Preliminary design plan shows improvements to the so-called Esso lot in High Prairie L owned by Imperial Oil Co. across from the Town of High Prairie office. The site has been a concern of town councils and residents for more than 25 years.

A vacant lot formerly occupied by an Esso gas station downtown High Prairie could become green space sooner rather than later.

Preliminary plans for the site across from the Town of High Prairie office were presented to council at its regular meeting Aug. 21.

“We have a preliminary final plan and stripped it down to a minimalistic design, knowing that council doesn’t want to spend a lot of money,” says Alisha Moody, manager of planning for Mackenzie Municipal Services Agency which was assigned to develop a plan by council on Aug. 8, 2017.

A path, plenty of green space for benches and picnic tables and a few trees are the main features of the lot owned by Imperial Oil.

“It is our understanding that Imperial is willing to do remedial work on the site with a clay cap and remove the concrete,” says Mody, who continues to consult the corporation with a further meeting in September.

After that meeting, she says MMSA intends to present full details of the preliminary plans to council at a regular meeting in September.

She estimates the costs of the project at $12,000 for the sod, up to $3,000 for the gravel pathway and $200-$400 per tree.

Council also plans to further negotiate with Imperial to improve the site at the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 749 that has become an eyesore for more than 25 years.

“We need to continue to work with Imperial Oil to find a solution we can both live with and we’ll keep negotiating,” Mayor Brian Panasiuk says.

One councillor expressed a stronger message.

“For a multi-billion corporation to not step up and repurpose the site is not good citizenship,” Councillor Michael Long says.

“We and citizens expect better.”

He says the site has long been a concern of the community.

“We’ve been dealing with this for over 30 years,” Long says.

“As a community, we can’t continue to have the contaminated site in the heart of our community.

“We’ve been more than patient and more than considerate in our discussions with Imperial Oil.”

A survey last winter gave citizens opportunity to express their views and priorities on the project.

“People are concerned about putting public funds into the site,” Mody says.

“But other people support it because the site has been a detriment.”

Top priorities by citizens include large trees (69 per cent), benches (53 per cent), open grass areas (45 per cent), flower garden (42 per cent), gazebo and picnic shelter (37 per cent),

fountain (29 per cent), community garden (26 per cent), trail/pathway (22 per cent), playground (22 per cent), statue or sculpture (19 per cent), seat wall (13 per cent) and sundial (13 per cent).