Next steps outlined in Village Heights plan

New steps have been laid out for the Village Heights master plan, which was delivered to Village of Burns Lake (VBL) council on March 22.

During an April 19 council meeting, it was decided that the Economic Recovery & Development Committee (ERDC) committee will be brought on board.

“This is a committee of (village) council that has the mandate to focus efforts on economic development of the community. The committee provides council with a platform to drive critical economic development projects forwards. Council believes the ERDC can present some good ideas that will assist in the development of the Village Heights subdivision. The committee will brain storm ideas for promoting development of the subdivision,” VBL Chief Administrative Officer told Lakes District News.

Village Heights is a a long term residential development project in Burns Lake. The suggested plot for the development is located in the large space of land directly north of the Lakeside Mall, on the other side of Highway 16.

Discussions were had during the meeting about some push back from within the community about the project, mainly that some people don’t want too much expansion in Burns Lake. Though council believes the subdivision will be beneficial to the community when it ultimately gets finished years down the road.

READ MORE: Village Heights master plan delivered to Village of Burns Lake council

“This isn’t about promoting growth it’s more about handling what’s already here,” Mayor Dolores Funk said during the meeting. “I’ve had conversations with Northern Health, for example, who is trying to attract and retain healthcare workers and doctors etcetera, and one of the major impediments is our housing situation,” she continued.

The timeline of this project is quite long, it’s estimated that it will take at least 10-15 years before the subdivision is complete.