Planning District Solicits Public Input on Significant Rezoning

While we regularly cover public hearings held by the Town of Neepawa or surrounding municipalities, this one deals with a bylaw that is specific to the Neepawa & Area Planning District, an organisation that is made up of the Town of Neepawa, The Rural Municipality of Rosedale and the Rural Municipality of Glenella-Lansdowne. The Planning District is proposing to change the designation of the quarter section of land east of Broadway Avenue and south of the golf course, which is believed to be the future location of Neepawa's new hospital.

The hearing drew several interested parties from the area as well as comments in writing regarding the proposal. Many were interested in what specific proposals were being made for the land in question, which isn’t a part of this particular planning process. As the board explains it, this bylaw change is planning for the future growth in that area, and when an actual development proposal comes forward, the public will have an opportunity to speak to it at that time.

When asked what prompted making the designation changes at this time, they indicated that there was a specific use planned for the 40 acres being redesignated as an institutional zone, and the rest of the area was being remapped out of convenience and to clean up any irregularities in the zones prior to development proposals coming forward. That institutional zone is believed to be the future site of the new hospital, although board members involved have signed a non-disclosure agreement on that project and could not speak to it.

Public comment at the hearing was almost universally in support of development of that area in a general sense, but area residents want to see it being done “the right way.” A development project in the same area that dates back nearly a decade resulted in row housing they indicate has sub-par work and lacks basic amenities like paved lots and adequate garbage removal. Residents are wary of a repeat of that development, and of increased traffic on the single access road off of Highway 16 that would serve any new developments in the area.

"I don't plan on making this a town I don't want to live in," said Neepawa Council Member Murray Parrott when speaking to the concerns of residents in the area. They were assured that there would be future opportunities to ask many of the questions they had, such as water and sewer service to the area, if and when developers came forward with a proposal.
The Neepawa & Area Planning District regulates all building in the town and municipalities and is responsible for building inspections, permits (building, plumbing), planning (conditional uses, variations, rezoning), and zoning memorandums.