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City shelves plans to annex land from the RM

The City of Estevan has shelved its plans to annex land from the rural municipality of Estevan.

The City of Estevan has shelved its plans to annex land from the rural municipality of Estevan.

The city announced its intentions last year to annex 6 1/2 quarter sections of land, with four to the north that would be secured for future residential uses, and 2 1/2 quarters to the east to expand commercial and industrial reserves for future development.

At the time, the city said the land was needed so that it would have an adequate reserve of land, as it had a 15-year supply, and it also voiced concerns with industrial projects being constructed along the truck bypass that would negatively affect the value of properties in north Estevan.

But the RM opposed those plans, and numerous RM ratepayers voiced their displeasure during an open house hosted by the city last fall.

It was expected the city’s desire to annex the land would eventually go to the mediation stage through the Saskatchewan Municipal Board, but council decided not to proceed.

Mayor Roy Ludwig said the city decided to halt the land acquisition plans because they decided the land isn’t needed.

“We just stepped back a bit, and we feel at this time that we don’t need to look at it,” said Ludwig. “So that’s not to say that down the road, the council of the day might want to revisit it, but the last time it came up, our council just decided to step back a bit.”

Council was waiting and hoping the economy would take a big step forward to justify the annexation.

The mayor did not dismiss the potential of revisiting the issue again in the future.

Ludwig said the city and the RM continue to hold meetings through their liaison committee regarding issues that need to be addressed, and neither side is pushing the annexation issue at this time.