Converting land around Strathmore Lakes to MR

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

The land around the Strathmore Lakes Estates area had been intended as Municipal Reserve (MR), and should have been transferred to the municipality years ago when the land was subdivided. Normally MR is dedicated at subdivision time and the lot is identified as Lot MR on both the plan and on the certificate of title. This had not been done.
“Earlier this year we were in discussions with the developer who now wanted to transfer the storm pond and surrounding lands to the town,” said Werner Fischer, director of planning and development.
In order to make the transfer it would require a survey, at the cost of approximately $30,000 and the disruption of the residents, since so much time has passed.
A plan of action was decided upon that would allow for the transfer and would save the money of the developer and the hassle to the residents.
Fischer said the plan was to do things in two steps. The first was to see if the land titles office will accept a descriptive plan, which they did, and then transfer that land to the town. Now that descriptive plan can be taken, and there can be a bylaw passed to convert the land into MR.
Currently the land has been transferred back to the town and the residual land has been sold.
Councillor Bob Sobol was concerned about losing leverage by going about things this way, but Fischer assured him that’s not the case.
‘To have created this as Municipal Reserve by the conventional process would have cost the developer at least $30,000, because it should have been done a long time ago and now you’re going to have to go into all those residential lots, reestablish those (survey) pins … it would be very disruptive,’ said Fischer.
“We said we can do this by an alternative method by descriptive plan have the lands transferred to us, we take possession and then we pass a bylaw making it Municipal Reserve. Whether we do it that way, or the more costly way we end up at the same place.”
The completion of the pathway around the lake has been a concern for council and Strathmore Lakes residents. Fischer said administration is looking at two ways on how to deal with it, one of which would be to amend the deferred servicing agreement which is registered against the residual parcel so that it includes completion of the landscaping, and pathways, and would include a security.
“Alternatively, and this is the less preferred option, we will simply write them a letter saying ‘these are the things that are outstanding,'” said Fischer.
The town has to register a development agreement for the latest subdivision anyway, and Fischer said he think they will do a concurrent registration on the residual of the differed servicing agreement to complete that landscaping in at least a satisfactory manner.
In order to ensure that actions will be completed they intend to register a deferred servicing agreement against the residual lands and hopefully with some security. The security will be returned if and when work is completed and passes an inspection.