An extension for a development permit has been granted for the CAIRN on the Boulevard. A permit was given in the spring of 2016 to allow for a health facility, community outreach facility and convenience store on the bottom floor. In order to fulfill the permit, there needed to be some landscaping, fencing and paving finished around the building.
The east-west fence was completed between the CAIRN and a neighbouring building. CAIRN owner and operator Brad Cameron says funding was an issue with the paving, curbing and painting of lines that was meant to be done in the parking lot. He says they worked with Community Futures and did receive the money they needed to get it complete but not by the September 30th 2016 deadline. Cameron adds that landscaping was also set to be done by the end of October but they will not make that deadline. He asked the city for the deadline to be extended to August 31st, 2017 for both landscaping and the paving work.
The City of Grande Prairie chose to extend the deadline to the end of August 2017. Other options presented were to initiate a stop order for all other parts of the development permit until the work was complete. This would include the new bottom floor facilities. The city could have also chose to issue a fine that they chose fit for the late work.
Councillor Helen Rice felt that the extension was too long and hoped to tighten up the timeline for the completion of the work. Cameron says their hope is to finish the work sooner than the set date.