Prince Albert city council has approved the sale of a small municipal reserve beside 28 Hadley Road, despite opposition from some councillors and residents concerned about losing neighbourhood green space.
The 8,700-square-foot strip of land will be sold for $8,000, the city’s standard rate of $1 per square foot for land with limited development potential. The buyer plans to consolidate it with their yard.
Municipal reserve (MR) parcels are typically set aside for parks or trails when subdivisions are built. City Planning and Development Services Director Craig Guidinger told the council the strip was never intended to be developed as a park, and with a storm easement running through the property, it cannot be used for housing. The city will keep a 25-foot pathway corridor in place to allow future trail connections, and it will register an interest on the title so staff can access the easement for maintenance. Permanent structure and fencing will still require city approval.
The proposal drew written opposition from nearby residents who argued the land should remain public green space. No residents spoke against the sale during Monday’s public hearing, but the item still triggered an extended debate around the council table.
Ward 3 Coun. Tony Head called the sale “premature,” arguing the city should wait until the neighbourhood is fully built out before deciding whether park space is still needed. Ward 4 Coun. Bryce Laewetz questioned whether the $8,000 sale price was fair and said allowing one property owner to expand their yard sets a precedent for other MR parcels to be sold. Ward 1 Coun. Daniel Brown said the city should have offered the land to all adjacent neighbours, not just one buyer.
Supporters of the sale said the land was overgrown and underused and that selling it would reduce city maintenance costs and boost property tax revenue.
“This is a win-win-win,” said Ward 8 Coun. Darren Solomon. “It creates revenue, increases the tax base, and means less grass for the city to maintain.”
Mayor Bill Powalinski said the decision reflects the “highest and best use” of the land. He added that protections in the agreement would prevent the property from being used for RV and boat storage in a way that disrupts the neighbourhood.
Council voted 5-3 to pass all three bylaws needed to complete the sale, including removing the MR designation, rezoning the parcel, and authorizing the sale agreement and survey.
