DIDSBURY - Town of Didsbury officials will be seeking legal advice regarding the contract signed by the municipality and Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) more than a decade ago for the sale of the former high school land.
Council carried a motion regarding the matter at a recent, regularly-scheduled council meeting.
Located at 2134 - 22nd Street, the 3.17-acre property is the site of the former Didsbury High School. It is currently owned by the Town of Didsbury.
On Nov. 22, 2020 council moved that the land be listed for sale, “with a requirement for timely development and consideration of the vision of the development proposal, as well as the purchase amount, to be decided upon by council.”
The matter came up again during the March 26 council meeting.
Coun. Dorothy Moore said it is important that the municipality determine whether there is debris buried on the property before moving ahead with any sale.
“I’m not comfortable with selling something when we don’t know, that’s the worst thing you can do in a sale agreement is say, ‘we don’t know’,” said Moore.
“So I would not want to see us go ahead with anything that resembles a sale until we know what we are selling.”
Council carried a motion reading: “That council authorize administration to seek legal advice regarding the land sale document” agreement of the property from Chinook’s Edge to the Town of Didsbury.
Specifically, administration has been tasked with determining if the school division may be responsible for the clean up of any debris left buried on the site, such as concrete blocks.
Put forward by Coun. Bill Windsor, council carried a second motion that states: “Council approve the spending of up to $10,000 for the appropriate land studies required on 2234 - 22nd Street, the old high school lands, to be funded from the strategics initiative reserve.”
That study would determine what debris, if any, is buried on the site.
Council deferred a proposed motion calling on the town to “engage with Chinook’s Edge School Division regarding possible opportunities to engage and discuss the future of the land located at 2234 - 22 Street, commonly referred to as the old high school lands.”
In February, resident Kathleen Windsor, a proponent of keeping the property as a public park, made a presentation to council following public consultation through social media, personal visits and phone calls.
“What is paramount right now, and I can’t emphasis it enough, is council’s decision to leave the former high school land, also known as Moose Fence Park, as is, letting it become a truly special public space, a place people go to for that feeling of connection with their neighbours and the opportunities for adding to our community’s spirit,” Windsor said.
During the recent council meeting, council also carried a motion to “list the sale of municipal land at 100 Shantz Drive in accordance with the sale, acquisition, and expropriation of land policy.
Another motion carried called on administration to publish a request for proposal for the retention of a real estate agent to list the following properties for sale: 100 Shantz Drive, 2109 - 19th Avenue (old fire hall parking lot), and 2101 - 19th Avenue (old fire hall).
