New business JD Trucking operates long-range semi-trailers that deliver goods across Saskatchewan and Canada and wants to establish a truck terminal at its site at 670 North Service Road.
The company submitted a commercial business licence application for “truck terminal and warehousing” in late August to city hall that would create a main office, dispatch office, repair shop and parking space for trailers and trucks.
Furthermore, owner Jorawar Singh Deo wants to repurpose one existing structure to serve as office space, demolish or repurpose a structure at the property’s rear and erect a new repair shop in the same spot.
“Good highway and road access is paramount to such an operation, hence the decision to locate near the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway 1 and provincial Highway 2,” a report to city council said.
Deo briefly appeared during the Sept. 25 regular meeting, while council unanimously approved the discretionary use application.
This property falls within the C3f1 vehicle-oriented commercial and f1 flood fringe overlay district, where “truck terminals and warehousing” is a discretionary use since the potential exists for conflict with other land uses, the report continued.
Gravel covers the entrance and will be extended to the property’s rear for truck and trailer parking and vehicle repair. The business will prepare a grading plan and submit it with a development permit application to city hall for review.
Vehicle parking will occur near the office on the southwest corner.
This property is the former site of a card lock that Shell Canada Products Ltd. once operated, while plenty of environmental testing and remediation has occurred there since 1995, the report said.
Jim Dixon, economic development manager, told council that city hall received a communication from the property owner selling the land to Deo. The former owner was confused about the information notice he received and thought the city was planning to rezone the land.
That’s not happening, Dixon pointed out, as the notice was simply about the discretionary use application coming to council.
“We hadn’t received any (other) communications during the advertising process … so administration is still in favour of the application, as (Deo) makes good use of the property,” he added.
Coun. Crystal Froese agreed with the application, saying, “I think this is the type of business we’re looking for up on the North Service Road.”
Coun. Heather Eby thought this was a good re-use of the property and was happy to see a new business there. However, she noted that the report said attention “may be” required to address traffic safety because more semi-trailers will be using nearby access points between the North Service Road and highway system, especially near Ninth Avenue Northwest.
“To me, that’s a little vague,” she remarked, wondering how the city would know if attention was required and who was responsible for making it happen.
The report also noted that a strip of floodway and park space between Highway 1 and the edge of Sunningdale “should” provide an adequate buffer between the terminal and existing uses, Eby continued.
“Well, ‘should,’ but it doesn’t say it will … . What happens if it doesn’t?” she added.
City hall thinks this project is a good use of the property and will be compatible with the area, Dixon said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Highways is conducting a safety study of Highway 1, which city administration hopes addresses the traffic issues.
Coun. Doug Blanc also agreed with the project but hoped trucks used the west exit ramp when leaving the city instead of attempting to turn right from Ninth Avenue Northwest.
The next regular council meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 10.
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