The Independent Staff
Brooke-Alvinston councillors are wondering if the municipality may be able to take advantage of a major expansion in the Chemical Valley.
Nova Chemicals recently announced a $2.2 billion in St. Clair Township. It is the biggest construction project in the region since the 1970s and perhaps the largest in the province as well.
That has peaked the interest of politicians across Lambton County who know there may be people looking for a place to live.
Public Works Manager Randy Hills questioned whether Brooke-Alvinston Council wanted him to look at what it would cost to put water and sewer lines down Millpond Road. There are a number of lots on the street but no underground services. That led one person to find another place to build.
Hills says the road needs to be replaced and it would be better to add the services when that was being done. Mayor Don McGugan suggested having lots available might entice some of the people coming for the Nova project.
He says after the announcement a real estate agent asked about lots in Brooke-Alvinston. He was also looking for land to develop.
“There will be a sprinkling of benefit from the project,” says McGugan.
But the majority of council felt any future developer should pay for the services, not council.
However, Councillor Frank Nemcek did suggest taking a more active approach to selling some of the land the municipality has seized in tax sales over the years.
“We have six to 10 lots; we need to go to a real estate agent to push these things,” says Nemcek. “We talked about the plants being built in Sarnia, we should sell our lots.”
Council asked for a report from administration on putting the lots up for sale.
