A proposed bar and grill in the town of Battleford has some residents concerned, with one resident saying he will leave the community as a result.
"If this is going to go down, I'm done," said Tom Smith, who lives across the road from the proposed development. "I have an eight to five job. I can't have people driving around at three in the morning."
The development, if approved, will consist of a restaurant, bar and hotel located at 506 - 5th Ave. West, just west of the Shell gas station on Highway 4.
The zoning for the area allows for a restaurant and hotel, but the night club portion is a discretionary use and requires the approval of council.
A letter was sent to all residents within a 75-metre distance, and a number of replies were received, citing concerns of increased traffic, noise and dust and a decrease in property values.
"We are totally against this proposal," wrote the Kindratskys, explaining they chose to live in the area because it is quiet and provides an ideal environment for their grandchildren.
"We are very disappointed to hear that a night club is to be built in our front yard," they wrote. "The traffic would double on 5th Avenue, making it noisy and unsafe, that is not what we want."
Smith pointed to the Discretionary Use Evaluation Criteria, which states: "the proposal must not be detrimental to the health, safety, convenience or general welfare of persons residing or working in the vicinity."
Smith informed council he had consulted a real estate agent, who informed him his property values could decrease as a result of the development.
Jacob Shin, part-owner of the proposed development and vice-president of the Windsor Hotel and Queen's Hotel, addressed these concerns during a recent town council meeting.
He explained the sports bar and grill would cater to a different crowd than the average clientele of the Windsor and Queen's Hotel, explaining it would be more similar in nature to Boston Pizza.
"I'm trying to control it by offering a different environment," said Shin. "The environment says it all."
Shin said higher prices, as a result of superior facilities, increased security, better chefs and ingredients, would influence the clientele.
Shin also said the parking would be situated towards the highway, trees and landscaping would beautify the area, and the hotel, when completed, would block highway noise.
As for the concerns of residents, he said many of the concerns would be shared by future guests at the hotel, so it would be in the company's best financial interests to closely monitor the environment created by the sports bar and grill.
"We have to think of our hotel guests," said Shin. "If you have noise, you're just going to be losing clientele."
Shin said the noise would be minimal, except for special events, which they plan to have two or three times per month.
Councillor Bill Halewich stepped in as deputy mayor for the discussion, as Mayor Chris Odishaw declared his pecuniary interest in the matter because he had previously bought the land, as well as an adjacent buffer strip, and sold the entire parcel to the company planning the development.
Halewich said, "My own personal opinion is that it will definitely improve the area."
He added that concerns about dust from the unpaved road could be addressed if a condition of the discretionary use approval would be to pave the road, at the company's expense.
A decision on the discretionary use application will be made at a future council meeting.
