Planners for the Tens of East Lake held a public information meeting last week attended by about fifty residents of East Lake and Cherry Valley.

Tentatively called The Hideout, or Allswell Resort, the developers of 41 Willow Lane, just off County Road 18, are proposing a complete replacement of the existing Cribs of East Lake cabin complex.

Currently the site supports ten multi-coloured cabins dating to the 1960s, a single-family home, and a large barn.

Developers would tear down and replace the cabins. A two-storey, 10-room inn would be added to the footprint, as well as a large pool for up to 60 guests, with a bar and change rooms. A mobile restaurant with outdoor seating for 30 is included in the vision.

Part of the intended use is a resort complex for a maximum of 100 day-visitors.

In total there will be 25 guest rooms and 61 parking spots in what is projected to be a four-season resort on the 1.5 hectare property.

The main objections from nearby residents concerned increased traffic on County Road 18, a lack of provision for cyclists on the narrow two-lane road, and the sheer number of tourist accommodations on East Lake, a relatively small and shallow lake.

The former Cribs resort sits within a group of residential properties. Neighbours pointed out that the resort will go from accommodating 50 guests to a possible 150 with the day-use permit.

The area between county road 18 and East Lake is designated shore land that permits tourist commercial uses. Nearby resorts include Sunset Shores, Lake Breeze Cottages, Sandbanks Camping, the Cherry Beach Resort, Sandbanks Cottages, East Lake Shores, Lake Croft Resort, and Quinte’s Isle Campark, which was recently approved for an expansion.

Greer Galloway engineers undertook a traffic study as part of the planning process. County records from 2012 and 2018 suggest 3 per cent annual vehicle volume growth at the closest intersection to the Willow Lane site on County Road 18.

In 2012 a total of 1546 vehicles crossed that intersection in a 24-hour period. In 2018, the number was up to 1870. The increase averages 3 per cent a year. Greer Galloway then extrapolated that increase to calculate 2191 vehicles every 24 hours at the same intersection in 2023. A manual count, however, indicated higher volumes. The same County records, which have not been updated since 2018, show traffic increasing from 5 per cent to 8 per cent annually at other points on County Road 18.

According to planner Ray Essiambre, traffic issues on County Road 18 fall well short of what would require major infrastructure improvements. A big increase in traffic to the area would, however, warrant the County undertake a master plan to capture broader trends and prioritize the road for improvement.

A major improvement at the proposed development is a new wastewater treatment system, a high-tech piece of infrastructure to be managed by a dedicated technician. It operates above ground in a shipping container. Treated wastewater flows to septic beds, and arrives at the lake “cleaner than drinking water,” as the technician responsible put it.

Ed Note: A previous version of this story referred to the former Cribs on East Lake cabins as “dilapidated.” While the cabins may be in need of repair, the story, and perhaps most especially its headline, should have noted that the picturesque, multi-coloured cabins on East Lake were a beloved County institution and offered many families, both local and visiting, a memorable holiday. The Gazette sincerely regrets the error.