Following Rimbey town council’s approval of an area structure plan for Johnson’s Estates, Ponoka County has moved quickly to give the financial boost intended to help secure property for a proposed new senior’s complex.
Council approved the plan at its April 29 meeting, and Ponoka County’s CAO Charlie Cutforth said the county immediately moved ahead to purchase the land.
“Now that the area structure plan is approved by the Town of Rimbey and the appropriate zoning is in place, we can proceed with the subdivision final purchase and transfer of the title to the county. We hope to have everything completed within the next 60 days or so.”
Cutforth said the county has an accepted offer to purchase 9.8 acres from Johnson Estates for $289,000 on the table, but needed the area structure zone to be approved before finalizing the deal.
“I’m pleased to see it progressing and anxious to see this done,” Cutforth said, following Monday’s meeting.
The town has agreed to cost share the installation of the water and sewer lines from the nearest main to the county purchased land at an estimated cost of $170,000 with the developer.
The town has also agreed to do a traffic impact assessment on Hwy. 53 to provide information to Alberta Highways to determine what type of intersection will need to be installed.
An application for an aging in place facility for Rimbey has been before the Province for several months.
Mayor Sheldon Ibbotson said he is pleased by the partnership with the town, the county and Rimoka.
“We are looking forward to a positive response from the province regarding the senior’s complex,” he said.