NIPAWIN — Discussion got lively at the Nipawin town council meeting this past week as councillors made a decision regarding lot prices in the Coventry subdivision.
It has been five years since the lots were serviced by the town but no sales have been made. Votes on whether to drop the price of the lots by 50 per cent and give a three year tax incentive for property owners were split with the motion passing by a 4-3 vote at the June 22 council meeting.
This was not a quick or easy decision, said Rennie Harper, Nipawin’s mayor, who supported the price change. The Coventry subdivision has part of previous council and committee meetings, she said, so the vote was the final piece of a larger discussion.
The town is competing for residential sales with other local communities, like Melfort, Tisdale, the Resort Village of Tobin Lake and the Rolling Pines Resort, she said, so sales incentives are hopefully going to get the lots moving.
Council decided during the May 25 meeting to rezone the Coventry subdivision to allow smaller houses and duplex buildings on the lots. Having mixed housing options is an important part of residential growth, Harper said. Other programs to offer these incentives to other Nipawin lots have worked, she said.
“We've been looking at all kinds of housing opportunities and we've been wanting to get some smaller sized houses and we've been trying to sell some of our infill lots. We reduce the price on some of those to try to get people to use some of those and that's been successful.”
