Niverville’s town council held their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, November 16.

There were several delegations on the agenda, beginning with a proposal to amend a zoning bylaw. The request came from Len Peters of Sunset Estates, who would like to change the plot of land that formerly held the Old Drovers Run driving range, zoning it to include three residential high-density lots, three parks and open space lots, and one residential medium-density lot.

One letter of objection was read into the minutes. The writer of that letter indicated that rezoning the land would be fiscally irresponsible, based on their belief that the land would be better served as commercial space.

The writer of the email pointed out that the proposed area, which is very near Niverville High School and the hotel which is scheduled to be built, would offer a prime location for more businesses seeking to benefit from the customer base brought in by the high school, hotel, Community Resource and Recreation Centre, and other established businesses in the area.

Len Peters, the developer of the land, was on hand to answer questions. When asked to dispute the objection, he argued that in fact the land backing onto a golf course is actually prime residential space and often highly sought-after.

Peters also pointed out that there are multiple commercial vacancies and commercial buildings being built around the area already, but there is often a lack of residential land available—a need which this project would help fill.

In the end, the proposal was approved and the project will proceed.

Next up, a conditional use permit was unanimously granted to Clarity Vision Inc. The new optometric location will open at Unit C-2 10 Cedar Drive. The location will be approximately 1,250 square feet with two examination rooms and a full eyewear dispensary.

The tentative hours of operation for the new business will be 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Council encouraged the owner of the business to consider opening for at least one evening per week, which provides a convenience for many residents who commute to work in Winnipeg or other towns.

Finally, after a tendering process, the town’s contract for snow, salt, and sand hauling for the 2021–2022 winter season was awarded to Centennial Gravel and Excavating Ltd.