City council has received an administrative report recommending it approve a zoning change allowing for new development at the Meadow Lakes Golf Course.

But not everyone in the community is in favour of the proposal.

Developer Jeff Luehmann wants to build a new development called Hidden Haven by holes seven and nine of the golf course.

Hidden Haven would have up to 22 units — four four-plexes and one six-plex — and would cater to the 50-plus crowd.

Some residents of the nearby Fox Haven neighbourhood are concerned about the effects Hidden Haven would have on their properties, however.

Many of these concerns, including effects on privacy, water quality and property values, were voiced in a public hearing at council's June 27 meeting.

Last Monday, council was presented with a report on the public hearing.

"The impacts are judged to be minimal on the existing residents,” Mike Ellis, the city's acting manager of planning and development services, told council.

Coun. Dave Stockdale disagreed.

"Fourteen new people moving into an area, even if the building doesn't overlook someone else's property, it is going to have an impact on their privacy,” he said at the meeting.

Fox Haven resident Leo Poile says the administrative report fails to address the negative aspects of the development.

"It is as though the city, the administrative planning department, is planning this,” he said at last Monday's meeting.

"I like to think that the city is protecting my interests and all the interests, even in the future, of those who move into this area.”

Kelly Pollard, another resident of Fox Haven, spoke at the public hearing about her concerns regarding the effects on the water and sewer services of the existing properties.

Last Monday, she said her concerns remain, despite Luehmann's assurances that the development's water and septic systems will be of the highest quality and use the latest technology.

"Jeff can impress us all he wants with all the money he's spending in hopes of developing the area,” she said. "But it's really a drop in the bucket compared to what he'll stand to make with this venture.”

Pollard wants the city to provide current residents with a written agreement that, if their well or septic performance diminishes, they will be provided with water and sewer services by the city.

Luehmann assured council that won't be necessary.

"There's definitely no issues there,” he said of the availability of water at Fox Haven and Hidden Haven.

If there isn't enough water for wells, water could be trucked in, he said, noting that it's not an optimal situation but it is allowed.

Luehmann also reminded council that there are people in support of the project. Eighteen people wrote letters of support to council.

The city is between a rock and a hard place with this development, said Mayor Bev Buckway.

When Fox Haven was proposed, people living in the area had concerns the development would have negative impacts on their property, she said.

Now, the same thing is happening again.

"It's kind of interesting for council because you have the people nobody wanted there coming and saying,

‘We don't want additional expansion,'” Buckway said. "It's kind of a catch-22 for council.”

Council will have second and third readings of the zoning amendment bylaw at their meeting this evening.