Land purchase of $1.9 million
Council approved the purchase of the Esso Bulk Station land for $1.9 million at the Oct. 24 council session, identified as a strategic move in the continued development of a cultural corridor.
The 1.85 acres of land, located at 360 Railway Street West was identified in the Integrated Downtown Action Plan as a “very good location to create a pedestrian crossing across the Canadian Pacific railway to connect the Historic Downtown with the downtown developments to the south side of the tracks”.
Funding will come from the Community Revitalization Levy.
Coun. Morgan Nagel specified that he hoped the town would explore other uses for the land in the event that it is not used for transit, “let’s keep our minds open with what we’re going to do there.”
The land is identified as not having contamination issues, with salt as the most prevalent contaminant.
Reviewing accessory building size
Following a presentation from Willows residents Collin and Jill Watson, administration has been directed by council to review the maximum size of accessory buildings.
The couple were motivated to bring their concerns to council, following their appeal of a development permit by a neighbour to build an oversized garage (18-feet high and 839 sq/ft).
The nature of the application, which indicated the structure may be used for commercial purposes, resulted in a successful appeal that was bolstered by a petition signed by nearly 60 area residents.
The Watsons want to ensure accessory buildings of this size won’t become problematic in the future, imploring council to reconsider the 18-foot height restriction and implement a restriction of 14 or 15 feet.
They also requested council to reconsider the $250 appeal cost or look into some type of rebate for successful appeals.
All councillors commended the Watsons for their “articulate presentation” and agreed that this matter was worth further exploration.
Surplus forecasted
Based on a third quarter financial report, administration is predicating a budget surplus in excess of $19,000.
