Why Chilliwack Staff Recommended Denying the 45745 Cartmell Road Resort Proposal
A large resort proposal at 45745 Cartmell Road ran into a basic problem: the concept was ambitious, but the floodplain, erosion, servicing, and zoning work was not there yet.
Article Details
- Author: Lukas Matheson
- Published: April 24, 2026
- Category: Municipal Planning
Article Summary
- A staff report for Chilliwack council's April 21, 2026 agenda recommends denying a major resort-style rezoning application at 45745 Cartmell Road. The proposal is not small: 118 cabin lots, 28 RV sites, an amenity building, a discovery centre and cafe, plus a boat launch, marina, dock, parking, pathways, and an office building. The important part for owners and investors is not just that staff recommended denial. It is why. This file is a good example of what happens when a concept gets far ahead of the land realities. ## A big idea on a difficult piece of land According to the City of Chilliwack staff report, the site sits outside the dike, is vulnerable to bank erosion along the Minto Channel of the Fraser River, is not serviced by City utilities, and is outside the Urban Growth Boundary. Staff also say the current planning framework does not fit the proposal. Right now, the property is designated Industrial for part of the site and Forest and Conservation for the rest under the 2050 OCP. Its zoning is M4 and RS-WLA. To make this project work, the applicant would need an OCP amendment to Commercial, a brand new Comprehensive Development zone, and even a text amendment to create a