The City of Estevan has amended its incentive program for the Glen Peterson Business Park in the east end of the city.
Estevan city council approved the amended policy during its meeting on Sept. 22. Council adopted a policy earlier this year which details the incentive program for the industrial park. The policy details qualifying criteria which, if met, allows for a lot sale for $1.
While several businesses and the 小蓝视频east College have built in the park, there are currently fully-serviced lots available in the park that have been listed for sale for several years.
The policy needed to be amended due to off-site development levies. The current off-site charge is approximately $160,000 per lot. Under the current system, a qualifying lot could be sold for a dollar and then be subject to the large off-site levy charge.
Council will offer a waiver of the off-site development levy, in whole or in part, for qualifying property sales. This approach would be an alternative to amending the off-site development levy bylaw and would allow for what it calls continued flexibility in the sales approach the city wishes to take with respect to land sales.
Councillor Trevor Knibbs suggested that if a development in the business park is for cold storage, the off-site development levy wouldn鈥檛 be waived, but if it鈥檚 for a project that will employ people and add to the community, then the levy should be waived.
City manager Jeff Ward said this would be application-based, and dependent on what鈥檚 小蓝视频 built and what the job creation is. Applications will have to go through the economic development board and then to city council.
A successful applicant who violates any of the qualification criteria will be fined, with an applicant paying 25 per cent of purchase price of lot and off-site development levy owed the first and second times. The applicant will pay the remaining 50 per cent of purchase price of lot and off-site development levy owed or turn the lot back to the city with no return of previous penalties paid.
The city will also offer an additional incentive of 100 per cent municipal tax abatement for select businesses that employ at least 10 new people and meet the qualifying criteria.
Council also gave second and third readings to its off-site development levy bylaw at the meeting. A public hearing was held at the Sept. 21 council meeting for people to voice concerns with the document, but nobody attended to oppose it.
