Developer calls on council for more housing lots

Mac Olsen
South Peace News

Development work is expected to begin on the 26-lot trailer park in High Prairie next week, but a local developer is calling on the town council to ensure that more residential lots are made available for future needs. Floyd Becker and Boyd Gibb were at the council meeting on Aug. 8 to discuss progress in the old trailer court that sits behind E.W. Pratt High School. Becker says they now have the tenders back for the water and sewer, as well as gutters and curbs, for 26 lots in the old trailer park. “We’re going forward, no matter what,” Becker says. He also says they want to complete their condominium project at Heart River Foundation, and get the other lots completed. Councillor Mike Daubert asked if the condo project is on schedule. Becker says that it’s three weeks behind, but local contractors are being utilized for the plumbing and electrical work, which has really helped the project. Becker says occupancy could begin in January. While work continues on these residential development projects, Darrell Shewchuk is calling on town council to ensure that more residential lots are made available so that High Prairie is not caught short in the future. He made a presentation at the council meeting on Aug. 8 about the matter. After the meeting, Shewchuk commented new subdivisions haven’t been developed in almost two years and old lots are being used. “If private individuals aren’t going to put them in, then maybe the Town should take the initiative to put in a new subdivision,” he says. “What are we going to do once those are gone? Are we going to be waiting for two more years to get more lots? We’ve got to plan ahead.” Shewchuk says Westlock developed 50 residential lots because of the need, and 40 of them were sold as soon as they went up for sale. Westlock and a private developer are now working on more lots. Mayor Rick Dumont says Shewchuk is right about the need for planning ahead, but the Town has been doing this. “There will be lots of residential lots available shortly,” says Dumont. Town Manager Larry Baran predicts that, once it has been determined how fast the 26 trailer lots are going to sell, the pressure will be on either the Town or developers to make the necessary investments, and the return on their investment will be within two or three years. He also says land improvements for something like the trailer lot subdivision are on the order of $1 million.

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