreck Cornfest scheduled for August 24.  "I'm giving advice to the senior centre out there for their float,  I told them that I'd help, but they'd have to do the work."  Crestview's floats, supervised by Sinnott, have  received 4 First Places in a row, in four different parades.

Related story:
Crestview Lodge residents plan recreation area makeover