Alberta Transportation proposes land purchase from M.D.

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times
cparkinson@tabertimes.com

Alberta Transportation has approached the Municipal District of Taber with a proposal to buy some land near Grassy Lake.

The proposal inquires about purchasing 8.23 acres of M.D. owned land on the south half of 16-10-13 W4 for the purpose of construction of the Highway 3 twinning project. These parcels are the site of the former fresh water reservoir for Grassy Lake and since the hamlet now sources potable water from the Highway 3 Regional Water Services Commission, the reservoir now only functions to service as storage and intake site for water to irrigate green spaces.

“They’d prefer to purchase the entire two parcels there. They’re split on either side because of the quarter line there. They combined it to about 8.23 acres,” explained Brian Peers, director of Municipal Lands and Leases at the M.D.’s regular meeting on March 8.

Alberta Transportation has offered the M.D. $10,000/acre or $82,300 for the combined 8.23 acres. As far as if there were any reservations of selling the land, administration explained it wasn’t an overly high-priced.

“We looked at the land to see if there was value to the M.D. in the future as far as retaining the remnant parcels there, and it’s just because of where it is, access would either come from the east through an irrigated parcel or along the canal to the north and west — neither of which are very suitable for any kind of commercial industrial or development of any sort. I don’t believe there is much in retaining those lands,” added Peers.

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