Music festival officials propose 77-site recreational vehicle park

CAVENDISH - Cavendish Beach Music Festival organizers met with Cavendish residents Wednesday at North Rustico Lions Club to discuss the creation of a high-end recreational vehicle park along side of the concert grounds.
Co-owner of the festival Jeff Squires proposed the park would have room for 77 sites.
"There would be 41 sites at 25 by 25 feet and 36 sites at 25 by 15 feet," Squires described.
He handed residents a tentative plan of the area that included permanent washrooms and a dump station.
"We already have power supply we could hook onto easily and we have a well we could have a look at," he said.
The original area proposed for the RV park was three lots at the back of the concert grounds. Festival organizers withdrew their application of the three lots and proposed a new, much larger area.
The land, located on Forest Hills Lane, belongs to the Boyle family. Bob Boyle attended the meeting to address community residents.
He said he originally approached the festival to sell them his land for them to use it for parking. The festival agreed they wanted the land, but said it would be more beneficial for them to have a RV park, not a parking lot.
A major issue is that the Boyle land is currently zoned as RD2, resort accommodations. The festival has applied for rezoning of the land to RD3, resort campground zone.
The proposed rezoning of the property has upset several Forest Hills Lane cottage owners.
Owner of 127 Forest Hills Lane said having a large commercial area right next door will decrease the value of her property. Several cottage residents brought up the issue of noise and traffic increase.
Owner of KOA campground Victor Hyrckiw is worried about his business. The proposed RV park would be directly on the other side of the lane from KOA.
"The only thing separating our businesses will be Forest Hills Lane," he said.
He said he purchased the KOA property knowing it was surrounded by residential land so he would not have to worry about competition moving in right next door.
With only one month before the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Squires said the proposal would probably not be ready in time for this year. He said if by chance it did go through, it would only be open for the days of the concert this year, July 8 to 11. He said beginning next year it would be open throughout the entire summer.