Sparks flew at the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Board meeting Friday over the proposed Sweetwater Lake Village development on the Koocanusa Reservoir.

At issue was a motion that had already been deferred from the RDEK meeting in May to give first reading to the Sweetwater Zoning Amendment Bylaw which has raised concerns with some directors.

After some blunt comments critical of Sweetwater by directors concerned about the lack of recreational vehicle lots in the development, the Board passed a motion moved by Area B Director Heath Slee that the zoning amendment bylaw be deferred another month for developer Craig McMorran to provide more information about the number of rec-vehicle spaces to be provided at Sweetwater.

Slee said campers “squatting” around the Koocanusa Reservoir were “a bit of a nightmare” which is why the Board supported development of more recreational vehicle lots in the future.

But the latest development plan for Sweetwater shows only five recreational vehicle lots, he said.

“I’m encouraged you (McMorran) are going to incorporate a recreational vehicle component, but I’m discouraged you’re only going to incorporate five lots,” Slee said.

Area A Director Mike Sosnowski said he originally supported the development but became dismayed by the “180 degree flip-flop” Sweetwater President McMorran did on the rec-vehicle lot issue.

Sosnowski accused McMorran of “misrepresenting” the development to the Board. “Now you have a problem with mistrust…it’s the trust we need. This isn’t an opportunity. We need a commitment.”

Area E Director Norm Walter said he was uncomfortable with what the zoning amendment change would mean for the development. “It gives me discomfort to add it to zoning that allows other things as well.”

Elkford Director Dean McKerracher said he wouldn’t support the zoning amendment change unless McMorran supplied a written guarantee of more recreational vehicle spaces than the five he’s talking about at the present time.

But McMorran denied doing a flip-flop on the rec-vehicle lot issue and said he was prepared to supply as many as 50 or 100 spaces but wanted to move them to a different area of the development. “I don’t want to get rid of rec-vehicle parking. I just want to move it.”

In an interview outside the Board office, McMorran said he was still confident the Sweetwater development will move forward as planned and the disagreement with the Board over rec-vehicle spaces was a housekeeping issue.

“It’s already going ahead. This is only housekeeping. So there’s nothing here that can slow or stop the project.” McMorran also pointed out that he has at least 50 recreational vehicles parked on the property now

McMorran described the Sweetwater project as “one of a kind first class resort area and an electric golf cart community” and predicted it will become “a real jewel of the area.”

During the discussion at the Board table, former RDEK chairman David Wilks said it’s important to keep in mind in any discussion about Koocanusa development that “this is not a lake. It’s a reservoir and it goes way up and way down.”

Wilks made his point after disagreement during the Sweetwater discussion about whether the Koocanusa reservoir in Canada is 90 miles (145 km) long as McMorran was claiming or 45 miles as stated by Invermere director Gerry Taft.