It will look slightly different than originally planned, but The Meadows of Estevan is still a go.
There has been much speculation about the future of the housing project which will be located north of Wellock Road in the city's northwest corner. Although the development was announced over a year ago, there has yet to be any earthwork at the site.
However, Essex Developments, the Alberta-based company behind the project, has been continuing to work with the City of Estevan behind the scenes and hopes to see homes constructed this year.
In an interview with The Mercury, project manager Graham Cripps said an amended community plan was recently submitted to the City of Estevan which will enable them to use the land more effectively.
"There are basically two areas to the property that drain in slightly different directions and as such we are trying to maintain good use of earthworks on the site, and I felt that the original plan didn't accommodate that very well," Cripps said. "I made a presentation to council last week and there didn't seem to be any major objections. I am now preparing what we call a master servicing plan to justify and prove that the land use works."
Along with altering the earthwork, Cripps said they have also changed the layout of the proposed master plan neighborhood.
He said the new design calls for 146 single family residential homes and 298 modular homes. Thirteen acres have been set aside for multi-family housing and three acres have been earmarked for a seniors assisted living home. Cripps added there will be the same amount of green space and parks but they won't be concentrated in one area. There will also be no commercial spaces.
"All of this is shaped by what the market is driving," he said. "Nobody had come forward suggesting they would love to have that commercial plot, but numerous people have come through saying we would like some multi-family and the seniors' home is being negotiated.
"There has been a huge demand (for multi-family). I know I have been involved in discussions with the clients and a lot of them have been with multi-family developers."
Speaking of the type of homes that will be constructed in The Meadows, Cripps said those along Wellock road will reflect the residences located on Newcombe Drive and Dieppe Crescent.
"Up the spine road, which is currently known as Meadowview Drive, there is an intention to put in 12-plexes along that road with a green space in front which will form part of the setback for the properties so it will potentially be a tree-lined boulevard."
As for a timeline, Cripps said he is working to have the tender packages completed by the end of March which will clear the way for earthwork and site servicing to begin.
"This isn't going to happen next year, this is going to happen this year," Cripps said. "There is a whole process that we have to go through working with the City with Wellock Road, which has to be fairly substantially complete. Once Wellock Road is in and completed we'll have service connections for lots. So definitely something is going to be available this year, ideally along Wellock and then the rest will come."
