'Such a relief': Prairie Gardens reopens after resolving permit issues with county
Starting Friday, Prairie Gardens will be allowed to reopen to the public for the remainder of the 2022 season after committing to various conditions with Sturgeon County.
The popular u-pick fruit and vegetable business was forced to close last month after a stop operations order from the county was enforced.
A spokesperson for the county told CTV News Edmonton in August that multiple complaints had been received about the property related to noise, trespassing, traffic issues, permit compliance and "other" issues.
On Friday, the county said that Prairie Gardens could resume the greenhouse, u-pick market and gardens, corn maze, hay rides, and other small-scale events for the remainder of the season.
“It is such a relief, we’re open, we’re finally open, and our pumpkin season can get underway,” said Prairie Gardens owner Tam Andersen.
“When we planted our pumpkins we ordered thousands of pumpkin seeds, we planted them in the greenhouse, we transplanted them in the field, we looked after the crop the entire season. It’s a huge significant investment for us.”
In order to resume operations, Prairie Gardens agreed to the following conditions:
- Make safety improvements that align with Alberta Transportation guidelines to ensure safe movement of vehicles to and within its sites, manoeuvring of vehicle types, traffic movements, traffic volumes, and vehicle speeds.
- Make safety improvements for parking and property access and impose restrictions on pedestrian movement between its two sites.
- Adopt revised operating hours between 8 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
The business must also adhere to a vehicle trip limit, that is based on intersection capacity and Alberta Transportation Standards.
During normal operations the maximum is 100 trips per day at the south entrance and 50 trips per day at the north entrance.
For peak season operations, traffic flow is expected to increase to 380 vehicles at the north entrance and 174 at the south entrance.
“We now have an excellent traffic accommodation plan in place,” Andersen said.
“It’s not that we’re so busy every day of the year, but we have a few busy weekends and for sure coming into October, Halloween, these will be our peak season.”
There will be a $10 per car fee to help demonstrate the trip limit has been adhered to.
The stop operations order was initially issued on Oct. 15, 2021 with the two parties entering into an agreement 12 days later that required Prairie Gardens to complete a series of tasks to remedy the concerns.
Prairie Gardens appealed the order in November, but the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board upheld the order in December, setting a deadline of Oct. 22, 2022 to comply.
Prairie Gardens is about 41 kilometres north of Edmonton near Bon Accord, Alta.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.