New documents show that Carpere Canada’s pursuit of the former Valley View Centre property hinges on the City of Moose Jaw fulfilling several conditions before the land purchase agreement can be executed.
The Vancouver-based company submitted an offer to purchase proposal to the provincial government in early December 2019. It contained the number of acres the company wanted, how much it would pay per acre, terms and conditions, a schedule and task list to fulfill, the proposed mixed-use residential development, and information about Carpere Canada.
The Ministry of Central Services redacted parts of the document, including how much Carpere would pay per acre, Carpere’s cost to demolish the 23 buildings and structures, an outline of the proposed residential development, and information about who Carpere Canada is.
Terry Tian, director of business development for Carpere Canada, signed the document on Dec. 10, 2019, 10 months after the company quit its deal with the City of Moose Jaw to purchase 780 acres in the Southeast Industrial Park.
The document indicates the proposal was effective until June 30 but could be extended by mutual agreement in writing. It is unknown what the current status is of the agreement, as the Moose Jaw Express did not hear back from the provincial government by press time.
Project sale
The document shows that Carpere planned to purchase 160 acres of the Valley View Centre (VVC) property, including parcels that are 78.37 acres, 50.85 acres and 30 acres in size. However, it excluded the purchase of 39 acres deemed ecologically and archaeologically sensitive.
The company understood that a citizens’ group was petitioning to protect the ecological zone from future development on the northern portion, the document said. This area has also been zoned flood (f1) and slump (s1) and is archaeologically sensitive due to the potential of Aboriginal burial grounds.
Along with the 160-acre purchase, Carpere Canada also wanted all the buildings, structures, and equipment and machinery such as a zero-turn mower and snowplow. However, it did not want an X-ray machine.
City’s response
Carpere may have given the province a list of requests in its proposal, but the municipality is not a party to the agreement, nor is it obligated to follow the conditions, Mayor Fraser Tolmie said in an email.
The City of Moose Jaw has been in discussions with Carpere representatives Terry Tian and Deb Thorn since early 2020, and on multiple occasions, the city has advised Carpere of the steps required under the planning and development act to move forward on a residential subdivision in the Valley View property, the mayor continued. The most recent letter city hall sent to Carpere was on July 29, with an invitation for further dialogue on the matter. Carpere had yet to respond as of Aug. 20.
“The City is eager to promote private development, but it is not the City’s policy to fund private development,” Tolmie added. “The City will continue to work in the best interests of our community.”
Terms and conditions
There are 22 terms and conditions that had to be satisfied before the agreement would be ratified. Some of them include:
- The City of Moose Jaw must approve the concept plan, including the rezoning application (mixed-use residential) and the plan of the proposed subdivision
- The city must confirm that all Valley View lands are exempt (in-fill development) from development levies
- The city must confirm that it assumes all responsibility for the existing water and sewer infrastructure to the property line, including the lift station
- The city must provide a property tax exemption that is acceptable to Carpere
- Written confirmation from both school divisions to bus children from the new subdivision to school
- Carpere’s engineer must confirm that the current capacity of municipal infrastructure would accommodate the planned development, including peak fire flows
- Carpere’s engineer must confirm that the existing reservoir and pumps could accommodate the planned development and peak fire flows
- Carpere and the city must enter into a servicing agreement that is acceptable to Carpere
- Written confirmation that the city will repair or replace the Seventh Avenue Southwest bridge at the city’s cost, and that the work would be completed within the timelines required to service Carpere’s development
- Confirmation that the irrigation pump for landscaping still works and that pumping agreements can be extended suitable to Carpere, while the city approves the continued functioning of the pump house located on municipal land at the entrance of the former Wild Animal Park
- The province must conduct a geotechnical study of all lands to confirm the property is suitable for development and at no risk of slumping; Carpere would pay for this study
- The province must take full responsibility for the cost to clean up any environmental spills or on-site contaminations and provide copies of assessments
- Written confirmation from Wakamow Valley Authority that it supports Carpere’s developmental concept plan
Schedule and tasks list
There were 16 tasks that Carpere wanted to be completed, starting on Jan. 15 to the closing date of July 1. After the closure date, the company expected to start demolition of the buildings and perform site work in the summer, while it planned to start construction and sale of lots and homes in the fall.
There is no indication of whether this schedule has been followed or is still in effect.
