The town of Stettler is looking to dispose of municipal reserve land in the east industrial sector but the move was opposed by Norm Lyster of Lyster Farms during the town council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, April 1.
“I am disappointed to have to be here,” Lyster said at the meeting. “I have concern over the town reneging on past agreements.”
The land in question was kept as a buffer zone between Lyster’s residence and the rest of the east industrial sector. He said the loss of that buffer would negatively affect his quality of life.
“Our experience is that when something like that is let go, you have no idea what’s going to happen, what you could have there,” he said.
He added that the agreement to have that buffer has been in place since the late ‘60s.
Assistant CAO Greg Switenky said the town feels that the buffer is no longer necessary.
The town met with Lyster in early February and said that the land is not currently serving the community and it would be better to sell the land and use the funds for park development.
If the town moves forward with disposing of the municipal reserve, anybody can buy the land – including Lyster.
He asked the town in the meeting to not proceed with their plans to dispose of the property.
“Picture any number of things sitting right beside a house that would potentially impact you…that’s one of the reasons why you end up separating industrial and residential,” Lyster said.
No decisions were made on the sale in the meeting, but the town promised to discuss the issue further with Lyster.
“We won’t move forward until you come and talk to us,” Mayor Dick Richards said.
Lyster was scheduled to meet with town representatives again in about a week. He is confident that the town will decide to keep the buffer zone.
“They should be keeping it, otherwise the concern is that, do you want to live in a town where they just change things on a whim?” he asked.