The Town of Innisfail is taking steps to replenish its dwindling inventory of residential lots.
It’s preparing to subdivide an approximately 12-acre parcel east of Napoleon Lake, in the community’s northwest corner.
Four development alternatives are being considered, with these presented at an open house last week.
The plans would result in anywhere from 35 to 42 lots, including some with 52-foot frontages and others with 66-foot frontages. All would leave a significant amount of open space, said Craig Teal, Innisfail’s director of planning and development.
The west-facing lots would overlook Napolean Lake.
“We’re not sure which of those options is ultimately going to be approved,” said Teal, explaining that town council will select a preferred plan and then go through a formal approval process, which will include rezoning and amendment of the Napoleon Lake Area Structure Plan and the municipal development plan.
With services and roadwork still to be completed, the subdivision will likely not be ready for home construction until well into 2014, said Teal.
The property, which is owned by the town, was previously slated to serve as the site of a new Catholic school. But those plans changed, and the land will now help address a pending residential lot shortage.
“If you were shopping for a new lot in Innisfail at the end of 2012, you would have had 84 lots to pick from,” said Teal.
“We don’t want to let it run down to zero.”
Instead, the town would like to maintain a two- to three-year supply, which requires advance planning.
“We do have other lands that probably in 2014 we’ll turn our attention to, to get ready for 2015, 2016,” said Teal.
For now, the town still has lots available in Hazelwood Estates, as does private developer Mason Martin Homes.
And Laebon Homes has lots for sale in Madison Park.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com