YELLOWKNIFE - The proposed $1 million RV campground Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) planned to build beside the Folk on the Rocks (FOTR) festival site has been put on hold for a year while government looks at other options.

Pattie Beales speaks about the need to improve on camping locations already in the region at an Industry, Tourism and Investment public forum on the proposed RV park beside the Folk on the Rocks music festival site at Long Lake. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

The decision followed a public forum on Tuesday where the proposed park drew both criticism and support.

"There was a huge amount of concern and we have to take that seriously," said Tracy St. Denis, senior advisor to ITI.

"Right now development on that site is on hold, nothing is off the table and we're looking at various options."

The public forum drew 50 people, but little new was added to the debate over the 36-stall RV campground that ITI intended to begin constructing this summer.

North Slave Regional Superintendent Phil Lee, who has steered the project thus far for ITI, remained convinced the location was the best while the festival and its supporters were skeptical and urged Lee to find another spot.

"You went on record saying the park would not want to expand into the (FOTR) site," said Glen Abernethy, festival society president, referencing Lee's comments at an April 2007 information session. "That's inconsistent with your first message in June of last year when (ITI) said they would move into the site and expand to 59 sites."

Lee countered that any expansion from the original 36 RV sites, complete with electric and water hookup - planned for the land adjacent the festival's entrance - to more sites inside festival grounds was for the benefit of the festival.

"It could generate additional revenue by putting sites on the festival grounds to be used by vendors," said Lee. "It was all done with a partnership in mind, it was never considered a project to be done with the absence of Folk on the Rocks."

After the meeting, Abernethy told Yellowknifer only a written agreement between the festival and ITI guaranteeing the RV park would never encroach on the FOTR site could bring the society on-side.

Currently, the festival has an informal agreement with the city for use of the land, which the city leases from the territorial government. That lease expires in 2010.

Inside the forum, there were those in favour and those against ITI's location for the proposed $1 million 36-stall campground.

Some, including resident John Buist saw the concept as positive for all involved.

"I think if (the festival) can get some assurances, this could be a win-win... I see this working as a partnership, not against each other," Buist said.

And several local RV owners in attendance put to bed any concerns such a facility would remain unused or attract visitors from outside the territories.

Don Cameron, a self-confessed RV adventurer, even urged ITI to increase the $1 million budget for the ultimate site.

"I support spending more money for a better location," he said. "If that's not going to happen I support the current site but with a (FOTR) partnership."

Like many local RV owners unable to win a lottery for the 40 available RV hookups at Prelude or Fred Henne parks, Cameron is often forced to enjoy what he called his "motel on wheels" parked in front of his house.

"The neighbour looks over and says 'hey he's running his generator, that's not very environmentally friendly,'" Cameron went on in his monologue about RV living that brought some much-needed levity to the proceedings.

"Look, I've got a motel on wheels, I'm not environmentally friendly... RV owners want electricity, they want sewage... we need this (RV campground)."