The Town of Battleford and the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure are hiring a consultant to determine the future permanent access strategy and interchange location on Highway 16 to serve the town's newest commercial area.
Battleford Town Council resolved Monday to partner with the Ministry in commissioning the consultation estimated to cost $100,000. Based on the town's participation in the urban connector program, the Town's share of the cost is to be 10 per cent.
The area to be served by a new access is a new commercial subdivision south of Highway 16 and west of Highway 4. The first tenant in the area is Kramer Ltd, whose facility is currently under construction.
However, Mayor Derek Mahon said the study will not focus on the Kramer facility, or even the commercial area, alone. It will look at a bigger picture, including the Highway 4 underpass. Having this done has been talked about for some time, he said, and it won't happen overnight.
"Nobody has the full scope of what will be happening in that Yellowhead corridor," said Mahon.
The Kramer site will probably be served by a temporary access until the larger scope design is done and implemented.
At that same meeting, town council also passed a bylaw setting up development and servicing agreement with Battleford West Properties Ltd. regarding the commercial area dubbed Battlefords Towne Square by developer Dean Kupchanko.
The area to be developed is immediately west of Highway 4, south of 29th Street. Two new roads will be created, Battleford Crossing and Prince Bros. Road. The bylaw calls for road construction, fire hydrants, curbs, gutters and sidewalks and paving to be done by Oct. 31, 2013. Storm sewers, power, telephone, gas and street lighting are to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. These services, estimated to cost more than $1 million, are the responsibility of the owner.
The owner will also be required to pay off-site servicing fees to the Town in the amount of $31,995 in 2013. The Town has waived the first 50 per cent of the fees of developable land.
