亚洲天堂 Lake council has included $7500 in this year鈥檚 budget to conduct a study to investigate the feasibility of extending water and sewer services to the area east of town known as industrial site.

The owners of Lino鈥檚 Sales and Service, a family business within the village boundaries that is not covered by water and sewer, have been advocating for the extension of these services for the past 20 years.

鈥淭his change is long overdue,鈥� said Gina Strimbold, who鈥檚 part of the family business. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not nice to be included in the village and not be included in all the services."

And they are not alone, according to Val Anderson, 亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 economic development officer. Anderson said most of the business owners in the industrial site and nearby area complained about the lack of water and sewer services during a consultation she conducted last year.

Councillor Michael Riis-Christianson said the lack of water and sewer services has been a longstanding source of contention for residents and businesses in the industrial site and nearby area.

鈥淭hese services would allow for more dense development and also an increase of property values,鈥� he said.

Riis-Christianson also questioned why this initiative has not been included in 亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 infrastructure priorities.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember us talking about this,鈥� said 亚洲天堂 Lake Mayor Chris Beach. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad this topic has come up because it seems like something we should be talking about.鈥�

Councillor Kelly Holliday also stressed the importance of moving ahead with this project.

鈥淚f we鈥檙e looking at further development, we have to be prepared and ready,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e trying to attract new industry, and then we have to tell them 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 get water sewer,鈥� they might say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e not coming to 亚洲天堂 Lake.鈥欌��

According to the village, there are six privately owned lots that are potentially available to be developed in the industrial site. The engineering feasibility study would determine the best overall route to connect the area to the village鈥檚 water and sewer mains.

鈥淎 possible route would be to connect to the existing services neat Fifth Avenue and Aspen or Casmir and come down through the undeveloped village owned property towards Hwy. 16 and then onto the industrial site,鈥� says a village staff report. 鈥淚n doing so, it would provide the village with future development in this and surrounding areas; then not only are you servicing the industrial area, but you鈥檙e serving future residential.鈥�

A second possible route would be to connect the industrial site to the existing mains located near Hwy. 35 and Richmond Loop.

It鈥檚 still unclear how much the project would cost. Following completion of the feasibility study, the village will have construction cost estimates and engineering recommendations needed to determine the village鈥檚 desire to proceed to the detailed design phase.

However, the village won鈥檛 move ahead with the feasibility study just yet.

鈥淲aiting until June gives staff the opportunity to get started on other projects,鈥� explained Sheryl Worthing, chief administrative officer for the Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake. 鈥淚f time allows we can begin the process then.鈥�