Town lawmakers have signed off on a 10 per cent discount for lots in Battle Springs. (Town of Battleford)

By Tyler Marr

ROLLBACK

Town approves 10% discount for Battle Springs lots

Apr 16, 2019 | 2:05 PM

Having only sold one lot in Battle Springs in the last two years, town lawmakers have signed off on a 10 per cent discount for all remaining lots in the subdivision.

A sunset clause will see the reduced price come to an end on Sept. 30, 2019.

The decision was spurred, in part, as the town received an offer to purchase a lot in Battle Springs at a 10 to 15 per cent discount. The potential buyer cited recent moves by the City of North Battleford, which approved several tax incentives in the hopes of kick-starting development, including 15 per cent off city-owned residential lots in Killdeer Park and Fairview Heights.

Administrators recommended the town follow suit and institute a blanket 15 per cent discount on the remaining properties. The lots were discounted five per cent in 2014.

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Councillors were mixed on the proposal, with many saying they were on the fence.

Coun. Kevin Russell said he understood why administration brought forward the request and that selling and developing the lots would bring in more tax dollars down the road. However, he didn’t want to go all the way to 15 per cent.

This was shared by Coun. Shelley Boutin-Gervais.

“I don’t know that 15 per cent necessarily has to be the answer. Maybe somewhere in the middle? Maybe 10 or seven [per cent],” she said. “I realize they are not moving, but at the same time, it is pretty hard to beat living in Battleford. The benefits of living here, I think, are great.”

Coun. Judy Pruden was fully behind the move, saying the town has to level its playing field with the city.

But Coun. Susan McLean Tady was having a hard time swallowing the blanket discount. She preferred an ad hoc approach, with potential buyers making the town an offer and negotiating a price on each lot individually.

“I don’t want to put a discount on that is going to stay there like this from 2014. I would like to deal with one at a time,” she said.

An end date on the discount piqued the interest of her council colleagues who were on the fence, and after some back and forth, lawmakers settled on a blanket 10 per cent price reduction that comes to an end in September.

Asked after the meeting if he thinks the discount will work, Mayor Ames Leslie admitted he is skeptical, but hopes it will be enough of a carrot to not lose any potential investors who are looking to buy and build.

“At least the conversation is there. If someone is willing to start a new home, they have a little bit of help,” he said.

The town did not budget any revenue from land sales in its 2019-20 budget, leading the mayor to say even one sale from the price reduction will be chalked up as a success.

“I would love to stand here and say five, 10, 20, but without some major commercial entity moving to this community, we probably won’t see that size of growth,” he said. “If we can get one possibly two out of this, it is a roaring success.”

Though the town cut the cheque to develop Battle Springs, the discount will not impact cost recovery. Further, the town only has one infill lot for sale, and a second property owned by the municipal government is being eyed for future Town Hall development.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr