INNISFAIL – Town council has approved spending just over $200,000 to complete detailed design and engineering work for the planned residential and commercial development in the Napoleon Lake South area.
On Sept. 9, Meghan Jenkins, community services director for the Town of Innisfail, brought a report to council seeking approval to award the development’s detailed design and engineering work to Stantec Consulting in the amount of $200,097.13.
The project will be funded from the town’s Land Acquisition Reserve.
Jenkins told council at the meeting on Sept. 9 that while Stantec’s bid was ranked at the top of six bids for the contract, it exceeded the budgeted amount of $150,000.
She said the increased cost is a result of market changes, and the requirement for additional baseline evaluations that were not identified in the original estimate, that being geotechnical as well as Phase 1 site assessment.
Council unanimously approved the motion to have Stantec Consulting move forward with the work.
The plan was brought to town council at its special council meeting on Aug. 19 when council approved the proposed project and public consultation process for the development of the Napoleon Lake South area on about 12 acres of land near 42nd Street and directly adjacent to Highway 54.
The intent for the project is that the town will directly develop these lands, including the installation of infrastructure and marketing of lots for home construction, said the administration report to council on Aug. 19.
The report added the property is the “most readily serviceable” area in town and is the only town-owned parcel identified for commercial and residential development.
“The town would not be constructing the individual homes. If approved, the town would develop the lots and make them available for sale as vacant properties ready to be constructed on,” Jenkins told the Albertan.
Jenkins noted that on June 24 council approved entering into a letter of intent with Genco Developments/Bedi Holdings for one acre, with a future option for two additional acres, of the south portion of the site for the purpose of commercial and residential apartment development.
She added the agreement requires the town begin infrastructure installation by the spring of 2025.
The staff report on Aug. 19 said the proposed housing types would support both older adults looking for bungalow products, as well as more affordable products for ownership and rental.
The plan is to create a total of 59 lots that will include a wide range of housing options, from apartment units to townhouses to single family dwellings.
“There really is a whole spectrum of housing, which is really what we were going for, trying to provide some options for people. We don't have a lot of that smaller townhouse or newer rental accommodations,” said Jenkins.
The proposed development also envisions a commercial area of up to two acres that could include restaurants, shops and possibly a gas station and convenience store.
“The bottom line is we have a housing shortage. We need housing in the future,” Mayor Jean Barclay told the Albertan on Sept. 12. “Our employers need housing here so they can hire people. We need employees to live here because when people get paid and they live here they circulate that money within the community.
“We have to ensure that housing is being built, and that it's moving forward,” added Barclay. “I think we have some examples where it's not and we need to take control of that.”
INNISFAIL – Town council has approved spending just over $200,000 to complete detailed design and engineering work for the planned residential and commercial development in the Napoleon Lake South area.
On Sept. 9, Meghan Jenkins, community services director for the Town of Innisfail, brought a report to council seeking approval to award the development’s detailed design and engineering work to Stantec Consulting in the amount of $200,097.13.
The project would be funded from the town’s Land Acquisition Reserve.
Jenkins told council at the meeting on Sept. 9 that while Stantec’s bid was ranked at the top of six bids for the contract it exceeded the budgeted amount of $150,000.
She said the increased cost is a result of market changes, and the requirement for additional baseline evaluations that were not identified in the original estimate, that being geotechnical as well as phase one site assessment.
Council unanimously approved the motion to have Stantec Consulting move forward with the work.
The plan was brought to town council at its special council meeting on Aug. 19 when council approved the proposed project and public consultation process for the development of the Napoleon Lake South area on about 12 acres of land near 42 Street and directly adjacent to Highway 54.
The intent for the project is that the town will directly develop these lands, including the installation of infrastructure and marketing of lots for home construction, said the administration report to council on Aug. 19.
The report added the property is the “most readily serviceable” area in town and is the only town-owned parcel identified for commercial and residential development.
“The town would not be constructing the individual homes. If approved, the town would develop the lots and make them available for sale as vacant properties ready to be constructed on,” Jenkins told the Albertan.
Jenkins noted that on June 24 council approved entering into a letter of intent with Genco Developments/Bedi Holdings for one acre, with a future option for two additional acres, of the south portion of the site for the purpose of commercial and residential apartment development.
She added the agreement requires the town begin infrastructure installation by the spring of 2025.
The staff report on Aug. 19 said the proposed housing types would support both older adults looking for bungalow products, as well as more affordable products for ownership and rental.
The plan is to create a total of 59 lots that will include a wide range of housing options, from apartment units to townhouses to single family dwellings.
“There really is a whole spectrum of housing, which is really what we were going for, trying to provide some options for people. We don't have a lot of that smaller townhouse or newer rental accommodations,” said Jenkins.
The proposed development also envisions a commercial area of up to two acres that could include restaurants, shops and possibly a gas station and convenience store.
“The bottom line is we have a housing shortage. We need housing in the future,” Mayor Jean Barclay told the Albertan on Sept. 12. “Our employers need housing here so they can hire people. We need employees to live here because when people get paid and they live here they circulate that money within the community.
“We have to ensure that housing is being built, and that it's moving forward,” added Barclay. “I think we have some examples where it's not and we need to take control of that.”
There was an open house for the public to learn more about the development on Sept. 10 at the Innisfail Twin Arena .
Town council will be asked on Sept. 23 to give the project first reading, which will be followed by a public hearing at a yet-to-be-determined date in October.
