Despite a slumping economy, Innisfail's home building market is still moving along.
On March 28, town council approved a subdivision report for a new eight-unit condominium project in Upland Aspen. Council also passed second and third readings of a new bylaw that will allow the closure of a section of Lakeside Way along the northwest side of Napoleon Lake to allow for the road's realignment to the west. The road closure is part of the plan for the building of the Napoleon Lake West residential subdivision, which is being developed by Innisfail's Napwest Corporation.
The approved final readings for the bylaw followed an open house and development approval at council last January. The road closure application had to obtain provincial transportation ministerial approval before coming back to council for second and third readings.
The one-acre project at Upland Aspen, located on Aspen Heights Way in the northwest corner of the development at the intersection of Lakewood Drive, had already been granted a development permit but an approved subdivision application was needed by the developer to create separate titles for each of the eight new units that will be constructed in two four-unit buildings. Council unanimously approved the application at its regular March 28 meeting.
Meanwhile, the planned Napoleon Lake West development is a 28-acre project that calls for a 22-acre low-density subdivision, which will include the creation of 62 lots of larger sized upscale single-family dwellings. The overall development proposal also calls for a separate six-acre area for higher-density condos that would overlook both the Innisfail Golf Club and the lake. There is no commercial development planned for the project.
With final approval given to the road closure application, Napwest Corporation will continue to work on the conditions towards reaching a development agreement with the town, a process that includes detailed engineering for the site. Once that process is completed to the satisfaction of the town, a contract is then drawn up for timing, construction and payment for the necessary subdivision infrastructure. The development agreement will then go back to council for approval.
Dr. Malcolm Campbell, owner of Napwest Corporation, said construction on the single-family residential lot section of the subdivision would “definitely” begin in 2016. He added he's looking for an outside developer to construct the high-density area of the project.
